Everything starts with a simple click to get anyone immersed into a video on YouTube. It can be a vlog or beauty tutorial, but what really attracts the YouTube community are Let’s Play videos.

A Let’s Play is a walkthrough of a video game with background commentary of players reacting to the video game. The trend first started in 2007 with Michael “slowbeef” Sawyer, who posted a walkthrough video of The Immortal with his commentary on the website, Something Awful. Later, another user, Ben "Diabetus" Whitfield, created an account on YouTube to post one of his Let’s Play videos, quickly gaining popularity. Now in 2017,  YouTubers, such as Felix "Pewdiepie" Kjellberg, Sean "Jacksepticeye" McLoughlin, and Mark "Markiplier"Fischbach, take Let’s Play videos into another level, proving themselves to be the most popular on the platform.

But are Let’s Play videos a good or bad thing?

All is good!

Viewers experience playing the game through watching a Let’s Play. These videos give the viewer access to a game when they lack the money, or if they are currently miles away from their PS4 or Xbox One.

It can also bring exposure to viewers who are unaware about a specific game. They can look through the Let’s Play videos and learn more about the plot and gameplay. If they enjoy watching the video, people can eventually purchase the game to experience it themselves -- if you see someone like a game, you are likely to want to buy and play it yourself.

They are not so great for the actual games

Let’s Plays hold some negatives too. Viewers tend to watch a video because they want to see the reactions, more than the actual video game itself. The reaction becomes the main focus of the video, leaving the game meaningless.

These videos also ruin the purpose and experience of videogames, as watching and playing a game are different experiences. Playing a game offers players challenges and enjoyment, but by watching the game, people lose that experience. The videogame can be enjoy only by the player -- who is playing the game -- while the viewers can only enjoy the game through the player, losing the essence of actually playing a videogame.

Let's Play videos have their perks and positives, but all in all, it all depends on how to look at a Let’s Play video or which Let’s Play gamer you prefer to watch. After all, isn't great to see someone having fun with a game?

Three days after being cut out of business deals with Disney and YouTube for posting "anti-Semitic" content, PewDiePie (aka Felix Kjellberg) has responded to the recent backlash on his videos. 

The Pewds admits that the joke he was making was in poor taste and went on too long, saying:

"I'm sorry for the words that I used, as I know they offended people...And I admit that the joke itself went too far."

But his apology wasn't the crux of the 11-minute response video he posted to his channel yesterday. Instead, he tried to debunk the validity of the original investigation done by Wall Street Journal -- claiming that the writer who published the expose was "obviously cornering" Disney and YouTube, framing the whole situation in a way that essentially forced them to end their partnerships with him whether they wanted to or not. 

He even referred to the article in question as an "attack", saying: 

"It was an attack by the media to try to discredit me, to try to decrease my influence and my economic worth."

Toward the end of the video, PewDiePie sent out a heartfelt "thank you" to all the fans who have supported him up to this point, and who have continued to support him throughout this scandal. And in true Pewds fashion, he wrapped it all up with a joke at the Journal's expense. 

Check out the full video below: 

YouTube sensation PewDiePie (aka Felix Kjellberg) has pulled yet another prank on his wildly popular channel. But this time around, it's gotten him in trouble with Disney, YouTube, and other sponsors. 

Kjellberg paid two men to wear loincloths and dance around with a sign that read "Death to all Jews" -- then featured them in a short video that hit 6 million views before it was taken down. He claims that the joke was made in good fun, and that he was in no way trying to express actual anti-Semitic views.

But his sponsors don't seem to be laughing, as both Disney and YouTube have cut their business ties with Kjellberg in response to the post. YouTube has cancelled its release of the second season of "Scare PewDiePie" on its premium subscription platform, YouTube Red, and even went so far as to remove PewDiePie's channel altogether from Google Preferred. 

In a similar backlash, Disney has dropped Kjellberg from its Makers Studios, where he was given free rein over his own YouTube network called Revelmode. Although Kjellberg was the most-watched personality in the studio, he'll no longer be a part of the project in any capacity. 

These decisions were based not only on the content of the singular video, but also on 8 additional videos that were uncovered in a Wall Street Journal investigation -- all of which included anti-Jewish jokes, anti-Semitic remarks, or Nazi imagery. 

Although PewDiePie is known for being irreverent in this way, his sponsors agree that he's taken it too far with this type of content. And while he's losing out on a number of partnerships, he will not lose his whole YouTube channel -- and will still be able to monetize the videos he makes there. 

Only time will tell if PewDiePie will be able to recover from this misstep and keep creating content, or if the King of Let's Plays will finally step down and do something else. 

The streaming of video games has become a phenomenon in recent years. Video platforms, such as YouTube and Twitch, have become the authoritative channels to communicate and share the virtual exploits of peoples gaming experience. Not only have the most eminent become synonymous with video gaming, but many have branched out into branding, such as clothing and candles.

These videos discuss games in a variety of formats, including ‘let’s plays’, walkthroughs, machinima and reviews. They have captured the attention of millions of loyal followers, who opt to subscribe and watch the video content regularly.

Historically, video gaming was generally a solitary activity, but now there has been a seismic shift towards not just multiplayer gaming, but a totally communal experience, where gamers watch others playing games and can comment and communicate upon the events.

Culturally, this trend is extremely important; it reiterates the place and importance of video games within the wider media environment. The sheer level of professionalism, fun and communication with fans means gamers trust streamers. The streamers themselves do recognise their influence amongst fans.

So why is the genre so popular? Let’s explore this a little further

The sheer number of games out there means gamers can be very choosy about what they purchase.  Gamers can watch a trailer and demo the game, but us savvy gamers want to see the game in action right now. The streamer is the guinea pig, with the viewer watching to ensure the game is worth the price tag. The type of games streamed range from AAA games to indie titles that have sparked their interest. In effect, their influence upon the video gaming industry cannot be understated, with games such as Punch Club, who through clever marketing embraced the Twitch streaming community and an increase in sales was clearly noticed directly after the streaming. There is nothing better than discovering a new game.

Personality is a deciding factor, as gamers want to watch engaging streamers, with a strong personality, who isn’t afraid of speaking their mind. No article about streaming video games can be written without discussing PewDiePie, who also has the most subscribers on YouTube. Naming fans ‘bros’ builds and develops an instantaneous connection with fans. Streamers such as PewDiePie and Jesse Cox are engaging and hyperbole the heck out of a game.

As a career path, streamers are extremely talented gamers and can demonstrate the games in the manner that they are supposed to be played in. They take the extreme mode challenges and chancey manoeuvres, simply for the entertainment value. The unpredictable nature of what could happen is what is truly exciting, the speed challenges and games with jump scares is very appealing for viewers.

Community spirit is important; the viewer is part of the shared experience and can comment and post on what is happening in the game. The competitive pressure is on the streamer, but the viewer can relax, enjoy the banter and chat in the forums. Savvy streamers know to utilise social media to ask fans what to stream next, thus assisting with the buying advice.

Self-improvement is a key factor, as gamers seek to improve skills and hone techniques. For strategic games like Hearthstone, learning and understanding the reason why cards should be played at a given time and the playstyle of other people. It also reminds players that the game, with perseverance and practise IS beatable and give us all hope that we too can complete the game. Watching and learning is better than reading a guide to truly understand what a player needs to do to beat a boss, for example.

There is a whole genre of esports, the professional arm of gaming where the best of the best can be watched playing their game. Whilst there is no personality shown through watching these high level players, one can watch simply in awe of the technical levels that the players have reached.

People watch streamers for a whole variety of reasons and the popularity of streaming will increase. There is a whole world of games to explore and introduce viewers to, both current and upcoming, AAA and independent games. What we all enjoy, is a person we can relate to, who plays a game that we know and love, are curious about, or equally have never heard of and learn about it, whilst having some fun along the way.

PewdiePie’s Tuber Simulator is a stereotypical iOS and Android tap the app game, with a retro stylised appearance where you can become a global star through creating viral videos. Just tap on things and things will happen... slowly, oh so very slowly!

If there was ever a phrase to describe this game, it would be non-content. This game does not describe a single damn thing! In fact, I’m a little unsure of what you actually do in this game. I get the premise -- get as many viewers and subscribers as possible through making videos.

These videos range from ‘Flat Earth is Real’ to ‘Bleep Bloop the Musical’ and take about a minute each to record. You’re encouraged to ‘boost’ the recording, where, for example you can make Edgar the Dog wear a costume he hates whilst you watch an ad and your views double for a while. The game allows you to follow what is trending, with an icon. These are things such as musical notes, and they relate to icons when picking 1 of video types you’re given. Best to choose one that’s trending, I suppose?

Views are the in-game currency; spend these to upgrade your video making room. The more items in your room makes it easier to level up your character, and generate bigger and better items. Items you populate your room with take time to add to the game, and there are tasks to complete, such as gain 5000 total fans for some reward. Oh and there is a mini-game called "Puggle."

Overall, Tuber Simulator is a really shallow game, with no depth at all. It is very repetitive and has a lot of pointless waiting, without Pewdiepie’s name to it, it would not be at all successful. In all honesty, I found the game dull and superficial and maybe a little passive aggressive.

You made it to the final slide. Ryan McCoy's (Tuber name AceDoesYouTube) Bro Fist is well-earned.

Whittling builds down to a top 15 was tough-- I don't know how PewDiePie is going to choose! Best of luck to all entrants!

Boingin's channel focuses on the latest internet music sensation, including Slippy and the Blow-Up Dolls. Rumor has it their drummer deflated under pressure. No wonder Boingin looks so surprised!

BadSanta was so focused on whether or not he could, he didn't question if he should. Despite an entire trilogy and a newer film explaining why this is a bad idea, BadSanta went and built a miniature Jurassic Park. Let's hope that camouflage of plants keeps the Tuber safe when those eggs hatch!

Shirogue's channel highlights the age-old rivalry between cats and dogs. Slippy remains impartial as he works on a documentary following the leader from each force. Personally, I say the cats win this round-- their fort looks far more comfortable.

Considering October is practically synonymous with Halloween, I found TalkToHand's Tuber UseCodeSUCC's build to be thematically appropriate. Something wicked this way comes, if our skimpy summoner has anything to say out of that large tome.

Alipunn-kun continues the more professional aspirations with this studio. Just look at that production team! With Maya and Edgar heading the film crew and Slippy in charge of review, Alipunn-kun must put out some quality content. It's too bad he doesn't have better cohosts. One is super stiff on camera, and the other is just lifeless.

Rockyyoyo2 shows us a more classy design, with this open-office inspired layout. Do you think Maya and Edgar are there as advisers, or looking for a new Tuber to live with...? Don't tell PewDiePie!

Not everyone came for the contest. Poor BigCowLover wanted everyone to know that he had been captured by an evil goldfish and was being forced to make videos. Just look at the giant electric fence keeping him inside! They could at least give him a mattress for that bed. Goodness knows we internet citizens have bad enough backs from sitting at our computers all day.

This indoor garden paradise was submitted by BoredCrysis. The perfect mix of relaxing and entertaining, I could spend hours in this room. Do you think he'll stream the egg hatching? I had better subscribe to his channel just in case...

Tomrusz's build features an impressively constructed cardboard fort. the perfect defense against anything...except, it would seem, cats. Then again, why keep them out?

Zagiri (aka zagiri100x) seems to have found his core message: animal sports! He has a great view of the game, with two referees and some feathered spectators to keep him company. Maya and Edgar's teams look ready to face off-- be sure to check out Zagiri's Tuber channel to see who wins.

Don't expect an invitation to RadhidhaihiaThariq's Tuber Thariqq's studio anytime soon. This exclusive set is a clubhouse quite specifically for ducks. Maya and Edgar are VIPs in the Bro Army, so they get a pug pass. This time.

What's a duck's favorite game?

Billiards, obviously.

...I'll see myself out, Thariqq...

Aladdin Andig takes inspiration from late night talk shows everywhere for his room. Host desk, guest chairs, band slot, and a green screen for skits make up his personal Tuber studio. Don't even think about stealing his guitars-- security is watching.

Here, we find that AregusTV has discovered the secret to internet success: cat videos. Who wouldn't be smiling like the pictured Tuber in a studio full of the internet's cutest superstars?

Tmoxz is next, with this awesome aquatic set up. This looks like something the boys from Tanked would drool over. Just think of the water bill for this room! I especially enjoy the columns of stacked cylinder tanks in each corner and the fist arcade games for downtime when Tmoxz takes a break from streaming on Tuber.

Our first build comes from Tuber thechosentwo (aka sek10ng). Thechosentwo makes excellent use of stackable items, giving his room the appearance of a three-layer studio apartment. The first layer is a garden outside space, the second layer is his streaming office, and the topmost layer is a gaming room.

PewDiePie's Tuber Simulator has only been out for a short while, and already we're seeing some great builds. Players will eventually enjoy a feature that allows them to view the builds of top players. In the meantime, PewDiePie himself has decided to host a contest in his forums on BroArmy.net to find the current best build, offering a prize of verification. With 300+ pages of responses, he has quite the task cut out for him. 

Instead of sending you on a hunt, I waded through pages of poop jokes, bro fists, and inside jokes to bring you 15 of the best builds submitted. Without further ado, and in no particular order, enjoy these awesome builds.

The Pewdiepie's Tuber Simulator community is trying its best to find ways to exploit the game's slow rewards, and one such way is a glitch that gives the player a free desk or monitor of their choice provided they pull it off right.

This glitch has been sweeping the game's playerbase and it's hard to find people who browse its communities who haven't made use of this exploit.

So what's this glitch all about then?

Unlike the one that requires you to set your device to airplane mode and manually change your time, this one is less effort intensive:

1. Browse through the desks or monitors available for Bux
2. Find the desk or monitor you like the most that you can't afford
3. Tap that you want to buy it
4. The game will say you need more Bux to buy the desk or monitor
5. Immediately close the game
6. Restart the game
7. Ta-da! You have the chosen desk or monitor

I say "Ta-da!" but this glitch doesn't work for everyone, and there are some Pewdiepie's Tuber Simulator players who claim this glitch has broken their game completely -- as in their room is almost entirely blank and they can no longer purchase desks or monitors from the shop.

I have laid the steps to make use of this exploit out for you above, but do keep in mind there is a chance it could break your game. Those who have broken their game this way don't have much choice but to quit. After all, it's not like it's all that fun looking at a blank room watching bars move.

Whether you choose to use this exploit is up to you, but be aware of the risk involved. You're playing the game to have fun and everyone has a different definition of fun, don't they? Enjoy the free furniture but don't be totally shocked when it disappears.

Everybody loves to watch someone else get scared -- it’s human nature. The facial reactions, the hilarious high-pitched scream they let out, and a near fatal heart attack is all wonderfully enjoyed by tons of people on the Internet. As long as it’s not us, right?

Well, prepare to laugh, because this article will show you some of the best jump scares and reaction videos YouTube has to offer.

UpUpDownDown

Jump Scare Compilation

Professional wrestler Xavier Woods runs this YouTube gaming channel. and it features a bunch of videos of wrestlers joining Woods to play their favorite video games. While the videos that don’t include jump scares are also entertaining, the reaction videos of Woods playing survival horror games are the real gems. It is funny enough when it is just random people getting scared, but it is even funnier when larger-than-life wrestlers scream like little children.

PewDiePie 

Scariest Moments of Gaming

I think at this point in time, as people who play and love video games, we all know PewDiePie. If you don’t, then boy do I have a treat for you. PewDiePie and his reaction videos are some of the funniest videos you’ll ever watch. Watching this guy go from nearly pissing his pants to trying to think of soft, cuddly kittens is some of the best entertainment YouTube has to offer.

Markiplier

Five Nights at Freddy's Reaction Compilation

The king of yelling hilarious statements while cowering in fear is here. Markiplier is very loud and very funny, and his Five Nights at Freddy’s reaction video certainly proves that. His channel is comprised of many jump scare and reaction videos that are definitely worth checking out.

POiiSED

Boogeyman VR

 This guy literally just loves getting the crap scared out of him. His channel is only jump scares and reactions. He even uses the Oculus Rift in most of his videos, so this will give you a good idea of how much you will be crying if you happened to try survival horror VR games. Let’s take a moment here to appreciate this guy for allowing us to cry laughing at his hilarious screams and reactions.

Strap yourselves in for the most incredible AAA title of 2016...Bus Simulator! Okay just kidding, but seriously, why on Earth are these niche simulator games so popular? It just doesn't make sense.

Allow me to try and answer this question, as well as explain to you why I think most, if not all, simulator games suck. Bear in mind I am talking purely about sim games like Truck Simulator, Flight Simulator, Train Simulator, etc - not games like The Sims. 

If you're a fan of the simulator genre then fair enough, I am certainly not going to begrudge anyone for liking a specific gaming genre. However, I am definitely not one of you, myself. For me, a game is a release from reality, an experience that can help you escape from a mundane day to day lifestyle with an engrossing story or a fun multiplayer experience. The last thing I want to do is play a game that drags you back into the 'real' world and frankly, simulators do exactly that.

Simply put, they are so bloody boring.

With the release of Bus Simulator's launch trailer (see above), I was wondering just what makes simulator games popular. You always see them being churned out year after year, to such an extent that games were created with the entire purpose of making a mockery out of the genre. Goat Simulator was a hilarious fad, made famous by numerous, prominent YouTuber's, causing it to go viral. The same could be said of Surgeon Simulator and I can understand their popularity as these two examples are so bad that they are good. 

PewDiePie's GS series has gained a combined total view count of around 68 million! 

This has led me to believe that the main reason simulators are in any way popular is because these internet personalities make ironic videos of these games - this in turn causes thousands of people to go and buy them, simply for a laugh, i.e. to see how bad the games really are. 

I would argue that no-one can truly think these games are any good at all. The graphics are certainly not ground breaking, the controls are usually clunky and frustrating and as I said before the gameplay is incredibly dull! There are, however, some people who genuinely enjoy playing these games.

A quick Google search led me to Reddit, which in turn led me to a Gamasutra article from 2013. They asked the question 'Who was buying these games?' and found out that the genre was popular with the 8-12 and 35+ age groups, but there was very little enthusiasm from anyone else. There is no way that the age groups mentioned above are prominent enough to create a stable economy for game developers who create the Farming Simulators of this world. 

Apparently, many people like a relaxed gaming experience and I can understand this to a certain extent, but not enough to sway my opinion that these games are terrible. There are plenty of games that can provide a similar but far more interesting and immersive experience - Elite: Dangerous is a space sim game that does this exceptionally well.

I am not the only one that thinks this either. An article posted on Kotaku in 2014 addressed the same thing. It is now 2016 and new sim games are still being produced. If you can think about a normal everyday job, that involves a vehicle, then there is probably a simulator game for it. As the article states, it's getting out of hand.

To sum this little rant up, I firmly believe that it is YouTube's influence that makes these games popular. YouTubers will continue to make videos because making a mockery out of the genre makes views and thus money. These games are not good, they are simply the product of a system that is based on people buying the games as a joke. This naturally makes the developers money and gives them an incentive to keep producing new sims.

What are your thoughts on these niche sim games? Do you love them or do you agree with me and never touch them? Let me know in the comments!

Top YouTube personality Felix Kjellberg, aka "PewDiePie", has come to the defense of YouTube's new subscription service after it received tough criticism during its first few days. Going into a great amount of detail PewDiePie shared his thoughts on the issue via his Tumblr page.

Personally, I’m ok with if you use adblock on my videos. Ads are annoying, I get it, I’m not here to complain about that.

But for smaller channels, this number can be devastating.

I think what many people still don’t realize is that:

# YouTube Red exist largely as an effort to counter Adblock. 

# Using Adblock doesn’t mean you’re clever and above the system. 

# YouTube Red exist because using Adblock has actual consequences. 

PewDiePie recently conducted two polls on his Twitter account, asking his followers if they would spend money on YouTube Red. Only 6% of respondents said yes, whereas 40% of them admitted to using  Adblock on YouTube. 

PewDiePie has already agreed to make exclusive content for users of YouTube Red, including a new reality series.

Read About PewDiePie's reality series on YouTube Red

In the meantime, major sports network ESPN has left the site after not being able to resolve the conflict between content rights and YouTube Red's subscription model. Many other content creators are also having problems with what they see as "extortion" on YouTube's part.

There has also been controversy over YouTubers not being paid for views made by YouTube Red users on a free trial. YouTube has responded by assuring content creators that they will recieve a cut from YouTube's music streaming service instead. 

It is understandable why YouTube has resorted to a subscription model, regardless of all the backlash they are getting. Adblock has become more of problem for both the content creators and the YouTube community as a whole, as it cuts into their primary source of revenue; advertisements. It's a problem for any any website that relies on advertising revenue, which is most of them.

Giant Bomb have had a lot success after going to a subscription model, while other sites have not been as lucky. But regardless, YouTube believes that this decision will be mutually beneficial for all parties involved, since this is a more consistent way to monetize their views. 

Does YouTube Red have problems? Well, it depends on who you are asking, but the implementation of this new subscription model did not come from greed. It came from desperation. YouTube has not been a profitable company in years, as they pay billions of dollars just in infrastructure.

YouTube's competition has only been increasing these past few years as the viewership and revenue for both Netflix and HBO have risen to greatly. YouTube Red needs to be a success in order for YouTube to be a viable platform for its content creators. 

A new post appeared today on the YouTube official blog revealing their new subscription service, YouTube Red. YouTube Red is going to be a subscription service that allows people to watch video's ad-free and save them to their devices to watch them offline. This service is going to cost $9.99 a month and will start on October 28th. 

But is this a good step forward for YouTube? It is obliviously Google's attempt to compete with other streaming services out there, like Netflix and Amazon Prime. But why do this? Google is offering a subscription service to a website where all of its content is free to watch. What they're offering for the $10 subscription is not really impressive, for right now. 

In the blog post, it was also mentioned that starting in 2016, there will be exclusive content uploaded for YouTube Red. One of the shows they have announced is a reality show based around PewDiePIe. 

This is not good for YouTube's future

YouTube was originally set up for people who like making videos as a place to share them. A place where communities were allowed to grow and connect over the content they made, like gaming videos. YouTube's whole gimmick is that anyone can start making videos, and upload them to the website where anything that is uploaded can be watched for free, not locked behind a pay wall. 

Google could easily turn the whole website into a subscription service. Not overnight, of course, because the backlash would be immense, but slowly. It starts with making a couple of videos exclusive to the service, but before you know it, whole YouTube channels will be locked behind YouTube Red.  

 At the moment the service doesn't seem like it's worth the money, unless people want to help contribute to their favorite content creators. But a lot of them already have Patreon accounts for that purpose. Right now all we can do is to wait and see what happens.

Will Google make this work and our worries were for nothing, or will they turn YouTube into their own version of Netflix? Only time will tell. 

Google recently revealed YouTube Red, its new subscription-based service that'll launch on October 28th. Following in the footsteps of Spotify and Apple Music before it, YouTube Red is going to follow a $9.99 per month subscription model and, if you choose to pay, it will allow for you to watch all of your favorite videos without ads.

This even better news if you're a fan of internet gaming sensation PewDiePie and are getting sick of watching ads before all of his videos. The gamer-turned-multimillionaire has landed himself a video game inspired reality show, exclusive to YouTube Red and called Scare PewDiePie. 

If you're a fan of the Pewds, you probably already know that his reactions to some of the horror games on his channel are priceless, so a reality show encouraging it? Makes tons of sense! Scare PewDiePie is set to be one of the 10 YouTube Original shows launching in 2016, when YouTube Red expands its service into shows and movies.

It'll be produced by the YouTube network Maker Studios as well as Skybound Entertainment, the producers for The Walking Dead. The show will simulate real-life situations inspired by PewDiePie's favorite video games in order to... well, scare PewDiePie. And just like his Let's Play videos, his reactions are going to be 100% authentic and pure gold.

You can check out the trailer for the series below! 

Both PewDiePie and Sean Murray appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week. PewDiePie's interview aired on October 1st. During the interview, he taught Colbert how to curse in Swedish (which you can watch in the clip above). 

The next and more interesting of the two interviews is with Sean Murray of Hello Games. During the interview, he showed off some pretty interesting footage of No Man's Sky. Sean teased the naming mechanic, giving Colbert-esque names to the various animals he met. The game was running extremely smooth, with zero load times thank to the mathematics-based rendering engine. 

Sean Murray's interview on the The Late Show 

Unfortunately, Sean was unable to show the release date of No Man's Sky. We are hoping this information releases very soon. No Man's Sky is looking like it will be an amazing game, if it can fulfill all its promises. 

While most of the world is still reeling from the idea that you can both make money as a gamer and as a YouTuber, Felix Kjelberg (aka PewDiePie) has gone a step further and can boast more subscribers than Psy, Gaga, and Justin Bieber combined. 

Sitting squarely at the helm of the biggest and fastest-growing channel on YouTube, the news broke earlier this month via Swedish magazine Expressen that Kjelberg's company Pewdie Productions reported revenues of over 63.7 million kr in 2014 which translates to $7.4 million in USD.

Of course, that's not what the YouTube star would have you remember. 

“It seems like the whole world cares more about how much money I make than I do myself. We did raise a million dollars for charity - very few articles picked up on that - but here it is everywhere how much money I make."

And that's true. Why get so angry about one man making a success doing what he likes to do?

Particularly when he uses his not insignificant star power for good.

As early as 2012 (incidentally the same year Kjelberg created Pewdie Productions), PewDiePie won an online contest for King of the World and promptly donated his $10,000 cash winnings to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

Between the WWF and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, PewDiePie has given away more than $40,000.

To celebrate 10 million subscribers in 2013, PewDiePie began a charity campaign for Charity: Water and pledged to personally donate $1 for every 500 views of his video up to $10,000. His initial goal for the campaign was for $250,000 but managed to raise $446,462 by the end of the campaign.

And in 2014, Kjelberg did it again, celebrating 25 million subscribers by running a charity campaign for Save the Children through a number of different outlets including Indiegogo. Again the goal was set for $250,000 this time the end results were more than double the initial goal.

According to Save the Children:

PewDiePie and the Bro Army raised more than $630,000 for Save the Children through a crowdfundraiser on Indiegogo, a gaming bundle on The Humble Bundle, live-streams on twitch and an anonymous matching donation of $150,000! On behalf of Save the Children and all of the children you have helped us reach, BROFIST!

As time goes on, PewDiePie fully intends on continuing to such drives, although definitely in moderation. 

So, while Kjelberg's PewDiePie persona is a rather divisive one, even among gamers - what many consider to be the top of the entertainer charts comes off as juvenile and stupid to others - it's nearly impossible not to recognize a decent, hard-working, and incredibly down-to-earth guy behind the screaming and the sex jokes. 

It's good to be able to recognize someone for more than just his paycheck. Pewds has got his heart in the right place.

In response to all the hate YouTube star Felix Kjellberg has received since how much money he makes was released to the public, he made a video addressing the issue. Recently, we found out that he made $7.5 million last year, many people were shocked and some even angry. In his video he stated that he doesn't care how much money he makes, and that it hasn't made him any happier.

Kjellberg, also known as PewDiePie is famous for his Let's Plays on YouTube as well as his comedy videos. He has the largest following on YouTube with over 38 million subscribers. With such a large number of views, Kjellberg questions why anyone is surprised by the amount of money he makes.

In his 6-minute video, Kjellberg discusses his humble beginnings before internet fame when he was struggling to make money.

He has dropped out of college in order to get a job which gave him enough money to start making videos. Like most YouTubers starting out, he didn't make any money. Though five years have passed, and he is a YouTube superstar, Kjellberg assures fans that he has always made videos because he simply loves doing it, and that it's not about the money.

"Money is a topic that I've purposely tried to avoid for the five years that I've been making videos," he said. "I just feel like it's not important to anyone. And I just want to make entertaining videos."

However, Kjellberg wonders why so many people are surprised. He has over 9 billion views on his videos and those videos have ads.

"So whenever it comes out how much I made a certain year, people just get so shocked. A lot of people also were very, very, angry. They thought it was unfair, they thought that I just sit on my ass all day and I just yell at the screen all day...which is true! But there's so much more to it than that."

Kjellberg also mentioned in the video that it's frustrating that his earnings are so important to people, however his charity work is not often publicized.

Kjellberg has raised over $1 million for organizations such as St. Jude's Hospital, Charity: Water, the World Wildlife Fund, and Save the Children.

To conclude his video he thanked his fans and those who support him in his effort to do what he loves.

Even if you have never sat down to a watch a “Let’s Play” video or not you’ve probably heard of PewDiePie (Felix Kjellberg when he’s offline) the YouTube star who has racked 37 million subscribers. Those staggering subscriber numbers create an equally big day, for PewDiePie.

He earned a whopping $4 million from gameplay videos alone last year and earned the title of one of themost influential person on the internet. That apparently was only the tip of the iceberg according to a report by Swedish tabloid Expressen.

In the report Expressen says that PewDiePie’s fame is far from slowing down, in fact its only getting started. That boost in fame also means a jump in profits for Kjellberg’s production company PewDiePie Productions AB. In 2014 his company pulled in an shocking $7.45 million.

Unbelievable as those numbers, they make sense when you consider how big PewDiePie’s fan base is and the amount of content he’s released. Currently claiming 37 million subscribers, the highest of any YouTube creator, who tune into over 2,300 videos on his channel.

Each of those videos bring in around a million views inside a day of being uploaded. A view have even brought tens of millions of views over time, which means big revenue for Kjellberg.

That revenue isn’t limited to just Let’s Play videos though, PewDiePie has been branching out recently. He recently starred in a couple South Park episodes focused on Let’s Play videos. He’s also announced This Book Loves You, a parody self-help book that’s being published by a part of Penguin Random House. He’s not stopping there though, he has plans to keep branching out.

He’s signed a deal with Makers Studios, an online content producer owned by Disney, to help expand his presence online. It will be interesting to see how he handles all this new attention.

PewDiePie has already come under fire from gamers who disagree with his content, forcing him to disable YouTube comments on his channel. How will he handle negative book reviews and comments everywhere else?

Source: Expressen

Let’s Plays are big business in the games industry. At the time of writing YouTube’s most subscribed to channel is PewDiePie, whose whopping 36 million subscribers tune in to watch him play games. He regularly delves into the obscure and provides a skilfully delivered comedic commentary warranting him some popularity. His phenomenal success, however, has created a legion of copycats desperately vying for attention to the extent that the market is now oversaturated with these wannabe celebrities.

Putting aside it’s insane popularity, it’s difficult to fathom why this movement even exists. 

Why would you want to watch someone else play when games are tremendously more fun if you’re playing yourself? If watching was as fun and satisfying as doing, surely we would incorporate it into other aspects of life. If we fancy a drink, we don’t just go to the bar and watch other people enjoying drinking instead. Of if we want a holiday, we don’t just borrow your neighbours holiday video. Why? Because watching an activity isn’t nearly as engaging as doing it yourself.

Older gamers will be familiar with the good old days of the one console, one TV predicament. The unwelcome solution was taking turns, awaiting the dreaded moment that heralded your sibling’s turn to play, reluctantly handing over the controller, and being forced to look on with disdain as they had fun and you were left as a mere spectator of their enjoyment. Watching a Let’s Play is pretty much the same thing.

Some people attribute their popularity to the fact potential buyers want to see what the game is like. That’s what trailers, press material and developer walkthroughs are for. 

Plus, it’s a poor indication of what a game is really like as Let’s Players seem to make it their mission to destroy any sense of atmosphere the game has with their ‘look at me I’m playing a game, I’m so funny and entertaining!’ mentality. Also, if you’ve already seen someone explore every nook and cranny of a game, there’s no element of surprise should you decide to play it yourself.

With the constant wittering of their commentators, LPs often have very little to do with the actual game. 

Let's Plays have become a self-indulgent outlet for people that want to be heard, but don’t really have anything worth saying. There’s zero insight here. Instead, the vast majority of LP content is simply attention seeking by badly feigned enthusiasm or just mindlessly boring drivel.

While popular YouTube personalities can provide mass exposure for relatively unknown titles, perhaps the biggest crime is that this practice overlooks the games creators in favour of those that play them. How many of The Diamond Minecart’s six million subscribers know who "Notch" Persson is? How many of the 31 million people who’ve watched Markiplier play Five Nights at Freddy's know the name of the game’s developer?

It’s unfair to say that everyone who watches Let’s Plays is ignorant of the wider industry, but it’s a regrettable situation wherein the people playing the games get so much more recognition and, in some cases, financial gain than the talent that’s actually behind those games. The people who pour all their creativity, skill, brainpower, and dedication to create these games are the real superstars. After all, anyone can sit in front of a camera and play a game while acting like a moron.

The Indies vs. PewDiePie Game Jam began this weekend and many game projects are currently being made. One of them is Twizard, made by RockitBit. What makes this game unique? You as a viewer can manipulate the game with Twitch!

One person will play as Twizard, a robotic wizard who travels through dangerous dungeons. The viewers can use Twitch to manipulate spawn rates of enemies, information, weapons, and much more. The dungeons will change with every session, and the player will fight against classic 80's RPG-style enemies, as well as famous internet obsessions like cats and dogs.

The game is currently being made this weekend. RockitBit has its Twitch channel online most of the time, so you can see the development of the game in semi-real time. You can also expect some playtests soon.

You can vote on your favorite Game Jam entry when the weekend is over. The top ten competitors will get a Let’s Play video by PewDiePie himself.

You can follow the progression of the development of Twizard on Gamejolt here. You can also see them live on the RockitBit Twitch channel.

[Editor's Note: The author of this article is acquainted with the folks at RockitBit, but is not affiliated with the Twizard project.]

YouTube’s most popular Let’s Play video personality will now feature his content on an eSports organization’s website.

Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg’s podcast, “BroKen,” will be airing on the Major League Gaming’s premium video platform with an opportunity to live chat with the YouTube personality.

“We’re excited to introduce PewDiePie to the MLG.tv network as we continue to deliver exclusive content from the best producers in the world,” MLG VP of Programming Ryan “Fwiz” Wyatt said. “Our vision for MLG.tv is to make it the home for premium content and producers like PewDiePie and his show ‘BroKen.’ This type of programming deal with PewDiePie, one of the biggest stars in digital media, is a great example of the premier talent we have joining the growing MLG.tv line-up."

The podcast will be cohosted with PewDiePie's friend, Kenneth "CinnamonToastKen" Morrison.

In a tweet posted shortly following the announcement, PewDiePie went on social media to explain the partnership.

“To correct some recent headlines: We are hosting the BroKen podcast (sic) live on MLG for a few weeks, that’s it.” PewDiePie said. “My soul is still mine, honest.”

The Let’s Play personality is described by Sven Grundberg and Jens Hansegard of the Wall Street Journal as a person with “random opinions interspersed with odd behavior.” This display by PewDiePie has helped him surpassed Rihanna’s VEVO channel as the most ever viewed on YouTube.

“BroKen” will be offered as instantly accessible content after every scheduled broadcast date.

The gaming industry is now the biggest form of consumer entertainment on the planet today. This is a simple observable fact that can be seen when games like Grand Theft Auto 5 makes $800 million in one day, reaching the one billion dollar mark the day after. While this is extraordinary, it isn't the only game to earn so much in such a short time, with each new release in the ongoing Call of Duty franchise earning $500 million in similar time frames.

Gaming is such a phenomenon that more people than ever are desperate to create games, which often leads to oversaturation of the market with some good quality games falling through the cracks. Games that should be played and loved are instead outsold by games with a number two or three in their title. How do game publishers and developers compete? Many developers have now begun releasing extended game demos and trailers that often allow gamers to play a polished vertical slice of a game or show them 15 to 30 minutes of gameplay.

The era of gameplay videos by YouTubers has risen alongside the gaming industry and many publishers acknowledge this. Right now the most popular Youtuber “PewDiePie” or “Pewds” as he is also known has gameplay videos of The Evil Within on his channel, which has not even been released yet.

There are gamers who play games for gameplay that cannot be experienced through a video and there are those who play it solely for the story. Older games such as those in the Megaman series are built around quick and difficult twitch gaming that require serious gaming skills. Sure you can watch a YouTuber run through a few levels of this, but it will not be the same as playing it yourself. On the other hand, games such as the indie hit Gone Home focus more so on story, and once you’ve seen it, you’re most likely not going to return for a second stroll through the creepy house.

The point I’m trying to make is: in this new era of the gaming industry, do you even need to buy a game to play it?

That might sound like a question concerning piracy, but that is a topic for another day. What I mean is that most gamers are on a budget. These gamers have a limited wallet and limited amount of time. We can’t possibly play every game and there are too few hours in the day to do so.

Early gameplay footage and playthroughs are designed to build hype and conversation around a game, but it often does the exact opposite for me.  I am extremely excited for the release of Alien: Isolation on October 7^th as I hope it can rectify the mistakes made by Aliens: Colonial Marines. In order to raise the excitement levels for this game, they have announced a slew of DLC and some gameplay videos, which I assume show off the survival horror aspects of the game. I say “assume” as I have refused to watch it. It has happened on several occasions whereby I spoil parts of the game for myself by watching every trailer and absorbing every screenshot to the point where I’m fed up of the game before it even comes out.

I have already mentioned “PewDiePie” in this article, and normally I would not watch his videos, but I couldn’t resist when I saw him upload early gameplay walkthroughs of South Park: The Stick of Truth.  I watched those videos and couldn’t contain my laughter. When the game came out, I played it and it was like watching an episode for the second time. I had already seen the jokes and heard the farts, so the beginning was almost ruined for me--through my own fault. After this, I still hadn’t learned my lesson and found myself taking in every bit of Watch_Dogs information I could find. I had repeated the process and the exact same thing happened – minus the farts and racism.

I am now taking a different approach where I try to avoid news on games I want to play because it benefited me in the case of Wolfenstein: The New Order. I knew nothing about that game and I thought it was going to be just another FPS with a generic story. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I fell in love with B.J. Blazkcowicz and his story, even though I went into the game with no clue what it was about other than “giant Nazi robot dogs” – that is not a typo.

How do you feel about this issue? Have you ever found that extended gameplay footage can ruin your experience?