Do you like watching let's plays?

[Ronnie]

I realized that I'm only subscribed to 2 let's play channels (Super Gaming Bros. and StephenPlays). I rarely watch their videos anymore unless it's multiplayer stuff like Smash Bros. or GTA Online. I remember when I was younger, I was obsessed with let's plays and even did my own. I was subscribed to a bunch of guys like Chuggaaconroy, GameGrumps, Lueroi, batman9502, etc.

Now I just find let's plays to be boring. Like why am I watching a person play a video game? I'd rather play the game myself. Multiplayer videos are still enjoying to watch because my friends aren't always available to hang out; it's fun to watch a group of people laugh and yell at games. I also enjoy watching people play fighting games because they pull off some cool shit that I can try myself.

[DragonFlames]

I sometimes turn on a Let's Play to have some background noise while I grind in games. It's also sometimes nice to see other people's reactions to games that I have played or to get an impression of a game that I'm interested in but don't really know if it is for me or not. The latter is actually why I decided to get Shadow of the Colossus and Okami, for instance.

Some Let's Players have an entertaining style of commentary, too, so I watch them if I want a good laugh or two.

Overall, I wouldn't consider myself a regular viewer, but if there's nothing else to do, I'll tune in.

[Belisarius]

15 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

Like why am I watching a person play a video game? I'd rather play the game myself.

Pretty much this. I get watching a "Let's Play" to an extent, but I don't understand why some people spend so much time watching other people play games (ie. the whole concept of Twitch.)

[Ertrick36]

You see, what I do is I just put on some Vinesauce while I play games on my Switch/3DS or do other things on my computer.

Basically like having a TV on while you do other things.

I tend to gravitate towards the more laid back streamers/LPers.  Not particularly fond of high-energy LPers or those who scream a lot.  Maybe it's partially because it just feels more "real" to me than other types of LPers... it seems like some of the more popular LPers are always trying to put on a show or keep discussion strictly about the game, which doesn't feel natural.  Other times it's just all about the gameplay, which I only care about if I can't decide whether or not I want to get a game.

I would say I play something on YouTube just about every day, but I'm not always watching it, per se.

[Azz]

I tend to really only watch Chuggaaconroy for LPs since I find him to be entertaining to watch but he is also very informative about games and always tries to 100% them which is what I do also. Though, when I was younger I loved watching LPs like Lucahjin, Attacking Tucans, Josh Jepson, Donnabellz etc., but as of late, I rarely watch many LPers. Like I'll watch a few here and there if there is nothing else to watch but yeah that about sums it up.

[Slumber]

I like having them on in the background.

[Ronnie]

I kinda expected people would prefer them as background noise. Personally I like using music for background "noise." Especially video game music.

[Pandog]

I mainly watch Game Grumps. Having two hosts; at least for me, is more entertaining than one.

[Strullemia]

I've watched some throughout the years but the only one I feel managed to make some quality content LP's is Chuggaconroy. 

I also watch some of Mangs and BestFriends stuff.

That's pretty much it, I used to watch a lot more LP's when I was younger. My first experience watching LP's was the infamous youtuber, darksydephil.

Edited January 23, 2018 by Hekselka

[DarkDestr0yer61]

I can give several reasons.

1. You want to know someone's genuine thoughts on the game or see someone's reaction to a certain part of the game.

2. Games that you can't afford, but you are experiencing it via let's play

3. The YouTube/Twitch personalities themselves. (I enjoy the commentary of the Super Best Friends).

4. Stuff like Speedruns or Level 1 plahthroughs or LTC because you want to see the game played by someone who has very high skill.

5. Probably the most important one, background noise.

 

I mentioned this on a different thread, but I have a hard time playing a game without having some kind of YouTube video or Twitch stream as background noise. And no listening to video game music doesn't work as background noise for me because if I wanted to listen to video game music, I just listen to the music of the game I'm already playing

[Tryhard]

I tried to do some Let's Play, but it's hard when you're not entertaining and have a monotone voice. :^)

Trying to be informative is generally one thing but trying to entertain when you're by yourself talking to a screen is another.

[Interdimensional Observer]

I watched an RD LP once, mostly because I really like the game and wanted to see what others thought of it, besides offering some advice.

Otherwise I generally do not. And I always turn off audio (closed captions I may turn on) and prefer no picture of the LPing individual. Sometimes for a game I can't play, I'll watch just a little, but not too much if I ever plan to play the game hopefully one day.

Or I'll watch clips of people doing super challenges/tricks/glitches, things I'd never do myself, but seem cool. For instance, on the aforementioned Shadow of the Colossus, I once saw someone run right up to the 16th Colossus- when for a normal person you'll just get killed/blown away trying to do that and you're supposed to leap from cover to cover and underground tunnel to get up from under the Colossus.

[Captain Karnage]

I like Mangs and that's about it, I do occasionally watch ProJarred but that's about it

[Gebby]

Used to watch them religiously, now I put on Titanfall gameplay or an Elder Scrolls playthough on in the background if I'm doing work. Most of my YouTube use nowadays is music.

[Etrurian emperor]

Not really. Lets players have this terrible habit of reading any dialogue out loud despite them not being able to deliver it in a meaningful way and I just hate it. They aren't voice actors and generally don't try to be either. 

[Wuzzy]

Yes and no, I like watching Let's Plays on games that I probably will never buy but, I'm still interested in. I have never been bothered with spoilers just because I'm the type of person that needs to know everything. Now a days, I find Let's Plays to be unnecessarily dramatic when something happens and it grinds my gears so hard when the Let's Player is reading the dialogue and mispronounces half the words wrong.

[EricaofRenais]

I only watch them for games on systems I don't have or for Japanese only games that I don't feel like emulating.  Other then that I don't watch them, if I want background noise I put on music from Saiyuki.

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, Etrurian emperor said:

Not really. Lets players have this terrible habit of reading any dialogue out loud despite them not being able to deliver it in a meaningful way and I just hate it. They aren't voice actors and generally don't try to be either. 

It's one of my bigger pet peeves with let's players. One of the reasons I stopped watching chuggaaconroy besides his forced and not clever puns was his "voice acting." Just read the text normally before I cringe.

[Dandy Druid]

I do, but I'm kind of picky. I would have to like more than one of the games they play, and I'm going to have to like their voice. Plus, their commentary needs to be entertaining- either they're completely in the dark or they're very knowledgeable.

[maybe]

no

i'd rather just watch a tv show or something

[DisobeyedCargo]

I mostly put them on as background noise

only one I really pay any attention to is Chuggaaconroy 

Edited January 24, 2018 by DisobeyedCargo

[Water Mage]

Only really two, Chuggaconroy and NicoB.  Chugga, I like because his LPs are very high quality and can also work as a guide. And Nico , I like because he is a blind Let’s Player with very genuine reactions. Take his Kingdom Hearts LPs for example, he starts rather lukewarm about, but then ended loving. It’s fascinating seeing become an obsessed KH fan in a single year.

[saisymbolic]

Mainly background noise but also to see games I may want to play or purchase but can't.

Only LP'ers I actually watch with full attention is this guy called supergreatfriend as I really enjoy his voice, his dry humor and the more obscure games that he plays; and this girl named ch0colatemilk because her informative walkthroughs are good and her voice is incredibly sweet.

[NSSKG151]

I used to enjoy watching letsplays but for the most part find them boring nowadays. Sometimes though I'll have Protonjon's Yoshi's Island or Warioland letsplays on in the background.

I mostly watch Super Mario Maker videos now done by a guy called CarlSagan42. I find him very entertaining to listen to.

[Michelaar]

I do like it. I like to see other people's reactions or see how they handle situations I was struggling with. But it mostly depends on the person. I like watching Nicob and Bigklingy. I have watched both of them for several years.