I’ve been creating videos on YouTube since 2008, and I’ve made many friends. I’ve grown to really appreciate the gaming community on YouTube, and understand that sometimes seeing feedback may not always be rainbows and butterflies. Recently I’ve noticed that several of my videos have been considered by some “controversial”. To the point where I’ve noticed a significant thumbs down and even a few people unsubbing my channel.
The first video that I uploaded several weeks ago that got a lot of heat was a video talking about a new game I’m working on with CollectorVision Games called Justice Beaver. In the video I talked about a funding campaign for those who are interested where they can preorder through Indiegogo.
The game initially started off as a Rick Dangerous clone. Some people weren’t pleased by this decision to do this and called it “lazy” etc. I had some people call me an “eBegger” or “Sellout”. We listened to the feedback, and we decided to go back to the drawing board and make this game 100% original, yet the hate still came. In the end the game will be a better game, but it’s disheartening to see people hate on something that I’ve worked hard on along with my team at CollectorVision Games.
The other video was a video I posted where I had lent my video camera to my good friend Joe Cody while we were up at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. He had plans to drive from Portland through Nevada, and finally end up in Phoenix, AZ where he lives. On this journey he was going to pick up some games, because that’s what he does for a living; he buys and sells video games. I felt this would make for an interesting video because it’s game hunting done from a different perspective. Mind you I was not apart of this trip, yet the hate still came.
I’ve been doing this long enough that I have a really thick skin. I’ve had people call me every name in the dictionary, and that doesn’t bother me. I appreciate and respect everyone’s opinions and I understand that everyone has different thoughts about videos.
In regards to the Justice Beaver, the hate was a little surprising. I’m not forcing anyone to buy a copy by all means, and I’m not sure how what I’m doing with CollectorVision affects some people so personally. It’s as if every time I talk about a game I’m working on, there are those who just bash it no matter what. Will this prevent me working on new games? No, actually it motivates me to want to work harder on them.
I can understand a little more with the “Ultimate Game Hunt” video. I had a feeling that some people may not appreciate Joe and his team’s approach to buying games. One thing that I didn’t make clear at all was that at the beginning of the video at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, they were buying those games in bulk at the very last hour of the convention. Most vendors don’t want to carry all of those games home, so if they go unsold, they are often times happy to buy at a discounted bulk rate.
There are many industries that have a buy/sell middle man so to speak. Playing cards, toys, music, cars and even homes have people who go in and buy cheap and resell later to people who are willing to pay the market value.
Keep in mind that it’s the buyer who sets the demand for a product and the buyer who determines the prices that they sell for. Joe and his team buy games in places that people aren’t buying them, and then sells them to gamers who are willing to pay for them because they are unable to get them otherwise. It’s not evil, but it’s economics. We as gamers/collectors may not appreciate the tactics, but I can’t blame Joe for selling games to make a living. I wanted to post a game finding video from a different perspective rather than from a gamer/collector perspective.
Bottom line I appreciate the YouTube gaming community, and particularly the ones who support my show and who are subscribed to it. I certainly haven’t meant to ruffle any feathers, and I’m sorry to see so much hate recently. Looking back on it and I wouldn’t have changed anything at all. There have been many supporters for both videos as well, so I don’t want to just focus on the negativities. At the end of the day I still enjoy making videos and being a part of a great community, even if sometimes they can be brutal.
