YouTube Update: Stuff You; I'd Rather Not Do What You Tell Me.

Fuck you! I won't do what you tell me, motherfucker!

Zack de la Rocha, Rage Against the Machine

Ah, that's more like it :)

Having said that, however, I'm going to ask that you do not interpret the following entry as being disregarding of your opinions and desires as far as my YouTube channel goes. I have an audience, and if I wish to maintain that audience (which I do), then it is my duty to appease them -- that's just how it works with being a content creator. The thing with my YouTube channel, however, is that it does not revolve around the audience. I don't create content solely because other people enjoy it; I produce it because I like producing it, and because (hypothetically) you like watching it. I don't produce content that isn't enjoyable to produce -- forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do just because someone else wants you to (when it comes to producing content, at least) is inane. This is why there is no schedule, no plan, no structure, and no consistency: I make videos when I want and how I want, and I make them about whatever I want. The userbase seems to like what I put out, so it's a win for both parties; but content is never made with me thinking "ooohh! They'll just love this!" Don't bullshit yourself; I don't think like that. Yes, I make stuff my audience will presumably like (hence why I mainly publish LBP videos: because that's why most subscribers subscribed in the first place :P) but I will not go out of my way to suck dicks and fondle balls just because people ask.

When it comes to people making demands, it pisses me off to no end. Requests are fine, demands are not; and there is a clear-cut difference. A request is polite, reasonable, and optional; a demand is (in this context) rude, ridiculous, and seemingly mandatory, at least to the demander. I can deal with people requesting levels and ideas (hence why the facets that allow you to do so are made available), but when I get comments like this:



-followed by comments like this:





-it annoys me that both parties ask for the same thing, yet to appease the polite one is to appease both. People who ask for things as impolitely as that don't deserve what they want as far as I'm concerned, especially when they're getting it for free, on my time. It's just ungrateful. I know not everyone is greedy like that, and that those people may not even be like that all the time; but when they are, it's clear cut in my mind that they're being completely unreasonable.

When it comes to what content goes on my channel, here's how things work:

Someone suggests a quality, original level?
If I have the time, I record and upload it.

I have issues I want to get off my chest, and don't want to type?
I record a random game, and throw my thoughts over the top.

I'm going to perform a new stand-up segment somewhere?
I try to get someone to film it for me, and I upload it.

I think of an idea for a video that doesn't fit the above three criteria?
If I have the time and resources, I try it out.

That's it.

That is the extent to which my YouTube channel operates in terms of planning and development. It doesn't stretch an inch beyond what's written above, and it probably never will.

LittleBigShow, which I began making episodes for about a year and a half ago, was the result of that last item in the itinerary. It began well enough, with positive reception being received due to the combining of my voice (which people like for some reason >.>) and the gaming content: three level previews combined in to one video, rather than a single level playthrough. Sure, there was a "Previews" and "Reviews" section, but when you get right down to it, it was just three levels being showcased, with their qualities highlighted for all to see. There haven't been any episodes since April this year, with the latest episode being featured on my channel since its release, giving the false hope of more episodes to come. There are two reasons why there haven't been more episodes; they are:

1: I haven't had the time to work on the show.

Now, however, my schedule is far less busy, and probably won't be as busy as it was before for a long time. "Why, then, are there still no episodes?", you may ask.

2: I don't like making the show.

I used to like making the show -- I loved the recording, the writing, the editing, all of it -- but it soon became a tedium, one I grew tired of very quickly. I had to adhere to a schedule of one episode a month (which was originally going to be one a week -- get fuckin' real :P), which just became annoying, as I hate working for deadlines. I had to go through a whole slew of levels just to get the good ones (this was before LBP.me, however, whose reviews and comments sections would have reduce the workload significantly). The most prevalent dislike I have for the show, however, is its inefficency in doing its job, which was to highlight hidden gems in the LBP community. Yes, it did do its job, but with no efficiency boost on my end. Sure, it would be quicker for you guys, because you get three levels in one video; but for me came the tasks of gathering and organising suggestions, writing scripts and dot points, recording voice-overs (which took multiple takes due to their scripted nature), and an arduous editing process for something that only ended up running for five minutes. The effort simply isn't worth the return.

Put it this way: it would be far quicker for me to simply record three levels, edit them separately (a process which involves nothing more than importing, clipping, and a few nips and tucks), encode them separately, and upload them over a period of time, than it would for me to make LBS. It's just quicker! If you want my opinion of the level, I leave a snippet in the description -- always have, always will. That's another thing I disliked about the show: I told you what I thought of the level. Who gives a flying fuck what I think of the level? It's your opinion of the level that matters, not mine! If you think it looks good, you'll go and play it, regardless of what I think or say! There isn't even a point to the voice-over -- as I said (and I'm not being conceited; people have said this to me on YouTube, more than just a few times) people just liked listening to me speak. If there's no substance or worth in the words, there's no point in speaking them.

-but I liked LittleBigShow!

Your prayers have been answered (for a number of months now, in fact :P).

LittleBigPicks has been operating since June of this year, and they've already produced nine episodes of their program, in the form of both levels in LittleBigPlanet 2, and YouTube videos (which are essentially recordings of the levels they make for their show). I am not affiliated with the group behind the content -- I actually hadn't really investigated them until earlier this week -- but, from watching their work, it's presented beautifully and professionally, and has voice work, if you just have to hear someone talk :P  It's done by a team of at least two players (the hosts of the show), and the format is similar to LBS, but different in ways that make their show more engaging and engrossing. Their show is longer, and the hosts build their own set to use in-game -- it's essentially machinima. They not only feature levels, but do other cool stuff as well from time to time -- they recently had an interview with steve_big_guns, so they're evidently being noted for their talents, and getting attention they wholeheartedly deserve. These guys are doing great work, and are featuring incredible levels, so if you want something like LittleBigShow, this is where you should go. It will make LBS seem like child's play :P

As for what I'll be doing on my channel, I've been watching a few Let's Play channels (namely NintendoCapriSun), and thought I could give that a shot once my computer's fixed. Before really watching an LP, I was like "man, what the fuck is the point of watching someone play an entire game, start to finish!? Would that not be the most boring shit ever!?" Well, no, it's not the most boring shit ever, provided you've got a good commentator at the helm; a bad one fucking ruins it (I'll probably do an entry on the LP 'culture', because finding a good LPer is like finding a needle in a haystack coated in shit :P). I'm not saying I could do any better (hence why I'd only be willing to try it out without making any commitments), but if people like watching me play games, and listening to me talk, this is the fastest way I can provide you with a video combining those elements.

I'm not sure what game I'll do though. I am not doing LittleBigPlanet (the acing videos are practically an LP if you string them all together :P), nor do I want to do any game that's been done a million times (Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, etc). I'd love to do Donkey Kong 64, as I love that game and know my way around it fairly well, but I only have an emulated version, which is a little glitchy -- I'd rather do it on a real Nintendo 64 (which I will be buying :D). I could do Ratchet and Clank as well, and for now, that seems to be what I'll be doing if I decide to try it out. It's a short enough game to do, but isn't so short that it'll be over before you know it. DK64 is a damn long game, so it'd be better to do if I know it'll be worth doing; I don't want to quit halfway through (hate leaving projects unfinished).

As for my computer, I've found a place that might be able to diagnose (or better yet, fix) the machine, but as it's the Christmas break, the place won't be available for a few days, and I also have to find transport for the box to the place and back (I don't have a license, and I sure as fuck can't walk 30 minutes in to/back from town with this mammoth under my shoulder :P). I can't tell you when it'll be fixed (I may have to purchase replacement parts, which I don't have money for at the moment), but progress has been made to some extent.

Don't jump to dumb conclusions either -- I won't stop making LBP 2 videos, and I'll resume recording levels once my PC is back up and running. For the meantime, I've got another couple of levels in the vaults that (with any luck :P) I can encode and upload (provided the machine doesn't explode).

You're free to leave your thoughts on the subject here, or on my YouTube channel, or any one of my videos. I read and appreciate all feedback :)

Nostalgia: Raping my Schedule

I spend far more time on my desktop than on my PS3; not just because my PC is more versatile and can actually be used for purposes more productive than mowing innocent civilians down in a taxi cab or taking control of a sack of burlap as he swings over hazardous gas, but because I can unleash the awesomeness that is: The Emulator. For those of you who have their heads stuck in the now, console emulation is, from a gamer's perspective, using one system (usually a PC) to play games developed for another system. With even today's average machine, you can be playing all your favourite classics, from right back when Atari ruled the console realm, all the way to the turn of the century playing the last games of the 5th console generation; basically, anything from the ol' 2600 and the arcade legends of the 1970s right up to the last games released for the Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation. PS2 and Wii emulation is also in its early stages, but you'll need a damned good PC for that kind of emulation :P

It's amazing to go back and see what gaming has evolved from. Playing the first Super Mario Bros. is just as much a terrific experience as it is a frustrating one; 3 lives? Are you shitting me? Since when did I have a limited amount of retries? And Contra... holy shit! Talk about hard! The slow bullets and one hit deaths coupled with that rectangular prism of a controller must have made for some run-and-gun-and-get-your-hands-sore memories :P Of course, it's not just the games and the hardware made things difficult, as back then, you had no "Google" or "GameFAQs" to go to if you needed help getting past that crazy puzzle or that final boss fight. In the 70s, 80s and early 90s, it was either print media, word of mouth, or pure perseverance and skill that got gamers through the tough times. And online multiplayer? You had to have real friends to get some competitive action going! Split-screen on a 13 inch CRT TV? My 32 inch LCD, my internet connection and I can only imagine. No wonder I see so many middle-aged nerds with glasses :P

Having said that, split-screen multiplayer on a screen big enough to split is one of the best experiences I've ever had as a gamer. I remember a while back taking my laptop chock full of emulators and games, 4 controllers and 3 friends in to our school's lecture theatre (with its awesome data projector) and playing Mario Kart 64 and Super Smash Bros. for hours on end. It's competition without all the unnecessary cursing and macho bullshit. No dumb motherfuckers with microphones telling you how much of a faggot you are, no hackers or trolls, just people you know to be good people playing a game you know to be a good game. You can ignore the 90s era graphics and lack of modern features when you're, you know... having a ton of fun :P It's that whole "pick up and play" environment that's brings it home for me. Battle Mode in Mario Kart 64 with 4 people is tricky business ever for the most experienced player; those green shells are (quite literally) a pain in the arse to avoid :P Mario Party is another awesome game for non-gamers; even if they aren't winning, they can still laugh at the humping-eqsue animation when someone wins Tug of War (look it up if you don't know what I'm talking about :P)

My favourite retro data package has to be Perfect Dark; think GoldenEye 007, but in the future, and with bots in multiplayer. It is some fun shit! Get this: you have to find weapons. You actually have to look for a weapon! How long has it been since you've done that? And you have a HUD that stays on the screen! Sure, it's a little blocky, but I can actually see how much ammunition I have without having to fire the damn gun for the information to pop up! None of that "red screen" crap either. Rather, we have what I like to call a health bar. It tells you exactly how much health your character has rather than how much blood is in their eyes. The amount of health they have doesn't magically go back up if you avoid damage for a few seconds either. Gunshot wounds don't just magically go away, kids. Try to remember that when you shoot up your school because of your own inability to deal with anxiety issues. Your pal isn't going to disappear 10 seconds after you blow his head off, appear somewhere else in the school and invite you to a movie. He's fuckin' dead.

Don't get me wrong, though. I love some of the modern conveniences we all take for granted. To me, infinite lives are just common sense; my house is not an arcade, my console does not survive on change, and there are ways to test my skill that don't involve taking me all the way back to the start of the game because of a few slip-ups. But, sometimes, the classics can provide you with something a modern game simply doesn't. It depends on the game and the player, I suppose. Take Crash Bandicoot, for example: that series has gone to shit from a critical perspective ever since Naughty Dog sold the rights. If you want to have fun as Crash and Coco, you're gonna have to go back to the mid-to-late 90s  and play the original trilogy. A simple premise combined with simple platforming and a simple rewards system; simply fun! Going through 'em without touching YouTube, GameFAQs or Google is an even more thrilling (albeit difficult) experience, because think about it: when was the last time you completed a game without any help?

Can't answer? Neither can I :P