Random Is Starting a Gaming Channel Still Worth It?

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Hey, I've had this question in my mind for a few months... or maybe even years.
Sometimes I create a YouTube channel and upload a few videos. I've had all kinds of channels: horror games, Minecraft, and even one focused on retro games.
They actually did reasonably well. I don't really know how to explain it, but I usually gained around 100 subscribers within a month—or sometimes even in just two weeks. (Yeah, I know there are people getting 100k subscribers in a single day nowadays... let me be proud of my little achievements. :,v )

From what I noticed, the people who subscribed were actually pretty loyal. They would leave comments on almost every gameplay video. I also tend to have a pretty comedic personality while recording—I rage a lot, make dumb jokes, and say random funny things that seem to make people laugh. Maybe that helped.
The problem is... I always ended up deleting my channels because of embarrassment, burnout, or just going through a rough period in life. XD

I basically grew up watching YouTube. During my childhood—and especially throughout my teenage years—I watched an insane amount of YouTube. The pandemic made that even worse. While my parents were at work, I was always at home watching videos. Because of that, I've always wanted to become a YouTuber... although the current state of YouTube doesn't exactly make that dream any easier.

But here's my main question: Is it worth trying again?

I actually know how to edit videos really well. I've even been paid to edit before, and my friends constantly tell me to create another channel and not delete it this time. Back in 2020, I even had two channels that reached around 2,000 subscribers.
It sounds interesting, but I still keep wondering, "Am I just going to waste my time?" I don't know... it feels like success depends a lot on luck these days.

What do you guys think?

My idea is to make a general gaming channel where I play all kinds of games with balanced editing and occasionally add funny meme voice-overs or parody dubs over certain scenes. Nothing too serious—just something silly that people might enjoy.

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

Maybe? You have natural charm so it could work

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Maybe? You have natural charm so it could work

oooown, my biggest fan here.
gonna mention you in my first video

 

[Elwiwi]

Maybe , but only if you are a hot woman or you play Xenoblade 1

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Maybe , but only if you are a hot woman or you play Xenoblade 1

I'm both
P E R F E C T

 

[Lokgamer]

It depends of your time, because it requires a lot of time and dedication. I've one, but despite I intend to continue with it, I lack of time and a proper environment to make new videos.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

It is! But stop if you, at one point, stop having fun — that would ruin it for anyone.

I'd subscribe to your channel, though.

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

It is! But stop if you, at one point, stop having fun — that would ruin it for anyone.

I'd subscribe to your channel, though.

The fun is the bart part about being youtuber :,v (in my opinion)
and i would make a special board for my subscribers from here and mentions XD
(considering my channel would be in the Brazilian language at least you guys gonna be mentioned :,v)

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

The fun is the bart part about being youtuber :,v (in my opinion)
and i would make a special board for my subscribers from here and mentions XD
(considering my channel would be in the Brazilian language at least you guys gonna be mentioned :,v)

Yeah... I think I will ask you not to mention RGT on YouTube — that's how Vimm's got busted.

But creating a thread for your channel here? That's perfectly fine ^^

 

[Lod 10]

Bem eu te desejo uma boa sorte eu tenho um canal de jogos também bom sorte na sua jornada

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Yeah... I think I will ask you not to mention RGT on YouTube — that's how Vimm's got busted.

But creating a thread for your channel here? That's perfectly fine ^^

Vimm?

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

Vimm?

Huge ROM site that got in trouble after some YouTubers called attention to it.

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

Vimm?

Vimm's Lair, a ROM site like RGT

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Huge ROM site that got in trouble after some YouTubers called attention to it.

oof that's shit, its ok.
Gonna just mention the Nick, not the forum

wanna mark the people of my heart.
@ArchienineZXAdvent the first.

 

[Lod 10]

Nossa, que droga, mas tudo bem.
Vou mencionar apenas o Nick, não o fórum.

Quero marcar as pessoas do meu coração.
@ArchienineZXAdvent o primeiro.

Bom sorte espero que você tenha sucesso na vida

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Bom sorte espero que você tenha sucesso na vida

Que isso cara, tu também men.

Vou te mencionar nos vídeos também.

 

[Dyne]

No idea, but I'd guess its hard to make decent money doing it these day.
But if you mean "worth it" as in you're just doing it for the love of the game then I'd say absolutely!

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

Do it for the sole reason to have fun.

 

[BejitabroFZ]

If your goal is to try and turn it into a full-time job: Don't

Otherwise go nuts! The sky's the limit if you don't care about stuff like the algorithm or revenue. Try to have fun w/ whatever you're playing while mixing in humour and engaging commentary, which you seem to have a good grasp on

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

If your goal is to try and turn it into a full-time job: Don't

Otherwise go nuts! The sky's the limit if you don't care about stuff like the algorithm or revenue. Try to have fun w/ whatever you're playing while mixing in humour and engaging commentary, which you seem to have a good grasp on

Do it for the sole reason to have fun.

No idea, but I'd guess its hard to make decent money doing it these day.
But if you mean "worth it" as in you're just doing it for the love of the game then I'd say absolutely!

It is! But stop if you, at one point, stop having fun — that would ruin it for anyone.

I'd subscribe to your channel, though.

It depends of your time, because it requires a lot of time and dedication. I've one, but despite I intend to continue with it, I lack of time and a proper environment to make new videos.

thx for the advice you all :D i aprecciapte a lot

 

[Guinea]

I think it would be a good time capsule even if the channel doesn't blow up.

 

[MorriganW0lf]

It sounds interesting, but I still keep wondering, "Am I just going to waste my time?" I don't know... it feels like success depends a lot on luck these days.

Talking from experience, i had the same problem you had when watching videos i would put out, i had a channel with 800 subs, i had picked a game i loved playing that was relatively obscure but people flocked over my videos because i was one of the few people making videos about it, initially i would make gameplay & whenever i wanted to explain something i would draw an avatar on inkscape & put a text box, kind of like a dialogue in a FF videogame & that worked very well for me & i had no problem rewatching my videos, i even enjoyed them. BUT THEN as people started subscribing more & more i started doubting myself, "Should i make voice over?... would people understand the video better if i do that?... i don't want to but..." Long story short, i HATED having to on top of doing all my materials like drawing, video editing, making sure everything is fine, to also have to record myself, i hated listening to myself & as a result i would not stand rewatching my videos & on the long run that made me loath even looking at the channel. So i ended up not wanting to upload anything anymore.

Anyway like 3 weeks ago i decided to open a new channel inspired by Sylar's Doom channel, but with my Resident Evil 6 Mercenaries attemps, no talking, just my runs of the stage with Doom music on the background, i draw the character i'm playing on inkscape & make a simple thumbnail with it, did my intro & outro with a music video of a band i like, i give three shits about copyright & 6 out of my 7 subs seem to like it, but especially i love to watch them myself.

So i would say try to find what you feel most comfy doing and rewatching & go with it all the way & most importantly, if it works & you feel fine DO NOT second guess yourself, in the long run you'll thank your past self. Anyway, sorry for writing such a bible lmao.

 

[Eclipse14]

Gonna speak from personal experience, because I'm doing exactly that here.

The main thing to watch out for is that YT's systems can, and likely will, rail you when it feels like it. It doesn't matter how good the video is if the site actively refuses to spread it around (which is why I try to spread my work here). However, if you've got online friends willing to help share your work around, then it should be mostly smooth sailing and your base will eventually grow more.

Even though I have my struggles with my own work, especially since April, I still like what I do. At the same time, I'll at least try to put out a worthwhile product regardless of subject matter, even though I'm heavily limited in what I can personally do. I'm only one individual, after all. If you enjoy what you're doing, great. If you aren't...then it's best to just take a step back and either take a breather for a while, or rethink what you want to do next.

I go for a half-and-half approach to it as a result; enjoying what I play and make videos out of the games I cover, but also try to make an effort at something presentable with the videos I make on the games I cover.

It'll all come together with time and a bit of elbow grease. Just don't end up having a massive enough meltdown that you delete the account. That helps nobody.

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

Talking from experience, i had the same problem you had when watching videos i would put out, i had a channel with 800 subs, i had picked a game i loved playing that was relatively obscure but people flocked over my videos because i was one of the few people making videos about it, initially i would make gameplay & whenever i wanted to explain something i would draw an avatar on inkscape & put a text box, kind of like a dialogue in a FF videogame & that worked very well for me & i had no problem rewatching my videos, i even enjoyed them. BUT THEN as people started subscribing more & more i started doubting myself, "Should i make voice over?... would people understand the video better if i do that?... i don't want to but..." Long story short, i HATED having to on top of doing all my materials like drawing, video editing, making sure everything is fine, to also have to record myself, i hated listening to myself & as a result i would not stand rewatching my videos & on the long run that made me loath even looking at the channel. So i ended up not wanting to upload anything anymore.

Anyway like 3 weeks ago i decided to open a new channel inspired by Sylar's Doom channel, but with my Resident Evil 6 Mercenaries attemps, no talking, just my runs of the stage with Doom music on the background, i draw the character i'm playing on inkscape & make a simple thumbnail with it, did my intro & outro with a music video of a band i like, i give three shits about copyright & 6 out of my 7 subs seem to like it, but especially i love to watch them myself.

So i would say try to find what you feel most comfy doing and rewatching & go with it all the way & most importantly, if it works & you feel fine DO NOT second guess yourself, in the long run you'll thank your past self. Anyway, sorry for writing such a bible lmao.

Gonna speak from personal experience, because I'm doing exactly that here.

The main thing to watch out for is that YT's systems can, and likely will, rail you when it feels like it. It doesn't matter how good the video is if the site actively refuses to spread it around (which is why I try to spread my work here). However, if you've got online friends willing to help share your work around, then it should be mostly smooth sailing and your base will eventually grow more.

Even though I have my struggles with my own work, especially since April, I still like what I do. At the same time, I'll at least try to put out a worthwhile product regardless of subject matter, even though I'm heavily limited in what I can personally do. I'm only one individual, after all. If you enjoy what you're doing, great. If you aren't...then it's best to just take a step back and either take a breather for a while, or rethink what you want to do next.

I go for a half-and-half approach to it as a result; enjoying what I play and make videos out of the games I cover, but also try to make an effort at something presentable with the videos I make on the games I cover.

It'll all come together with time and a bit of elbow grease. Just don't end up having a massive enough meltdown that you delete the account. That helps nobody.

Wow! That was such a cool experience! (For both of you!)
It's really interesting to see other people's perspectives and experiences. I remember when I was making Minecraft videos—survival, hide-and-seek minigames, and stuff like that. But honestly... meh.

I had another channel where I made gameplays of old games and some newer ones too. One of my favorite series was beating Spider-Man (PS1) on Hard Mode while using the worst suit in the game, The Bagman. (The best one for me. XD) It was just for the memes... and it got around 60 views. Cool? YES! I loved it. I was literally just recording, doing some simple editing, making a nice thumbnail, and I was genuinely happy.
Then came the setback...

My job became really demanding, so I went about three months without uploading. During that time, I started dealing with anxiety, and one day I randomly felt embarrassed about my channel... so I deleted everything.
I've grown a lot since then and changed the way I think about all of that. So... I think it's finally time to put everything I've learned into practice. :)

Thank you all for your kind words.

P.S. I just bought a controller, and it should arrive next week. >:)

Let the games begin.

 

[Eclipse14]

I remember when I was making Minecraft videos—survival, hide-and-seek minigames, and stuff like that. But honestly... meh.

That was kinda where I started, too. Mostly a few minigames on multiplayer servers since I wasn't used to it at all. But I ended up with a small base and other players caught wind of me.

Only problem was my private life; toxic family with toxic beliefs and actions stunted my efforts. Internet was hard to maintain, and no internet means no Minecraft, therefore no videos of it. I was left hanging in limbo for nearly a year, at one point. Once I uploaded the video that broke out, that was effectively the end of my run on that game (and by that point, I had been out for 5 months for the same crap).

I still have some videos left from that period.