So you want to start a Video Game Review Channel on YouTube?

     The amount of new gaming channels that appear daily on YouTube today is just impossible to keep track of, it is more important than ever to make original and compelling content to help you stand out, or at least have a good screen presence and know what you are talking about. IMO if you lack ideas on content, the best was to approach a new channel is to get some decent video editing software (I recommend Vegas Movie Studio HD 9.0) and capture hardware and focus on game reviews. 

     Why reviews? because people will specifically search for reviews on specific games and your videos will have a better chance of appearing in the search results. Here is a tip though, don't start off reviewing games like Call of Duty Black Ops and Super Mario World, as games like these have been reviewed to death and your review will become buried and get no views. Instead, focus on smaller niche titles that have none to barely any reviews up (when you search), that way someone that comes along and searches for a review of these specific titles will more likely find your video first in the results.

       You do not have to review only the good games! Don't be scared to delve into some not-so-great games, I like it when someone reviews a game truthfully and helps in my buying decision. It is often helpful as people tend to focus on only reviewing games they love and enjoy, which is fine, however do not forget that people also look for opinions on games they are interested in buying and if you find a game that is bad/mediocre it is OK to review it in a normal style (meaning don't go all AVGN on it) to let people know WHY you disliked the game you are reviewing. This may also build you some credibility for your future reviews if you can backup your points in the negative review videos (ignore rate down's, they are just from angry fanboys, the rate ups are from people who appreciate your honest opinion).

     Remember though...the content and information in your video review is still very important, and the first 30 seconds of your review is what will likely determine if someone stays or goes from the video, so if possible avoid lengthy video intros (at least until you get a decent viewer base on your channel). I also can't stress enough how important good equipment is either, most specifically try as hard as you can to get at least a Dazzle DVC 100 or Happague HD PVR. if you are going to film directly off your television with a webcam please be sure it is of decent quality (see my Mirror's Edge review for an example), however I would not recommend this recording style. Next you need a mic, please try and get a decent mic to record your voice overs with, $30 can get you one that is just fine to avoid terrible quality (go for a Logitech).

     I know I am not one to speak on video length, but try and keep your reviews at 4-7 minutes long, as making 10-15+ minute reivews often means that people will not sit through your entire video (I know this first hand), so keeping the videos short and to the point covering the most important aspects of the game is very important as people have short attention spans.

     So there you have it, a basic run down of starting a new gaming review channel on YouTube and how to approach it as best you can. If you have any questions or comments be sure to leave a comment below!

Contact page now available

I have just added a contact form to my website, the link is located on the top header of the page or you can find it by clicking here. It is a secure e-mail form powered by SquareSpace so your e-mail address is kept safe and secure when sending. 

Before using the contact form, please make sure it is not a question easily answered by watching a video of mine, or simply by searching google. This contact form is more intended for business purposes to make it easier for third party companies to get in contact with me, since previously the only means of contacting me was through a PM on YouTube. 

MMORPG's, Do you ever truly quit?

I am making this post because right now I am playing Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360 while sitting on my bed. How could I be playing the game if I am writing this blog post? Well lets just say I am currently waiting for a "Notorious Monster" (in short, an enemy in the game that often drops rare and exclusive items) to spawn. I killed him an hour ago, but I still have another half hour to go before he spawns again so I can have another go at trying to obtain his weapon drop for my Puppetmaster, which has only about an 8% chance of dropping form him once he is killed.

This is a day on FFXI, but I am sure other MMORPG's are similar in their brutal ways of holding you captive in their world, even if it often feels more like a second job than a video game. You see I have been playing FFXI since it released on the PS2 back in 2004 and currently nearing 4,000 hours of play time. Granted I have taken many breaks over that time, but that brings me to the point of this post....do you ever truly quit MMORPG's? I realize that some people overcome their addictions to this genre of games, but I am sure they are few and far between. There is just something about obtaining that rare armor piece you worked weeks over to have on your character that keeps me coming back, or leveling up just one more time to get that awesome magic spell.

Getting back to the "breaks", there were many times where I convinced myself I was completely done with the game, never to return, but I always ended up returning to the game because I would get these random cravings to play again, which was usually caused by a new expansion pack or version update. In fact the last time I "quit" was a few months ago, vowing it would be the last and final time I ever played the game, and look at me...back on the game yet again. I am not sure if this will be my last venture into the world of Vana'diel (FFXI's world), or if I will quit and return again a year later.

People often ask me if I play World of Warcraft, and I tell them no because I tried the demo a few years ago and realized I would get sucked into its world, and the only way to avoid becoming addicted to WoW was to completely avoid it. Thankfully I have remained WoW free all these years, because I can guarantee you if I played WoW I would very likely never have started videos on YouTube.

Anyway I gotta get going, the monster should be spawning in a bit, I must be prepared! Do you have any similar MMORPG stories? What is your take on becoming "addicted" to a game like this?

YouTube Partnership

Hello everyone, just wanted to update my blog here to let you all know that I have been accepted into the YouTube Partners program. What does this mean for the future of my channel? For one my videos will no longer have an 11:00 minute time limit, opening up all new possibilities for my videos. Do not worry however, I will still aim to make my videos 5-10 minutes long, but when needed I now have the freedom to create videos as long as I want.

My channel also gets a much needed redesign with a nice banner including links, a section to promote other peoples channels, and even a new module that I can write anything I want in (which right now is channel updates).

I am excited for the future of my channel and where it may go. Thanks for all of your continued support because without you guys and gals, none of this would have been possible!

Buy 2 Get 1 Free on all games at Toys R Us

A few days late on posting this, but here is just a heads up for those of you planning on buying some games this week. All this week (offer ends Oct 18th) Toys R Us is giving you a game free of equal or lesser value after you buy 2 other games. So for those of you who wanted Uncharted 2 on PS3 and Brutal Legend, go buy them at Toys R Us and receive a free 3rd game of up to $60! Not a bad deal at all, in the end it is $40 per game if you think of it that way.