Questions for those among you who watch video game reviews on Youtube.

Hi there. A link to your videos would be appreciated!

To your questions:

1: It depends. A video should be as long as you can give useful information. For some indie sidescroller 5 minutes may be enough; for a big game, like say Witcher 3, 20 min may not be enough to list all your thoughts about the game.

2: To know if I like the premise of a game and to hear the opinions of other ppl. Entertainment value of the video is also important to me.

3: Yeah there is. I mostly watch reviewers whom I know to have a similar taste to mine, similar opinions when it comes to the gaming industry as a whole and a sense of humor similar to mine. But the humor is not that important...if they wanna focus on the facts thats OK too.

4: Yes I do whenever I think about buying a game. This doesnt however always apply to games I KNOW I will like.

5: Always searching for new creators, but for video game reviews I already have a few favorite goto creators. If they haven't done a review of a game I think about buying I search for any other creator to help me out.

1) Shorter, about 5 minutes for basic reviews, 15-20 minutes for more game play focused ones.
2) Watch some to learn more about games I'm interested in. Watch others more for entertainment value, mainly humor.
3) Zero Punctuation, he provides a quick doses of humor.
4) Only when I debating whether to buy a particular game.
5) I like my rut. There is a lot of trash out there, but I still have to go out occasionally to look for treasure.

1) Do you prefer longer or shorter videos? Or does it even matter?

• It depends on the content, if the content is funny and/or very entertaining then long is fine, if the video is descriptive and to the point then it can be short and it will be fine like that haha.
  2) Why do you watch video reviews? (To know if you should buy a game? To hear other opinions? For the entertainment value? Something else?)
• I mainly watch video reviews before getting a game or right after getting the game to psych me up to play it, otherwise I watch it for entertainment value if its from a funny creator.
  3) Is there a reviewer you especially like? If so, what's the main draw?
• Jontrons old reviews of games were quite entertaining and stupid, I really enjoyed those, and for informative reviews, I like gameranx's "Before you buy" videos, and then yeah IGN is fine I guess
  4) Do you actively search for reviews?
• Only really for new games, otherwise, I watch whatever the creators I follow post
  5) Do you consider yourself picky about what you watch on Youtube in general or do you constantly search out new content?
• I constantly search out new content, I prefer comedic creators but you get some that are very funny but then as a viewer you just get bored of their comedic sense or over the topness and then just stop following them, a person needs to find the right balance.
  6) Do you watch reviews after you've finished/played a game or do you tend to watch them only before you play the games?
• Before, sooooooometimes after but again it depends on the content, like I'm not going to watch Zero Punction before playing a game as he tends to spoil the plot or even just the feel or immersiveness of a game by pointing something out XD

I hope this helps :)
PS post a link to your youtube channel here :P I want to check it out (I know you can't post it in the description itself as the discussion will be seen as advertising then)

I only watch reviews to see if I would be interested in playing the game. If I want to watch something for entertainment, I will watch let's plays, but usually only if it is a game I have already played and enjoyed and want to see someone else experience it for the first time.

I prefer short reviews around 2-6 minutes. I like when they explain what type of game it is and what it is about and then give opinions on what they liked or didn't like.

I really enjoyed reviews from Azralynn, but she hasn't done them in a long time. If you sort her channel to view the oldest videos first, there are a couple pages of reviews.

1) I prefer non-video reviews (text reviews). I feel videos as a means to convey information is misunderstood as the default choice, since a lot of information is much easier to locate in a text paragraph instead of having to listen through every single sentence in a video to get to the point. Building on that, if forced to choose, I would choose the shortest possible video to get the necessary information in a condensed way.
EDIT: Also, videos feel much more prone to spoilers as you can accidentally see a lot of the gameplay during a video presentation
2) Building on 1), I would only ever watch a video review if I wanted to see something visually, such as a live gameplay demo, but then again I think a text guide accompanied with still screenshots would often be more than enough.
3) No
4) Yes, but as mentioned earlier I generally search for text reviews
5) Very picky, as I mentioned I prefer information conveyed in text unless there's a legit reason for needing visuals
6) Before - I don't see any point in watching them after, if you'd like to discuss the game after playing it you'd probably go to discussion forums, not review places

I only watch short gameplay videos.
I don't like most youtubers/streamers because of the overacting.

Hey zeruel. Nice thread, and I wish you luck with your channel. :)

1) Length depends on the depth of the game, but I personally wouldn't suggest going beyond 20 minutes or so, since some could consider that a decent investment of time. (Disclaimer: The vast majority of any youtube clips I watch are at 1.5 speed or faster.)

2) I typically watch reviews when a bundle comes out to see if a game I'm unfamiliar with would interest me.

3) Rather than list names, there are a few that I'll favor because they steer clear of spoilers and don't sound like they're reading off of a script. (As a pointer, brief comparisons to well-known, popular games can often be helpful for the viewer.)

6) The only time I'll watch clips after finishing a game would be if I happen to catch something from Zero Punctuation, because I enjoy Yahtzee's sense of humor. They're typically full of spoilers, and not intended to be serious reviews, though.

1- It depends on the game, but I normally see videos between 5-20 minutes.
2-Sometimes to see if the game is worth the buying, some other times when I don't like something than most people do (or viceversa) and I need to know why, and some other times because the guy who do the reviews is a well-displayed mix between funny and serious (that's weird though).
3-I don't think so. Sometimes I watch a couple of gameplays with little reviews at the end (John Wolfe, for example), but when I'm going specifically for a review to see if I should buy it, I just pick two or three random videos and look for the final impression.
4-On steam yes, on youtube no. And most of the times it is just a quick read, for the motives already mentioned.
5-Even if I mostly watch the first three results, I am picky, and most of the times I end up closing the video after 1 minute (probably because I think the guy is annoying, too boring, I thought his opinion doesn't have too many good arguments or the audio/video quality was too bad). So, if I find a guy who is good at what he does, I keep on that, but that doesn't happen too often (and if it does, normally youtubers change their own style after a while).
6-Like I said, I do both. It depends on the game, probably..

1) shorter
2) buy a game
3) Is there a reviewer you especially like? If so, what's the main draw?
Real gamers,Honest,not corrupted by money or give game free , and most of time these comes from just players and not from famous magazine\vg websites etc.
4)yes on youtube from gamers
5) search out new content
6) before to buy

Gonna answer these before looking at other comments:

1) It doesn't really matter.
2) To know if I should buy a game. In fact, #4 and #5 only really come into play if I'm trying to find a review for a game I've never heard of before, and for reviewers I follow, I tend to skip reviews of games I've already played or that I already know I won't like.
3) Not really. The main draw is information and details about the game (I can enjoy sketches if they show up, but it's like story in a game: it's not the point and shouldn't take precedence).
6) Before, in case that wasn't already made clear enough. ☺

1- I prefer them around 10-15 mins. If longer i tend to check on the part that i am interested.
2- Actually i like 2 kinds of reviewers. I mainly watch ACG and Ranton. ACG for deeper stuff, Ranton just for fun.
3- I guess this is answered above.
4- No I don't. Just check some people from my subscription or i just watch some gameplay videos.
5- Yeah kind of picky. Not really searching but if i saw something that might interest me i will try them.
6- Actually i watch even if i finish the game but mostly before.

1) Do you prefer longer or shorter videos? Or does it even matter?

Shorter, get to the point. Window's getting closed if you have a stupid intro song and logo that takes (sarcastically) half the video length. Longer's fine, too though, if it's actually an interesting and insightful review.

2) Why do you watch video reviews? (To know if you should buy a game? To hear other opinions? For the entertainment value? Something else?)

To see gameplay. To hear an informed impression of that gameplay. To hear the main attractors and detractors about the game.

3) Is there a reviewer you especially like? If so, what's the main draw?

Yahtzee, but he's an outlier on my general preferences. I watch his because they're entertaining, and his game preferences (mostly single player, with an actual story, and not recycled gameplay) often align with mine.

4) Do you actively search for reviews?

Define "actively"... if you mean select the title from a store page, right-click, and search, then watch whatever comes up in the search results's videos tabs, then yes. If you mean, "oh, I want to know more about such and such game, let me type the title in and find all the greatest reviews about it!", then no. Not even for Cyberpunk 2077, though I do seek out all the dev videos for that one immediately.

5) Do you consider yourself picky about what you watch on Youtube in general or do you constantly search out new content?

Yes. Very. Rarely watch, hardly subscribe. Nearly never comment. Still, I'll up/downvote if I feel like the content was good or my time was wasted.

6) Do you watch reviews after you've finished/played a game or do you tend to watch them only before you play the games?

Sure, it's interesting to hear other impressions of a game I've already played, or to be reminded of what it was like if it's been a while.

1) I don't care. I just need to see a gameplay and to see if the game will be fun for me or not.
2) To know if you should buy a game.
3) Nope.
4) Yes.
5) Not picky at all. Anything that is funny or informative.
6) Only before I play the game.

1) I usually prefer text reviews, but if I'm going to watch a video I'd rather it be short
2) To find opinions on older or obscure games where there isn't much information available.
3) No
4) Yes
5) I'm more interested in a particular game than a reviewer/channel
6) Both, depending

1) Between 5 and 10 mins.
2) When a game is on sale, to know whether it's something I'd play now or in the near future.
3) I like Karak from ACG, although he speaks a tad too fast. I also really like Scott the Woz but his videos are not reviews.
4) Not really but I also like to watch reviews for new games and sometimes add them to my wishlist.
5) I don't have much time so I'm quite picky. I tend to watch the same channels all the time, unless I need to find something specific.
6) Only before. After beating a game, I have my own opinion and share in on BLAEO.

As a side note, something I enjoy is when YT channels stick to a particular recipe. Usually type, length and tone.
I guess the best way to go about it is to make your channel stand out from the rest, be regular about it and stick to the point.
Good luck!

1) Up to 20 minutes is fine, I tend to avoid longer ones unless they come from channels I follow.

2) To inform myself about the game. I like reviews that explain pros and cons of the game well, but manage to do so under 20 minutes. I mostly watch them for games I'm interested in playing, but sometimes I'll check review for a game I know is not my thing, but want to know more about if I keep hearing about it from everyone. I also tend to check reviews for games I haven't heard about if they come from channels I follow.

3) ACG and Worth a Buy. I find them quite informative and I'm overall quite pleased with what I get out of their reviews most of the time.

4) When I stumble upon a game I'm interested in I look it up.

1) Both, depends on the game and all the good information you have.
2) To see the gameplay and sometimes to see the youtuber show, like Angry Videogame Nerd, SSeth and Angry Joe.
3) The three above.
4) Most of the time is "Game name gameplay no commentary" to see for myself.
5) I usually only watch another youtuber if a friend give me the link, otherwise is rare.
6) 90% before playing.

Try to find your own way to do the reviews, probably now it's almost impossible to be creative and original, but good luck.

1) Do you prefer longer or shorter videos? Or does it even matter?

Up to 5, maybe 10 minutes. Everything longer and... I'm kind of old to keep track. I do prefer a nice commentary/review/first impression over ranting or pure gameplay.

2) Why do you watch video reviews? (To know if you should buy a game? To hear other opinions? For the entertainment value? Something else?)

Curiosity mostly, wanting to see what some games are like (buying or not, regardless). Entertainment.

3) Is there a reviewer you especially like? If so, what's the main draw?

I used to like watching TB... but kind of stopped at some point even before... you know. Nowaday I watch no one in particular, mostly depends on the game I'm interested in... but I don't mind subscribing to you.

4) Do you actively search for reviews?

Um, sure. Sometimes.

5) Do you consider yourself picky about what you watch on Youtube in general or do you constantly search out new content?

Yes and no. Depends on the mood. Last night I watched 15 videos about Skyrim secrets. That happened like 0 times before.

6) Do you watch reviews after you've finished/played a game or do you tend to watch them only before you play the games?

Both. I also like benchmarks for some games I'm really interested into... Sometimes even after I've started playing them, lol.

Ok found you, now you have 43. I'm glad there's a future-famous person I "know" from here to follow their rise. I mean yours.

i very rarely search for a few seconds of pure & raw gameplay to see if a game looks interesting to me. usually for delisted gibs. and usually they are shit games and got delisted for good reason.
for any other game the trailer on the game's steam store page will do.

good luck with your project!

1) Size isnt that important. If you cover the game in 10 minutes its fine. If you take 30 minutes its fine. Basically you need to cover it properly. If you half ass it, I will likely not watch your videos again. If you drone on and on and make your video longer than it has to be, I will again not likely watch your videos again.

2) Why do you watch video reviews? For reviews I read reviews. If I am watching youtube, its because I want the take of a specific youtuber on it. Basically I am not primarily there to get information about the game, but rather what the specific person thinks of it. It is the youtuber that I came to watch not the game.

3) I like skill up because he is very balanced and honest in his reviews. I like Angry Joe because he gets really invested in the game reviews and it shows. I like different people for different reasons. I also dislike different people for different reasons.

4) Never do I search for reviews. Like I said, if I want actual reviews, I will read them.

5) Not picky at all. I could be watching watching a hardware review one minute, how factories make USB cables the next minute and how to market yourself as a pornstar the next. Youtube can be a weird ride. :P

6) Usually after I finish games, unless there is some controversy about the game I want to know more about. But really I watch reviews for games I have no intention of playing. Once again, people primarily watch youtube for the content creators, not necessarily for the content.

1) It depends, if the length fits the format then it's fine for me. The problem is that what length is apropiated for what style is something you can only nail down by trial and error and a healthy dose of feedback.

2) Mostly to hear other people's opinion and for entertaiment value, they're also a great way to get to know about games I haven't played and might not intent to play but am curious about nonetheless.

3) Yahtzee (zero punctuation), his writting is great and so is his humour, he's also really good at identifying flaws that other people might ignore and explain how they damage the experiense.
Total biscuit was another good reviewer, I didn't agree with him in a lot of things but damn his opinions were interesting and he knew how to present them.
Recently discovered a guy that goes by Civie11 that makes videos that ooze personality and have an absorving meta narrative.

4) Sorta, I watch a lot of the recomended videos on youtube's main page, that's how I normally find new channels. So yeah, praise the almighty algorith.

5) Ha, nope. If it catches my attention I'll at least try to watch it for a few seconds, that said I close down a lot of videos before the timer reaches one minute and never look back.

6) I do go out of my way to watch reviews after being done with a game sometimes, but I mostly just watch reviews as I find them. I have given a chance to games on my backlog after watching a favorable review that I accidently came across.

1) If I want to see whether I'd like a game I haven't played, 20-30 minutes as long as there's gameplay footage? For entertainment, 5-10 minutes. For opinions, somewhere between?

2) New releases, entertainment, checking other opinions about games I've played (particularly those I passionately like/dislike). Sometimes I just skim reviews for a minute or two to check gameplay footage and hear their overall opinion towards the end of videos, especially if I don't trust their opinions (IGN, cough, hack).

3) I hunt down the critical-sounding ones :P I do like reviews that go into any points about the development or history of the game, though, but there's not always something like that (for instance, you'd get an interesting review about the development issues of Anthem, but not most games.) There was a Zero Punctuation review that stuck with me because he had a similar opinion to mine about Transistor which I was glad to find, especially since the positive Steam reviews don't show you that there's anything to dislike about it at all.

4) Definitely, almost all content I watch I consciously search for.

5) I hardly use YT nowadays because I'm so picky XD

6) Yeah, especially for story-driven games. I like to see what other people's opinions are. Actually, I find it's often better to watch reviews after playing a game, because games often fall short in the story, and I should really know all the spoilers for that. Similar to reviews of a film or series, I guess. Depends on the game, of course :S

My general opinion: I think the best video reviews try to explain unpopular or unorthodox opinions, or have a more personal view -- especially since written reviews tend to focus on covering all general points you'd need to know before buying a game, and do that well enough.

here is the thing, games experience are relative and you cant review it objectively.
so it's all an opinion, and i have to care about your opinion to watch it.
otherwise i just watch gameplay and benchmarks to check performance.

also:
1) shorter is better, so i can go and play
2) to get more info about a game
3) TB (may he RIP), ACG, and Jimprission. as long as you dont give it 7/5 or some random score.
4) if i dont know enough about a game
5) both, depends on my free time
6) before