{Q} What the point of watching a lets play

[Rukh]

For the most part, its just easy entertainment. Sure some letsplays are nice to learn about a game and get an idea of whether you'd like it or not, but one I watch commonly, Northernlion mainly just plays Binding of Isaac. I've seen hundreds of episodes. I know the game. Its just an entertaining game to watch and he's an entertaining dude.

[Varvara Spiros Gelashvili]

1.To see how a game plays before you spend money on it.
2.To be entertained.
3.I use to watch replays of good league players to get an idea of what it takes to play certain champs at a high level and it helped me improve.
4.They might just not have time for gaming. I was at that point in my life for a bit and watching let's plays. Helped me keep up with current franchises.

[Axelond]

Watching a good lets player is like listening to a good podcast. Sometimes you get invested in whatever they are playing and you either buy it or watch another person play through it because you don't really feel like playing it yourself.

A good lets player can carry bad gameplay.

good gameplay can carry a bad lets player.

[Ratboy]

I watch the Rooster Teeth Lets Plays (Achievement Hunter, Funhaus) because I find them funny. Usually it ends up being more about the banter between them than the actual game that they are playing.

And this is why I like Lets Plays

[Caruktna]

Should i buy a console just for one game i would like to see? Should i pay for a game im not interested in playing but in seeing its story? what if i cant play it because i dont have the money or something else wont let me?

the LPs can help many people in many situations. There are people who just cant buy the game or the console, so they can watch a game they have an interest in. It is not the same experience than playing it, but you can still enjoy it.

Look, for example, this: (almost 4 mill views since january)




There are people who cant play, or want to experience companny... thats behind the eating videos/streams where people pay just to feel they have someone to eat with (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/29/wo...a-eating-room/)


So, there is no 1 answer, but many of them... there are different kind of people with different kind of needs. So there are different kind of media for people to, somehow, satisfy their needs.

[Drungan]

It is rarely about the game, if you think watching lets plays are odd check this out ....

Northernlion on YouTube almost 600k subs he does 3 videos a day 5 days a week with The binding of Isaac : rebirth each gets 60k + views, if you don't know that game a round takes around 30 to 50 mins to *complete* a run and it is basically the same pattern every run he has now released over 700 vids over the last year before that he was over 800 on a older version of the ( kinda) SAME game .....

And you know what i have *watched* over 600 of his vids on that game .... i say *watched* be curse i use them as background noise while i play other games, i use that instead of a radio.

[WarpedAcorn]

Personally, I watch "Let's Play" (LP) for both the game and for the hosts. The very first full LP I saw was a Giant Bomb playthrough of Deadly Premonition. I had heard about the game, so my initial interest was to see how the game played before I purchased it. The game itself was cooky and quirky, but what hooked me on watching the LP was the reaction of these 2 guys bashing the game hard...and slowly becoming more and more enamored with it. A lot of my enjoyment of that LP had to do with the banter and personalities of the hosts. And yes, I did buy Deadly Premonition BEFORE I finished the LP, beat it, then finished watching the LP.

Now, I mainly watch LP's from Super Best Friends. Right now they have one of Until Dawn. I didn't even know about the game until I saw it, but after 1 episode I had already planned to go out and buy it (gonna pick it up this weekend probably). And, of course, I will continue watching the LP because their personalities and banter make me laugh...considering they're early-30's like myself, I get all their references and jokes.

I also watch a lot of Funhaus. They don't really do full LP's, and most of their videos are editted down to 10-15min bites. But shoot, they are so entertaining that they have an entire series where they just play old Demo Discs from the 90's that don't work half the time (and they usually end up playing a lot of sexy flash games). Their popular LP's are for bad games like Chaser.

So the TLDR version: Its about being entertained by the hosts, whether they are playing an awesome game or the worst game in the world.

[blackblade]

What do you mean about the let's player ?

Why do you watch someone like Jon Stewart instead of just reading the newspaper? an episode of the tonight show is 30 mins, but reading the newspaper takes maybe 5-10.

The entertainment value is the sarcastic if not almost satirical nature of the delivery. It's a similar thing here, I guess. Guys like Yahtzee, JonTron, and the Game Grumps are funny, entertaining, and elaborate.

[johnhoftb]

For me, it's three things:

1. Entertainment: Outside of videogames, the internet is the only thing I get real entertainment from, and the personalities playing the games can be interesting, and can make a game a richer experience with a good LPer.

2. Things I didn't know about games I've played: Sometimes I may watch an LP and come across some information about a game I've played which I've never known about. Did you know you can get 50 rupees by hitting Bubbles with Light Arrows in Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask? I didn't until I saw chuggaconroy's LP of the game.

3. Realizing whether I want a game or not: Actually watching a game can help me decide if I want it or not. chugga's LP of Xenoblade Chronicles got me hooked on the Xenoblade series (I initially dismissed the Xenoblade Chronicles X trailer back during e3 2013). Luchajin's LP of Cities: Skylines and Jessie Cox's LP of Huniepop (yes, I know) also help me decide on my purchases.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I watch Gopher's LPs. He's a roleplayer and makes a game that I'd otherwise have absolutely no interest in very entertaining to watch. (More specifically, it's the story of his character that is more entertaining to watch. His recent completion of Richard the Librarian was incredible!

[Whitehatter]

I watch them because some games u love but you cant be arsed to play, for me ill remember playing an old game and ill want to play it to remember the nostalgia of the game it self and the good times played rememberd.
I havent got much time due to work and the only game i do want to play is wow so im faced with a choice play wow or play old game?... but what if i put on lets play theme hospital on the 2nd monitor, i can now play wow and re-live the good ole days of theme hospital at the same time.

Some people watch them to see what a game is like before they buy it, there are numerous reasons to watch them.. for me... nostalgia, lazyness and lack of time.



the game above i had the demo for the amiga! never got the full game and always wanted to play it.. now cos of LPs i can see what i missed after all this time


Also how can you not watch Dungeon keeper 1 .. ITS GOOD TO BE BAD!

[Deleted]

Why do you watch someone like Jon Stewart instead of just reading the newspaper? an episode of the tonight show is 30 mins, but reading the newspaper takes maybe 5-10.

The entertainment value is the sarcastic if not almost satirical nature of the delivery. It's a similar thing here, I guess. Guys like Yahtzee, JonTron, and the Game Grumps are funny, entertaining, and elaborate.

I am watching him becausue of personality and ideas that will come up with in the show.

When it comes to video games, i wouldn't want to watch a let's player since i want to enjoy the content myself. If he has a good personality i would like to hear him, but to watch him i do not see the appeal.

[Terahertz]

I used to watch LPs of games I could never ever play myself. The Last of Us being a great example since I don't own a console nor am I going to buy one just for one game. GTA V I also watched because at the time I heard they'd never port it to PC.

It's -sort of- comparable to LFR in WoW. Or at least comparable to the purpose of LFR; seeing stuff you usually wouldn't be able to. Or simply not wanting to spend money on a story driven game since you could watch the LP of it anyways.

Then there's also certain LP YouTubers being simply entertaining to hear play. Their commentary on the gameplay and what not.

[Kurgosh]

Depends on the game. If it's story driven, I might watch the first episode or two to see if it's something I'd enjoy playing, but then I'm done, because spoilers. If it's a game with a lot of replayability like Civ V, then I'll watch some expert gameplay to pick up tips and tricks.

[Hellravager]

Gopher is a great lets player loved his skyrim videos

[Florena]

The ones I watch, game grumps and markiplier, I watch for the reactions and commentary not the game itself.

[TheCount]

Nostalgia is the main reason I watch lets plays. I don't watch that many but yeah.

[Adoxe]

Entertainment? Reactions? Not having to pay to experience the game? There's many reasons.

[Aurimas]

I have watched some for a few reasons. I have not watched very many.

Sometimes it was because the reviews of the game still left me uncertain, and I needed more information. For a similar reason, sometimes I wanted to cut through the highlights and see what the game is actually like.

Other times it was to improve my own gameplay. Did that with a turn-based game. What is this guy, who can play on "super insane death mode" doing differently than I am?

Also:

some obnoxious asswipe talking stupid shit [...] some annoying dumbwit making lame jokes and stupid noises. [...] annoyed by some ridiculous asshole. [...] some stupid voice

YouTubers in general are like furuncles in the face - ugly crap that nobody needs.

Angry much? Jesus christ. Tell us how you really feel. o.O
Carrying that much anger over a silly little topic can't be healthy.

[kail]

Does TBiscuit and Angry Joe reviews count as LPs? If so, they are the only one's I watch.

Otherwise I do browse Twitch every now and then, watch someone make some plays LoL, HS or some new game and whatnot. Sometimes I even discover some music they play in the background. Doesn't last more than an hour and I run it on my second screen while doing school work or waiting for ques.