Old VS. New

When it comes to comedy, there are different styles of the art similar to genres in music, which all pan to specific audiences. There's gross out humor, knock-knock jokes, shock humor, dark humor, improv- it's practically endless. The same goes for Let's Plays.Though not as diverse, it's certainly worth mentioning that there are several different ways you can do a Let's Play. To go into detail about every single style there is would be monotonous and lecture worthy so today, I'm only going to focus on two general styles which I dub Classic and Modern.

Let's Play channels have existed even before the advent of YouTube on mediums such as VHS Tapes, Beta Max and other home devices. So with over a decade worth of life, the style of Let's Plays have definitely evolved over time. Back when they first started out, they were generally nothing more than video walkthroughs of games. They just went from point A to point B, no jokes, no observational humor, just a simple guide of how to get through the game. These types of Let's Plays were essentially a pre-classic era and essentially set the stage that Let's Plays would eventually evolve from.

The Classic style started around 2007 and took the walkthrough formula of pre-classic Let's Plays and made it more personal. Instead of simply telling you where everything is, they talked more about how the games affected them personally. Some jokes and humor can be inputted by aren't quite common in this style. These Let's Players would more often discuss how the emotional moments of a game left a impression on them or how a certain level came to be there favorite. Take this episode of Chuggaconroy's Let's Play of Super Mario 64 DS for example where he shares his memories of the game and how it not only helped him in a time of need, but also shaped him as the person he is today. He even attributed it to the success of his entire career stating he would not be where he is now without this game. This was a heavily emotional aspect that came to the forefront in the Classic style that defined what Let's Plays are. These people saw themselves as not gamers playing games for the internet but instead, sharing an experience with an audience and passing on that same passion that they felt to all of them. It's worth noting that despite me being called  this style the classic style, this format is still very present and used widely today.

The Modern style started around 2010 when YouTuber Pewdipie arrived on the scene. This era shifted from the more emotional themes found in the classic style and instead went for a more casual feel. Aspects like facecam, (showing your face via webcam as you play), observational humor and improvisation came into the spotlight. Instead of focusing on the game they were playing, these types of shows rather revolved around the person that was playing it. Take Markiplier here for example, who utilizes all of these new aspects. Notice that his choice of games are not sentimental but are rather random and are recommendation based. People watch his videos because they like seeing him and not necessarily the game at hand. A noticeable feature you might see in his videos is his use of facecam. Facecam is a unique and controversial innovation that helped define the modern style as it gave the viewer a feeling of connection. It was like they are hanging out with the person in the same room, rather than just listening to them talk. Those against it are usually classic let's players like Chuggaconroy who view it as narcissistic and feel like it takes away from the game itself while those who are for it say that it immerses them more into the world of the player.

There's been a lot of debate as to which style is better and to be fair, both styles have their pros and cons in my opinion. The classic style while very informative and sometimes emotionally moving can suffer from a stigma of elitism. While most well known Let's Players abstain from giving their own opinions on other peoples work and are generally respectful, there are some that trash talk the modern style and will go as far as to claim that it ruined what Let's Plays are supposed to be. This arrogance can kind of detract from the charm of what the classic style is supposed to give and instead ironically inadvertently make the let's play about the people rather than the game itself. On the other hand, the modern style, while funny and laid back, suffers from and over saturated market. Like I've stated in past posts, Pewdipie is THE most popular YouTuber of all time with over 31 million people subscribed to his channel. This in turn, leads to a lot of carbon copying and while some people such as Markiplier have been able to branch out and forge their own identity. most usually start out as stagnant and never grow or improve. Those who attempt this style nowadays often find themselves lost in a sea of endless unoriginality and find a tough time trying to fid their voice. Even if they are clearly skilled in improv and present a well organized video, they can be instantly show down by others for being a "Pewdipie copycat." It's a tough and sad obstacle that often bars young creative spirits from achieving success.

Though when it comes to their pros, it certainly outweighs the cons. The classic style can get in touch with your inner gamer and bring back or even start memories of your own, while the modern style can help you have a laugh after a rough day. Both are very different but are fantastic in their own right. they each give a unique experience in an ever expanding genre. To argue which one is better is actually rather pointless because, as with comedy, there are different strokes for different folks. What one can find funny or entertaining is not always going to carry over from person to person. It's all objective which is why, instead of bickering about which style is better, those who aspire to entertain should go for what they personally like, and find their own audience. After all, you're only a true entertainer if you aspire to make others lives better.