YouTube Gaming Success: Strategies for Engaging Content Creation

Gaming channels succeed by focusing on audience engagement rather than just specific games.

### Unlocking YouTube Gaming Success: Strategies for Growth and Engagement
* 🎮 The gaming space on YouTube is highly competitive, yet new channels can still achieve **rapid success** by understanding **current trends and strategies**.
* 📈 Focusing solely on one video game is often a losing strategy, as it can lead to **burnout and limit growth** unless the game has a **massive total addressable market** like Minecraft or The Sims.
* 📰 News and update videos require a unique opinion to stand out, as many creators cover the same content; having a **distinct viewpoint** can significantly **increase views**.
* 📊 Generic Let's Play videos are becoming less effective, as they lack **storytelling and planning**; creators should aim to **craft engaging narratives** to capture viewer interest.
* ✍ Video essays are emerging as a successful format, allowing creators to **take their time and produce thoughtful content** that resonates with audiences, as seen with channels like **Space Cadet Rewind**.
* ⏳ High-skill content, such as speedrunning, remains popular due to its **built-in storytelling and viewer engagement**, making it a **reliable strategy for creators**.
* 📺 The key revelation for 2023 is the **importance of watch time**; creators should focus on producing **quality content that keeps viewers engaged**, as this is crucial for **growth and visibility** on the platform.
* 🧠 Ultimately, crafting **compelling content that tells a story and connects with viewers** will enhance engagement and lead to **long-term success** on YouTube.

- Gaming is easily one of the most crowded spaces on all of YouTube, but somehow people are still blowing up, even if they start their channels right now. In fact, in rare cases, some channels blow up with their first video, and that success is happening early because these channels are starting their YouTube journey knowing what works today on YouTube. After watching this video, you will too. I've been making these gaming guide videos for a few years now, but in this one, I want to avoid the generic tips. So, here's what we're gonna do instead. First, we'll talk about what's not working so well in gaming right now. Then, we're gonna dig into what is working and from the perspective of a lot of different types of gaming channels. Finally, I'll share with you my biggest revelation from last year. It completely changed the way I see gaming on YouTube. This affects everything, from how you physically record

and produce your content, all the way through how often you should be posting your content. So what's not working right now and how can you keep from wasting a whole bunch of time making videos that pretty much nobody is discovering? Well, for starters, going all in on one video game is a losing strategy, at least, in most cases. Centering your entire YouTube channel around one video game isn't just unsustainable for you as the creator, I mean, even your favorite games get boring after a while, but it's also unsustainable from a business perspective. Unless you've chosen a game with a massive TAM, or total addressable market, you are not gonna be enjoying much long-term success. And when I say massive total addressable market, basically think of games like Minecraft, The Sims, Diablo, games that are huge household names and franchises. And heck, even creators who do focus on one of those games tend to also bounce around a bit.

In the case of DarthMicrotransaction TV, they're pretty much all in on Diablo IV, but occasionally do talk about other games. Path of Exile, Last Epoch, World of Warcraft, those videos may not be getting as many views as some of the Diablo videos, but they're still enjoying respectable view counts. In one example, they have a video titled Why Gaming Isn't Fun Anymore. It's doing really well for their channel and potentially could, over time, reach a lot of new viewers. Over in a whole different corner of the gaming YouTube universe is lilsimsie. Her channel covers, you guessed it, The Sims, except even lilsimsie is leaving room in her channel to cover different games, in this case, a recent video about an upcoming Sims competitor. Channels like lilsimsie and DarthMicrotransaction TV are making content for one audience, not one game.

And look, focusing on one audience can be tough and also risky. I'll help with that more in a little while though, because the next type of gaming video we need to discuss right now is news and updates videos. This type of content has changed so much. When you cover new updates and releases, your strategy should not be solely focused on search and SEO because think of it this way, what happens when a new game comes out or a new update? Well, first, a bunch of journalists and big YouTubers get early access, which gives them a leg up. Then all the other humans get a hold of this game when it finally launches, and the content creators among them all make the same exact video. And finally, in the case where you make that video and you've covered the new update, then what? You still need more to do, right? I mean, most channels don't just stop at one video every six months.

Essentially, this means it's not a great strategy for everyone to be the news and update person. So instead of just reporting on the news, you should use the one thing that you have that literally nobody else does, and that's your specific opinion. For example, here's somebody who took a different approach when they covered the recent Minecraft 1.21 update. At the time of recording, you'll notice that they have 6.5K subscribers, but their update video has 789,000 views. Why though, is this just luck? Well, let's take a look at their video page. It does seem like they've been more focused on Minecraft since this big viral hit for their channel. Specifically, they seem to be giving their opinions on a lot of different Minecraft topics and updates. Some of these videos are doing better than others, but ultimately, no, I don't think that their massive successful video was all luck.

To me, some of these titles, thumbnails, and topics are just more appealing than others. For example, the videos featuring strong opinions about easy-to-quickly-understand concepts are doing really well, but the videos that speculate a bit too much or have slightly confusing titles or thumbnails are still doing well, but not to the same degree. The coolest thing about this video is that it's not just good for YouTube search. The opinion in both the title and the thumbnail is also on display, meaning that this video is going to show up in YouTube browse as well as search. So when it comes to covering news and updates, be more like TheGeekFactor. Their Minecraft 1.21 video beat out update videos from channels with over a million, and in one case, 11 million subscribers. Another type of gaming video that hasn't worked in quite some time is the generic Let's Play video. I'm talking specifically about these videos.

that you click on, and it feels like the creator just kind of hit record but didn't go into the recording session with much of a plan. Now, you can absolutely play a game and provide real-time commentary and react to things that are happening, but you have to plan ahead a little bit. You need to do some research and pick a video topic that's going to tell a story, and that needs to be clear in the title and thumbnail as well. When you don't do that work upfront, you don't get views on your Let's Plays. The thing is, these types of gaming videos are so easy to make, and therefore, they are super saturated. Recently, I had a chance to talk to The Spiffing Brit, and he summed all this up pretty nicely. - [The Spiffing Brit] If you are going to go into a saturated market, you have to find the emerging market inside of that saturated game. I think the best example of this would be the first arrival

of 100 days content in Minecraft. And so, if you are going to break into a saturated market, like say Minecraft, you've got to enter with either an established hook that people would recognize or would find interesting, that it's proven to have worked, or you've either just gotten a one-in-a-million idea that no one else has ever done, and it's gonna shake the landscape. - When it comes to games, there's a lot of ways you can add a bit of story progression to your videos, and if you do that, you're gonna be ahead of so many other gaming channels. Now that you know what's not working on YouTube, but let's dig a little bit deeper into what is working super well in gaming today. We already touched on doing gameplay challenges and adding a bit more storytelling and progression in the videos, but Spiffing Britt had more to say on this topic that I wanted to share. Remember earlier when I said

I wanted to help a little bit more when it came to finding one audience for your content. Well, Spiff does that really well on his channel. Every time he posts a new video, it's about a different game, but you'll notice that there's a specific theme across each upload. - [The Spiffing Brit] Take your unique selling point and just move it to a different game that you do want to play. When I'm tired of playing one game, I just go find a different game. - If you want people to watch your channel for you and not just the game you're playing, this is how you do it. You need a thing that people remember you for. When I think Spiffing Britt, I think, Oh, that's that guy that breaks games in YouTube all the time. And yeah, if you didn't know Spiffing Britt isn't famous for just breaking video games.

Some of his most popular videos revolve around breaking YouTube itself. He became known for breaking things, and now he can break all kinds of things, not just games. A genre of videos that's new to me started to catch my attention a lot more last year. And then I noticed gaming channels are really jumping into this space. You should really start paying attention to video essays. Video essays, or some might even consider them documentaries, are really cool for a bunch of reasons. One, they allow you to create at a slower pace. You can play your game, take some notes, and really craft a video over a long period of time. Two, since you're uploading less, you only need to think of one title and thumbnail combination rather than a whole bunch over the course of a week or a month. And three, you get to enjoy games a lot more rather than if you just picked up a new game and pressed record to get content out as fast as you can.

Your essay is about the experience that you had in a game. You're not just reacting to what's happening in real time. You are informing people about your unique experience that you had time to sit down and actually appreciate for yourself. We covered a channel recently that made a video essay about an older game called Wing Commander. It was their very first video, and it did take some time for it to finally gain traction, but once it did, it hit over 100,000 views. Their second video essay was about Star Wars: X-Wing, and it also hit 100,000 views, but in even less time than the first video essay. The audience that they're talking to with this content is likely a bit older and maybe has some nostalgia for these classic space games. That understanding of their audience has made Space Cadet Rewind a huge out-of-the-gate success, and that's even if their videos take several months to produce.

But another channel that's also doing gaming video essays that don't take quite as long is known as Idyl. He started out by making videos on Old School RuneScape. Some are about various challenges, and others were about plugins that he actually created, which I mean, talk about effort. Not only is he making a video, but he's having to program an entire plugin to go along with it so that he can make the video. He's enjoyed some pretty good success making those types of videos in the past, but more recently, he's pivoted into video essays and not just on Old School RuneScape. He's branched out a bit more, and these video essays chronicle his experience in various MMOs. These videos are created after Idyl takes some time away from uploading to sit down and actually play and experience the games. The titles and the thumbnails alone speak to a video that obviously took a lot of time to create.

and they demonstrate a very clear point of view up front. Creators that do this slower-paced kind of content tend to disappear for a while, but once they finally pop back up in your recommended feed, you know immediately that not only did this video take a long time to make, it's gonna be worth watching. I mean, seriously, in the last six months, how many videos have you made? And when you total up that six months' worth of videos, how many views are you left with? If your upload frequency is high and your views are low, let me ask you this: what if you did take a really, really long time to make your next video? You're gonna spend this month making a video on a topic that you're really passionate about and that not enough people are talking about. Considering the time investment, this obviously won't be for everybody, but it's something you might consider. Another type of gaming video

that's worked really well for a long time is a category that all dub high skill-level content. Speed running is a prime example, but it's basically anything that could require a lot of skill to achieve, thus getting your gaming channel a lot more views. One of the benefits behind this content is that your title and thumbnail kind of create themselves. They're super popular because the story is also built in, right? I mean, you're being upfront about trying to hit some type of record or otherwise achieve something impressive in a familiar game. Players of that game either watch that content to simply be entertained or to learn from you, so they can also become better speed runners themselves. You'll also notice that sometimes this content is super long, and that's because it really doesn't require any editing. This works because it's actually super important not to edit the original run. If you need to prove that you actually beat this game in an hour and a half,

you can't have jump cuts in the video. Otherwise, it would be too easy to cheat. But if this type of content has been around for so long, why am I bringing it up today as some kind of magical new strategy? Well, in the case of those super long speed running videos, it's watch time. I don't know if it's because of YouTube shorts or something in our drinking water, but all of a sudden, it feels like a bunch of people are willing to sit down and watch a one hour, a three hour, or even a 12 hour gameplay video. Yes, this was my big revelation of 2023, and I studied it a lot, so I could sit here today and tell you how you can potentially benefit from this. And it doesn't matter if you speed run games or if you're not even a gaming channel. Watch time is a key metric on YouTube, and it's one that here at vidIQ,

We don't often talk about too much. Honestly, that's because so many of the creators that come to us are asking kind of the same questions. They tend to ask, in no particular order, about titles, thumbnails, subscribers, views, and ultimately, monetization. But the truth is if you can figure out watch time, it's gonna bring all of that stuff into focus. But that does mean that you should be brainstorming ways that every so often you could make a super long video. If you did this even once in a while, what would you make that video about? How long do you think it would take to record and edit it? And most importantly, what can you do to make sure that even just a portion of those viewers makes it to the very end? Well, as I talked about earlier, storytelling is gonna be key. And for gaming channels, it's kind of easy because you can lean on progression to tell that story.

Viewers love progress, whether it's speed running, massive Minecraft builds, or even long grinds and MMOs. That's exactly what Settled did when he began his Swampletics series in Old School RuneScape. And even if you don't play MMOs, pay attention because this strategy could work for so many other types of channels. Each episode on average was about 20 minutes long, and they focused solely on his character that was locked in a specific region of the RuneScape map. Quests being completed, rare items being dropped, or just levels going up. Once Swampletics wrapped up, Settled had become one of the biggest creators in all of RuneScape, but he wasn't done because then he made his next genius move. He took his entire series and compiled it into one massive 12-hour video. At the time of recording this video, that video has four million views. But why?

Who the heck is watching a 12-hour video that's just a whole bunch of other previously released videos crammed into one package? Would a YouTube playlist not have served the same purpose? Well, I have a few theories here, and these are based off of several hours of my own research on the topic. What I found is that this type of video is perfect for the kind of person who loves to binge. You know how Netflix started releasing seasons of shows in like two parts? Yeah, people don't like that. Whether it's for five minutes or for five hours, a viewer wants to hit pause and resume on their terms. What I've also seen is that people love to put this kind of content on in the background, whether it's because they're doing chores or maybe they're trying to go to sleep. The fact of the matter is they're not going to engage with YouTube to keep playing videos. They just want something that's gonna stay on.

With games, a lot of people in the comments of these videos admit to sitting down and actually playing the game alongside the video. It keeps them company, and it gives them ideas and inspiration for things they could be doing with the game. Games like RuneScape can be played in so many different ways, so if you sit down and watch someone's 12-hour video, whether it's all at once or in parts, you're gonna pick up a lot of things, and you're gonna learn a lot about this game that you may not have known before. And on the subject of playlists, no, I'm sorry, they are not good enough. I don't know about you, but I find it incredibly difficult to pause in the middle of a series on a playlist and pick it back up later. It's so much easier to have a 12-hour video, hit pause, and then whenever I want, come back to it. YouTube remembers my place on one long video.

way better than it remembers my place in one long playlist. YouTube, honestly, your playlists are just a bit clunky and could probably use an update. But also, YouTube, just don't listen to me because I'm enjoying the really long videos and the tons and tons of watch time I'm getting from them, so thank you. My big takeaway from last year and from all of this is watch time. And yes, titles and thumbnails and click-through rates and average view durations, it's all important, but if someone clicks on your video and they don't stick around, it doesn't matter because that video stops spreading. Viewers want to be taken on a journey when they click on that Let's Play video you made. They want to hear your opinions when they click on your gaming update news videos, and they appreciate it when you spend time crafting your content. But to get that watch time, you need quality content.

And in this video, I take a look at your gaming videos to see how you can improve your overall editing and presentation.

How to Start a Gaming Channel in 2024

We help YouTubers get more views, more subscribers, and get monetized. Let's grow together!

This is YOUR YouTube education! 

Here you will find tips, tricks, and guides on how to grow your YouTube channel. We will show you what you need to know and what actions you need to take. We'll also show you how our tools can help you make the right data-driven decisions for your YouTube channel!

If this sounds like something that could help grow your channel then make sure to download vidIQ and subscribe to the channel now!

⭐ Download vidIQ now for Free - vidiq.com/signup
🎓 Get a 1:1 YouTube Coach - https://get.vidiq.com/
🎧 Listen to our TubeTalk podcast - vidiq.com/tubetalk

vidIQ

Navigating Success in Gaming YouTube Channels

Gaming YouTube channels are still finding success despite the crowded space, with some blowing up from their first video by understanding what works today.

Focusing solely on one video game is often a losing strategy; successful creators tend to cover multiple games and focus on a common audience.

News and update videos for new game releases are highly competitive, making it crucial for creators to have a diverse content strategy.

Being the news updater isn't effective for everyone; instead, use your unique opinion.

21 video gained massive views by offering strong opinions and appealing titles.

To succeed in a saturated market like Minecraft, find an emerging niche or offer a unique, proven hook.

Finding Your Unique Audience in Gaming Content

Spiff's channel success lies in his consistent theme of breaking games and YouTube, making him memorable.

Video essays offer a slower content creation pace, allowing for deeper game appreciation and a more focused title and thumbnail strategy.

Channels like Space Cadet Rewind and Idyl have found success with gaming video essays, targeting older audiences and sharing unique experiences from various games.

The Power of Slow-Paced and Skill-Level Gaming Content

Slow-paced content creators may disappear for a while, but their return with a well-crafted video can be impactful.

High skill-level gaming videos, like speed running, are popular for their self-explanatory titles and thumbnails, and they offer viewers entertainment and learning opportunities.

The recent trend of viewers willing to watch long gameplay videos has made watch time a crucial metric for success on YouTube.

The Power of Long Videos for Content Creators

Content creators often focus on titles, thumbnails, subscribers, and monetization, but watch time is key to success.

Making occasional long videos can help retain viewers, and storytelling, especially through progression, is an effective strategy.

Settled's Swampletics series in Old School RuneScape and its subsequent 12-hour compilation video demonstrate the power of binge-worthy content, appealing to viewers who prefer to hit pause and resume on their own terms.

Many viewers play games alongside long videos, finding inspiration and learning new strategies.

The convenience of a 12-hour video allows for easier pausing and resuming compared to playlists.

The key to success on YouTube is generating watch time through quality content and engaging storytelling.