I seem to be something a little more than just a minor Internet celebrity now: I have my own Facebook page as well as my own discussion forum, both created by fans of my YouTube work.
Both the FB page and the forum are still in their infancy at the time of this post, so don't expect anything too fancy. As I said, they're infancy. No? Too much of a stretch? Anynonsense, they're there if you want to demonstrate your undying loyalty to me.
It's really very strange to (a) have fans who are enthusiastic about creating fan pages/sites for me, and (b) see my name proudly displayed on the web like I'm an Actual Celebrity. I have always enjoyed the distance between my Internet self and my real-world self, primarily because blurring the line too much between the two can produce frighteningly well-informed stalkers and con artists.
For better or for worse, as I've continued to meet interesting and appreciative people online over the past year or two, I've grown a little less tense about all this. Nowadays I'm chatting with fans over Skype, and getting involved in these fan pages is bringing me closer to breaking down that blurry barrier entirely. I'm both excited for the opportunity to connect with people who I would count as friends in an offline situation, and wary of how close people are coming to my secret lair. Or whatever it is I'm protective of.
What do you think? I'm open to comments about the Facebook page, the discussion forum, and the celebrity/privacy situation in general.
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Don't Go Breaking My Art
After about two months of travel, time spent with friends and family, unexpected disruptions, and generally being busy, I managed to finish up Part 5 of my video playthrough of Mega Man 6 for YouTube. The only problem? I couldn't watch the video.
Following the fiasco some weeks back where I ended up reinstalling Windows twice in one week, it should not have come as a surprise that my now tried-and-true method of processing videos in Virtualdub and transforming them into neatly compressed .avi files should suddenly break down. I had saved my configuration settings from before the reinstallations, but I hadn't reinstalled all the same video codecs needed to play and record videos. My audio came out perfectly, but the video dragged along at a quarter of the proper speed.
After a bit of examination, I discovered that I hadn't selected a compression method for my video. Whatever Virtualdub's default is, it would never do. Having set up this process almost two years ago and having barely fiddled with any of the settings since, I did not immediately recall that I used ffdshow instead of DivX for video compression. DivX was on the list, but ffdshow was not, and looking at the Properties of the videos I had successfully created in the past, all of them claimed to be produced with the help of DivX. So, I tried to configure the DivX options in Virtualdub, and after far too many failed attempts to produce a video of any quality that Winamp, Windows Media Player, or YouTube would play, it occurred to me why I had given up on DivX and used ffdshow all that time ago.
I downloaded ffdshow, did a quick configuration, and ended up with possibly the prettiest-looking video I've made yet, at least in terms of visual quality if not content.
Is there a lesson in all this? Probably. "Figure out a less convoluted way to record your videos" would be a fine choice, or, "Next time you back up your hard drive before you reinstall Windows, just dump the ENTIRE thing onto an external hard drive if you've got the space, so you can poke around for solutions when something inevitably breaks." At any rate, I've officially had my technological setback for this round of videos two or three times over, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will not be any more.
Following the fiasco some weeks back where I ended up reinstalling Windows twice in one week, it should not have come as a surprise that my now tried-and-true method of processing videos in Virtualdub and transforming them into neatly compressed .avi files should suddenly break down. I had saved my configuration settings from before the reinstallations, but I hadn't reinstalled all the same video codecs needed to play and record videos. My audio came out perfectly, but the video dragged along at a quarter of the proper speed.
After a bit of examination, I discovered that I hadn't selected a compression method for my video. Whatever Virtualdub's default is, it would never do. Having set up this process almost two years ago and having barely fiddled with any of the settings since, I did not immediately recall that I used ffdshow instead of DivX for video compression. DivX was on the list, but ffdshow was not, and looking at the Properties of the videos I had successfully created in the past, all of them claimed to be produced with the help of DivX. So, I tried to configure the DivX options in Virtualdub, and after far too many failed attempts to produce a video of any quality that Winamp, Windows Media Player, or YouTube would play, it occurred to me why I had given up on DivX and used ffdshow all that time ago.
I downloaded ffdshow, did a quick configuration, and ended up with possibly the prettiest-looking video I've made yet, at least in terms of visual quality if not content.
Is there a lesson in all this? Probably. "Figure out a less convoluted way to record your videos" would be a fine choice, or, "Next time you back up your hard drive before you reinstall Windows, just dump the ENTIRE thing onto an external hard drive if you've got the space, so you can poke around for solutions when something inevitably breaks." At any rate, I've officially had my technological setback for this round of videos two or three times over, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will not be any more.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Writing to the Audience
I realize now why I've spent three days re-recording the same 30 seconds of Mega Man audio commentary, and why my GameCola review of Gemini Rue has been taking so long to pull together, and my one blog post I started two weeks ago keeps getting completely overhauled every time I try to write it: I've been trying too hard to perform for my audience.
My loyal YouTube subscribers and friends have been waiting well over a month for my next installment of Mega Man 6, and the last two videos are, in the opinion of many, the best I've ever done. I'm tough competition.
I spoke with the developer of Gemini Rue over e-mail a few times during the course of playing the review copy GameCola received for free. I'm already way late on releasing a timely review, and I want to do the game justice, and I want to write something that everyone involved in making the game will be happy with, because they deserve that much.
I've been reexamining my ideas for this blog post, and every time I come back to it, there's something else I want to make sure I say or explain so that I make a solid case for the fans who will read it. I want to have my facts straight, and I want to be well-informed before presenting what could almost be a school essay on a particular fandom.
In all these cases, I've been playing to the consumer, and I've been suffering for it. I'm trying so hard to be funny, but that tactic rarely yields funny results. I'm trying to tactfully describe the notable drawbacks and shortcomings of a truly fantastic game that I am recommending without reservation. I want to write something so airtight that everyone will agree with me. I want people to like what I'm giving them.
When have I ever written specifically for my audience? When have I cared whether someone will like something if I myself am satisfied with it? I started making Mega Man videos for the fun of it. I write reviews and blog posts because I enjoy writing, and because I enjoy sharing things with others. If there's one thing I've learned from failed sequels and ill-conceived reboots, it's to never give the audience what you think they want--let their feedback shape what you do, but let your creative mind be the ultimate decision-maker.
I've spent almost six hours of my day doing nothing but writing (and the obligatory breathing and blinking). I have been writing for me, and all of a sudden things are sounding more like I want them to. I'm cracking a smile at my own material, because it makes me happy. Now it's time to let my creative mind wander, and see where I take myself.
It's nice to be back, and I didn't even realize I was away.
My loyal YouTube subscribers and friends have been waiting well over a month for my next installment of Mega Man 6, and the last two videos are, in the opinion of many, the best I've ever done. I'm tough competition.
I spoke with the developer of Gemini Rue over e-mail a few times during the course of playing the review copy GameCola received for free. I'm already way late on releasing a timely review, and I want to do the game justice, and I want to write something that everyone involved in making the game will be happy with, because they deserve that much.
I've been reexamining my ideas for this blog post, and every time I come back to it, there's something else I want to make sure I say or explain so that I make a solid case for the fans who will read it. I want to have my facts straight, and I want to be well-informed before presenting what could almost be a school essay on a particular fandom.
In all these cases, I've been playing to the consumer, and I've been suffering for it. I'm trying so hard to be funny, but that tactic rarely yields funny results. I'm trying to tactfully describe the notable drawbacks and shortcomings of a truly fantastic game that I am recommending without reservation. I want to write something so airtight that everyone will agree with me. I want people to like what I'm giving them.
When have I ever written specifically for my audience? When have I cared whether someone will like something if I myself am satisfied with it? I started making Mega Man videos for the fun of it. I write reviews and blog posts because I enjoy writing, and because I enjoy sharing things with others. If there's one thing I've learned from failed sequels and ill-conceived reboots, it's to never give the audience what you think they want--let their feedback shape what you do, but let your creative mind be the ultimate decision-maker.
I've spent almost six hours of my day doing nothing but writing (and the obligatory breathing and blinking). I have been writing for me, and all of a sudden things are sounding more like I want them to. I'm cracking a smile at my own material, because it makes me happy. Now it's time to let my creative mind wander, and see where I take myself.
It's nice to be back, and I didn't even realize I was away.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Overnight Celebrity
I think I liked it more when I was a small-time Internet phenomenon.
Perhaps I give myself too much credit here; after releasing videos of the first four Mega Man games on YouTube--along with bonus videos collecting various bloopers, glitches, tricks, and other extra footage--the Internet started to take notice of my humble little endeavor to play and talk my way through the Mega Man games with whatever creativity and style I could muster.
I identify Mega Man 4 as the place where my videos started to gain any kind of popularity. There are a few reasons why, many of which I touched on in a previous post:
First, I'd already been recording for a few months, and the subscribers I'd gained were starting to tell their friends (or make it visible on their channels that they had left a comment on one of my videos). There was some cross-pollination with the GameCola YouTube channel as well.
Second, my videos were starting to show up on the first or second page of YouTube search results yielded by normal search terms and not stupidly esoteric tags that only my particular videos would have.
Third, MM4 is where I really started trying to put on a show, and it's where my commentary and enthusiasm for the games began to pick up. Better quality material means I've got a greater chance of maintaining the viewers who come to visit.
I look at the progression: MM1 was the trial run, trying out video recording and commentary for the first time. MM2 was where I got more comfortable with commentary, and where I made a more concentrated effort to show off in a variety of ways. MM3 was where I got all my ranty frustrations out and found I'd be happier if I'd played around with the game a little more before recording.
MM4 was the culmination of what I'd learned about how to handle the commentary and what kinds of ways I could and should show off in a video. Perhaps not perfect, but definitely the model I wanted to follow.
Further to that, MM5 was spent refining everything I did in MM4 and embracing the things that really separated me from other Mega Man runners--namely, goofing around and using special weapons excessively. People began clamoring--clamoring, I say!--for the next installment after several months had passed since I'd finished MM4.
It was taking a LONG time to assemble my run of MM5, and I wanted to give my friends and subscribers a little something to chew on while I finished up recording. I put together a short teaser for my run of the game, posted it on YouTube, and went to bed.
When I came back the following morning, I had something like thirty comments waiting for me.
This was unheard of.
Things just snowballed from there. Anticipation built up for each new installment. New comments and subscribers came in on a daily basis. It was wonderful to feel that kind of validation over what was originally some fun little side project I started because of a fellow GameCola staff writer.
Fast forward to a few days ago: Despite posting videos of Dino Run, Mega Man: The Power Battle, Mega Man 7, and some Flash games on other channels, there was clamoring for another Mega Man run all my own. I, too, was itching to take on the next game, Mega Man 6, and had been recording new stages regularly. Once I had enough footage, I pieced together a teaser video and posted it before going to bed.
When I came back the following morning, I had something like forty comments waiting for me. Not only was the new video heavily commented, but an entire page of my channel comments had basically filled up overnight. My other videos, which had already been receiving comments at a steady rate, instantly began to grow in commenting popularity.
I couldn't keep up with it all.
I've officially reached the point where I can no longer respond to every comment without my YouTube time cutting into the rest of my life. Not only that, but in the span of two or three days I've received a rash of less-pleasant-than-usual comments that have gotten me on the defensive.
I'm aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my videos and usually handle criticism pretty well. Maybe I've grown overly sensitive and accustomed to positive feedback; maybe a few of these recent comments were genuinly mean-spirited and/or less than tactful. Maybe both.
Whatever the case may be, it's tough to want to stay on top of an ever-growing pile of comments when there's the growing risk of tough criticism coming out of the blue.
Like I said: I think I liked it more when I was a small-time Internet phenomenon. I had the whole "responding to comments" process under control, and I knew my fan base better. I'm not just releasing more videos this time around--I'm adapting to a changing culture.
On the plus side, I am getting to know more people, and I'm spreading the good cheer of Mega Man farther across the Internet, and currently, 30% of the first-page search results for "funny mega man videos" on YouTube are my videos. All around, that's pretty wonderful.
I just can't wait to see what horrific catastrophe happens during the recording/processing phase this time around.
Perhaps I give myself too much credit here; after releasing videos of the first four Mega Man games on YouTube--along with bonus videos collecting various bloopers, glitches, tricks, and other extra footage--the Internet started to take notice of my humble little endeavor to play and talk my way through the Mega Man games with whatever creativity and style I could muster.
I identify Mega Man 4 as the place where my videos started to gain any kind of popularity. There are a few reasons why, many of which I touched on in a previous post:First, I'd already been recording for a few months, and the subscribers I'd gained were starting to tell their friends (or make it visible on their channels that they had left a comment on one of my videos). There was some cross-pollination with the GameCola YouTube channel as well.
Second, my videos were starting to show up on the first or second page of YouTube search results yielded by normal search terms and not stupidly esoteric tags that only my particular videos would have.
Third, MM4 is where I really started trying to put on a show, and it's where my commentary and enthusiasm for the games began to pick up. Better quality material means I've got a greater chance of maintaining the viewers who come to visit.I look at the progression: MM1 was the trial run, trying out video recording and commentary for the first time. MM2 was where I got more comfortable with commentary, and where I made a more concentrated effort to show off in a variety of ways. MM3 was where I got all my ranty frustrations out and found I'd be happier if I'd played around with the game a little more before recording.
MM4 was the culmination of what I'd learned about how to handle the commentary and what kinds of ways I could and should show off in a video. Perhaps not perfect, but definitely the model I wanted to follow.Further to that, MM5 was spent refining everything I did in MM4 and embracing the things that really separated me from other Mega Man runners--namely, goofing around and using special weapons excessively. People began clamoring--clamoring, I say!--for the next installment after several months had passed since I'd finished MM4.
It was taking a LONG time to assemble my run of MM5, and I wanted to give my friends and subscribers a little something to chew on while I finished up recording. I put together a short teaser for my run of the game, posted it on YouTube, and went to bed.
When I came back the following morning, I had something like thirty comments waiting for me.
This was unheard of.
Things just snowballed from there. Anticipation built up for each new installment. New comments and subscribers came in on a daily basis. It was wonderful to feel that kind of validation over what was originally some fun little side project I started because of a fellow GameCola staff writer.Fast forward to a few days ago: Despite posting videos of Dino Run, Mega Man: The Power Battle, Mega Man 7, and some Flash games on other channels, there was clamoring for another Mega Man run all my own. I, too, was itching to take on the next game, Mega Man 6, and had been recording new stages regularly. Once I had enough footage, I pieced together a teaser video and posted it before going to bed.
When I came back the following morning, I had something like forty comments waiting for me. Not only was the new video heavily commented, but an entire page of my channel comments had basically filled up overnight. My other videos, which had already been receiving comments at a steady rate, instantly began to grow in commenting popularity.
I couldn't keep up with it all.
I've officially reached the point where I can no longer respond to every comment without my YouTube time cutting into the rest of my life. Not only that, but in the span of two or three days I've received a rash of less-pleasant-than-usual comments that have gotten me on the defensive.I'm aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my videos and usually handle criticism pretty well. Maybe I've grown overly sensitive and accustomed to positive feedback; maybe a few of these recent comments were genuinly mean-spirited and/or less than tactful. Maybe both.
Whatever the case may be, it's tough to want to stay on top of an ever-growing pile of comments when there's the growing risk of tough criticism coming out of the blue.
Like I said: I think I liked it more when I was a small-time Internet phenomenon. I had the whole "responding to comments" process under control, and I knew my fan base better. I'm not just releasing more videos this time around--I'm adapting to a changing culture.On the plus side, I am getting to know more people, and I'm spreading the good cheer of Mega Man farther across the Internet, and currently, 30% of the first-page search results for "funny mega man videos" on YouTube are my videos. All around, that's pretty wonderful.
I just can't wait to see what horrific catastrophe happens during the recording/processing phase this time around.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Mega Man 5 Bloopers, Glitches, and Tricks
I'm pleased to announce the inevitable follow-ups to my video review / walkthrough / showoff video of the NES game Mega Man 5: two bonus videos showcasing the bloopers, glitches, tricks, and other fun stuff that didn't make it into my run of the game. Have fun!
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Last Red Dinosaur
As you may know, I write a column for GameCola called "Flash Flood," in which I review Flash games and videogame-related Flash animations. I'm long overdue for the next installment, but that's beside the point. I decided it would be a fun follow-up to my column to make videos of me playing and talking about the games I've reviewed, like I do with Mega Man.
From what I can tell by doing no research whatsoever, not many people bother to review Flash games, nor are there a terrible lot of videos of Flash games. So, maybe this'll bring a little novelty into your day. My two latest installments are embedded below; there's a full Flash Flood playlist on the GameCola YouTube channel if you'd like to see more. Engage! I mean, uh, enjoy.
From what I can tell by doing no research whatsoever, not many people bother to review Flash games, nor are there a terrible lot of videos of Flash games. So, maybe this'll bring a little novelty into your day. My two latest installments are embedded below; there's a full Flash Flood playlist on the GameCola YouTube channel if you'd like to see more. Engage! I mean, uh, enjoy.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
"DuckTales," a dramatic rendition by Sir Ian McKellen
Sir "Gandalf" Ian "Magneto" McKellen--or, at least, an impeccable voice double--performing the theme to DuckTales:
Monday, April 19, 2010
Mega Man 5: YouTube Edition
Well, it only took me about 3/4 of a year to pull together, but my video review / walkthrough / showoff video of Mega Man 5 is FINALLY finished! WOO!
If you're a little iffy about this whole Mega Man thing and want just a little sample, embedded below are the first two videos in the set. When you're ready to watch the whole thing, check out the full Mega Man 5 playlist on my YouTube channel, which also includes the teaser trailer I made for my run.
Try not to hurt yourself laughing. I'm told I'm very funny.
If you're a little iffy about this whole Mega Man thing and want just a little sample, embedded below are the first two videos in the set. When you're ready to watch the whole thing, check out the full Mega Man 5 playlist on my YouTube channel, which also includes the teaser trailer I made for my run.
Try not to hurt yourself laughing. I'm told I'm very funny.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Impaired Closed Captioning
I've been receiving a few comments on my YouTube videos about the funny things I'm apparently saying when the new Transcribe Audio feature attempts to write out my ridiculous yammerings. Just as Alex and I had fun chatting with Abe Lincoln thanks to Virsona's still-in-progress AI and response system, I've been greatly enjoying watching YouTube put words in my mouth.
Currently, Transcribe Audio isn't available for all videos, but I encourage you to check in on some of your favorite YouTube videos to see what kinds of glorious nonsense you can come up with. I respect that this feature is being implemented, and I know it will be very helpful in the future... once the kinks have been worked out. For now, the kinks are pretty hilarious, especially considering they have a penchant for transforming my Mega Man commentary into drunken ramblings about news and politics. I swear, Transcribe Audio once made me say "George Stephanopoulos."
Enjoy a small sampling of how Transcribe Audio has mangled my words; it doesn't even matter what I was saying at the time, because that rarely impacts the captions that appear on the screen (though it's eerily amusing to see my words get printed properly every once in a while).
Currently, Transcribe Audio isn't available for all videos, but I encourage you to check in on some of your favorite YouTube videos to see what kinds of glorious nonsense you can come up with. I respect that this feature is being implemented, and I know it will be very helpful in the future... once the kinks have been worked out. For now, the kinks are pretty hilarious, especially considering they have a penchant for transforming my Mega Man commentary into drunken ramblings about news and politics. I swear, Transcribe Audio once made me say "George Stephanopoulos."
Enjoy a small sampling of how Transcribe Audio has mangled my words; it doesn't even matter what I was saying at the time, because that rarely impacts the captions that appear on the screen (though it's eerily amusing to see my words get printed properly every once in a while).
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Becoming an Internet Celebrity
The Internet must have some pretty low standards if I'm becoming a celebrity.
Alright, so I'm no Keyboard Cat or Tay Zonday--I mean, I don't even have my own Wikipedia page yet--but it looks like I'm on the way. To being that popular, I mean. I'm not turning into Keyboard Cat or anything. Anytangent, my rising celebrity status is all due to Mega Man.
I've been on YouTube for just about a year now, and I've been posting my video playthroughs of various Mega Man games, with retrospective audio commentary. Lots of people make Mega Man videos, so it's not like this is anything new; I just thought it would be fun. As with this blog, the publicity didn't matter (though I certainly didn't mind it)--my main goal was to have fun.
Mega Man 1-3 went fairly quietly into the public eye. Some people rated my videos, some people left comments, and some people subscribed or requested to become my friend. Then I released a run of Mega Man 4, my all-time favorite Mega Man game. That's where things started to take off.
My enthusiasm for the game was uncontainable. My Mega Man skills were at their finest yet. I followed up with a series of videos for MM1-4 of bloopers, glitches, tricks, and other fun things that didn't make it into my original run for each game. Between the passion-driven MM4 videos and the glitch videos that people might specifically search for on YouTube, I saw a sudden increase in the number of comments, ratings, and views. More people wanted to subscribe or be my friend. I started getting personal messages asking me for gaming advice and wishing my happy holidays.
Before long I was holding back-and-forth conversations and seeing my videos favorited by my viewers. People started clamoring for another Mega Man game, expressing their excitement over whatever was to come next. I started getting requests for all sorts of Mega Man games. Around the time I posted a teaser trailer for my in-progress Mega Man 5 videos, I was spending a good 20 minutes per day reading and responding to everything my viewers wrote.
Allow me to reprint a few of my favorite comments here, from my Mega Man 5 teaser trailer:
"Words cannot describe, how Awesome this is gonna be"
"MAN this wait is killing me..."
"I can not wait! Still, I'm watching your playhtroughs over and over in preparation!"
"Sir Hoover, I recognize your brilliant gaming prowess and showoff-ery. My god, I can't wait for the run of this game!"
Incredible, right? I am perpetually pleased and surprised by the wonderful and ego-boosting comments left by my viewers. Of course, while all this high praise and attention might make me feel a bit like a celebrity, it also sets the bar incredibly high for all my future videos. That's why I've been going above and beyond to polish these videos as much as possible and post them as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, this increased focus on Mega Man has started to interfere with my relationships, my personal projects such as and my own very necessary Me-Time over the past two or three weeks. I at least realize this, and I've been taking steps to keep things balanced, but it's all too easy to let the tide of 214 subscribers and 57 friends wash you away. These are people who've been waiting over half a year for a new set of Mega Man videos; who am I to keep them waiting?
On the other hand, who am I to neglect my friends, family, and ongoing personal projects?
Things have been getting a tad depressing as of late, what with my job search becoming more disparaging by the week; the overwhelmingly positive response of my viewers has been exactly the boost I've needed to keep me motivated. I've been looking for work for just a little longer than I've been on YouTube, and I assure you I haven't had 214 employers express an interest in me and 57 job offers for me to accept. YouTube has been a reminder that it's still possible for me to catch the attention of complete strangers, and compliments will make a person feel good no matter who they're from.
We'll see where this popularity goes. Maybe it's fleeting; maybe it'll linger a while; maybe I'm only just getting started. Wikipedia, here I come!
Alright, so I'm no Keyboard Cat or Tay Zonday--I mean, I don't even have my own Wikipedia page yet--but it looks like I'm on the way. To being that popular, I mean. I'm not turning into Keyboard Cat or anything. Anytangent, my rising celebrity status is all due to Mega Man.
I've been on YouTube for just about a year now, and I've been posting my video playthroughs of various Mega Man games, with retrospective audio commentary. Lots of people make Mega Man videos, so it's not like this is anything new; I just thought it would be fun. As with this blog, the publicity didn't matter (though I certainly didn't mind it)--my main goal was to have fun.
Mega Man 1-3 went fairly quietly into the public eye. Some people rated my videos, some people left comments, and some people subscribed or requested to become my friend. Then I released a run of Mega Man 4, my all-time favorite Mega Man game. That's where things started to take off.
My enthusiasm for the game was uncontainable. My Mega Man skills were at their finest yet. I followed up with a series of videos for MM1-4 of bloopers, glitches, tricks, and other fun things that didn't make it into my original run for each game. Between the passion-driven MM4 videos and the glitch videos that people might specifically search for on YouTube, I saw a sudden increase in the number of comments, ratings, and views. More people wanted to subscribe or be my friend. I started getting personal messages asking me for gaming advice and wishing my happy holidays.
Before long I was holding back-and-forth conversations and seeing my videos favorited by my viewers. People started clamoring for another Mega Man game, expressing their excitement over whatever was to come next. I started getting requests for all sorts of Mega Man games. Around the time I posted a teaser trailer for my in-progress Mega Man 5 videos, I was spending a good 20 minutes per day reading and responding to everything my viewers wrote.
Allow me to reprint a few of my favorite comments here, from my Mega Man 5 teaser trailer:
"Words cannot describe, how Awesome this is gonna be"
"MAN this wait is killing me..."
"I can not wait! Still, I'm watching your playhtroughs over and over in preparation!"
"Sir Hoover, I recognize your brilliant gaming prowess and showoff-ery. My god, I can't wait for the run of this game!"
Incredible, right? I am perpetually pleased and surprised by the wonderful and ego-boosting comments left by my viewers. Of course, while all this high praise and attention might make me feel a bit like a celebrity, it also sets the bar incredibly high for all my future videos. That's why I've been going above and beyond to polish these videos as much as possible and post them as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, this increased focus on Mega Man has started to interfere with my relationships, my personal projects such as and my own very necessary Me-Time over the past two or three weeks. I at least realize this, and I've been taking steps to keep things balanced, but it's all too easy to let the tide of 214 subscribers and 57 friends wash you away. These are people who've been waiting over half a year for a new set of Mega Man videos; who am I to keep them waiting?
On the other hand, who am I to neglect my friends, family, and ongoing personal projects?
Things have been getting a tad depressing as of late, what with my job search becoming more disparaging by the week; the overwhelmingly positive response of my viewers has been exactly the boost I've needed to keep me motivated. I've been looking for work for just a little longer than I've been on YouTube, and I assure you I haven't had 214 employers express an interest in me and 57 job offers for me to accept. YouTube has been a reminder that it's still possible for me to catch the attention of complete strangers, and compliments will make a person feel good no matter who they're from.
We'll see where this popularity goes. Maybe it's fleeting; maybe it'll linger a while; maybe I'm only just getting started. Wikipedia, here I come!
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