Video Blogging: The Death of the Hobby

There was a nice article on the front page "So Sick of Words" that touches on the subject of how videos are taking over the hobby in terms of reviews. While attending BGG Con I saw tons of video blogging/reviewing going on including Tom Vasel all in "Steven Spielberg" mode acting like directors on a movie set.

It was an amazing thing to see as I gazed up from playing a game to see these people engrossed in making a video when there were so many great games to be played. Thinking back I had many great opportunities for photos at the Con, like my discussion with Aldie or playing some hot new game but the fact is I was to absorbed in the moment to think about taking a photo or making a video.

I think the "selfie" generation is partly to blame for this explosion of video blogging/reviewing. Have you ever seen the selfie of the girl receiving a kiss from her boyfriend? She's all smiles while taking a photo of herself receiving a kiss. Wouldn't you hate to be that guy? Obviously your passionate kiss had no effect on her since she was more interested in taking a photo. In the same vein, the video bloggers at the Con seemed more interested in being a self created celebrity than actually being involved in the hobby of board gaming that was all around them!

There are generally two schools of thought on this phenom of video blogging and reviews. The first thinks that ANY publicity is good publicity. The thought is that this video will reach viewers who will see the game and hopefully go out and buy it. But I ask you what if a video was filmed of the session that Michael Barnes described in his session from hell while playing Cash n Guns? The timid pointing of guns and lackluster play would sell this game? I think not!

Who am I to talk? Didn't I do a podcast and make videos at one point? Yes that is true but with me there is a big difference. I had no interest in financial gains from my projects. I thought the idea was to share freely ideas with the hobby community, it was not my intention to make a living from these videos. If I had wanted to do that I would have not lighted them with a table lamp and would have powdered my nose like Wheaton does in Tabletop.

I did actually take some film classes in college and when we would sit around thinking about ideas for interesting films we would joke what about filming someone playing Monopoly? Today that joke has become a reality.

Today almost no gamebox is opened without being filmed. Every inch of cellophane removed from the box is captured on film. There is no surprise.

Also you can find a session of almost any game being played captured on glorious HD video! If I was a game publisher I would cringe at the thought of this fact. Games are so group dependent. What if the group captured on video playing my game was a bunch of fun murderers? This is not exactly casting my masterpiece that I worked so hard on in the best light is it? Will this increase sales? Will this hurt sales? Interesting questions.

You're worrying too much.

I'm not sure where you're going with this?
Everyone's going to switch to blogging/videos?
The videos are so poor quality that they'll irrevocably damage games?

I don't see the death of any hobby, but rather the birth of another. There's something that tells me that if these people were involved in other hobbies - Knitting, Model Railroads, Origami...They'd find some way to put their mug in front of a camera and share their opinions. Go to YouTube and you can find reviews on all those (though you have to get specific by adding "book" on origami).

In other words, people are leaving the boardgame hobby but picking up blogging as their hobby with a focus on boardgames.

I started using twitter a few months ago to help gain contacts and get my name out there as a designer and to a lesser extent reviewer (I tweet links to my reviews when they're posted). I use it 100% for the industry, not personal stuff, so I'm following like 120 industry people from companies to reviewers to whoever. The point is that video reviewers and even podcasters are certainly regarded as celebrities and fawned over. There's almost like this large clique of cool kids that pat each other on the back and celebrate that they "made it".

As an anecdote kind of proving this, a guy I've conversed with on BGG runs a relatively new podcast and he does a good job. Him and his team produce decent content and they fill a niche. In just a few months time he's already got a band of followers who follow him on his BGG guild. They had a BGG Con meetup with around 40 people.

There are a decent number of quality reviewers who stick to writing that have been around for years. They don't have the popularity or presence to have 40 people want to show up and hang out with them at a con.

It's just strange. Maybe this comes off as bitter and jealous, which is probably partially true. But I don't get it at all. It makes me wonder what things will be like in 5 years.

All I can think of is "Roger and Ebert: The death of film criticism?"

Death of the hobby?

Number of years I've been a "hobbyist": >30
Number of Blogs I follow: 0
Number of Podcasts I follow: 0
Number of VBlogs I follow: 0
Number of blogs I've created and neglected over the years: well, a few.

Blogs hasn't changed my hobby at all. I still buy games, I still play games, I still enjoy games, and I have no idea nor care what vanity blogs are popular today. They are mostly transient anyway. Games are forever!

What is it with people and Tom Vasel? "Oh, he seemed more interested in talking to people than playing games," Oh, he seemed more interested in recording videos than playing games."

It's his fucking job.

I have no idea nor care what vanity blogs are popular today.

Vanity blogs. I like that name, really says it all

The point is that video reviewers and even podcasters are certainly regarded as celebrities and fawned over. There's almost like this large clique of cool kids that pat each other on the back and celebrate that they "made it".

Very true. Same thing can be seen in Karaoke with their "fans" Amazing stuff

What is it with people and Tom Vasel? "Oh, he seemed more interested in talking to people than playing games," Oh, he seemed more interested in recording videos than playing games."

It's his fucking job.

I do watch his videos but only on occassion to see what the bits look like in a game as he dumps them out.
I'm glad someone is willing to do this low end job of the hobby. Kind of like we need people to play prototypes. But I don't consider him a celebrity. I don't need his opinion because trumping Chapel I have been in the hobby greater than 40 years.