Video Blogging: The Death of the Hobby

Jur!!! You old Critic of CAPITALISM! hOW THE HELL ARE YOU?

I rest my case.

Ok, Lone Voice, why does this topic matter to you?

Bull Nakano wrote: Ok, Lone Voice, why does this topic matter to you?

Could you not post this comment (with a different name) in pretty much every thread every day?

I have found Vassals videos useful at certain points. His format is consistent his bias fairly clear. If I know nothing about a game there's a reasonable chance i can find his video on it easily and watch the bits of interest. Video and voice are more personal. You get the feel you know the person behind it more easily than you do from the written word, this is why a celebrity culture has developed. If the vblogers and podcasters and their viewer base is happy with this why should i begrudge them for it? It doesn't affect me. I guess i am not 'in the hobby' whatever that means.

Everyone likes some recognition for the work they do at some level. So i can see why written reviewers that are putting out high quality content get a bit miffed that most boardgame fans appear to be completely oblivious to their work, but hasn't this always been the case? The boardgame hobby has grown a lot since the 90s. There are not many people who can name lots of written reviewers from back when the written word was king. Have written reviewers ever been well known? Is there any real evidence that video is pushing them out?

In what way is videoblogging killing the hobby? And has the ego to define what exactly the hobby is anyway? It might be killing your hobby but that might be your issue and not the other thousands of people who buy board games.

JonJacob wrote:

Bull Nakano wrote: Ok, Lone Voice, why does this topic matter to you?

Could you not post this comment (with a different name) in pretty much every thread every day?

I'm sorry, what?

Ok, Lone Voice, why does this topic matter to you?

*play above video in background while reading my response*

Why does this topic matter to me? Its simple I LOVE board gaming and I refuse to see it ruined by self serving wanna be celebrities that don't really like board gaming that much but just want to show us their mug every opportunity they can while under the pretense of reviewing a game.

Ever since I saw one of Tom's early videos where he pretended to take a drink out of what was really an empty coffee mug. I was determined to stay true to the quest of providing a protective umbrella to those who really loved the hobby. Protecting them from the payola pollyannas, the hucksters, the shucksters, those who wanted to make an easy buck off an unassuming nerd who just wanted to have a good time in his own basement.

Let him whack his pee pee and move his game pieces in peace with the best the gaming hobby has to offer!

Bull Nakano wrote:

JonJacob wrote:

Bull Nakano wrote: Ok, Lone Voice, why does this topic matter to you?

Could you not post this comment (with a different name) in pretty much every thread every day?

I'm sorry, what?

Why do any of these topics matter? Isn't internet posting just a bunch of people having fun in their own peculiar way? Posting about shit that doesn't really matter. You're questioning of him is for a reason... you don't like his topic or his point of view... but instead of just saying that you post a leading question. Which truth be told... applies to all of us.

JJ may have been adding to your comment rather than criticising it. not totally sure.



One though occurs. Some of the people in on this site have been boardgaming for a long time and may not know what it is like first looking at boardgames and wandering whether its worth putting down the £40+ price tag on these boxes of card and wood. The newbie video above is not that interesting to me now and its pretty boring on some levels but 4 years ago when i knew next to nothing about boardgames i found this sort of stuff very useful. Written reviews tend to be more higher criticism and thus its harder to gauge what a game is like unless you have some reference points. Watching someone explain rules or point at bits in a video, whilst not great, it is sort of accessible. If i compare vblogging in boardgames it is much much better than the quality of content out there for rpgs (which is generally garbage) and i actually think is more friendly than the vblogs for video games, which use weird terms like pawn'd. With a video game you can sort of wait and buy it cheap once its been out a while and rpgs are generally introduced to you be others, with boardgames you do sort of have to take the plunge, buy one, attempt to understand it, and then convince 4 friends that playing boardgames is fun. This as far as i can tell is a common experience of entering 'the hobby'.

JonJacob wrote:

Bull Nakano wrote:

JonJacob wrote:

Bull Nakano wrote: Ok, Lone Voice, why does this topic matter to you?

Could you not post this comment (with a different name) in pretty much every thread every day?

I'm sorry, what?

Why do any of these topics matter? Isn't internet posting just a bunch of people having fun in their own peculiar way? Posting about shit that doesn't really matter.

This dude clearly wants to discuss this topic, I'm trying to understand his motivation and perspective for posting, since if I were in his place I'd cope with it differently. If nothing matters, why does me asking questions matter?