New lets players. Any advice?

[Almost Gamers]

A couple friends and I are starting a let's play channel. If there is anyone experienced in lets playing or anything related, we would love to hear any advice that could be offered. Thanks a lot

[Forlorn Drifter]

Most people would here would tell you not to do one.

There's no good formula for let's plays, really. All it comes down to is either being found funny, or informative. One of the two. I'd say informative is more interesting, but it might be hard to find something to talk about for a whole playthrough.

[Nyukki]

^Agree, either informative or silent. I sometimes watch let's plays for games where there's a part I get stuck at, or just to see how others deal with certain bits. There's a YT channel called something like ZeldaDungeon that does really good walkthroughs where they basically just describe what they're doing in the game.

[AmishSamurai]

Let's Plays are a dime a dozen at this point, and you're competing with a lot of people either trying to get the first LP of a new game, or Yet Another Pokemon/Super Mario Bros. LP. I'd definitely do a few unrecorded runs of any given level before playing as to not come off like a complete idiot, or record multiple runs and do the best take.

I'd also err more towards the informative side than the 'funny' side.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I love longplay videos.

I hate let's play videos.

Video gaming is an audiovisual medium, and I hate to have the lovely music and sound of video games destroyed by listening to jackasses rant and "joke" through the whole damn thing.

The only type of let's play I would consider watching is one where the narrator speaks rarely and only to share something that's useful - like perhaps explaining an ambiguous portion of the game, commenting on a change in localization, etc.

Talking for the sake of talking is bad. Forced humor is bad.

Then again, stuff like GameGrumps is inexplicably and insanely popular. I can't watch that shiz for more than 30 seconds. So my opinions are apparently at odds with others.

[MrPopo]

If you're talking make sure you're interesting and have a decent speaking voice; if it's a lot of um's and uh's I'm just going to be annoyed. Interesting means either funny or informative; a good example of informative might be describing some part of the mechanics that aren't necessarily obvious.

[AmishSamurai]

If you're talking make sure you're interesting and have a decent speaking voice; if it's a lot of um's and uh's I'm just going to be annoyed. Interesting means either funny or informative; a good example of informative might be describing some part of the mechanics that aren't necessarily obvious.

On this note, recording your audio at a later point so you can point things out after the fact and be less stream-of-conscience with "uhs" everywhere would be beneficial too

[MrPopo]

If you're talking make sure you're interesting and have a decent speaking voice; if it's a lot of um's and uh's I'm just going to be annoyed. Interesting means either funny or informative; a good example of informative might be describing some part of the mechanics that aren't necessarily obvious.

On this note, recording your audio at a later point so you can point things out after the fact and be less stream-of-conscience with "uhs" everywhere would be beneficial too

Heck, do a stream of consciousness but have it record to a separate audio file from the main gameplay. Then give it a listen later and give it a fresh run now that you have your basic script in place.

[Almost Gamers]

We really appreciate everything you all are saying. What were planning on doing I don't think would exactly classified as let's playing. But I like to look at it as a project to keep in touch with everyone (family friends etc) we know across the country. Also were just some friends playing games basic commentary sharing storys and what not

[J T]

If you're talking make sure you're interesting and have a decent speaking voice; if it's a lot of um's and uh's I'm just going to be annoyed. Interesting means either funny or informative; a good example of informative might be describing some part of the mechanics that aren't necessarily obvious.

In other words, be like Total Biscuit, only a little less obsessed with start menus.

https://www.youtube.com/user/TotalHalibut