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A professional video game player, a professional YouTube person and a $400K lawsuit? It hurts my brain realizing that these people have so much money at stake.

A professional video game player, a professional YouTube person and a $400K lawsuit? It hurts my brain realizing that these people have so much money at stake. Why the hell did I get two degrees and grind actual employment making actual things for 25 years?

ge96 2y ago
You gotta have "it" (Epic Faith No More) to have millions of people tune into you on YT. I make technical videos but I'm not a Michael Reeves for ex. edit: I will say though, you don't have to make those ADHD type videos with screaming and quick cuts. There are other technical youtubers that are slower like Applied Science, Great Scott, 3 blue 1 brown, etc...
- Suppafly 2y ago
  >edit: I will say though, you don't have to make those ADHD type videos with screaming and quick cuts. There are other technical youtubers that are slower like Applied Science, Great Scott, 3 blue 1 brown, etc... This, you can make make good content and people will watch it. What a lot of aspiring youtubers don't realize is that good production (sound, lighting, animation, video quality in general, etc.) goes a long ways towards helping people find your content engaging. Luck is necessary too, but most of the big youtubers work a lot harder than those of us working normal 9-5s.
- amelius 2y ago
  > You gotta have "it" I wouldn't be surprised if the "it" part can be generated by some llm.
  - ge96 2y ago
    My opinion AI generated stuff has some tells But there are successful channels like Neural Viz though I think that still takes script writing
tmtvl 2y ago
For every professional YouTube person and professional video game player there are thousands upon thousands of aspirants who don't get lucky and who can't support themselves that way. It's like game development: Notch got lucky and made it big, thousands of indie studios either just eke out a living (like Jeff Vogel's Spiderweb Software), or don't even manage that.
- moregrist 2y ago
  You’re spot on about the chances in a hit-based industry. That said, Jeff Vogel has spoken at length [0] about how he’s stayed in business for 30-ish years with a middle class lifestyle. Including the lean times. I think it’s pretty inspirational that there’s a way to make game development work if your primary goal isn’t getting rich, but to have a comfortable life and enjoy what you do. [0] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=stxVBJem3Rs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=stxVBJem3Rs
amelius 2y ago
The main reason is probably that you're totally OK with what you make.
Suppafly 2y ago
>Why the hell did I get two degrees and grind actual employment making actual things for 25 years? Likely because you didn't dedicate yourself to learning video production and weren't good enough at playing video games to sell yourself as some sort of professional video game promoter. I'm not sure why you think either of these guys work any less hard than you do.
- tourmalinetaco 2y ago
  They may work hard, but it‘s hardly productive. I mean Jobst just self-immolated like 3yrs of his income, meaning if it sticks he‘ll likely be paying for at least a decade, and I‘m not sure Billy has produced anything of value aside from the occasional drama.
nadermx 2y ago
Because perhaps you chose the "safer" route of trying to get a job instead of choosing the more risky route of any sort of building something(s) and selling it, be it a product, skill or yourself.
brcmthrowaway 2y ago
Work in AI, you will finally be paid more
globular-toast 2y ago
Presumably because your parents didn't own a restaurant business.
- Suppafly 2y ago
  >Presumably because your parents didn't own a restaurant business. Honestly that's kinda the impressive part, most restaurant businesses fail and those that don't usually aren't even that successful.
  - tourmalinetaco 2y ago
    And that’s a major win for his family, good on them. For Billy though, it‘s not clear if he works for their business in some way or if he‘s the “gamer of the century” full time. EDIT: Apparently he advertises their hot sauce

ge96 2y ago

You gotta have "it" (Epic Faith No More) to have millions of people tune into you on YT. I make technical videos but I'm not a Michael Reeves for ex. edit: I will say though, you don't have to make those ADHD type videos with screaming and quick cuts. There are other technical youtubers that are slower like Applied Science, Great Scott, 3 blue 1 brown, etc...

Suppafly 2y ago
>edit: I will say though, you don't have to make those ADHD type videos with screaming and quick cuts. There are other technical youtubers that are slower like Applied Science, Great Scott, 3 blue 1 brown, etc... This, you can make make good content and people will watch it. What a lot of aspiring youtubers don't realize is that good production (sound, lighting, animation, video quality in general, etc.) goes a long ways towards helping people find your content engaging. Luck is necessary too, but most of the big youtubers work a lot harder than those of us working normal 9-5s.
amelius 2y ago
> You gotta have "it" I wouldn't be surprised if the "it" part can be generated by some llm.
- ge96 2y ago
  My opinion AI generated stuff has some tells But there are successful channels like Neural Viz though I think that still takes script writing

tmtvl 2y ago

For every professional YouTube person and professional video game player there are thousands upon thousands of aspirants who don't get lucky and who can't support themselves that way. It's like game development: Notch got lucky and made it big, thousands of indie studios either just eke out a living (like Jeff Vogel's Spiderweb Software), or don't even manage that.

moregrist 2y ago
You’re spot on about the chances in a hit-based industry. That said, Jeff Vogel has spoken at length [0] about how he’s stayed in business for 30-ish years with a middle class lifestyle. Including the lean times. I think it’s pretty inspirational that there’s a way to make game development work if your primary goal isn’t getting rich, but to have a comfortable life and enjoy what you do. [0] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=stxVBJem3Rs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=stxVBJem3Rs

amelius 2y ago

The main reason is probably that you're totally OK with what you make.

Suppafly 2y ago

>Why the hell did I get two degrees and grind actual employment making actual things for 25 years? Likely because you didn't dedicate yourself to learning video production and weren't good enough at playing video games to sell yourself as some sort of professional video game promoter. I'm not sure why you think either of these guys work any less hard than you do.

tourmalinetaco 2y ago
They may work hard, but it‘s hardly productive. I mean Jobst just self-immolated like 3yrs of his income, meaning if it sticks he‘ll likely be paying for at least a decade, and I‘m not sure Billy has produced anything of value aside from the occasional drama.

nadermx 2y ago

Because perhaps you chose the "safer" route of trying to get a job instead of choosing the more risky route of any sort of building something(s) and selling it, be it a product, skill or yourself.

brcmthrowaway 2y ago

Work in AI, you will finally be paid more

globular-toast 2y ago

Presumably because your parents didn't own a restaurant business.

Suppafly 2y ago
>Presumably because your parents didn't own a restaurant business. Honestly that's kinda the impressive part, most restaurant businesses fail and those that don't usually aren't even that successful.
- tourmalinetaco 2y ago
  And that’s a major win for his family, good on them. For Billy though, it‘s not clear if he works for their business in some way or if he‘s the “gamer of the century” full time. EDIT: Apparently he advertises their hot sauce