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And what I can't understand is why _exactly_ is he so viewed? He doesn't seem to be particularly anything-- off-the-cuff witty, insightful, skilled, voice is sl

And what I can't understand is why _exactly_ is he so viewed? He doesn't seem to be particularly anything-- off-the-cuff witty, insightful, skilled, voice is slightly obnoxious (but not enough to be unintentionally funny). There are a lot of other let's play/game reviewers out there which are fun for various reasons (in each case) but they don't reach nearly the same viewership. Is it just momentum? What am I not getting?

pluma 11y ago
It's mostly momentum. I think he was one of the first let's-players to do shrill voices and gained popularity when there just wasn't much competition for the kind of audience he attracted. I'd love to say he's only popular with children, but I know people in their twenties who enjoy his videos. I'm not sure I get it, but he's found something that works and it doesn't show any signs of dying off. EDIT: I'm also convinced he's part of the reason "LeFloid" is having so much success compared to other German YouTubers. It's the same formula, except with "facts"/"news" videos instead of let's-plays (and thus a lot more face time). No matter what I think of them, their success proves them right. EDIT2: For PewDiePie I think a big part of his success are also his looks. He looks like the kind of actor teenage girls obsess about. Good looking + funny = instant crush.
- Spellman 11y ago
  Plus he has moved to 3 different countries, picking up viewers from them all. And how YouTube's Recommended Videos system works. Here's someone's analysis of why he got so popular. Looks, editing skills, and personality also helped build him a niche. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMqhEMhVV8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMqhEMhVV8
jbob2000 11y ago
Children. My friend's 7 year-old watches him regularly.
qq66 11y ago
Popular appeal is one of those things that remains quite resistant to dissection and scrutiny. Up to a certain point, measurable talent drives success, but at the highest levels, the drivers of success become a lot harder to characterize. Why is pop star X so famous? Or pop star Y get so famous so quickly, but then fade from view? Or Z remaining a niche act, despite obviously superior talent? I've read a lot of retrospectively written narratives (that are suspiciously overfitted) but the drivers of fame are still poorly understood (partly because when one thing works, everyone tries that, and fame is zero-sum).

pluma 11y ago

It's mostly momentum. I think he was one of the first let's-players to do shrill voices and gained popularity when there just wasn't much competition for the kind of audience he attracted. I'd love to say he's only popular with children, but I know people in their twenties who enjoy his videos. I'm not sure I get it, but he's found something that works and it doesn't show any signs of dying off. EDIT: I'm also convinced he's part of the reason "LeFloid" is having so much success compared to other German YouTubers. It's the same formula, except with "facts"/"news" videos instead of let's-plays (and thus a lot more face time). No matter what I think of them, their success proves them right. EDIT2: For PewDiePie I think a big part of his success are also his looks. He looks like the kind of actor teenage girls obsess about. Good looking + funny = instant crush.

Spellman 11y ago
Plus he has moved to 3 different countries, picking up viewers from them all. And how YouTube's Recommended Videos system works. Here's someone's analysis of why he got so popular. Looks, editing skills, and personality also helped build him a niche. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMqhEMhVV8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMqhEMhVV8

jbob2000 11y ago

Children. My friend's 7 year-old watches him regularly.

qq66 11y ago

Popular appeal is one of those things that remains quite resistant to dissection and scrutiny. Up to a certain point, measurable talent drives success, but at the highest levels, the drivers of success become a lot harder to characterize. Why is pop star X so famous? Or pop star Y get so famous so quickly, but then fade from view? Or Z remaining a niche act, despite obviously superior talent? I've read a lot of retrospectively written narratives (that are suspiciously overfitted) but the drivers of fame are still poorly understood (partly because when one thing works, everyone tries that, and fame is zero-sum).