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 ki

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.