Gaming stars of YouTube

Over the course of the last decade, there has been a seismic shift in video game journalism, reviews, and guides. What was once a niche subject on traditional broadcast journalism has exploded via internet channels like YouTube, Twitch and Hitbox.

Ordinary gamers have become internet celebrities, drawing in millions of viewers and commanding large ad revenues. Here are some of the most entertaining, informative and exciting players and channels to watch and play along with.

 

Markiplier

Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, is one of the most illuminating, if somewhat whimsical, game reviewers on YouTube, which is one of the reasons he's amassed over 15 million subscribers. He manages to continuously offer fresh content, sometimes posting up to five videos in one day. As well as being entertaining, he's a 'completionist' who strives to achieve 100% on every game. Unlike other broadcasting players, Markiplier often invites his friends to join in, capturing the lost spirit of same-room, multiplayer gaming.

 

GamerZakh

GamerZakh is a Malaysian YouTuber whose ultimate goal is to offer quality commentary on a wide range of games. He started out playing through and reviewing retro titles like Caesar 3 and God of Thunder, and now plays through old and new titles in a variety of genres. His most popular videos are compilations including ‘Top 10 Old PC Games Revived’, and while he might not be as humorous as other vloggers, he prides himself on his journalistic integrity and deep level of research into the titles he's playing.

 

TotalBiscuit

John Bain has gone by many aliases, including The Cynical Brit and Total Halibut, finally settling on TotalBiscuit when setting up his YouTube gaming channel. He carries the title of YouTube’s Number One PC Gaming Critic. Before the age of YouTube, Bain operated a radio station for World of Warcraft fans, which ran until 2010. He then switched to vlogging, initially covering World of Warcraft updates, before expanding to cover all PC titles. His style is very British, with a sense of humour to match, and GamerZakh personally cites TotalBiscuit as one of the vlogs that inspired him to start his own channel.

 

Official Nerd Cubed

Official Nerd Cubed is the moniker for another British gamer, Daniel Hardcastle. He publishes humorously edited playthroughs at least three times a week. Dan originally started the channel in tandem with a Minecraft web comic he wrote, but Nerd³ grew in popularity due to his cutting yet comedic commentary on terrible games. Dan’s popularity reached such a high point that his father Steve also started a gaming channel, carrying on the cubed name with Official Dad Cubed.

 

Lazy Game Reviews

Lazy Game Reviews was set up by Clint Basinger, broadcasting his vlogs from North Carolina, with his trademark ginger beard taking centre stage. Lazy Game Reviews is anything but, featuring thoroughly researched videos focusing on retro games, mainly those that operated on MS-DOS, often in an ironic, funny manner. His channel also features mini documentaries about hardware, reviewing vintage systems like the Atari ST and Amiga 500, or exploring weird computer designs of the 1990s.

 

Finding YouTube channels to watch is like finding a game you enjoy playing – not every gamer enjoys the same style or genre, so explore your options and find someone you identify with. Many of these videos can be watched while playing the games being discussed, but to play and stream YouTube you'll need a solid machine, which allows you to do both without compromising on video quality or game play.

 

By Andrew Rainnie