ArloStuff
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Blog time, brah.
🕑 Added 2017-01-28 04:33:32 +0000 UTCHey guys! I don't know if you all noticed, but I HIT 100k SUBSCRIBERS!!! I really am blown away. Hitting that milestone by the end of the year was always a goal that felt less-than-realistic, seeing as the majority of Youtube channels never get that many subs, but I wanted to shoot for it anyway because it's fun to aim for the stars, you know? I didn't technically make it in time...but I was only eighteen days off, so yeah, I'm pretty satisfied, and all the more confident that 250k by the end of 2017 might not even be that unrealistic. But I've got to thank all you guys for continuing to support me. All the love I get for making this channel is seriously overwhelming, and more and more it's turning into a job. It's a dream-come-true. I did my 50k special so recently that I don't even have anything planned for this milestone; it came so quickly and even if I wanted to do another fan art showcase, I haven't had time to get enough additional fan art! But we'll see, maybe I'll get around to doing something. I've got so many other projects that it would be hard, but hey.
Speaking of tons of projects though, YEESH. I've really got my work cut out for me this first quarter of the year, and to be honest I'm a bit stressed about it. I still have significantly less time to work on stuff than I want, and all these projects are competing with each other. Firstly there are reviews, and this situation is hardly fair. Horizon: Zero Dawn, Breath of the Wild, and Mass Effect Andromeda all come out within less than a month of each other. Yeah. Three gigantic open-world games that I want to review release between February 28th and March 21st, and I already have so little time just to edit videos, much less spend hours a day plowing through huge games. Video game industry, you can be seriously cruel. Reviews already take SO much time, and I'm probably not getting any of these games early anyway, so I think I just have to accept that basically all of them will be very late and just be happy with whatever views I do get. Horizon in particular will have to be very late, because I'm going to need to tackle Zelda pretty hard mere days later, and that obviously has priority. When I reach a point when I'm getting lots of titles early it will be easier, but right know I'll take what I can get and just hope it gets better. Man, I know I need that Zelda review up FAST, but I definitely don't want to rush through the game so fast that I don't even enjoy it. Eh, whatever. Just gotta roll with it, however it goes.
Speaking of getting games early though, things are certainly looking more positive than ever! I contacted Capcom earlier this month about getting a copy of Resident Evil 7 to review, and they actually gave me a key! The only problem was that they gave it to me, well...two hours after the review embargo lifted and all the other reviews were already out. Yeah... Haha. Not sure what that was about. So of course the review will be very late, as I've yet to even start the game, but I ain't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth; not only did I get the game for free, but I can say I got a free game from one of the biggest publishers in the industry! That bodes really well for future titles with other companies, so I'm definitely going to try contacting EA and Sony (again) about Horizon and Mass Effect, just to give it a shot. On the Nintendo side, I've been officially re-submitted for the Brand Ambassador program, and I'm hoping to hear from them by the end of the month. Fingers super duper crossed on that one. I want to review Switch games for realsies, and that means getting copies early. So wish me luck!
It's been a little slow since my last big video, but I've got two biggish videos planned. In fact, one script is completely done and ready to shoot when I get a window to do so, and the other is 98% done. These will take a while to edit and all that, so I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to get them out (especially if some of my free time is going to playing Resident Evil 7 for the review) but I think they're going to be really good. The first one is a video discussing Super Mario Odyssey and why I'm so stupidly psyched to play it. It ended up being longer than I originally planned, and it talks about the old games and the reveal trailer and all that. So that should be fun. The second video though is the one I really excited about.
See, not many people know this, but one of the reasons my channel exists is so I can blab about video games to the internet rather than bothering and boring my poor friends and family. My videos are basically just the tangents I tend to go on in person, just cleaned up and made into an entertaining format. One aspect that hasn't really been represented on my channel is the whole sales analysis side of things. I really like looking at sales and strategies and figuring out how well something will sell. So this second video I'm making presents a theory about the Switch's launch. Basically it suggests that March is the system's "soft launch," and that Nintendo's building some momentum and setting the Switch up for success with a bigger "launch" of sorts this holiday season. I draw comparisons with the 3DS and really just talk about how I think this whole thing could be a big marketing strategy. Not only am I proud of the content, but I'm proud that I, at least, haven't seen anyone else online presenting this theory, at least not in so many words or in this way. I really like the idea that I might just have an idea that will make people look at the situation in a different way. I mean, that is if it's a good theory, which it might not be. But we'll just have to see. ;)
Oh yeah, there's that whole let's play thing, too. Looks like I'm behind AGAIN. XP So hopefully I can record some new episodes sometime soon. *stress cries*
Well, that's it for the moment. I'm completely swamped and just don't have enough time, but I'm trying my best. Oh, and thanks so much for all my new patrons! WHY ARE YOU GUYS SO AMAZING? Can you believe I'm almost to $1000 a month??? That's halfway to my topmost goal, and that's seriously crazy. I'm finally at a point where I can stop taking on other moneymaking projects and it's mostly my personal obligations that limit my time and my ability to shoot. But hey, things are always getting better, even if they're getting crazier. There's a heck of a lot in store for the channel this year, and I've just got to keep at it! (Here's just hoping that "enough sleep" is something I can fit into my regular schedule while still getting a lot of videos made. Oy.)
Anyway, catch you later!
Comments
Arlo
Thank you so much! Glad to have you here!
Just wanted to say hi and best of wishes Arlo! I've known you since you were around 70k subs but just started supporting you financially today. So glad that Youtube is working out for you! You have my small $1 support even if its just 1. Keep being you and I firmly believe you'll be doing Youtube full time in no time! Much love and keep up the fantastically awesome work!
Arlo
Thanks! :D
Hey I just found you today through the Switch subreddit, watched like 5 videos, and came here to support your really great work! And I put you at $1000 a month!! What a time to be alive!!
Nz17
I am of two minds about this post. Not of its content, but of its length. On the one hand, its a lot of value for my monthly Patreon contribution. But on the other hand, holy Heavens, this is one lengthy post! I don't know if this is asking too much, but it would have been better (for me) if instead of having 1 eight paragraph post, we instead got 4 two paragraph posts; instead of getting 1 big blog post per month, it would be nice to get 1 small blog post per week. That way it is paced out better, so that instead of starving for four weeks and them BAM! there's a big meal, preferably we get healthy-sized meals at regular intervals so we don't go hungry.
Congrats on the 100k subscribers! That is nothing to sneeze at, that I'm sure you know. As for your reviews, I agree with "No?" I know this will sound easier to say as viewer than it will be for you as a creator to do, but making reviews at your own pace and having your own take on it is EXACTLY what makes them so darn good to begin with! Your own personal experiences, thorough detail of the pros and cons, you're very meticulous, and it's a quality I've grown to LOVE about your reviews. Color Splash being a fantastic example! "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is bad forever." Well, same goes with most things, and I will patiently wait for your reviews! I know however you'll present them, you'll add your own magical "Arlo" charm to them, and that is what will make it worth waiting for. You're doing great!
Arlo
Thanks! That's a great take on thing!
Congratulations, Arlo - well deserved! Can I just put forward my take on the review pressure you mention. I get where you're coming from in terms of wanting to get your reviews done as soon as you can to be part of the swathe of launch-time opinions and therefore provide a useful service for people interested in maybe picking up the game. However, I don't think this is schedule you should be stressing yourself to reach for because, at least for me, it's not what I would want an Arlo review to be. Of course, it's your show, make it how you want it, but don't get under undue pressure thinking this is how it has to be to 'compete' with other reviewers. The delight that an Arlo review/video brings is the considered, honest, fair and very often funny telling of the experiences of a gamer I respect the judgement of and share many of the tastes of. This is enjoyable to watch whether the review is for something hot off the shelves or a retrospective of a classic (or stinker) from years ago. The important thing (from this watcher's perspective) is that you are reporting on your experiences as a gamer who is actually enjoying (or not) the game as a normal consumer would, where you are free to indulge in anecdotal incidents/take-aways from your time playing. The minutiae that shaped your experience (especially if there's a funny way to tell it) are delightful and real. I wouldn't want your reviews to be driving to provide meticulous judgement and analysis of the game as product/art as a professional critic would. That would be interesting, but that's not what I go to Arlo for. I go for the fun, the character, and, though it may sound cheesy, the feelings! So please don't squash your spirit by stressing out against a brutal schedule that you feel you have to hit. You're not competing with, you're complementing the games journalism world. Arlo, like Nintendo, doesn't need to battle with other big players; he's doing his own thing, delightfully. Take your time, enjoy your games and then, when you've got your script together, share it with us. We can wait!
Arlo
Though I'm still at that control-freak place where I want to do all of my own stuff, I'm sure down the road at SOME point I'll start considering the idea of an editor. Especially once I start making more money and can pay one. That would open up time to do more videos, for sure.
Congrats on the 1000$ milestone! Can't wait to see the videos you mentioned. They both look awesome! By knowing you, I'm pretty sure your Zelda video won't have any kind of spoilers right? I really have a hard time with these things 🙄
Ouranor
You grew up WAY too fast 😱! So proud of you, Arlo!!
The 250k subscriber goal actually seems low for the rate your channel is growing. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you hit something like 500k this year (that is if you don't go on a massive hiatus or something). I feel like it's hard starting out on YouTube, but once you build a momentum, your channel's popularity starts to grow more quickly. I'm sorry to hear you're stressed. Have you ever thought about recruiting an editor to help you out or something? (I freelance *wink *wink *nudge *nudge *COUGH *HACK) Beyond that though, I don't think you should rush your Zelda play through. Instead I feel like you could do a first impressions review when the game launches, and then an in depth full review once you've beaten the game. There's nothing worse than waiting so long for a game just to breeze through it and not enjoy the ride. You could maybe even hold off on releasing the full review until the holiday season, when the relevancy of the Switch will be more prominent again (which goes in line with your whole soft launch/real launch idea). Then again, YouTube's kinda unpredictable, so who knows if waiting would be catastrophic or not.
Zakanuva
Congrats on the 100k subs and getting into the Ambassador program! Can't wait to see how those videos you're working on turn out!
Phendan
Congratulations on your YouTube and Patreon milestones! And getting that key as well! I'm glad I found your channel in time to see you achieve them. I think I remember someone actually refer to the whole launch situation as a "second launch during the holidays" but only in passing. I'd be very fascinated to see that idea broken down in detail. I don't have as good a handle on Nintendo's marketing strategy as you probably do having been subjected to it longer than I have but there's one thing I don't quite get about this particular strategy. The press hasn't been all that favorable to the Switch's launch lineup. Most of the articles I've seen call the hardware incredible but the software lacking. My guess is Nintendo anticipated that response, so I'm not entirely convinced that their master plan is to start out slow and then eventually end up with a compelling product. Maybe you'll be able to make sense of it more than I have. Besides personally, I'm looking forward to Zelda so much that it might have almost justified getting the system by itself, had not the only Nintendo system I've previously owned been a Wii (meaning I have both a bunch of Wii U and Virtual Console stuff to catch up on). Anyway, I'm glad you continue to come up with interesting concepts to discuss. Here's to those next 150K!
Darryl Quintin
Dude, firstly congrats on your 100k milestone! Hype!! You are a hard worker, and you definitely have your work cut out for you with the coming season of games (which looks equally as great as it is punishing... mehhhh :/) Also I had a similar theory about the Switch's launch. I'm hoping they plan on having a *very* long life cycle -- 6 to 10 years, transitioning from a console/mobile hybrid to a full-on handheld in 3 years, and it sitting alongside a next-next gen home console. I think if Nintendo stretches the Switch life cycle out on the long run they (and other 3rd party companies) will be able to fully flesh out the capabilities of the Switch. But yeah, congrats on everything, and keep up the good work!! :)
SanctusLetum
Arlo as an official Ambassador?! This would be amazing!
Keep up the amazing work Arlo! All aboard the Switch Hype train!
