Showing posts with label Twitch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitch. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Shotgun Farmers Graveside Update & Halloween Stream
Halloween is always one of my favorite times of year and Qazi delivered the Shotgun Farmers Graveside Update just in time! Below you'll find a rundown of the new features and see a few episodes from the new map, a Halloween Stream, and of course...some highlights!
Friday, September 22, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Minelogix Stream Team on Mixer!
Hey Everyone!
If you feel like reading, go right ahead...if not, just take this link to get a feel for the Minelogix Stream Team on Mixer! It is obviously a work in progress, but I think it has a lot of potential.
This is something I have been meaning to do for quite some time...
Beam, a streaming site I really liked the interface of, was purchased by Microsoft awhile back and more recently had a revamp and name change...the site is now known as Mixer.
Mixer, which kept the interface I love so much, is integrated into both Xbox One and Windows (PC) streaming. This is a very nice asset and makes streaming much more accessible for those outside the loop.
In addition to very low latency (ie you are much closer to the real time action), Mixer introduced a really cool "co-op" stream where you can have up to four people streaming on the same channel. Case in point, if myself, BlackPants, Omenix, and Cellcia were all on the Minelogix Server and streaming to Mixer you could go to any one of our channels and watch all four perspectives...pretty cool, huh?!
Likewise, their pleasant User Interface allows VIEWERS to earn "Sparks." Sparks are an on-site currency that you literally earn while you watch streams...doesn't that make sense? When a streamer "goes interactive" you can use your Sparks to cheer them on and highlight comments etc. It is like Twitch, but you didn't have to shell out cash.
In addition to this making streaming more fun for the viewer AND streamer, I like the setup.
I streamed once on Beam when Twitch was acting up. My only real complaints remain the lack of a direct export to YouTube and the lack of a video editor/highlight tool. To the best of my knowledge, both are said to be in the works.
As many of you know, I had long touted how much I liked the Beam interface and wished more people would try it...well, that shot in the arm came when Microsoft began integrating it into their consoles.
On the flip side you have Twitch. I primarily stream Skylanders there and they give the game NO LOVE. I'm not talking about featuring it ahead of Overwatch, Hearthstone, or Player Uknown's Battlegrounds...I mean that Skylanders doesn't even get game art! Seriously! Out of all the games, only Giants has proper game art. That is pretty sad imo. Twitch also tends to be a little over-reaching for myself and many others. When you are partnered you basically have to sign off that you won't stream elsewhere (see also YouTube and a few other outlets). While I liked the idea of diversifying when I began on Twitch, I streamed regularly for years and only mustered 100+ followers.
I polled viewers (on YouTube of course) and they tended towards preferring YouTube by a wide margin. Granted, when I had started, YT streaming wasn't really a thing. I tried it out (due to Twitch pushing some things I don't agree with) and instantly had not only more viewers, but a very common comment of, "Hey, I never knew that you did live streams!" Freakin-a! All those years, people would have watched, but didn't know I streamed on Twitch. I did my best to make it obvious...end slides on videos, links in description boxes, and of course tweeting. Still, if you are embeded in the YouTube eco-system, you might still remain oblivious to my outside dealings. This is an obvious advantage to streaming on YouTube.
However, there are still a few shortcomings there. Anytime I stream a Nintendo game...it is a copyright nightmare! Despite being a member of the Nintendo Content Creator Program, the games get flagged immediately and a series of 14 or so e-mails heads your direction.
I still, for whatever reason, have not figured this out, but when I stream games from the Big N, they wind up archived very weirdly. If I do NBA Playgrounds, it goes right to my Video Manager and is ready for release as soon as it processes. The Nintendo games are filed away to the point where sometimes I can't get to them. Then when you do, and you want to edit them into smaller clips for a couple of videos (ie dividing 2 hours of Mario Kart into 4 videos, or a month of Animal Crossing into weekly installments) you have to deal with their Video Editor. It isn't bad, but it certainly ins't good. Twitch does have the slight edge here, although with any effort at all, YouTube could (and should) easily over take them.
With that said, I really want to stream Mario Kart and Yoshi's Wooly World, and more Breath of the Wild, but it is a total pain to deal with that on the YT side. This is where Mixer may come in...
I haven't tried it yet, but as soon as things slow down I hope to stream a little Nintendo action to Mixer. I will then try downloading it and editing it before uploading (totally not ideal for someone like me with bad internet), but having a local copy to edit will save TONS of time over YouTube's lackluster video editor. It just sucks that the quality of the stream still won't be great (see also my bad internet).
It sucks to leave years of streaming and those hard earned 100+ followers on Twitch, but instead of just sticking to games, they tend to feel the need to push divisive social/political agendas, and I have a hard time tying myself into that mess. Plus, I haven't forgotten that Amazon totally screwed me over on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and their "guaranteed day of release delivery." If you didn't know, Amazon bought Twitch fairly recently. And yes, in the past I was a proud proponent of Amazon, as they have continued to grow, however, I feel that the customer service I admired early on has become increasingly lack luster...I hope that changes as they are a great source for some hard to find products.
Ironically, I actually think I'd qualify for the new Twitch affiliate program. That said, I've never been all about the money (YouTube added Super Chat to their live stream interface to combat Twitch and I have yet to see someone use it), and I really, really don't like the way Twitch handles it. The thought of someone paying real money for glittery bits to throw in my beggar's cup is just kind of weird. It makes a donation to show your support/appreciation for the streamer into more of a, "Oh you poor thing" as you drop change in a cup. Most people don't argue with free money, but I just find the whole setup odd, and I'd much rather have people rewarded for watching the streams in the way Mixer has setup. Also of note, no one really seems to donate on YouTube, it is like it is frowned upon because everyone just assumes if you are making videos on YouTube, you are an undeserving millionaire. I don't get that as it couldn't be farther from the truth for 99% of YouTubers, particularly gamers, but whatever. On Twitch, people throw money around like it is a requirement.
Mixer just fits my style so much better than Twitch. You watch the stream, you get on-site currency (see also: FREE) and then YOU can use that to interact with me. Why does no one else do that?
I still plan to stream on YouTube, but I am wanting to try a few games out on Mixer. If it is a pain to download footage, edit it, and upload it to YouTube, I might change course a bit...but tentatively I am thinking about trying to stream Minecraft, Forza, and possibly some Nintendo titles to Mixer.
Again, way back when I started on Twitch (I remember when it was Justin.tv btw), my idea was to diversify from YouTube in the event things went downhill...well they did and my efforts to diversify were for nothing. Everyone always raves about "the Twitch community" but I honestly just felt like I was just streaming...and my viewers were about 99% subscribers from YouTube (again, a lot of this has to do with the games I play and the fact that they'd be buried on the Twitch listings, but still...if a Triple A game from Activision, a major publisher, can't get game art, I don't think they really care about myself, or anyone else streaming Skylanders.
All that aside, Mixer being tide into the Microsoft family of services appeals to me...Microsoft has Minecraft and Forza, so it makes sense to start there and see how it goes. Again, I might also do some Nintendo action on Mixer to avoid a round of copyright emails. I wish my internet was on-par with others, but it isn't so I can't do super HD streams. I max it out for what internet I have and then take it in stride.
That said, as of now, early morning July 4th, 2017 I have set up a Minelogix Team page on Mixer and I hope to give it a go with some other members. It just makes sense given the built in integration and I am hoping it is optimized so I might be able to squeeze out 720 HD for the streams.
As always thanks for your support! If my internet continues to suck, I'll just keep on recording offline and uploading as I've done for years...if something pans out on this front hopefully I can stream a little more frequently again.
Hope you all have a great Independence Day!
If you feel like reading, go right ahead...if not, just take this link to get a feel for the Minelogix Stream Team on Mixer! It is obviously a work in progress, but I think it has a lot of potential.
Team Minelogix on Mixer!
Beam, a streaming site I really liked the interface of, was purchased by Microsoft awhile back and more recently had a revamp and name change...the site is now known as Mixer.
Mixer, which kept the interface I love so much, is integrated into both Xbox One and Windows (PC) streaming. This is a very nice asset and makes streaming much more accessible for those outside the loop.
In addition to very low latency (ie you are much closer to the real time action), Mixer introduced a really cool "co-op" stream where you can have up to four people streaming on the same channel. Case in point, if myself, BlackPants, Omenix, and Cellcia were all on the Minelogix Server and streaming to Mixer you could go to any one of our channels and watch all four perspectives...pretty cool, huh?!
Likewise, their pleasant User Interface allows VIEWERS to earn "Sparks." Sparks are an on-site currency that you literally earn while you watch streams...doesn't that make sense? When a streamer "goes interactive" you can use your Sparks to cheer them on and highlight comments etc. It is like Twitch, but you didn't have to shell out cash.
In addition to this making streaming more fun for the viewer AND streamer, I like the setup.
I streamed once on Beam when Twitch was acting up. My only real complaints remain the lack of a direct export to YouTube and the lack of a video editor/highlight tool. To the best of my knowledge, both are said to be in the works.
As many of you know, I had long touted how much I liked the Beam interface and wished more people would try it...well, that shot in the arm came when Microsoft began integrating it into their consoles.
On the flip side you have Twitch. I primarily stream Skylanders there and they give the game NO LOVE. I'm not talking about featuring it ahead of Overwatch, Hearthstone, or Player Uknown's Battlegrounds...I mean that Skylanders doesn't even get game art! Seriously! Out of all the games, only Giants has proper game art. That is pretty sad imo. Twitch also tends to be a little over-reaching for myself and many others. When you are partnered you basically have to sign off that you won't stream elsewhere (see also YouTube and a few other outlets). While I liked the idea of diversifying when I began on Twitch, I streamed regularly for years and only mustered 100+ followers.
I polled viewers (on YouTube of course) and they tended towards preferring YouTube by a wide margin. Granted, when I had started, YT streaming wasn't really a thing. I tried it out (due to Twitch pushing some things I don't agree with) and instantly had not only more viewers, but a very common comment of, "Hey, I never knew that you did live streams!" Freakin-a! All those years, people would have watched, but didn't know I streamed on Twitch. I did my best to make it obvious...end slides on videos, links in description boxes, and of course tweeting. Still, if you are embeded in the YouTube eco-system, you might still remain oblivious to my outside dealings. This is an obvious advantage to streaming on YouTube.
However, there are still a few shortcomings there. Anytime I stream a Nintendo game...it is a copyright nightmare! Despite being a member of the Nintendo Content Creator Program, the games get flagged immediately and a series of 14 or so e-mails heads your direction.
I still, for whatever reason, have not figured this out, but when I stream games from the Big N, they wind up archived very weirdly. If I do NBA Playgrounds, it goes right to my Video Manager and is ready for release as soon as it processes. The Nintendo games are filed away to the point where sometimes I can't get to them. Then when you do, and you want to edit them into smaller clips for a couple of videos (ie dividing 2 hours of Mario Kart into 4 videos, or a month of Animal Crossing into weekly installments) you have to deal with their Video Editor. It isn't bad, but it certainly ins't good. Twitch does have the slight edge here, although with any effort at all, YouTube could (and should) easily over take them.
With that said, I really want to stream Mario Kart and Yoshi's Wooly World, and more Breath of the Wild, but it is a total pain to deal with that on the YT side. This is where Mixer may come in...
I haven't tried it yet, but as soon as things slow down I hope to stream a little Nintendo action to Mixer. I will then try downloading it and editing it before uploading (totally not ideal for someone like me with bad internet), but having a local copy to edit will save TONS of time over YouTube's lackluster video editor. It just sucks that the quality of the stream still won't be great (see also my bad internet).
It sucks to leave years of streaming and those hard earned 100+ followers on Twitch, but instead of just sticking to games, they tend to feel the need to push divisive social/political agendas, and I have a hard time tying myself into that mess. Plus, I haven't forgotten that Amazon totally screwed me over on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and their "guaranteed day of release delivery." If you didn't know, Amazon bought Twitch fairly recently. And yes, in the past I was a proud proponent of Amazon, as they have continued to grow, however, I feel that the customer service I admired early on has become increasingly lack luster...I hope that changes as they are a great source for some hard to find products.
Ironically, I actually think I'd qualify for the new Twitch affiliate program. That said, I've never been all about the money (YouTube added Super Chat to their live stream interface to combat Twitch and I have yet to see someone use it), and I really, really don't like the way Twitch handles it. The thought of someone paying real money for glittery bits to throw in my beggar's cup is just kind of weird. It makes a donation to show your support/appreciation for the streamer into more of a, "Oh you poor thing" as you drop change in a cup. Most people don't argue with free money, but I just find the whole setup odd, and I'd much rather have people rewarded for watching the streams in the way Mixer has setup. Also of note, no one really seems to donate on YouTube, it is like it is frowned upon because everyone just assumes if you are making videos on YouTube, you are an undeserving millionaire. I don't get that as it couldn't be farther from the truth for 99% of YouTubers, particularly gamers, but whatever. On Twitch, people throw money around like it is a requirement.
Mixer just fits my style so much better than Twitch. You watch the stream, you get on-site currency (see also: FREE) and then YOU can use that to interact with me. Why does no one else do that?
I still plan to stream on YouTube, but I am wanting to try a few games out on Mixer. If it is a pain to download footage, edit it, and upload it to YouTube, I might change course a bit...but tentatively I am thinking about trying to stream Minecraft, Forza, and possibly some Nintendo titles to Mixer.
Again, way back when I started on Twitch (I remember when it was Justin.tv btw), my idea was to diversify from YouTube in the event things went downhill...well they did and my efforts to diversify were for nothing. Everyone always raves about "the Twitch community" but I honestly just felt like I was just streaming...and my viewers were about 99% subscribers from YouTube (again, a lot of this has to do with the games I play and the fact that they'd be buried on the Twitch listings, but still...if a Triple A game from Activision, a major publisher, can't get game art, I don't think they really care about myself, or anyone else streaming Skylanders.
All that aside, Mixer being tide into the Microsoft family of services appeals to me...Microsoft has Minecraft and Forza, so it makes sense to start there and see how it goes. Again, I might also do some Nintendo action on Mixer to avoid a round of copyright emails. I wish my internet was on-par with others, but it isn't so I can't do super HD streams. I max it out for what internet I have and then take it in stride.
That said, as of now, early morning July 4th, 2017 I have set up a Minelogix Team page on Mixer and I hope to give it a go with some other members. It just makes sense given the built in integration and I am hoping it is optimized so I might be able to squeeze out 720 HD for the streams.
As always thanks for your support! If my internet continues to suck, I'll just keep on recording offline and uploading as I've done for years...if something pans out on this front hopefully I can stream a little more frequently again.
Hope you all have a great Independence Day!
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Skylanders SuperChargers Launch Day
Well folks, it is finally here! Skylanders SuperChargers officially launches today in the US! I figured I would take this time to cover my plans for the video schedule and answer some other FAQs as of late.
Skylanders Trap Team Research
First off, I have frantically been working to complete the Skylanders Trap Team Research Series, see also Upgrades and Attack Damage, lol. I have actually done it, minus the Minis and a few others. You can see all of the upgrades here:
Skylanders Trap Team Research - Upgrades
Skylanders Trap Team Research - Villainography
Skylanders SuperChargers Blind Playthrough on YouTube, Coop Playthrough on Twitch
Next up, let's talk about my plans for SuperChargers!
With Trap Team, I did something no one else has done in Skylanders, at least on the YouTube front. Instead of doing my usual blind playthrough and directly uploading the videos to YouTube, I opted to do a "Blind Stream" of the game. I literally played thru the game blind via live streams on my Twitch Channel. The folks who checked it out really enjoyed it, and then of course I exported the videos over to YouTube. The end quality wasn't as good as usual due to the stream bit-rate restrictions, but it was still a lot of fun.
This year, I am going to go back to my old formula AND maintain the stream concept.
With the introduction of online gameplay (not just racing, but coop) I will do the following:
-Skylanders SuperChargers Blind Playthrough via Xbox One uploading to YouTube
AND
-Skylanders SuperChargers Coop Playthrough via Nintendo Wii U with viewers on Twitch
AND
-Skylanders SuperChargers Online Racing with Friends and Viewers -Stream and Upload
So, as you can see we have a diverse mix and I do indeed plan to play with some of you I have come to know over the past 4 titles in the Skylanders series!
If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to sign up on the Skylander Club Forum...you can connect with other Portal Masters and find friends to race with on your platform!
SkylanderClub.com - Skylanders Fan Forum
Skylanders SuperChagers Purchase Plans
Starter Packs
Now, this gets really interesting. We have more characters than ever in the Starter Packs, but we have a lot of duplicates. Here is my tentative plan
I have pre-ordered the Dark Edition for the Wii U.
I will get the 3DS Starter Pack.
I will get the Xbox One Starter Pack.
I really want Dark Bowser, but I'm trying to think of a way to justify the price of another Starter Pack...Ironically, if I had to pick 1 DK and 1 Bowser, I would want Dark Bowser and regular DK...funny how that goes.
If there is a good sale, and stock, I might spring for the Dark Wii Edition. I could always upload a playthrough of that game, but I honestly haven't seen anything of it...I would like to gauge my purchase on the more immersive 3DS game (you can race online while you can't on the Wii), but with scalpers AND amiibo fanatics on the prowl, this may be a hot commodity. I remember last year with Trap Team it was difficult to get a Wii U Dark Edition at launch. Will there be low stock of the Dark Wii Edition, or will it be shelf fodder. Will scalpers pick it up, or will regular buyers not justify the high price for basically a single character and his vehicle? At this point, we just don't know.
Official Route
As for Day 1, here is my route:
-TRU: Legendary Hurricane Jet-Vac and possibly Dark Wii Starter Pack
-Target: Nitro Stealth Stinger
-Best Buy: Steel Plated Smash Hit
-GameStop: Frightful Fiesta and Dark Wii U Starter Pack
Skylanders SuperChargers Collection Plans
As always, 2 of each Skylander would be great...I can take both paths and never have to reset and loose precious and time consuming progress. However, where there are not "specials, or alt-decos" on tap, I will likely not be able to finance a 2nd figure for everyone, let alone vehicle. This is why I am a fan of having Darks, Nitros, Legendaries, and characters like Frightful Fiesta and Easter Thrillipede...it makes buying that 2nd one much more justifiable.
So, needless to say, I hope to acquire as many as possible, but will restrain myself to my favorites and those that are practical should it become necessary.
Skylanders SuperChargers Storage
This is a serious issue...If you are a seasoned veteran, you probably have Skylanders in your gaming room, on your consoles, strung across the living room, displayed in the kitchen, and some stored away under your bed...The struggle is real! I am a bit concerned with parking for the vehicles, lol. My tentative plan is to go the el-cheapo route and score some more of the under $1 "shoe boxes" from Target. These are simple Sterlite storage containers with a click-lock lid and they get the job done, while leaving max fundage for Skylanders.
Is it Really Blind?
Oh yes, rest assured it is. While some YouTubers have played a level or two and taken part in some races, others have simply watched some of the footage from Activison or other outlets...but me, all I've done is consume the B-Roll footage the PR team sent out. This is largely highlight reel type material. I've not watched the infamous chapter Lou played thru in the summer, I haven't digested any leaks, and I haven't read any descriptions...I'll be going in knowing as little as possible. The only area I have good intel is the cast of Skylanders. I personally just enjoy this approach much, much more...If I know the entire cast, plot line, and all the twists the game simply looses some of its appeal.
I plan to put a priority on the blind, solo playthru, but after completing a few chapters I'll hit up some friends and viewers for a coop approach.
Depending on how the game is structured, I will also work upgrades and other game modes that may be present into the mix earlier. I have yet to find a perfect balance for how to approach things, largely due to so much content being locked, or tucked away (ie you want to fully ugprade someone, but their Soul Gem is in the last chapter etc).
What Does it All Mean?
Well, if you read all of that...thanks, you are who I cater to in this crazy YouTube life. I do things a bit different than most. I still prefer to focus on the details and attempt to provide viewers with a more intelligent playthrough. I have a M-F job with long hours, and other interests. Video games are an outlet to have fun, relieve stress, and just enjoy some down time.
I have been offered various partnerships, but since I read the contracts, I have never signed off on one...If you were unaware, you can take a partnership and radically grow your channel. I'm not sure the subscribers gained are legit, and people claim they make more money, but I'm kind of here for fun..and I don't like to Skype with people who have names I can't pronounce that use a CC email to 15 other YouTubers telling each of us how unique we are with the same cut-and-paste compliments to go over any negotiations.
The partnerships, in addition to pumping more subscribers and requisite views to your channel, offer some tangible benefits, namely cross promotion (although they always tout their expansive sound effect database and collaboration tool kit). No one likes to talk about cross promotion, but it is real, and it sucks for those on the flip side.
Let's say you have a YouTuber you really connect with (maybe me for instance?!). Let's say they have a playlist of Skylanders SuperChargers that has the complete game and each installment is one chapter. You caught Ch 1 and had stuff to do, so the next night you come in and watch Chapter 2. You think, "Oh hey... a short chapter, I'm going to check out Chapter 3 too!" You scan over to the sidebar with the playlist and instead of seeing Chapter 3, you find a ton of videos from other channels...You think, "Hey, this is supposed to be a playlist for this series, what is the deal?" Well, that is cross promotion at work. A lot of times if you use Auto Play you can go straight from the channel you want to watch, to the channel that is cross promoting. It isn't really "recommended" channels for you, it is channels that are paying to be in another channel's playlists. Head off to a partnered mega-channel's playlist and tell me if you see any vids lurching in the top slots of their playlists...if you do, they'll only be from larger partnered channels.
Basically, to put it in laymen's terms, partnered channels cross promote to both increase their view share and decrease the view share of their competitors. It is a vicious cycle and very frustrating to not have videos measured by their own merits.
I've come to realize, more and more the past few years, that I could actually have a much larger channel by just yelling, raging at the game, and throwing in ridiculous animations and sound effects...that is simply not my style. I have my own delivery and feel I have a niche audience that shares my mindset.
Despite the trends others follow, I just keep doing my own thing. They say it is always best to swim with the current, but I feel like I'm that guy on the bank looking over at the mountain in the distance...I invite you to come with me...especially since that stream leads to the mouth of the cave that the bears hibernate in...
Long story short, SuperChargers is here...I hope it is awesome...I'm not changing my style...Let's have some fun together!!
Skylanders Trap Team Research
First off, I have frantically been working to complete the Skylanders Trap Team Research Series, see also Upgrades and Attack Damage, lol. I have actually done it, minus the Minis and a few others. You can see all of the upgrades here:
Skylanders Trap Team Research - Upgrades
Skylanders Trap Team Research - Villainography
Skylanders SuperChargers Blind Playthrough on YouTube, Coop Playthrough on Twitch
Next up, let's talk about my plans for SuperChargers!
This year, I am going to go back to my old formula AND maintain the stream concept.
With the introduction of online gameplay (not just racing, but coop) I will do the following:
-Skylanders SuperChargers Blind Playthrough via Xbox One uploading to YouTube
AND
-Skylanders SuperChargers Coop Playthrough via Nintendo Wii U with viewers on Twitch
AND
-Skylanders SuperChargers Online Racing with Friends and Viewers -Stream and Upload
So, as you can see we have a diverse mix and I do indeed plan to play with some of you I have come to know over the past 4 titles in the Skylanders series!
If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to sign up on the Skylander Club Forum...you can connect with other Portal Masters and find friends to race with on your platform!
SkylanderClub.com - Skylanders Fan Forum
Skylanders SuperChagers Purchase Plans
Starter Packs
Now, this gets really interesting. We have more characters than ever in the Starter Packs, but we have a lot of duplicates. Here is my tentative plan
I have pre-ordered the Dark Edition for the Wii U.
I will get the 3DS Starter Pack.
I will get the Xbox One Starter Pack.
I really want Dark Bowser, but I'm trying to think of a way to justify the price of another Starter Pack...Ironically, if I had to pick 1 DK and 1 Bowser, I would want Dark Bowser and regular DK...funny how that goes.
If there is a good sale, and stock, I might spring for the Dark Wii Edition. I could always upload a playthrough of that game, but I honestly haven't seen anything of it...I would like to gauge my purchase on the more immersive 3DS game (you can race online while you can't on the Wii), but with scalpers AND amiibo fanatics on the prowl, this may be a hot commodity. I remember last year with Trap Team it was difficult to get a Wii U Dark Edition at launch. Will there be low stock of the Dark Wii Edition, or will it be shelf fodder. Will scalpers pick it up, or will regular buyers not justify the high price for basically a single character and his vehicle? At this point, we just don't know.
Official Route
As for Day 1, here is my route:
-TRU: Legendary Hurricane Jet-Vac and possibly Dark Wii Starter Pack
-Target: Nitro Stealth Stinger
-Best Buy: Steel Plated Smash Hit
-GameStop: Frightful Fiesta and Dark Wii U Starter Pack
Skylanders SuperChargers Collection Plans
As always, 2 of each Skylander would be great...I can take both paths and never have to reset and loose precious and time consuming progress. However, where there are not "specials, or alt-decos" on tap, I will likely not be able to finance a 2nd figure for everyone, let alone vehicle. This is why I am a fan of having Darks, Nitros, Legendaries, and characters like Frightful Fiesta and Easter Thrillipede...it makes buying that 2nd one much more justifiable.
So, needless to say, I hope to acquire as many as possible, but will restrain myself to my favorites and those that are practical should it become necessary.
Skylanders SuperChargers Storage
This is a serious issue...If you are a seasoned veteran, you probably have Skylanders in your gaming room, on your consoles, strung across the living room, displayed in the kitchen, and some stored away under your bed...The struggle is real! I am a bit concerned with parking for the vehicles, lol. My tentative plan is to go the el-cheapo route and score some more of the under $1 "shoe boxes" from Target. These are simple Sterlite storage containers with a click-lock lid and they get the job done, while leaving max fundage for Skylanders.
Is it Really Blind?
Oh yes, rest assured it is. While some YouTubers have played a level or two and taken part in some races, others have simply watched some of the footage from Activison or other outlets...but me, all I've done is consume the B-Roll footage the PR team sent out. This is largely highlight reel type material. I've not watched the infamous chapter Lou played thru in the summer, I haven't digested any leaks, and I haven't read any descriptions...I'll be going in knowing as little as possible. The only area I have good intel is the cast of Skylanders. I personally just enjoy this approach much, much more...If I know the entire cast, plot line, and all the twists the game simply looses some of its appeal.
I plan to put a priority on the blind, solo playthru, but after completing a few chapters I'll hit up some friends and viewers for a coop approach.
Depending on how the game is structured, I will also work upgrades and other game modes that may be present into the mix earlier. I have yet to find a perfect balance for how to approach things, largely due to so much content being locked, or tucked away (ie you want to fully ugprade someone, but their Soul Gem is in the last chapter etc).
What Does it All Mean?
Well, if you read all of that...thanks, you are who I cater to in this crazy YouTube life. I do things a bit different than most. I still prefer to focus on the details and attempt to provide viewers with a more intelligent playthrough. I have a M-F job with long hours, and other interests. Video games are an outlet to have fun, relieve stress, and just enjoy some down time.
I have been offered various partnerships, but since I read the contracts, I have never signed off on one...If you were unaware, you can take a partnership and radically grow your channel. I'm not sure the subscribers gained are legit, and people claim they make more money, but I'm kind of here for fun..and I don't like to Skype with people who have names I can't pronounce that use a CC email to 15 other YouTubers telling each of us how unique we are with the same cut-and-paste compliments to go over any negotiations.
The partnerships, in addition to pumping more subscribers and requisite views to your channel, offer some tangible benefits, namely cross promotion (although they always tout their expansive sound effect database and collaboration tool kit). No one likes to talk about cross promotion, but it is real, and it sucks for those on the flip side.
Let's say you have a YouTuber you really connect with (maybe me for instance?!). Let's say they have a playlist of Skylanders SuperChargers that has the complete game and each installment is one chapter. You caught Ch 1 and had stuff to do, so the next night you come in and watch Chapter 2. You think, "Oh hey... a short chapter, I'm going to check out Chapter 3 too!" You scan over to the sidebar with the playlist and instead of seeing Chapter 3, you find a ton of videos from other channels...You think, "Hey, this is supposed to be a playlist for this series, what is the deal?" Well, that is cross promotion at work. A lot of times if you use Auto Play you can go straight from the channel you want to watch, to the channel that is cross promoting. It isn't really "recommended" channels for you, it is channels that are paying to be in another channel's playlists. Head off to a partnered mega-channel's playlist and tell me if you see any vids lurching in the top slots of their playlists...if you do, they'll only be from larger partnered channels.
Basically, to put it in laymen's terms, partnered channels cross promote to both increase their view share and decrease the view share of their competitors. It is a vicious cycle and very frustrating to not have videos measured by their own merits.
I've come to realize, more and more the past few years, that I could actually have a much larger channel by just yelling, raging at the game, and throwing in ridiculous animations and sound effects...that is simply not my style. I have my own delivery and feel I have a niche audience that shares my mindset.
Despite the trends others follow, I just keep doing my own thing. They say it is always best to swim with the current, but I feel like I'm that guy on the bank looking over at the mountain in the distance...I invite you to come with me...especially since that stream leads to the mouth of the cave that the bears hibernate in...
Long story short, SuperChargers is here...I hope it is awesome...I'm not changing my style...Let's have some fun together!!
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