Channel Update, And What's To Come (Patreon)

[Pictured Above: Thumbnail shot for an unreleased video. Melissa decided to pop up there and get in front of the limelight. What a cat!]

  Hey all -- Apologies for not posting in awhile. But we're here now and it's time to fill you all in on how things are going! Especially during this odd time where we're either all home, or out risking an untreatable virus. The work flow for me is largely unchanged considering we can continue videos from home, but it's obviously still changed a lot of the usual habits. 

  Anyway, let's do a few updates on the channel and what's to come. Or really, let's explain what won't come. The last documentary I did was the PS3 one and that was back in November. Normally I like to do one of these videos every two months (that's how long they take anyway) and right now it's been over four months. And unfortunately, it'll probably be much longer until the next one. The unfortunate reality of those videos, is that they are such an undertaking to make. I have to be mindful of my time and energy, and right now - Ad revenue on YouTube has dropped about 30%. So for right now, I can't justify uploading one when they take about two months to finish. Once the virus subsides and companies return to advertising, I can get back to these kinds of videos. I hate having to focus on the economics here, but I'd be foolish not to, I hope you all understand.

  Next up, unboxing videos. This is another one where, ordering anything online that isn't essential isn't really the best idea right now. So as fun as these are, they might be on the back burner for a little bit as well. We'll see how things pan out, I'd imagine these will return before documentaries do. They're much easier to film and edit. But thankfully, I do have two videos here that were in the works before the shutdown. The items were ordered and delivered over a month ago, so we still have something in the pipeline here. 

  As for what's actually getting worked on, good question! If I haven't said it before, a lot of the time I don't even know what I'll make. Sometimes I figure it out on a Sunday, then film/edit to have it ready by Tuesday. This channel doesn't exactly have a roadmap but I suppose that's what always keeps me on my toes. 

  Next up, in previous posts I've mentioned my desire to open a second channel that has nothing to do with games. More of a vlog style channel touching on travel/personal endeavors, things like that. This is also on the back burner now, which totally sucks because I really wanted to start up something different/more casual. I guess the good thing is, as I've sat on it more, the original idea of this channel is changing a bit. It might steer more towards lifestyle/tech/finance than out-and-about vlogging. Something I realized early on was, I'm not very good at the 'holding a camera at my face and talking to it in public' thing. I get so embarassed! Kudos to people who can pull that off. We'll see what happens. The main channel takes priority, and this second one is just something I want to explore that doesn't have to focus on video games. Will update you all when I have more to share on this one. 

  Finally, we have merch. That thing that every YouTuber is apparently supposed to have. Awhile ago I made some prototype shirts just to see how they would come out but I've concluded that I don't want to pursue anything like this unless there was actual interest, and I can do it right. That means meaningful designs and high quality materials. Merch isn't a priority to me, considering this isn't really a channel that fits with merch. But whenever it comes, I'm hoping it will be something you actually want to purchase. 

  I think that's it? Sorry there's nothing really exciting in here. I take this channel day by day a lot of the time. So until I know what's going on, I don't have much to share! But with PS5 news ramping up, I can at least guarantee we'll be covering every aspect of that platform up to launch. It's getting really exciting, now that we have the DualSense revealed. Next gen is gonna be a lot of fun, and thankfully - I've got time to work on that PS4 backlog until then. 

-Ryan