Project And Channel Update!

Love your stye Mike - your work is truly inspiring - keep following your gut and carving out your own style.

Michael R

I'm especially interested to see how you could possibly make a video about a book interesting, given there is no video of the book, unless it's a discussion of sorts... Guess I'll wait and see, you've got my interest!

Hat

Ah, I see you addressed #1 above, I look forward to what you all do!

Hat

The way I see it, its y’all’s channel, and you should do what you are most passionate about and I’ll support you guys, unless you go in a very obscure direction that I have no interest in, like antique collecting haha.. (1) In regards to changing your format for videos, you’ve been talking about this a LONG time, and I entirely understand what you are trying to do and I fully support it. One caveat I want to point out though, is that certain videos like, the Understanding Story for FFXV, I rather enjoyed the critical tone because it expressed exactly why I felt disappointed with that game. I also enjoyed your podcast episode on the recent Star Wars film, for the same reason. I even enjoyed your critique of FFX, because, although I enjoyed the game more than you, I was able to get a better sense of what I liked and disliked from hearing your thoughts. I also think, being critical of bad ideas, makes your praise actually more impactful, and it feels authentic. I totally get why you are changing the format though, you’ve explained the greater reception you’ve gotten with FF8 for instance, or FF5. So to me, I’m cool with the reviews focusing on this new format that you’ve described, but perhaps, separate analysis videos tackling a certain game, but focusing on a specific topic in a more critical tone, like your Understanding Story video.. Setup and pay-off, but using FFXV to show an example. I’m sure whatever you end up doing, will be great. (2) In regards to rebranding the channel, I can easily see your channel shifting towards something more akin to Lorerunner, in that you give analysis on anything heavily story driven, whether it be films, books or video games. Obviously, your style of videos is drastically different from his, but I would imagine analysis on the Lord of the Rings films (as an example) would be very similar in tone, to your FF series. So, in this regard, I don’t really have a problem. (3) I haven’t had the time lately to make it to as many patreon streams as I’d like lately, so perhaps you mentioned this and I missed it.. But are you still going to be doing patreon streams when you get more viewers that are fans of perhaps your book analysis or your film analysis? Also, will the podcast be affected? (4) Do what you want brother, I totally support it! Since doing my own, infinitely smaller rpg podcast, I’ve begun to realize how much I enjoy other games outside of that genre. Not to say I don’t still love RPGs, but wanting to play God of War 5, but instead realizing I should probably run through Kingdom Hearts, can get frustrating at times.. So I can empathize with wanting to do more.. Clearly, you’ll be reviewing all the Star Trek films in-depth first, before doing anything else. 😉

Hat

One thing I also want to clarify is that we came up with a quadrant graph in our strategy for the channel. In the top left corner we listed things we want to decrease, in the top right corner we listed things we want to increase, in the bottom left corner we listed things we want to eliminate, and in the bottom right corner we listed things we want to create (basically what do we want to do that we aren't doing at all now). We placed "criticism" into the list of things we want to decrease, but not into the list of things we want to eliminate, so critical analysis won't disappear entirely from the channel, it just won't be our primary focus. We're more interested in showing how good art is made rather than finding fault in the things we don't like and making good arguments to justify our opinions.

Resonant Arc

I get what you mean now. And when I mentioned the summary idea, I didn't mean as part of an analysis video since as you mention that would not be an analysis. I suppose we just disagree that a review doesn't require each comment to be an analysis which is fine. I also now understand your idea of multiple videos about 1 game, covering different topics, but only covering the areas that you want to address. While I like seeing the other side as well that idea does sounds good.

"but still think you can "cover" all aspects of the game." I don't think there's a need to do that all in a single video though. I can make multiple videos that cover different aspects of a game. The issue with doing a 'review' is that it is expected to be comprehensive, meaning that people expect me to cover every aspect of the game from dev history to story to gameplay all in one place. Sometimes I don't feel I have anything of value to say, or in other words I don't have any in-depth insight about certain battle mechanics or whatnot, but if I did a review and did not talk about the battle system the video would seem incomplete. This expectation leads to me adding very basic, surface level coverage of that particular battle mechanic or whatever. If I have no expectation to cover everything in the game, I can talk about only the things that I am passionate about or have specific insight on. In order to take away that expectation I can't structure the video as a review, but rather would have to present it as an analysis on something specific. For instance, I could talk about how the music is used to elicit exactly the right feeling and make an entire video based on that. Then I could make a video that covers how the game's literary theme is worked throughout the story and how it is effectively delivered. Then, if I have nothing in-depth to say about the battle system, I don't have to feel obligated to talk about it at all, I can just move on to the next game. To give an example, say I want to do some videos on Journey. I could do a full video on just the music, akin to what Game Score Fanfare did with this video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKnkaB0MBE" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKnkaB0MBE</a> Then I could talk about another aspect of the game, say the way it tells the story without any dialogue, and make that its own video. However, I might not have anything super interesting to say about the gameplay personally. Let's say nothing really comes to me. I now have no pressure to talk about it because I'm not making a comprehensive review. I can move on to another game. This is important because the time and energy it takes to try to say something interesting about something I'm not interested in takes a massive toll on me creatively. It makes the process of video creation a chore rather than an inspiring experience, and I know that after time people will start to see my heart is not in it. "You didn't go into as much depth as FF13, but you didn't have to." That's largely because I don't have as many issues with FF5 as I do with FF13, and if I'm going to criticize something it's important to thoroughly explain my reasoning. When doing critical analysis, you have to justify your arguments with as many facts and examples as possible to strengthen your position. It is an exhausting process for something I'm not actually all that interested in doing. I don't want to criticize anymore. I don't find it fulfilling as a creator and it often just upsets the people who like the game I'm critizing. "A good summary of your feelings about the music in CC was basically "I love the music in Chrono Cross, except for the Battle Music because it doesn't instill in me that drive I want in battles". If you said that verbatim and then moved on I do not think that you would get horrible backlash because you got your point across and moved on for the sake of time or something." Summarizing my feelings about something is not analysis though. There is no reasoning behind the statement as you laid it out. It is an opinion without any context, without any explanation for WHY I feel that way. My videos have never been about just stating my opinion without explaining why I feel the way I do. If I were to state my opinions that way in the videos they would be 2-3 minutes long and would add no insight into why something works or doesn't work. If I had stated what you wrote verbatim people would have asked why I feel that way, or criticized me for providing no reasoning. "But I think that -all- that you have to say is always what entertains people whether they are nostalgic for the game you are talking about or not." That's exactly what I'm trying to do. The criticism is entirely unnecessary to achieve the goal I have--which is to deepen the audience's appreciation of the work I'm analyzing. There is no need for criticism if that is my goal, and I would say overall that is both what I want to do personally, and what my viewers appreciate the most about my videos.

Resonant Arc

I better understand where you are coming from, but still think you can still "cover" all aspects of the game. You simply would just have to truncate and get to the point and not have to worry about how in depth you go. Your "FF5 story" is something that you yourself have quoted multiple times, and the only reason that that story is worth repeating as often as you do is because you addressed the game in that other angle. You covered it in all aspects of the game basically. You didn't go into as much depth as FF13, but you didn't have to. If anything, to me it seemed like the FF13 discussion was a motivator for you because you really disliked that game and you wanted to see if you could find something to like about it. If what you are concerned about is that you might say something "negative" and move on too quickly, then I think that is over-worrying. A good summary of your feelings about the music in CC was basically "I love the music in Chrono Cross, except for the Battle Music because it doesn't instill in me that drive I want in battles". If you said that verbatim and then moved on I do not think that you would get horrible backlash because you got your point across and moved on for the sake of time or something. You also carry yourself respectfully whenever you make "negative" comments majority of the time anyway. Ultimately though, I get the overall appeal of wanting to do shorter videos. As I mentioned in a previous video of yours where you were asking for feedback about your content, I just think you need to trim some fat whether it is the production, script, or what you have to say. But I think that -all- that you have to say is always what entertains people whether they are nostalgic for the game you are talking about or not. You do a good job expressing your opinion whether it is positive or negative. Perhaps my initial comment came across the wrong way, but it's not like I'm worried that I will not enjoy your new RPG content. It's just that I think you are on the path of something really special and hate to see you abandon it before trying other ways to "cover" the entire game. The things you say about games I love that are criticisms or what not also appeal to me. We disagree about the CC soundtrack for example, but I get where you are coming from and that's all that matters IMO. Hearing your different perspective is what I like to hear.

I FULLY support the idea of backing away from "all the nuances and perspectives on game X" and running toward "Analyzing why awesome game X is awesome!" It's the kind of thinking I like to do myself - although I do enjoy the occasional "Analyzing why recent game Y sucks" as well... I had a lot of fun recently thinking through why so many games that claim to be imitating Chrono Trigger utterly fail to replicate the game's charm, for example. I will say, as a confirmed weird person, that stuff having to do with film and books doesn't interest me at all. But I imagine most gamers feel otherwise. Now, if you branched out into theater and themed entertainment, gaming's immersive/experiential cousins, I'd be super excited. But again... I know I'm weird lol

We are working on a total re-brand of the channel. It would not even be called Dark Pixel anymore. It would have an entirely new name and new focus. There are a litany of reasons why I feel this is extremely important for us to do that I could explain in more detail if you would like, but in short, the name Dark Pixel makes absolutely no sense for the kinds of videos we produce, and the brand does not elicit the feeling or the message of our videos. Dark Pixel Gaming was made as a subsidiary--a "side channel"--of our filmmaking channel. That channel is dead now, so we are essentially a subsidiary of a dead channel, and the current branding makes no sense for the kind of content we produce. At the heart of what I'm trying to say in this update video is that I want to help you guys understand that I don't believe I can make compelling 'reviews'--in the style I have been doing that run 20-50 minutes in length--for games that I have no passion for. The video creation process for Final Fantasy 13 is what made me realize this, because I don't think that the majority of the content that I put into my Final Fantasy reviews is even the kind of content that embodies the REASON my viewers watch my videos. To explain more clearly, I believe the reason why most of my viewers like my videos is because it helps deepen their appreciation for something they grew up with and loved. For example, let's say Viewer #1 grew up with Chrono Trigger. Viewer #1 adores the game, and playing through it was a life-changing experience for them. The reason why my Chrono Trigger review resonates with Viewer #1 is because it further deepens their appreciation for the game by analyzing why that game was so effective. The video helps Viewer #1 to understand even more clearly why the game is so good and why it spoke to them emotionally. Considering that this is the reason Viewer #1 loves the video, it is completely unnecessary to fill the video with an attempt at comprehensive, balanced critical analysis. Viewer #1's enjoyment of the video was predicated on deepening his/her appreciation of something he/she loved, NOT on making sure I cover every possible negative and positive point there is about the game. Critical analysis is completely unnecessary to achieve the final result--to help people deepen their appreciation for something they love and explain to them why it works so well. The fact that I've been more and more pressured to provided a balanced critical voice to my videos is the reason why they keep getting longer and longer. They are padded with something that I don't believe they need, and doesn't really do anything to help achieve the desired result for the audience. A review--in the minds of the common person--is meant to help someone understand if they should spend their money on a new game or movie. It's meant to educate the audience on what to expect from that game or movie so that they can decide whether or not they want to play/watch it. I don't think what I just explained is the real reason why people watch my videos. Most people who are watching have already played these games. When I get requests from my audience to do a review for a certain game, it's not because they want me to help them decide whether or not they should play it, it's because they want me to make a video that helps deepen their appreciation for something they've ALREADY played. The problem then becomes that other viewers, let's just categorize this as Viewer #2, wants me to make a review for the game they loved--like Chrono Cross--but I don't love Chrono Cross like Viewer #2 does. This means my 'review' will have more negative points than positive ones, and will not help them deepen their appreciation for the game the same way that I did for Viewer #1 with Chrono Trigger. For that reason, critical analysis is absolutely unnecessary. They just want to feel the emotions they had when they played. They want to reminisce, to recall fond memories, and to learn EVEN MORE about something they love so much. This is why I want to stop doing 'reviews' and start focusing on clear, focused 'analysis' on the things that made people feel that way. Here are some examples of the kind of thing I'm thinking about. In this example, we have a breakdown of the music in Lord of the Rings and why it's so effective: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7BkmF8CJpQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7BkmF8CJpQ</a> In this example, we have a breakdown of an actor's performance and why it is so effective: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kSGkGKwp9U" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kSGkGKwp9U</a> In this example, we have a breakdown of cinematography and why it is so effective: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqD5WqChUY" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqD5WqChUY</a> This is essentially what I want to do. The analysis is still deep and very insightful. It helps people understand why the movies they are watching are emotionally effective. It helps deepen their appreciation for the work. What it does not do, however, is try to pick them apart for every negative aspect on top of it. These videos are also 7-10 minutes in length, can be produced much more quickly, and can cover a wide variety of topics that I'm interested in, rather than keeping myself completely pigeonholed in jprgs. Do you understand where I'm coming from with this? Is there anything else you'd like me to elaborate on?

Resonant Arc

Have to be honest: I'm not sure how I feel about this. I guess I am one of the people who misunderstood what you meant the first time that you said you were change how you do reviews. Perhaps I just need to rewatch this video to better understand, but I'm feeling weary. I have no problem with the branching out when it comes to gaming related stuff like the Witcher books, but other books and film doesn't make as much sense when "Gaming" is in the channel's name. Is this coming with a name change to something like "Dark Pixel Media" or something?

Super excited for any book analysis incoming. Just a thought, especially with the YouTube algorithm being such a brutal mistress; Perhaps a second channel for non-gaming analysis. I'm sure all your regulars don't mind subbing to a second channel, and I'm not sure new viewers that are only interested in books or movie analyses would enjoy sifting through all your video game 'reviews' and streams etc.

Unfortunately we will not be able to make it this year.

Resonant Arc

On a different note, and I may have missed this elsewhere as I know you guys briefly discussed it on the podcast, are you going to be at E3? I'm heading back again this year and am definitely excited.

Thanks for the update Mike. I too am interested in seeing a broader scope in the channel as your methods of analysis and expressing those ideas are what brought me to the channel in the first place. I do want to say that your long-form discussion videos are something I've really enjoyed and why I subscribed to the channel. Seeing the history of a game, developer interviews, the aftermath of the release, and the legacy of a game all tied into a review add far more to the experience than I had ever imagined, so I'm hoping that level of depth remains when it's broken across multiple videos and you don't lose the storytelling aspect of the review that I've come to appreciate so much.

I'm a big fan of the idea of broadening the scope of the channel beyond JRPGs. I apologize for the *shock* of this revelation, but there it is.

AnvilOfDoom

Yes, definitely! It's much easier to watch a movie on an afternoon and do a video on it than it is to play a 60 hour rpg!

Resonant Arc

Mike, I like the idea of more varied content as right now it does seem very centered on JRPGs. Does this mean you’ll be able to produce non-podcast content more regularly if you aren’t doing detailed reviews? I’d love a more steady stream of content. Also, is Landon gone from the channel? Been very busy lately and have missed some of the more recent content.

I would definitely be interested in film and novel analysis