Poll: Have LP's Influenced Your Purchasing Decisions?

[StriderShinryu]

Absolutely, yes. I have definitely bought games due to Youtube content (including but not limited to LPs). My three biggest examples would have to be Dark Souls, Binding of Isaac and Guild Wars 2. Both of the first were due to NorthernLion LPs, and the third was due to various Youtube guide videos, LPS and beta weekend previews.

Of course, yeah, there are also games I didn't buy after being interested in them and then searching them on Youtube. But that's often not because I got the full experience from an LP. Generally, it's because the LP or other content showed me that the game wasn't something that I would enjoy (or showed that the game was crap and not worth actually buying).

 

[odolwa99]

Darksiders aesthetic didn't appeal to me, but having watched an LP, I'm now willing to check the sequel out. Also, LP's are an acceptable alternative to pirating a game. Not to mention, they're faster than trawling through a FAQ.

 

[Auron]

Let's plays are usually better than classic reviews and often more trustworthy as well. Now that the industry killed the demo I pretty much use the Let's Play channels.

 

[Risingblade]

Not really, most of the lets play I watch are for games I already own or for really old games.

 

[DementedSheep]

I've both bought and not bought games based on Lets Plays. One of the things I do when deciding whether or not I buy a game is watch a few random Lets Play videos. I got more than that from a review and certainly more than for official gameplay videos. Sometimes I'll realize I don't like the look of the gameplay but more often than it confirms I want the game. If the actual Lets Player is fun to watch I might go through their videos and as a result find games I might not have heard of or dismissed. I know a number of people who got Amnesia and Fatal Frame because of Lets Plays.
I suppose if the gameplay is bad or just not appealing to the person then lets plays could turn them off but you shouldn't have so little faith in your product that you want people to buy it blind and if I can?t find decent samples of normal gameplay without an agenda then I?m more likely just not bother with the game.
So unless the game is actually shit and you're relying on looking shinny, specific samples of gameplay and marketing to catch the unaware I think Lets Plays are going to be to to your advantage most of the time. It's not like a movie where you can get a similar experience watching it on YouTube rather than getting it yourself.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

I can definitely say LPs influenced my purchasing several titles. Don't Starve, Minecraft, Saints Row: The Third, Endless Space, XCOM...

I'm a big fan of the "try before you buy" doctrine and rarely buy games ahead of reviews or LPs. It's saved me from a ton of bad purchases, on the whole, and introduced me to games and indie devs I wouldn't have given the time of day to, otherwise.

It just has to be a serious LP, obviously. I can't judge a game's merits if I've got Tobuscus doing silly bullshit onscreen or if Markiplier's busy exaggerating his being scared by neat little horror titles that realistically can't drum up much more than the occasional classic junp-scare.

Hence, Totalbiscuit. Except when I think that he's being exceedingly picky, which occasionally happens.

 

[AlbertoDeSanta]

I also bought a game due to an LP. But it was only one and it was Okami, after Chuggaaconroy played it. I don't regret it and I don't care if you judge me for it because that game is probably one of the best games I've ever played.

 

[teebeeohh]

i don't buy games(generally, there are exceptions) unless i have seen gameplay that is not ripped out of context for marketing purposes.
the only time i watched an LP of a game i might have bought was heavy rain and the ultimate reason i didn't buy it was because i am not giving money to david cage.

 

[jdogtwodolla]

I've had my curiosities justified and turned off by let's plays.

I've made my choice to never buy any handheld Pokemon ever after watching Chuggaconroy play Emerald. I got to see that the game mechanics and the story just didn't gel with me.

And I've bought a few indie games from looking at people let's play them. For instance I got Wizorb after watching Davidr64yt have a go at it.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I've never watched LP's. Not once, nor am I interested in watching someone record their playthrough with snarky commenting. The most I watch is Unskippable and thats only because I was an MST3k fan back in the day.
I'm not saying anything against LP's, just that I don't find watching someone play through a game as a fun time waster. I'd rather be playing myself. Also I'm a good judge of whether or not I'll like a game without having to watch someone else play it.

 

[Something Amyss]

While arguing with someone on another forum about whether Nintendo were right or wrong to do this (hint: it's the latter) my opponent posited that while people may claim that LP's serve as free marketing for companies, they can just as easily turn people off games.

While that may be true, if I (and I can only speak for myself) am watching an LP of a game I haven't played, it's probably because I'm not going to buy it without demonstration anyway. There's no real implied risk of losing me as a customer. I'm either talked out of a game I wasn't going to buy otherwise or talked into a game I wasn't going to buy otherwise.

 

[Caiphus]

Just having a thinky think:

I bought FTL and Magicka after watching Totalbiscuit's WTF is... videos on them.

I bought Far Cry 3 and Euro Truck Simulator 2 after watching Nerdcubed's videos. Will probably buy Kerbal Space Program once it launches proper because of him as well.

Subscribed to TERA at launch because of Totalbiscuit as well (yes, yes, laugh all you want).

Bought Amnesia after watching Criken play it.


Also was dissuaded from buying a few games. Watching a let's play stopped me from buying Spore and that Warhammer 40K: Space Marine game. Even when the let's players had fun playing them, I was able to tell that they weren't for me.

So yeah, plenty.

 

[Brendan Stepladder]

I'm buying Superman 64 as a result of Proton Jon's LP.

...

OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I JUST SAID!?! (Still getting it though ;p)