"Let's Play" Communities

Abstract

Let's Plays (or LPs) are recordings of video gameplay with commentary from the player, that are then shared online for others to view. The creation and sharing of Let's Play content has grown significantly over the last decade. Several of the most popular channels on YouTube, with millions of subscribers consuming their content on a daily basis, feature LPs. However, while there is some research on the ways by which YouTube content creators operate, the origins of LP as a genre/paratextual artifact, and by extension the community that originated its practice, have not been fully documented. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for scholars to fully comprehend the historical context of this form of creative expression, and the influence it has had on contemporary online entertainment media. To address this, the first and longest running LP community, the Something Awful LP subforum, will be examined through data analysis and ethnographic approaches. Part of this work will be to analyze and define LP as a paratextual artifact, and how the cultural practices of the community produce those artifacts. With those concepts in place, this research will then examine how platform systems, such as YouTube, the Something Awful forums, and streaming services, have changed the ways in which LPs are created, shared, and engaged with by the community. By documenting the history of the LP community, the reasons why people join it, and the practices by which they make LPs, future scholars and companies will be better equipped to engage with these growing communities.