Good video content creators outside of GB?

I'm going to be starting my own YouTube channel very soon, finally making the move from commenter to content creator that I've wanted to for years. I watch lots of other commentators, but I'm always up for expanding my horizons, so I wanted to ask people here who they like to watch. It'll help me with my own content if I'm more familiar with what people like and how others approach videos. Right now I'm subbed to MetalJesusRocks, TotalBiscuit, Matthewmatosis, Gamester81, teh2Dgamer, and the mighty Jim Sterling, though I do watch other videos from those I don't subscribe to.

I have tried to make content in the past, but I haven't seriously committed to it because I was still a bit scattered in where I want to direct my creativity at the time. Tragic life events always got in the way of my confidence, as well as massive insecurities, but somehow I still did most of an LP of LEGO Island about 4 years ago that got quite a lot of views, though I suspect that was mostly because it was LEGO. I am not great at playing video games, but I'm a passionate gamer and I've been on the pulse of the culture since a very young age, reading IGN at 9 years old and writing about games on forums (like, paragraphs) since 11. I figure if I'm still doing this crap at 24, maybe it's time I do something more constructive and create my own content for other young minds like mine to watch.

I'm not going to share all of my ideas, but I will say that I'll be quite liberal with what I include on my channel, I want the focus to be on ALL videogames and not just new releases or retro or anything like that. I also want my content to be both critical and informative without being abrasive or overly silly (though it will still be humourous at times), I'm no JonTron so I'm not going to pretend that I am. I'll have some op-ed stuff too, but not on a regular basis. I don't plan on monetizing the channel unless I happen to get a fanbase that wants to support me, I don't want to look like a tryhard begging for subscriptions. I have a full-time job already so I don't need this to be my entire life, though I admit that would be cool. My father is helping me out with an Elgato and a high-quality microphone, but everything else (editing, channel titles etc) is going to be out of my pocket and done by me.

One thing I really like about Giant Bomb is their knowledge base when talking about older titles permits them to drop some history and insight, and that's something I'd want in my content. That's why initially I'll be covering games that I have personal history with, as it is easiest for me to discuss those, but I will of course be taking suggestions down the line if I take off. It would also hopefully not be solely me on the channel, I'd bring in guests to talk about their favourite games or their opinions on games. Most of all, I want it to be fun, I want people to enjoy watching and ideally have a greater appreciation for video games as a whole.

tl;dr sorry about the surprise pitch, let me know who your favourite content creators are and I'll check them out :) don't be shy to link to your own channel either if you want!

@dudeglove: Thanks for the recommendations, and thank you for the kind words! I've actually got a decent amount of editing experience already, as my friend and I used to make short films for fun back in high school, nothing too effects-heavy though. I know it takes a hell of a lot of work, but I know it's something that will make my life more enjoyable so I'm prepared to do it.

I tend to watch a ton of different things but the channel that I have been paying attention to a lot more recently is Kinda Funny. They're the guys that split from IGN a while back and have been doing a lot of cool stuff since going independent. They technically have two channels, their flagship and Kinda Funny Games, but they do a lot of cool stuff on both. Good luck with the new channel!

You might like LazyGameReviews. He focuses on classic/obscure PC games and hardware, and is a great change of pace from the loud wacky hosts, while still being funny. I think new YouTubers could learn a hell of a lot from his channel. Even if they don't, it's a great crash course on PC and gaming history, and his collection is a sight to behold.

https://youtu.be/N8XLN1N0vtM

I like Many A True Nerd a lot. Their single health bar, no healing run of New Vegas is one of the best LPs I've ever seen.

look up Super Bunny Hop, Matthew Matosis, and Super Best Friends Play

I like Gopher a lot. He tries to roleplay the games that he plays (most prominently Skyrim, Fallout, etc) as well as making modding videos for those. Plus, a great voice. Not the best gamer out there, but just an interesting way to play which I could never do.

Game Informer's video stuff is probably the closest thing to Giant Bomb out there, you might want to check them out.

The Two Best Friends Play on youtube are really good.

For me I go with the SA LP crew any of them are worth watching Chip Cheezum is doing a really really great playthrough of Watchdogs right now and is tearing that game apart.

Retsuprae with Slowbeef and Diabetus

Chipcheezum and General Ironicus

Arthur D Wolfe

GeopLP

I second Chip and Ironicus! In the LP space, they are among the best if not the best. To anyone frustrated by the MGScalon series, these guys are like the exact opposite when it comes to their LPs of Metal Gear, and they have all 4 to boot.

Super Best Friends Play (TheSw1tcher) are pretty good, I especially love their fighting games show and their podcast.

I only watch three other people besides GB play video games.

One is the Game Informer staff's super replay (which was great, cause I already knew Dan when he got hired).Tim Turi is the sweetest human being ever. I want to stuff him and his delightful Minnesota accent right in my pocket.

Another is Game Grumps on youtube. It took a lot of patience to get used to their overuse of potty/sexual humor, but they are genuinely the funniest let's players I've ever watched on youtube when they're not resorting to that lowbrow stuff, and they have an intense bromance going on that is adorable.

Finally, there's EpicNameBro, also on youtube. He's the only solo let's player I've ever gotten into. Almost all he does is Dark Souls and Bloodborne (although he's also playing The Witcher 3 right now). I love him because of how intelligent and thoughtful he is. He picks apart the world, lore, and mechanics of these games so completely. He's shown me so much stuff about Dark Souls I never knew, and I've played through that game 4 times. He's so observant that he noticed a tiny logical error in some dialogue in Witcher 3's first area that almost anyone would miss, and was later contacted by someone who worked on the game saying, "yeah...that's a translation error. Oops. Our bad." I guess it makes sense that he was hired to help write the official guides for Dark Souls II and Bloodborne (and I'm sure it comes as no surprise, but his Bloodborne series is THE one to watch). In my ideal dream world, this is the guy I would have reading my epic fantasy novels before anyone else got a chance to, because I know he would just spot so much inconsistent shit and question things I didn't even think about.

Kinda Funny is my alternate to Giant Bomb. Those guys are great.

All hail the Zaibatsu!

Just subscribed to him cause of the recommendations in this thread. Going through Bloodborne right now, been struggling a bit, his videos will definitely help!

I'm a huge fan of Hat Films myself. A trio of buddies who essentially just play multiplayer games together, like Trials, Worms, GTA5, Garry's Mod and a lot of Minecraft etc. They have a chemistry that is unmatched IMO.

Also, good on you for taking the leap :)

- Videogamer is a group of people, and while they're a lot more skit heavy than the GB crew they remind me a lot of them. Also The Miller Report and 7 Reasons Why... are probably the funniest shows on the internet.

- Jim Sterlings YT stuff isn't nearly as well produced as most other big name LP players out there, but he is very jovial, very frank and plays a pool of games that rarely gets played by that crowd.