Скачать или смотреть Why Do We Watch People Play Games? | The History of Let's Play

The history of the "Let's Play" is a fascinating journey from niche internet forums to the global phenomenon that dominates YouTube and Twitch today. This video explores its humble text-based origins, the early video pioneers, the YouTube boom that created a new generation of celebrities, and how the format continues to evolve with live streaming.

A massive thank you to the amazing community at r/letsplay on Reddit. Your shared knowledge, personal stories, and passion for the craft were invaluable in the research and creation of this video. This one's for you!

Chapters
0:00 - 0:58 - Intro
0:59 - 3:16 - Part 1 Why I love Video Games/Let's Plays
3:17 - 5:26 - Part 2 A brief History of Video Games
5:27 - 5:46 - Part 2.5? Ralph Baer
10:47 - 25:56 - The History of the Let's Play
25:57 - 28:13 - Outro

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** SOURCES BELOW**

Beebe, Evan. “5 Times the US Military Has Used Video Games for Training and Readiness.” IDGA, 1 Nov. 2024, b/articles/5-times-us-military-used-video-games-for-training-and-readiness.

“The First Video Game?” BNL, www.bnl.gov/about/history/firstvideo.php. Accessed 30 June 2025.

Howell, Elizabeth, et al. “The Story of NASA’s Real ‘Hidden Figures.’” Scientific American, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-story-of-nasas-real-ldquo-hidden-figures-rdquo/.

Lien, Tracey. “People Watched Twitch Plays Pokémon for a Billion Minutes.” Polygon, Polygon, 30 Aug. 2014, www.polygon.com/2014/8/30/6087627/people-watched-twitch-plays-pokemon-for-a-billion-minutes.

Magnavox Odyssey Video Game Unit, 1972 | National Museum of American History, americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1302004. Accessed 1 July 2025.

“PONG - First Documented Video Ping-Pong Game - 1969.” YouTube, YouTube,    • PONG - First documented Video Ping-Pong ga...  . Accessed 30 June 2025.

R/Letsplay on Reddit: Earliest Known Lets Play?, www.reddit.com/r/letsplay/comments/7mubp7/earliest_known_lets_play/. Accessed 1 July 2025.

“Retsuspective: Slowbeef Interview.” YouTube, YouTube,    • Retsuspective: Slowbeef Interview  . Accessed 30 June 2025.

Signifier, F.D. “Why Are Black People so Good at Fighting Games?” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Mar. 2024,    • Why are black people so good at fighting g...  .

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Pong". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pong. Accessed 30 June 2025.