Notes

Minecraft's recent Surge on YouTube Proves that the "PewDiePie Effect" is still Real



Minecraft's recent surge on YouTube proves that the 'PewDiePie effect' is still in place


Minecraft's recent surge on YouTube proves that the 'PewDiePie effect' is still real


A term that was used five years ago is relevant again

By Julia Alexander



About two months ago Felix "PewDiePie” Kjellberg did something that his fans had been waiting for by creating an Minecraft video. He's been making them ever since. The result was Kjellberg's largest and most successful month to date and bringing in more than 570 million views in July and kicking off an era of new trends with some of the most prominent YouTube creators.



For the first time since January 2017, Minecraft has surpassed Fortnite as the most-searched game on YouTube. It's clear that Minecraft is having a moment again. This is similar to the "PewDiePie" Effect which was one of YouTube's first gaming trends.



Matthew Patrick, YouTuber and commentator, used the phrase "PewDiePie effect" to describe creators' influence on the market. Kjellberg, a YouTube creator who was criticized for using racist language in a gaming stream and also for incorporating anti-Semitic images into the video, was operating primarily on the gaming channel. The decision to upload an "Let's Play" series of a certain game typically resulted in increased sales.



Minecraft doesn't need Kjellberg Mojang's game of crafting has 91 million monthly players. YouTube is a major element in the game's success. The game found a place on YouTube that didn't exist elsewhere, and became the second most searched-for term on the platform back in 2014. In a strange twist, Kjellberg hasn't tried it because of its popularity and creators taking to the platform to gain attention.



Kjellberg said that it was as if people were playing because it was popular, and not because they were having fun playing it.



Since January 2017, 'Minecraft" has been the most popular game on YouTube for the first time.



Kjellberg claimed that Minecraft has become his full-time job. He says he enjoys playing the game and is having fun. In the same video that he "hasn't been paying attention to what's happening" online anymore, adding that "it's so goddamn liberating."



His efforts have paid off. VidIQ is a company that creates tools that allow YouTube creators to concentrate on their analytics, has discovered that Kjellberg is the "top creator for the [Minecraft] keyword," according to Rob Wilson who is an expert in content strategy. This means that if someone searches the term "Minecraft" most of the videos found on the first page are his.



"Essentially PewDiePie has embraced the most fundamental principle of the YouTube playbook," Wilson wrote. "Focus on a subject and present it to your audience with every video you make."



Other YouTube creators have also embraced the trend following McLoughlin's new interest in the game. Sean McLoughlin (a creator with more than 22 million subscribers) has also started to play the game. People have noticed Minecraft taking a break and decided to join the train before it goes away again. It's not entirely because of Kjellberg the YouTube creator. YouTube creator Keemstar's weekly Minecraft tournaments, for instance are also driving traffic and interest - however, the visibility of Kjellberg is a major factor, according to Wilson.



"This will also explain why some of your YouTube stars have recently returned to Minecraft or even dabbled in it, jumping on the wave of a resurgence trend, in this instance," Wilson wrote. "And I'm not going lie to you guys, that's exactly how we are doing it right now. Jumping on an inclination."



"This will also help explain why some of your YouTubers you love have suddenly returned to Minecraft."



Kjellberg declares that he's simply enjoying playing Minecraft, a point he emphasizes in almost all of his videos today. However Kjellberg also sees economic advantages. Ryan Wyatt, head YouTube Gaming, stated that Minecraft isn't just the most popular game on YouTube but it's also one the most advertiser-friendly.



Video games have become a more difficult content category to monetize. Even mega-conglomerates like AT&T have declared gaming as the kind of content they do not want to promote. There are a few games that advertisers are comfortable with but they're not considered dangerous or family-friendly. Free-forums Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft are three examples of these well-known games.



Kjellberg also earns money from his Minecraft obsession, which has 570 million views in July. The possibility of earning more might be a driving factor for other creators who are taking advantage of the trend, hoping that the trickle-down effect will increase their earnings.



The "PewDiePie effect," a term that was first utilized five years ago, remains very popular on YouTube.


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