content creation

Stumbling Into Success: How a Recent Gaming Obsession Turned Into One of My Most Successful Content Creation Ventures

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For almost the entirety of my content creation career, I have been fairly aimless in my approach. The content I created would jump between games, genres, and even mediums (board games and comics), as I simply made what I wanted at the moment I was ready to create something.

This has served me well in the sense that I had no shortage of material to work with in order to make something personally fulfilling, but it’s a real struggle for audiences to stick with my work. Most people don’t want read a review about Yoshi’s Crafted World, followed by a live stream VOD of Rogue Company, followed by a video about my goals for collecting board games, followed by a guide on how to set up your microphone for streaming. Without any real focus, the only people who truly followed my work were those who really like me as a person, as I was the only common thread between a disparate set of subject matter.

I’ve always known this was a problem if growing In Third Person was ever to be a priority for me. However, I always chose my personal fulfillment first. This led to me being happy with creating content of any sort at my leisure at the expense of growth. I was content with that reality.

…and then I stumbled on the Pokemon Trading Card Game.

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Factors Impacting My Content for In Third Person

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Whether I’m writing in-depth fighting game guides, sharing streaming advice, or recommending games for your next board game night, In Third Person has always been a reflection of my life situation and interests at any given moment in time. It makes for an experience that’s difficult to follow on an ongoing basis, but my top priority has always been to give myself the freedom to make whatever I want with the time I have available to commit to this passion project.

These last few years have been no different. Due to some major global events, lifestyle changes, and new hobbies, my output continues to change with me.

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Improve the Sound of Your Microphone by Adding a De-Esser in OBS

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When your voice gets recorded or broadcasted through a microphone, it oftentimes emphasizes the harsh tones that occur when you make certain sounds with your voice. In particular, sibilant consonants such as “s” and “z” are overemphasized through a microphone and create tones that are unpleasant to listen to. You don’t want to drive viewers away because it hurts their ears every time you say words like “snake”, “sand”, or “zebra”.

Thankfully, minimizing those unpleasant tones can be done through a de-esser. You can set one up in OBS within a matter of minutes with the help of this guide. Kudos to Atomic Overdrive for almost all of this information, as I followed their guide while trying to resolve my sibilance issues and am largely adapting their knowledge in this post. However, I will try to add any extra insight I have to make this a more complete guide for you, including where to put the de-esser in your processing chain.

Follow along and let’s make your voice even more pleasant to listen to by adding a de-esser in OBS!

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[VIDEO] Blue Yeti Nano vs. Shure MV7 – Sound Comparison and Best Settings for Both!

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The Blue Yeti Nano and Shure MV7 are two popular USB microphones. Which one works best for you? This video let’s you hear both out-of-the-box, as well as with processing to make both sound their best! I also share my thoughts on my experiences using both.

View the full post to see the video!

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What Gamers Can Learn From Music Streamers on Twitch

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One of my favourite non-gaming corners of Twitch to visit is the music section. From musicians showcasing their talents, to producers talking shop about the creative process, to DJ sets that give me something to listen to for extended sessions, there’s a lot of entertainment to be had here.

I also think there’s a lot that we as game streamers can learn from music streamers, even if we don’t have a musical bone in our bodies.

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Why I Treat Playing Video Games and Streaming Video Games on Twitch as Two Different Things

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At a certain point in my streaming journey, I made a very important distinction for myself:

Playing video games and streaming are two separate activities.

Making this adjustment has helped me manage managing my mental health while also putting myself in a better position to work towards my streaming goals. Here’s how I differentiate between the two and how I benefit.

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Examples of Twitch and YouTube Streaming Overlay Design Elements That I Really Like

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What makes for a good streaming overlay? With streaming as a medium still in its infancy, the answer is rapidly-evolving and highly-subjective. Once upon a time, overlays weren’t a thing. Then we moved into a phase where streamers filled the screen with design elements and widgets. These days, the new wave is a larger camera view within your gameplay scene so that viewers get a better view of the streamer.

Furthermore, overlays aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. As one example, I greatly prefer the look of streams that put the camera overtop of full-width gameplay. However, that particular presentation style doesn’t work for speed-runners who display their time splits on the side or for retro games that are presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Based on my experiences of watching Twitch and tinkering with my own overlay, here are aspects of overlay design that I like. There are links to every streamer I reference in case you’re interested in checking them out. I’m by no means an expert on overlay design. Just using this post to share design elements that I appreciate!

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My Experiences with Starting a Gaming TikTok

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Earlier this year, YouTube launched its Shorts video format. YouTube Shorts are vertically-oriented videos with a browsing mechanism similar to TikTok. Even in this early stage, a number of creators have greatly expanded their reach through this new format.

With YouTube being a priority for me, I decided to start making videos within the Shorts format. I was already making clips for Twitter and Instagram, so making YouTube Shorts was simply a matter of reformatting them for a vertical screen.

As it turns out, that YouTube Shorts vertical format is also same as TikTok. Though I’ve been reluctant to support more platforms with my content, I figured that if I’m going to make vertically-oriented clips for YouTube anyway, why not also post them on TikTok for greater reach with little extra effort?

Thus far, not much has come out of YouTube Shorts. TikTok though…

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Tips for Narrating and Commentating on Your Gameplay While Streaming on Twitch or YouTube

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Your voice is your most valuable asset as a streamer. No one else in the world sounds exactly like you. No one else has your exact perspective on the world. No one else can share your specific insight on a game or subject. The more you use your voice, the more you will stand out amongst the masses, even if you’re playing the same games as everyone else.

In spite of this power that we all wield, countless streamers under-utilize their voice. They sit silently for minutes at a time, even when some are streaming with the best microphone audio can buy. Considering how first impressions are usually made in seven seconds or less, viewers may be leaving in droves because your silence gives viewers the sense that you’re just another streamer playing a video game with nothing else to offer.

Coming up with stuff to talk about for hours on end is difficult, especially if you’re not the talkative type. Thankfully, there’s a convenient source of material to draw from right in front of your face: the game you’re playing. By narrating and commenting on you’re in-game actions, thought process, and reactions, you’ll almost always have something of value to say. Here are some tips for narrating and commentating like a pro!

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Common Challenges that 0-Viewer Twitch Streamers Face (and Potential Ways of Overcoming Them)

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Streaming to zero viewers isn’t something to be ashamed of. Roughly 88% of active streamers have an average concurrent viewership of 0-5 viewers. Many in that group never see viewers at all. It took me about a year of floundering on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch before finally finding my footing above the 0-viewer threshold.

For those who have ambitions of climbing out of that hole, maybe I can help? Though I certainly don’t have the experience or wisdom to help you become the next Ninja, the experience I do have may be enough to get you past 0-viewer Andy status.

Using the site nobody.live for reference, I decided to watch over 100 0-viewer streams and make note of some common factors that could be holding these streamers back. Here are some common challenges I noted and some potential solutions for overcoming them!

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