Part of Dunkey's argument here is that he's helped players avoid randomly blundering into miserable games using his videos, and he's right. And the enthusiast will shape their choices through reviews, forums, and other sources. Those methods are imperfect, but they do inform purchasing decisions. Online stores use customer ranks to float the most popular cargo to the surface, and even casual gamers pick their poison based on experience, word of mouth, and known brands. ĭunkey is undeniably enthusiastic, but to start deconstructing these arguments, I don't think customers spin a roulette wheel when they buy a game. Big Mode will guarantee success by selecting only the most passionate developers and using Gastrow's expertise on which ideas 'always work' in games and which ideas 'never work'. Because he has spent years drawing attention to stellar indie titles like Spelunky, Enter the Gungeon, and Hollow Knight, he is positioned to pick the best of the best and deliver them to audiences. However, his channel has been where 'real' games fans go to find the cream of the crop, and Gastrow feels like he plays almost every game that releases. There are so many subpar products coming out that we're drowning in them, and you're probably going to get saddled with some junk.

Gastrow says that when you buy a game today, it's like buying a loot crate. I'm here because, given Dunkey's influence, I think it's beneficial to talk about misunderstandings and behaviour I see in his pitch and his other videos. So, it's worth paying attention to this video.īefore I say anything else, I want to put out there that I'm writing this post in the interest of genuine criticism, not to hurt or offend anyone. Big Mode is games criticism news full stop, and Gastrow's views reflect and inform many of those in the gaming community. In his proportional reach, he's the modern equivalent of the editor-in-chief for one of those big 90s gaming magazines.

However, Dunkey is an entertainer and critic with over seven million subscribers and upwards of three and a half billion views on his channel. At first blush, that might sound like an issue that impacts a limited community far from us. Around the end of September, YouTube comedian and critic Jason 'videogamedunkey' Gastrow uploaded a ten-minute video announcing that he and his wife, Leah Gastrow, would be starting a new indie game publisher: Big Mode.

Dunkey playing spooky