News 📜
May 18th, 2026
Let's start with the straightforward — we hit a major milestone recently! 🏆 The first 1 million viewed video! It's just a Short, but a win's a win! (We also got a 500k video too!) Now on to the more introspective bit:
We're in a different era of YouTube; everyone and their grandma has a YouTube channel, and that's not a bad thing! Getting so many unique perspectives across the planet 🌎 has been insightful and enjoyable, and really it's why I'm on YouTube in the first place. I want different and interesting takes on my favorite video games, and I encourage folks to make content sharing their unique perspective on things. Some of my favorite watches last year were from smaller creators and underrated videos. [If you want proof]
Rather, the issue with the large number of folks on the platform these days, is the degree we're all siphoned into chasing fame and fortune. ✨ Yes, there are scammers and starstruck grease monkeys churning out everything they can to make it big, but the platform itself encourages and prods you with this constantly, even those with the noblest of intentions. You see, if one million creators only got modest, unsustainable success on the platform, that's still a massive success for the YouTube organization. With the recent algorithm shifts, it seems YouTube doesn't prioritize individual creators anymore, but instead the content across the platform. Maybe that sounds good to you; videos now succeed on their own merits, not big creators unfairly soaking up everything just because they're big. Yes, anyone can create a hit in 2026. 🎊 But that also means, anyone can create a fail. ❌ You cannot expect to retain an audience from one video to the next, and niche videos take the biggest hit. It doesn't matter your sub count, if you make a video on Art Style: Rotozoa, you aren't getting a million views (prove me wrong, I dare you).
But the real secret, is niche content can succeed. HOWEVER, you HAVE to package it for click-through rate. In other words, sensationalized and/or clickbait. And with so many creators on the platform, only the most optimized videos grow your audience. For an independent creator, it's tiresome and frustrating for an entire month of effort to hinge on corporate, analytical packaging. I put less effort into my latest video than the last five (individually), but guess which one performed best? At least I still like the video...
This all is not what I signed up for when I started making videos; and that's OK, but pursuing a career on YouTube looks to be business first and creative outlet second, which is not a goal I'm ready to commit to. So then, YouTube goes back into the hobby bin while I search for a more sustainable life path. One day I expect YouTube releases to kick up again, perhaps sooner than you think, but one thing's for sure: now that I've broken the ice on 10-minute videos, I'll be around every once and a while. You won't be waiting over a year before I post again.
Thanks for all your support over the years; you have made the journey so valuable and I owe my successes to you tuning in. No matter what's next for the channel, I haven't forgotten your kindness and encouragement. I hope you have an engaging and exciting day! See you later...
I Realized Why I Like Liminal Spaces (POOLS)
Ever since The Backrooms (Found Footage) took stage, I've been immersed into liminal spaces. The game POOLS caught my attention, for catering to the endless, oppressive hallways while excluding monsters. (Also I think I like Poolrooms.) Even in this more relaxed experience, I still felt unnerved and vexed. It wasn't until I had the opportunity to float down a lazy river in person, that I finally understood why POOLS had such an impact. As an adult, the lazy river is pretty boring. But as a child... Our journey starts there. Join me in this short video essay where we dissect POOLS in connection to childhood, the dark of night, and...furniture. Along the way, we'll see some other liminal spaces from games such as Super Mario 64, Minecraft, and B3313.