I'll bite.

I can go with a hard "nope" on all of your opinions and conclusions here dirk.

I have a very specific set of objective physical attributes that I am looking for when analyzing a game.
Videos are extremely useful to my style of objective analysis.
I get about 90% of what I need to know about how a game -- how it sounds and shoots -- from watching an hour of game play.
More often than not, playing in person is a trivial exercise for me, and simply confirms what I determined from the videos.

Now to highlight your general point of view, I can say that it's typical for me to notice something delightfully special about the game in person that I couldn't realize from the videos, but it's typically trivial and subjective compared to the information I can gather from watching videos. Such as (the lighting feels good, or the ramps feel smooth)... Which is small in comparison to: "25% of the bricked shots fly into the outlanes with no recourse possible -- that sure doesn't look like fun design."

I do not expect most enthusiasts to have the same level of obsession with physics, and exploring the sound sets that I have, and thus may not gain the same value from watching ball travel in videos, and listening to the sound (with video off) as I do.

I think more people are excited by theme, code, and LCD integrations.
-mof

If all YouTube videos and streaming went away tomorrow, people would still bitch about games they’ve never played.

I don’t know how ANYONE watches streaming pinball! It drives me nuts that the screen is the wrong direction!

That said, I have a great on location place that gets pretty much every new title pretty quickly. So I’m a bit spoiled.

But that’s ok, cause I deserve to be spoiled!! LOL.

I generally agree. Watching videos can be helpful, but it's no substitute to playing in person.

I find Todd Tuckey & Spida's videos vastly superior and more entertaining than the typical streaming videos of today.

Meh. With the exception of certain kinds of porn I really don’t watch videos of people doing things I would rather do in person.

People who judge a game after only watching a stream of it are fools. Streams give you the general sense of how a game plays, a demonstration of the current code, and if it is grating.

Go to shows, play the games. Play the ones you thought you wouldn’t like. Play the ones you thought you would like. Judge them then. Play the games that make you happy. Thank the streamers who give you a chance to see those games until you can play them.

Videos of pinball play are a great resource - along with tilt forums, pinside, podcasts, etc. Use them with discretion and a grain of salt.

I do agree, however, the level of criticism here on pinside about some of the newer games lately based on streams and videos is pretty silly.

It gives an impression of the sounds and rules.. but judging bricked shits or flow is stupid as you dont have the same skill level as the person playing in the stream..

No one is forcing streams on anyone. You have to actually go out of your way to watch them!

Just wait until you see the game to form your opinion, and tune out all the Pinside noise if you feel like it’s affecting your enjoyment in a negative fashion.

Gives me the opportunity to see basic pf layout and rules. Williams did it back in the days before YouTube.

My judgements are based off of actually playing if possible and my passion for the title and developers. If it ain’t Lyman I’m seriously not serious on shelling out on Stern anymore.

Don't watch video of any new games, I prefer to have my first impression be when I'm standing in front of the real thing, hands on the flipper buttons!!

The exception to that was with WOZ because of the 3+ year wait, but since then, I wait until I can find the game to play.

It wasn't too long ago we had NO videos of a new game at first, and all we had were some photos, and for certain we analyzed the shit out of them and decided whether the game was crap or not.

i ask this...how do you sit there and watch people play a game for 2 hours on you tube? i can't take it after a few minutes.

Same way that one friend, and we all have them, will dominate a multiplayer game for 1/2 hour. Ladies are already bored and walking away.

If it’s a competition, it’s easy.

I think pinball gameplay streams are great to watch in short bursts. If it's a general gameplay video I'll watch for maybe 5-15 minutes just to see how a game appears to play and how the toys within it operate. I avoid watching any longer as I don't want a game spoiled. I want to discover modes, especially wizard modes and super wizard modes, on my own if it's a game I either own or I'm interested in purchasing one day. There's multiple videos out there for JJP Pirates titled "reaching wizard mode X". I'll avoid every single type of video like that that for any game I own or may purchase one day.

Some of my favorite videos are the tutorial videos by Bowen. Those are slightly different then a streaming format as they are pre-recorded and have a specific intention (a tutorial) versus just streaming gameplay. Even those videos though I'll only watch for maybe 15 minutes, if it's a game I own, as I don't want anything discovered deeper in the game to be spoiled.

I grew up watching Starcade so streaming doesn't bother me too much.

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I just can't watch long on them same w sdtm. I like the show and all, but too long.

SDTM recently did a nice job with wonka announcement - brief gameplay video teaser and out.

I tend to avoid regular streaming content as it potentially spoils a game experience Id rather seek out and discover on my own.

From manufacturer standpoint, it’s the kiiss of death. These live streams of people playing JJP WW actually hurt there sales. Same goes for BK SOR.

These games haven’t even seen the streets and people are saying they’re a POS without even playing.

Tutorial streaming once the game is out and in the wild is one thing, but the continuous videos of major modes and gameplay kill it.

If these companies were smart they would launch these games by livestream by an intro video (SDTM Willy Wonka style) and an unveiling of the pin itself and not allow any live footage of gameplay. There’s nothing left to the imagination at this point, and if you happen to see someone playing the game thats bricking every shot, then the game becomes a total turd in everyone’s eyes.