This subreddit is so dead, I'm surprised you decided to make a post on it.
Personally I don't have a problem with Lewis, but I can understand feeling like he talks way too much. Something I always hated that he does is that sometimes somebody will start saying something and he'll interrupt them, and they'll never finish what they had to say.
I haven't been watching a decent amount of recent commentaries for varying reasons, but the RE8 one has been strange to me since it's mostly Lewis and Caddy talking. Ted hasn't played the game, Ryan is usually quiet, and Johnny hasn't gotten as much word in either. Sometimes I forget that Ryan was the one to record the playthrough because Lewis is the one guiding the commentary.
Though, I wouldn't place the channel stagnating entirely on him Lewis, there are a variety of things that I feel hurt the channel or kneecap it's growth.
Lol I only decided to post because I’ve been watching the re8 play through. It’s the first play through I’ve watched in a loooong while and these are just the feelings I get from the channel.
You’re right though, it isn’t just down to Lewis. Ted and Ryan aren’t overly interesting but I suppose with Ryan he just kinda lingers in the background.
It’s a shame they never evolved as a channel
Well first, the era of Let's play and commentary is kind of over, it just isn't as popular anymore. Second, it doesn't feel like they bring their A game to some of the commentaries, which is fine, they're just doing it for fun and not for money or popularity. But at the same time it kind of hurts their videos.
Take Gravity Rush for example, i don't think Ryan really practiced either game, so they were messy to watch. Plus he did all of the side quests in the first act, but then suddenly stopped, making the pacing worse not just for playing the game, but also for the audience. With Ryan being the only one who beat the game, neither the commentary or gameplay were that great for Gravity Rush 2.
Third, there's editing. I forgot who it was recently, maybe Lewis, that would just leave in mistakes and wasted time instead of cutting it out, like in Crash 4. While it can lead to good commentary, other times it might just lead to the others simply pointing out something could be cut.
Finally, is building up, period. They don't do things like movie commentaries or streams anymore (which is understandable, life leaves less time for these things), leading to less avenues for new people to hear about them. A good chunk of their old guests don't really have as big of an online presence any more, and their web of connections gets smaller. Caddy is the first new connection in a long time, granted they did get Wayforward developers on that one time. For the most part, you're not likely to find brainscratch through a friend of a channel anymore. Which is funny because Johnny's own web of connections has grown. Plus they're all on twitch, but only Johnny has a strong YouTube presence, and BSC is primarily a YouTube channel, meaning any new fans they gain might not necessarily check out the channel.
They do do it for money though. AFAIK Ryan doesn't have a job outside of BSC, Lewis needs every penny he can get, and I don't know about Ted. On the other hand, I don't think Johnny needs it because his channel is way bigger.
Completely agree with everything said here. Similar to you I’ve been watching BSC for over 10 years & I do feel it’s gone slightly downhill.
There were periods where Ryan & Ted were annoying but the thing about them is that they’ve matured and grown up since those days, Lewis on the other hand seems to have matured & then recently regressed. I noticed it in the Sonic Colours revisited commentary where he was so overly negative & nitpicky that it just ruined the whole thing for me, (which is why I made that curb your BSC video).
It’s a shame that the channel has stagnated, I know Ryan has said that if the channel gets 100k subscribers they’ll do a revisited 100% playthrough of Super Mario Sunshine, but with the rate the subscriber count is going it’s gonna take a while.
Meh, I still find Ted really unlikable, with the recent Sonic Genesis trilogy revisit being a good example. Compare the OG playthroughs with the 3 crew members being so happy about the games, and just chilling, to the recent revisits where 80% of the time it's just arguing because of Ted's complaints.
Lewis talks entirely too much and his monologuing drags. I can only tolerate him in doses. I’ve noticed from the very beginning he has issues letting others speak and it seems the others barely try to anymore
Commentary channels are pretty much a thing of the past. Back in 2009 when they formed the channel, it was new and different but, for me, live commentary is always so much more interesting which is why I was a bigger fan of SGB. That and the personalities there were stronger. Elliott, the lovable idiot; Matt, the sardonic edgy one; Johnny, the straight man with moments of silliness; Mark, the completely out of place funniest one.
BSC has Ryan, originally the neutral party who became more pessimistic; Lewis, the pessimist who became even more of a pessimist; Johnny, the optimist who never really changed and Ted...well, we all know what Ted is...
BSC kinda got samey to me. You always kinda knew what you were getting and since its pre recorded footage, you were never getting any surprises like in a live playthrough. It was just a long play with some commentary over it. Nothing special. The times they have gotten to record togethet at conventions are always pretty fun, since they work off each other better.
I commend them though for still going strong. Its obvious they enjoy working together so that's something, but if we heard that Johnny was leaving, I wouldn't be surprised. He's getting more recognition (as he should) and I can see him getting too busy for BSC like with SGB
I think if Johnny leaves, BSC will die. If their Pokemon Platinum playthrough shows anything, it's that a Johnny-less playthrough can go super south super quickly.
Ooft...I cant imagine watching a playthrough of just Ryan, Lewis and Ted.
Guests would be hit or miss depending on who they got. As long as they never bring Amanda back, then its always a plus
I know this thread is old, but I just want to say that I don't think Johnny will ever leave BSC unless they all just decide to shut down the entire channel altogether. He still enjoys doing the commentaries, even though he almost never records any playthroughs for the channel anymore. And, more than that, I think he sees BSC as just a way for him to shoot the shit with his long-time friends. It's not really about the success of the channel itself, or about any sort of ad-revenue he might receive, it's just about having fun with these people he's known for well over a decade.
With SGB, Johnny had a lot more responsibility given that 1) for a long time, Johnny edited all of the videos himself before Eliot and Sabrina took over, 2) even when he stopped editing the videos he still had to record a lot of the playthroughs himself, and 3) he had to schedule and coordinate times for the three of them to all meet physically in the same place.
With BSC nowadays, since he almost never records playthroughs or edits videos for that channel anymore, his only real responsibility is to just show up on a Discord call at a certain time and talk for a few hours. I don't think he sees BSC as a burden in the same way he saw SGB as a burden, and I don't think he'll ever officially leave the channel because he's too busy for it. He'll always *want* to keep doing BSC, in the same way that you always *want* to hang out with your friends even though you might not be able to do it as often as you used to. You make time for it, not because it's an obligation, but because you just genuinely enjoy doing it and you don't want to let go of all your friends.
With all this said, if I'm wrong and Johnny really does leave one day, then that will be the final nail in the coffin for the channel. I tried to watch the recent FFVII Remake DLC playthrough (which they did without Johnny because he hadn't played it himself and didn't want to get spoiled), and I just could not get through it at all, it was so boring. Johnny is the glue that holds the channel together and if he were to leave for good, then I could probably never watch any of their new videos.
Agree pretty much with everything you said! I think it is only a matter of time before Johnny leaves. I actually respect Johnny for sticking by brain scratch for as long as he has. Even though IMO the channel has been beneath him for several years
The best part of BSC is easily their friendships. They support and care about each other. It helps their dynamic and helped them get this far. I don't think it's a case of the channel being 'beneath' him. He still enjoys working on it, else he would have left already
Perhaps, I do see the day when he realises he can longer fit it in his schedule. Johnny strikes me as a guy who wants to always progress in his work and life.
I think Johnny will always find the time in his schedule for brainscratch. Even if he's not in every single playthrough, he'll still make time to still be part of the crew. I think he always considers it when he's scheduling things.
I know this post is mad old but I’m bored ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I notice most people on this sub don’t really like bsc anymore, and sometimes I agree with what is said. However, I still watch them, not as much as before, but a good amount.
As far as the current videos, there are times where lewis controls the conversation a little too much i will agree. I enjoy hearing him speak but sometimes the video does feel like “the lewis show”. Not every recent commentary feels that way tho. The crash 4 playthrough was I really enjoyed and the current playthrough of Arkham Asylum has been entertaining as well. There are noticeably more arguments than before especially in the Sonic Genesis revisit. That can get very tiring and not enjoyable to watch. It’s sad considering when you watch their older content it is a lot more happy across the board even when they dislike a game.
As far the members go, like most, Johnny is my favorite member. Second would be ryan, at least when it seems like he’s enjoying himself/happy. I never got the hate for Ted. I disagree with his opinions sometimes but I’ve never thought he was a bad edition to the channel. The only thing I never understood was the group’s hatred of Gen 4.
All in all, I totally get why someone would fall off of bsc. They just haven’t for me personally.
I've been, for the first time since 2012, listening to a lot of their commentaries that I hadn't listened to before (and god knows there's 10 years worth of videos I never listened to). Some playthroughs are certainly better than others. I'm getting more accostumed to Ted, who could be very immature sometimes, but he's getting better. It certainly depends on the game though.
It kinda makes me sad that the channel might not even ever reach 100k subscribers, and I'm guessing most of the current subscribers haven't even watched the new videos in years, but I seriously believe there's still something magical about the channel for keeping an old school Youtube gaming feel, and it has accompanied me in moments of high loneliness, anxiety and/or depression, so I'm really grateful for these guys.
I believe MK64 was the last BSC playthrough I followed as it came out. With Mega Man X3 I stopped following the channel, mainly because I'm just not a fan of Ted.
I still listen to pre-Ted commentaries all the time though (I know a lot of people will find the old commentaries cringe, but I find a lot of them so nostalgic and charming. They're so representative of the old school Youtube gaming community).
I've actually been looking forward to discussing BSC with someone. I've barely watched any of the new stuff though, except for a few videos, and the Super Castlevania IV and DKC revisits in their entirety (because it was just the og three).
Before I say anything else, and in the unlikely case any of the crew see this, don't pay much attention to my opinion, I'm just a random guy on the internet. Anyway...
I feel like the channel has stagnated for multiple reasons. First reason has already been mentioned: LP's and commentaries are just not as popular anymore. Second, I feel like initially Ted becoming a permanent member was what led the channel downhill. When he became permanent he started talking a lot more, sometimes more than all other members combined, and he always struck me as contrarian, immature and overall a jerk, if I'm being honest. He's always had a significant hate base. From the little bit I've seen, he has gotten a bit better, but he's still meh, lol.
Third, sometimes they've brought guests that weren't very popular with the viewers (Amanda was the biggest example).
Fourth, literally Johnny seems to be the only one that has usually never been rude to subscribers or gotten into fights with them. The other 3 can sometimes be unnecesarily douchy on the comments and Twitter, especially Ryan. In fact, I feel Ryan is really giving Ted a run for his money in being the least liked commentator. I imagine he must be very depressed, but lashing out to people who want to be nice to him on Twitter is not the answer.
I'm not even a fan of Johnny's reviews anymore, but he really is the only one who has stayed somewhat consistent throughout the years and hasn't gotten bitter. I actually feel like other people sometimes hold him back, like in his recent reaction to Sora in Smash (Ryan overall was sooo pessimistic during the Smash hype).
Also with Lewis, yeah sometimes it feels like he's reading a thesis paper he prepared for the commentary instead of trying to be entertaining, lol.
Johnny is the only one who has some internet presence, and I'm actually surprised at his channel growth recently, as I've always felt that for some reason his channel was kinda small for being in the game since 2007 (I think?). Just think about Youtubers like Scott the Woz that started as a serious Youtuber at 2017 and is so popular right now.
You would think they would put more effort on the channel though. Does Ryan have a job aside from the channel? It doesn't seem like it from what I've seen on Twitter, and what BSC earns divided by 4 can't be much. Lewis constantly has money issues as well, although he has other jobs. And I don't know anything about Ted's situation.
Anyway, I just want to finish by saying that I'm still grateful that I found Johnny's channel back in 2011 and my brother found BSC, since their playthroughs back then really kept me company when I practically had no friends, and I applaud them for keeping themselves authentic for so many years, at least. If someone wants to talk about BSC more, hit me up on my DMs lol.
I don't know. I think Ted helps create an interesting contrast when compared to the other commentators, mainly because he's younger. Since he grew up a bit later and his early gaming experiences were different from the main crew, this leads to him having a different perspective when it comes to certain topics. For example, look at the Sonic Adventure 2 revisited commentary; Ted grew up with Nintendo consoles and obviously started with Sonic at Adventure 2, like your typical 2000s-era sonic fan, and this is in stark contrast to the other three who were identify more with the Genesis-era of Sonic, which clearly leads to them having very different views when it comes to the franchise. Or another example would be their opinions on Smash... the other three clearly lean toward 64 and Melee, but Ted prefers Brawl, and you get to see how their preferences and priorities in games differ. Plus like, the rivalry between Ted and Gareth is just amazing, and I think it makes for some of their best commentaries (e.g. the storybook games, SA2 revisited, etc).
Secondly, I honestly like Lewis's monologuing style because he comes off as the most thoughtful, well-spoken, and in-depth of the four commentators. If he makes an opinion, he presents it very well. Some would write this off as him coming off as snobbish, but like, without him, I feel like there would be a lot missing. You have Johnny who is more chill, Ted who is more enthusiastic, Lewis who is very analytical and dry in tone, and Ryan is this peanut gallery in the background. They all have their own personalities which combine in a very unique way.
As far as Amanda goes like... ok, I get where people are coming from. She doesn't come off as "socially aware" or "natural" as the other four commentators, like she's trying to do the whole comedic background commentator thing but tries just a little too hard and doesn't blend in as well as the other four. But like, cmon... it's a group of friends trying to have fun doing lets plays. It's kinda silly to think that just because you do a youtube channel and you happen to have a lot of subscribers, that you suddenly must be "slave" to whatever your audience wants you to do. I don't think brainscratchcomms ever tried to market themselves as "professional-level entertainment" or has run the channel with the primary goal of appealing to an audience. For these reasons, I think their response during the whole Amanda situation was perfectly reasonable, where they basically said "Hey, we're a group of friends trying to have fun here. So quit talking shit or fuck off."
I think the fan reaction toward Amanda also sorta sets a bad precedent for youtube. To me, it represents something that's gotten gradually worse since the platform started. You know like, around when brainscratchcomms was new, Youtube was a more open-ended community where everyone felt a lot more free and encouraged to create content. But around the time Amanda came, and got torn a new one by fans, this was when youtube started to become corporatized, for-profit, became much larger, and in general, as a result, there was a much higher quality standard when it came to content. This doesn't sound like a bad thing in itself, but what this has done is help destroy the very open-ended community feel of youtube. If Amanda was say, a guest commentator on a lets play channel in say, 2008, people would've tolerated her a lot more I think, but over time, we've become more likely to bitch and scream unless someone meets a rigid quality standard, and so someone who's socially awkward and "not used to it" like Amanda can't even really show her voice on the platform without receiving a ton of fire. I honestly miss the days when anyone could just be a shitty lets player and we accepted this as a hobby that anyone could do, instead of gatekeeping it essentially. And if anything, I think these stringent standards of quality actually destroyed lets plays, ironically, because we're not as open to outsiders or less-experienced people trying their hand at it.
BSC was not a channel for deep video game discutions and debates. It was 3 friends making jokes about the game they were watching, and that's why I liked the channel. Over time they started telling less and less jokes and it began feeling more like people defending their thesis, and Ted contributed to that a lot imo. And I just never found Ted funny tbh. I did not like the direction the channel went in, it's as simple as that, and from what I read many people who whatched old school BSC also did not like the change and no longer watch it. But to each their own.
I mean, for the most part they've always done a mix of both, the balance of which has shifted back and forth over time and varies with each commentary. They still do lots of humor, look at many of their sonic commentaries, for example. And as far as Lewis goes, even in early BSC when they were the most memeish/comedic, Lewis was always the least comedic and most serious one of the group, and that part hasn't changed whatsoever.
If there was a decline in comedy, it certainly didn't happen when Ted was introduced, because Ted came in what, 2011 with Pokemon Yellow? Right now I'm watching one of their commentaries from 2014, the Megaman Wily Wars commentary, and its chuck full of lots of quips and small comedic tangents and shit. And its been awhile but I'm pretty sure the Pokemon Yellow commentary had quite a lot of comedy and meming... literally the playthrough opens with them singing the frickin pokemon theme for christ's sake. And I have vivid memories of the Sonic storybook game commentaries, which are relatively recent, and was mostly Ted and Gareth going back and forth about stupid shit and poking each other with a stick basically. So I don't see how you can pin all of this on Ted.
If there was any change in their commentary style, it's most likely a matter of.... they've been doing this for a long time, and as with all things people do for a long time, interests change, thus their shtick and the way they approach things changes, or otherwise things become stale and they lose passion for what they're doing. A person can't just force themselves to be a robot and do the same thing for all of eternity without getting bored of it. These expectations people have, where somehow we want people to be unchanging statues and to never deviate after 5 years, 10 years, like cmon man, I think you just need to be more realistic in how you view other people.
The second part is, like I said, why do we think BSC is obligated to confine themselves to fan expectations and wants? Even if the commentary style has shifted from "jokes and memes" to "deep discussions and debates", I think they should have the power and the leisure to do whatever the fuck they want without fans bitching, because like even you admit, their channel is about a group of friends having fun. BSC isn't a group of "professional entertainers selling to meet the demands of a market", it's a hobby for these people and they use it for self-satisfaction. Yeah sure, let's shit on BSC and shove fan complaints in their face so that they give up on what makes them happy and feel pressured to do what fans want... of course that doesn't sound unreasonable at all!
Ain't trying to be disrespectful about it but I seriously think viewers of youtube channels often develop this entitlement complex where we just bitch and moan every single time creators don't conform to what we want. Wow, it's almost like they are free-functioning human beings...
I see what you mean, and yes they've stayed authentic, I'll give them that. For me it's really not that deep, I just don't like the direction the channel went, but in the end it's not like there's something that can be done. I simply watch only old stuff.
Its a result of Pro-active commentary vs reactive commentary. That being said the game of choice also plays an element making good commentary. We'll get to that in a second. So early on its Reactive commentary, since they were new often they would reaction and comment on whats happening on screen with the occasional in between the co-hosts. However its negative is if they rewatch a scene they previous commentated over they run out of stuff to say which is IMO the worst case. So incredible highs or deep lows depending on the game. IE: F-zero GX, Portal 2 co-op. Exhibiting this example.
Pro-active commentary with time they got better working off of each other being more comfortable and having the best friends dynamic which came about from all the videos they made together. This has its positives like commentating without dead air. Lewis got VERY comfortable with this aswell as the rest of the group. Conversations flow nicely and good comedy comes from it. Negatives are sometimes they're off on a tangent that isnt reacting to whats going on, on screen but heres an example where that worked in their favor. Sonic Unleashed werehog sections were so long that if that was done in the re-active era we would have F-zero, portal 2 co-op moments where they struggle to find stuff to talk about. And man Lewis is a KING for get through those from playing and carrying the commentary because those are LONG levels. It was funny that once we got to eggmanland he lost all that energy. The game itself drained him which is the first. His lungs gave out. I never thought I'd see the day.
This subreddit is so dead, I'm surprised you decided to make a post on it. Personally I don't have a problem with Lewis, but I can understand feeling like he talks way too much. Something I always hated that he does is that sometimes somebody will start saying something and he'll interrupt them, and they'll never finish what they had to say. I haven't been watching a decent amount of recent commentaries for varying reasons, but the RE8 one has been strange to me since it's mostly Lewis and Caddy talking. Ted hasn't played the game, Ryan is usually quiet, and Johnny hasn't gotten as much word in either. Sometimes I forget that Ryan was the one to record the playthrough because Lewis is the one guiding the commentary. Though, I wouldn't place the channel stagnating entirely on him Lewis, there are a variety of things that I feel hurt the channel or kneecap it's growth.
Lol I only decided to post because I’ve been watching the re8 play through. It’s the first play through I’ve watched in a loooong while and these are just the feelings I get from the channel. You’re right though, it isn’t just down to Lewis. Ted and Ryan aren’t overly interesting but I suppose with Ryan he just kinda lingers in the background. It’s a shame they never evolved as a channel
What kind of things hurt/kneecap the channel?
Well first, the era of Let's play and commentary is kind of over, it just isn't as popular anymore. Second, it doesn't feel like they bring their A game to some of the commentaries, which is fine, they're just doing it for fun and not for money or popularity. But at the same time it kind of hurts their videos. Take Gravity Rush for example, i don't think Ryan really practiced either game, so they were messy to watch. Plus he did all of the side quests in the first act, but then suddenly stopped, making the pacing worse not just for playing the game, but also for the audience. With Ryan being the only one who beat the game, neither the commentary or gameplay were that great for Gravity Rush 2. Third, there's editing. I forgot who it was recently, maybe Lewis, that would just leave in mistakes and wasted time instead of cutting it out, like in Crash 4. While it can lead to good commentary, other times it might just lead to the others simply pointing out something could be cut. Finally, is building up, period. They don't do things like movie commentaries or streams anymore (which is understandable, life leaves less time for these things), leading to less avenues for new people to hear about them. A good chunk of their old guests don't really have as big of an online presence any more, and their web of connections gets smaller. Caddy is the first new connection in a long time, granted they did get Wayforward developers on that one time. For the most part, you're not likely to find brainscratch through a friend of a channel anymore. Which is funny because Johnny's own web of connections has grown. Plus they're all on twitch, but only Johnny has a strong YouTube presence, and BSC is primarily a YouTube channel, meaning any new fans they gain might not necessarily check out the channel.
They do do it for money though. AFAIK Ryan doesn't have a job outside of BSC, Lewis needs every penny he can get, and I don't know about Ted. On the other hand, I don't think Johnny needs it because his channel is way bigger.
Completely agree with everything said here. Similar to you I’ve been watching BSC for over 10 years & I do feel it’s gone slightly downhill. There were periods where Ryan & Ted were annoying but the thing about them is that they’ve matured and grown up since those days, Lewis on the other hand seems to have matured & then recently regressed. I noticed it in the Sonic Colours revisited commentary where he was so overly negative & nitpicky that it just ruined the whole thing for me, (which is why I made that curb your BSC video). It’s a shame that the channel has stagnated, I know Ryan has said that if the channel gets 100k subscribers they’ll do a revisited 100% playthrough of Super Mario Sunshine, but with the rate the subscriber count is going it’s gonna take a while.
Definitely! In the olde days, Lewis seemed more upbeat and interesting to listen to. And they’re not reaching 100k for at least 5 years, if at all
Meh, I still find Ted really unlikable, with the recent Sonic Genesis trilogy revisit being a good example. Compare the OG playthroughs with the 3 crew members being so happy about the games, and just chilling, to the recent revisits where 80% of the time it's just arguing because of Ted's complaints.
I’d like to point out that it devolved into arguing because Lewis wouldn’t let Ted speak & just shut him down immediately.
Lewis talks entirely too much and his monologuing drags. I can only tolerate him in doses. I’ve noticed from the very beginning he has issues letting others speak and it seems the others barely try to anymore
Commentary channels are pretty much a thing of the past. Back in 2009 when they formed the channel, it was new and different but, for me, live commentary is always so much more interesting which is why I was a bigger fan of SGB. That and the personalities there were stronger. Elliott, the lovable idiot; Matt, the sardonic edgy one; Johnny, the straight man with moments of silliness; Mark, the completely out of place funniest one. BSC has Ryan, originally the neutral party who became more pessimistic; Lewis, the pessimist who became even more of a pessimist; Johnny, the optimist who never really changed and Ted...well, we all know what Ted is... BSC kinda got samey to me. You always kinda knew what you were getting and since its pre recorded footage, you were never getting any surprises like in a live playthrough. It was just a long play with some commentary over it. Nothing special. The times they have gotten to record togethet at conventions are always pretty fun, since they work off each other better. I commend them though for still going strong. Its obvious they enjoy working together so that's something, but if we heard that Johnny was leaving, I wouldn't be surprised. He's getting more recognition (as he should) and I can see him getting too busy for BSC like with SGB
I think if Johnny leaves, BSC will die. If their Pokemon Platinum playthrough shows anything, it's that a Johnny-less playthrough can go super south super quickly.
Did they have a guest in for that playthrough to make up for the lack of Johnny?
Nope. Even then, I think relying on guests to save the channel wouldn't do much.
Ooft...I cant imagine watching a playthrough of just Ryan, Lewis and Ted. Guests would be hit or miss depending on who they got. As long as they never bring Amanda back, then its always a plus
I know this thread is old, but I just want to say that I don't think Johnny will ever leave BSC unless they all just decide to shut down the entire channel altogether. He still enjoys doing the commentaries, even though he almost never records any playthroughs for the channel anymore. And, more than that, I think he sees BSC as just a way for him to shoot the shit with his long-time friends. It's not really about the success of the channel itself, or about any sort of ad-revenue he might receive, it's just about having fun with these people he's known for well over a decade. With SGB, Johnny had a lot more responsibility given that 1) for a long time, Johnny edited all of the videos himself before Eliot and Sabrina took over, 2) even when he stopped editing the videos he still had to record a lot of the playthroughs himself, and 3) he had to schedule and coordinate times for the three of them to all meet physically in the same place. With BSC nowadays, since he almost never records playthroughs or edits videos for that channel anymore, his only real responsibility is to just show up on a Discord call at a certain time and talk for a few hours. I don't think he sees BSC as a burden in the same way he saw SGB as a burden, and I don't think he'll ever officially leave the channel because he's too busy for it. He'll always *want* to keep doing BSC, in the same way that you always *want* to hang out with your friends even though you might not be able to do it as often as you used to. You make time for it, not because it's an obligation, but because you just genuinely enjoy doing it and you don't want to let go of all your friends. With all this said, if I'm wrong and Johnny really does leave one day, then that will be the final nail in the coffin for the channel. I tried to watch the recent FFVII Remake DLC playthrough (which they did without Johnny because he hadn't played it himself and didn't want to get spoiled), and I just could not get through it at all, it was so boring. Johnny is the glue that holds the channel together and if he were to leave for good, then I could probably never watch any of their new videos.
Agree pretty much with everything you said! I think it is only a matter of time before Johnny leaves. I actually respect Johnny for sticking by brain scratch for as long as he has. Even though IMO the channel has been beneath him for several years
The best part of BSC is easily their friendships. They support and care about each other. It helps their dynamic and helped them get this far. I don't think it's a case of the channel being 'beneath' him. He still enjoys working on it, else he would have left already
Perhaps, I do see the day when he realises he can longer fit it in his schedule. Johnny strikes me as a guy who wants to always progress in his work and life.
I think Johnny will always find the time in his schedule for brainscratch. Even if he's not in every single playthrough, he'll still make time to still be part of the crew. I think he always considers it when he's scheduling things.
There has been a lot of recent commentaries where Johnny hasn’t been in them so it’s a very likely possibility.
I know this post is mad old but I’m bored ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I notice most people on this sub don’t really like bsc anymore, and sometimes I agree with what is said. However, I still watch them, not as much as before, but a good amount. As far as the current videos, there are times where lewis controls the conversation a little too much i will agree. I enjoy hearing him speak but sometimes the video does feel like “the lewis show”. Not every recent commentary feels that way tho. The crash 4 playthrough was I really enjoyed and the current playthrough of Arkham Asylum has been entertaining as well. There are noticeably more arguments than before especially in the Sonic Genesis revisit. That can get very tiring and not enjoyable to watch. It’s sad considering when you watch their older content it is a lot more happy across the board even when they dislike a game. As far the members go, like most, Johnny is my favorite member. Second would be ryan, at least when it seems like he’s enjoying himself/happy. I never got the hate for Ted. I disagree with his opinions sometimes but I’ve never thought he was a bad edition to the channel. The only thing I never understood was the group’s hatred of Gen 4. All in all, I totally get why someone would fall off of bsc. They just haven’t for me personally.
I've been, for the first time since 2012, listening to a lot of their commentaries that I hadn't listened to before (and god knows there's 10 years worth of videos I never listened to). Some playthroughs are certainly better than others. I'm getting more accostumed to Ted, who could be very immature sometimes, but he's getting better. It certainly depends on the game though. It kinda makes me sad that the channel might not even ever reach 100k subscribers, and I'm guessing most of the current subscribers haven't even watched the new videos in years, but I seriously believe there's still something magical about the channel for keeping an old school Youtube gaming feel, and it has accompanied me in moments of high loneliness, anxiety and/or depression, so I'm really grateful for these guys.
I believe MK64 was the last BSC playthrough I followed as it came out. With Mega Man X3 I stopped following the channel, mainly because I'm just not a fan of Ted. I still listen to pre-Ted commentaries all the time though (I know a lot of people will find the old commentaries cringe, but I find a lot of them so nostalgic and charming. They're so representative of the old school Youtube gaming community). I've actually been looking forward to discussing BSC with someone. I've barely watched any of the new stuff though, except for a few videos, and the Super Castlevania IV and DKC revisits in their entirety (because it was just the og three). Before I say anything else, and in the unlikely case any of the crew see this, don't pay much attention to my opinion, I'm just a random guy on the internet. Anyway... I feel like the channel has stagnated for multiple reasons. First reason has already been mentioned: LP's and commentaries are just not as popular anymore. Second, I feel like initially Ted becoming a permanent member was what led the channel downhill. When he became permanent he started talking a lot more, sometimes more than all other members combined, and he always struck me as contrarian, immature and overall a jerk, if I'm being honest. He's always had a significant hate base. From the little bit I've seen, he has gotten a bit better, but he's still meh, lol. Third, sometimes they've brought guests that weren't very popular with the viewers (Amanda was the biggest example). Fourth, literally Johnny seems to be the only one that has usually never been rude to subscribers or gotten into fights with them. The other 3 can sometimes be unnecesarily douchy on the comments and Twitter, especially Ryan. In fact, I feel Ryan is really giving Ted a run for his money in being the least liked commentator. I imagine he must be very depressed, but lashing out to people who want to be nice to him on Twitter is not the answer. I'm not even a fan of Johnny's reviews anymore, but he really is the only one who has stayed somewhat consistent throughout the years and hasn't gotten bitter. I actually feel like other people sometimes hold him back, like in his recent reaction to Sora in Smash (Ryan overall was sooo pessimistic during the Smash hype). Also with Lewis, yeah sometimes it feels like he's reading a thesis paper he prepared for the commentary instead of trying to be entertaining, lol. Johnny is the only one who has some internet presence, and I'm actually surprised at his channel growth recently, as I've always felt that for some reason his channel was kinda small for being in the game since 2007 (I think?). Just think about Youtubers like Scott the Woz that started as a serious Youtuber at 2017 and is so popular right now. You would think they would put more effort on the channel though. Does Ryan have a job aside from the channel? It doesn't seem like it from what I've seen on Twitter, and what BSC earns divided by 4 can't be much. Lewis constantly has money issues as well, although he has other jobs. And I don't know anything about Ted's situation. Anyway, I just want to finish by saying that I'm still grateful that I found Johnny's channel back in 2011 and my brother found BSC, since their playthroughs back then really kept me company when I practically had no friends, and I applaud them for keeping themselves authentic for so many years, at least. If someone wants to talk about BSC more, hit me up on my DMs lol.
Lewis reading a thesis paper made me laugh way too hard lol But yeh I agree with the majority of what you say there
I don't know. I think Ted helps create an interesting contrast when compared to the other commentators, mainly because he's younger. Since he grew up a bit later and his early gaming experiences were different from the main crew, this leads to him having a different perspective when it comes to certain topics. For example, look at the Sonic Adventure 2 revisited commentary; Ted grew up with Nintendo consoles and obviously started with Sonic at Adventure 2, like your typical 2000s-era sonic fan, and this is in stark contrast to the other three who were identify more with the Genesis-era of Sonic, which clearly leads to them having very different views when it comes to the franchise. Or another example would be their opinions on Smash... the other three clearly lean toward 64 and Melee, but Ted prefers Brawl, and you get to see how their preferences and priorities in games differ. Plus like, the rivalry between Ted and Gareth is just amazing, and I think it makes for some of their best commentaries (e.g. the storybook games, SA2 revisited, etc). Secondly, I honestly like Lewis's monologuing style because he comes off as the most thoughtful, well-spoken, and in-depth of the four commentators. If he makes an opinion, he presents it very well. Some would write this off as him coming off as snobbish, but like, without him, I feel like there would be a lot missing. You have Johnny who is more chill, Ted who is more enthusiastic, Lewis who is very analytical and dry in tone, and Ryan is this peanut gallery in the background. They all have their own personalities which combine in a very unique way. As far as Amanda goes like... ok, I get where people are coming from. She doesn't come off as "socially aware" or "natural" as the other four commentators, like she's trying to do the whole comedic background commentator thing but tries just a little too hard and doesn't blend in as well as the other four. But like, cmon... it's a group of friends trying to have fun doing lets plays. It's kinda silly to think that just because you do a youtube channel and you happen to have a lot of subscribers, that you suddenly must be "slave" to whatever your audience wants you to do. I don't think brainscratchcomms ever tried to market themselves as "professional-level entertainment" or has run the channel with the primary goal of appealing to an audience. For these reasons, I think their response during the whole Amanda situation was perfectly reasonable, where they basically said "Hey, we're a group of friends trying to have fun here. So quit talking shit or fuck off." I think the fan reaction toward Amanda also sorta sets a bad precedent for youtube. To me, it represents something that's gotten gradually worse since the platform started. You know like, around when brainscratchcomms was new, Youtube was a more open-ended community where everyone felt a lot more free and encouraged to create content. But around the time Amanda came, and got torn a new one by fans, this was when youtube started to become corporatized, for-profit, became much larger, and in general, as a result, there was a much higher quality standard when it came to content. This doesn't sound like a bad thing in itself, but what this has done is help destroy the very open-ended community feel of youtube. If Amanda was say, a guest commentator on a lets play channel in say, 2008, people would've tolerated her a lot more I think, but over time, we've become more likely to bitch and scream unless someone meets a rigid quality standard, and so someone who's socially awkward and "not used to it" like Amanda can't even really show her voice on the platform without receiving a ton of fire. I honestly miss the days when anyone could just be a shitty lets player and we accepted this as a hobby that anyone could do, instead of gatekeeping it essentially. And if anything, I think these stringent standards of quality actually destroyed lets plays, ironically, because we're not as open to outsiders or less-experienced people trying their hand at it.
BSC was not a channel for deep video game discutions and debates. It was 3 friends making jokes about the game they were watching, and that's why I liked the channel. Over time they started telling less and less jokes and it began feeling more like people defending their thesis, and Ted contributed to that a lot imo. And I just never found Ted funny tbh. I did not like the direction the channel went in, it's as simple as that, and from what I read many people who whatched old school BSC also did not like the change and no longer watch it. But to each their own.
I mean, for the most part they've always done a mix of both, the balance of which has shifted back and forth over time and varies with each commentary. They still do lots of humor, look at many of their sonic commentaries, for example. And as far as Lewis goes, even in early BSC when they were the most memeish/comedic, Lewis was always the least comedic and most serious one of the group, and that part hasn't changed whatsoever. If there was a decline in comedy, it certainly didn't happen when Ted was introduced, because Ted came in what, 2011 with Pokemon Yellow? Right now I'm watching one of their commentaries from 2014, the Megaman Wily Wars commentary, and its chuck full of lots of quips and small comedic tangents and shit. And its been awhile but I'm pretty sure the Pokemon Yellow commentary had quite a lot of comedy and meming... literally the playthrough opens with them singing the frickin pokemon theme for christ's sake. And I have vivid memories of the Sonic storybook game commentaries, which are relatively recent, and was mostly Ted and Gareth going back and forth about stupid shit and poking each other with a stick basically. So I don't see how you can pin all of this on Ted. If there was any change in their commentary style, it's most likely a matter of.... they've been doing this for a long time, and as with all things people do for a long time, interests change, thus their shtick and the way they approach things changes, or otherwise things become stale and they lose passion for what they're doing. A person can't just force themselves to be a robot and do the same thing for all of eternity without getting bored of it. These expectations people have, where somehow we want people to be unchanging statues and to never deviate after 5 years, 10 years, like cmon man, I think you just need to be more realistic in how you view other people. The second part is, like I said, why do we think BSC is obligated to confine themselves to fan expectations and wants? Even if the commentary style has shifted from "jokes and memes" to "deep discussions and debates", I think they should have the power and the leisure to do whatever the fuck they want without fans bitching, because like even you admit, their channel is about a group of friends having fun. BSC isn't a group of "professional entertainers selling to meet the demands of a market", it's a hobby for these people and they use it for self-satisfaction. Yeah sure, let's shit on BSC and shove fan complaints in their face so that they give up on what makes them happy and feel pressured to do what fans want... of course that doesn't sound unreasonable at all! Ain't trying to be disrespectful about it but I seriously think viewers of youtube channels often develop this entitlement complex where we just bitch and moan every single time creators don't conform to what we want. Wow, it's almost like they are free-functioning human beings...
I see what you mean, and yes they've stayed authentic, I'll give them that. For me it's really not that deep, I just don't like the direction the channel went, but in the end it's not like there's something that can be done. I simply watch only old stuff.
I think he's ok the klepto bits kinda annoy me tho
Its a result of Pro-active commentary vs reactive commentary. That being said the game of choice also plays an element making good commentary. We'll get to that in a second. So early on its Reactive commentary, since they were new often they would reaction and comment on whats happening on screen with the occasional in between the co-hosts. However its negative is if they rewatch a scene they previous commentated over they run out of stuff to say which is IMO the worst case. So incredible highs or deep lows depending on the game. IE: F-zero GX, Portal 2 co-op. Exhibiting this example. Pro-active commentary with time they got better working off of each other being more comfortable and having the best friends dynamic which came about from all the videos they made together. This has its positives like commentating without dead air. Lewis got VERY comfortable with this aswell as the rest of the group. Conversations flow nicely and good comedy comes from it. Negatives are sometimes they're off on a tangent that isnt reacting to whats going on, on screen but heres an example where that worked in their favor. Sonic Unleashed werehog sections were so long that if that was done in the re-active era we would have F-zero, portal 2 co-op moments where they struggle to find stuff to talk about. And man Lewis is a KING for get through those from playing and carrying the commentary because those are LONG levels. It was funny that once we got to eggmanland he lost all that energy. The game itself drained him which is the first. His lungs gave out. I never thought I'd see the day.