Written by Tanner Banks, Sept 4 , 2016, at 2:12 a.m.
Time for a trip up to the Big House because these Michigan boys are ready to give you your dose of gaming. Whether they’re slaying monsters, doing some sketch comedy, or giving their opinions on the latest gaming news they’re a part of the process.
Ladies and gentlemen, they are Gaming in Progress. I had the chance to meet a few of them at Indy PopCon. After checking out their YouTube channel I saw dedication, kinship, and a love of gaming.
Origin Story
Starting in late 2014 Devon started the channel as a one man show. Dakota, a mutual friend, noticed his channel on Facebook. After expressing an interest in the channel he soon joined, later followed by Tom and Ares. Ares had started his own channel while attending Michigan Tech, after seeing Dakota’s.
Soon after, Dakota and Devon had him join the channel. Tom, a close friend of Dakota, would occasionally participate in a video that Dakota was working on. More and more, Tom found himself evolving into a member of the Gaming in Progress team.
One aspect that every member enjoys about the channel is how Ares described, “The more [we] put into the channel, the more [we] get out of it.” Sharing a love of video games and enjoying the camaraderie of the channel has been the glue that has bonded these friends and the Gaming in Progress channel together.
Variety
When you’ve got so many minds working on a single project (or channel in this case) ideas start coming from everywhere. To name only a few of the ideas that were mentioned in the interview include BioShock, Pokemon, Arma III, and Doom. They mentioned that there were other projects that weren’t ready to be talked about yet, meaning there is even more in the works.
As cited before, the Gaming in Progress team is more than just Let’s Plays. In addition to Let’s Plays, they guys are known to do reviews, industry analysis, live streams, and the occasional sketch comedy thrown in the mix. And during their trip to Indy PopCon they interviewed Elspeth Eastman on camera as well! (Totally not jealous to the extreme degree on that one or anything…)
Gaming in Progress on YouTube
Gaming in Progress is doing something that few other channels do nowadays. They stay diverse. Many channels on YouTube, especially in the gaming community, specialize to an extreme degree. JimmyBlockhead1457 may have over 500 videos on his channel, but 498 of them are all part of a Minecraft series.
And while there is nothing wrong with finding a niche and sticking to it, it can limit creativity. They best channels aren’t the ones that do the same thing every video, they’re the ones that change things up. The ones that think of ways to be different. The ways to express themselves and not express their hope to become popular.
Trying to gain popularity on YouTube is an extremely difficult proposition. Most people think you just upload videos and hope for the best. And while that’s how some channels became popular, that isn’t how they stayed popular.
YouTube is a cutthroat competition where you can be unseated in a second (unless you’re PewDiePie) and if you don’t change your strategy you’re done for. That is part of why Gaming in Progress has managed to grow, because they work like a big channel. Each episode improves in some way on the last.
Dedication
Gaming in Progress is one of those special channels where the more you watch the more you find to enjoy. The banter between the guys is very natural and genuine. You can tell that they’re friends. The editing, while not perfect shows a care for the craft and love for the process. They aren’t just playing games, they’re trying to make something. It’s said best on their website. (Yeah, they made a freaking website!)
“We are aiming to do something most YouTube channels are not. We are looking to redefine gaming entertainment.”
Where the Gaming in Progress will wind up is up in the air. But there is only one direction they’re headed, and that is up. The polish and quality of work that they put into everything they do on the channel is like they do this for a job. But it’s not their job, (yet) they’re college students! Devon, Dakota, Tom, and Ares show an appreciation for the craft that is well beyond their years. Expect great things from them.
If you want to check out their YouTube channel click here.
Their Twitch channel can be found here.
Here will take you to their Facebook page.
And if you feel like going by their website click here.