Context

The Let's Play

To understand the Let's Play format in the context of folklore we should have a basic understanding of the typical video setup. These kinds of videos most often feature a split screen video showing the game play as well as a matching video of the gamer as they play.  Featured prominently on their "stage", for  each specific Let’s Play video we must consider that the YouTuber(s) creating them are acting as performers and tradition bearers. Recognizing them as performers we must analyze the physical and social context as discussed by Sims and Stephens.  Their on screen role gives the audience access to the gamer’s physical reactions, gestures, and expressions along with their verbal explanation, tone, and rhythm. When it comes to the social context of the performance we must consider the performer’s overall persona and prior content. An account that generally focuses on video games and posts a lot of play throughs is more likely to be better regarded  and accepted by the folk group when they post a FNAF Let’s Play than an account that generally posts make up tutorials for example.

 

The Game

To understand the context of the game and its folklore we have to understand the context in which it gained popularity. The creator, Scott Cawthon, developed the original horror game after receiving negative feedback about his unnerving characters in an earlier video game. When FNAF was originally released it happened to be featured in Let’s Play videos by a few popular Youtube gamers, allowing their audience a chance to watch them play through the game and share their thoughts and reactions. The exposure from these gamers and the overall popularity of the concept resulted in an explosion of popularity as more people involved themselves with their own reaction videos and Let’s Plays. Cawthon also solidified Youtube’s central role in the sharing of FNAF folklore when he utilized it to upload trailers of each subsequent game from his own personal Youtube account. These trailers then also found themselves to be the subject of many fan reaction videos, recording their initial reactions to the trailers and further allowing the group to experience the media as a collective. 

The Comments

With over 265,000 comments on just one of the most popular FNAF Let’s Play videos (Markiplier 2014), analysis of each any every one is outside the scope of this examination. However, we can explore certain contextual elements that shed light on the activity of the folk group through time. Particularly on older videos such as the one referenced above, a look at the time frame and frequency can provide information about the enduring popularity (or lack thereof) for particular videos or creators. When older videos have a sustained high frequency of new comments it might be understood as a traditional piece of media or if the subject matter of new comments has shifted significantly from that of older commenters it could indicate more general changes in the ideology of the group members. Looking to the comments can also provide context about the status of the player. Comments on older more established videos might be feature  more overall praise for the player and the media while newer content may contain advice (SHSL Blaze 2023) indicating different stages of involvement with the folk group.