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Has YouTube killed GameFAQs for you?

I don't use gamefaqs anymore.
Used youtube to find all secrets & upgrades in DOOM 2016. Since the gameplay/fights are the main reason I played it, I didn't feel too bad doing so.
A text walkthrough would have been a lot more difficult for me.
The yt videos had no annoying voice over.
 
Yes, anytime I replay an older game and need help, there's a nice walkthrough on gamefaqs. For a more recent game, you have to trawl through dozens of videos to find the section you need help with.

BotW is going to be a pain because of the lack of written FAQs but plethora of vids.
 
Incandenza said:
Sometimes I'd rather skim through text than have to scrub through all the "Wwwwhhhaat's up gamers it's chaboi" in a YouTube walk through.
Click to expand...

Replace obnoxious announcer with obnoxious music and this is what I get.

Jt6H4zz.png
 
Not at all. GameFAQs is still my go to. I used it more liberally when I was younger though, now I wait until I really get stuck before I given and look it up.

Printed strategy guides are better than both though. Once in a while I'll be playing an older game, get stuck, and notice I happen to have the guide. That always feels cool. :)

Youtube is good if I need more detail. Getting the visual can be super helpful if I don't get where something is or how to time some maneuver. But it's rare that I get stuck that badly. For story based games I feel like Youtube is more likely to spoil me too, either through related video thumbnails or just while I'm trying to find the right piece of some walkthrough.
 
I still use GameFAQs. I recently completed FFIX and referred to their guides. Granted that's an old game, but text guides still have some advantages over videos. Especially when the video is overly long and the player doesn't explain what he does.
 
No, I use gamefaq when I am hunting for items and only resort to youtube if the person writing the faq has the wrong info or wrote it in a confusing manner.

Though if I am playing on a handheld game then I use youtube as it's easier to follow as I can have the video playing at the same time.
 
Not at all. If anything, I use Gamefaqs or reddit more for my games. I never look up strats or secrets on anything since I prefer to find out things for myself (save for collectibles after I finish the game).

But I find myself going on Gamefaqs frequently when looking for second opinions on something. Mostly with RPGs.
 
Mammoth Jones said:
No, google did. Random web pages tend to be better formatted than their FAQ's. Tiny plain text doesn't work for me.
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This. When I need something, I just type it into google. You usually find what you're looking for quick and easy. I'll turn to youtube if I need something really drawn out for me. Couldn't tell you the last time I used gamefaqs. Years and years.
 
I use Gamefaqs mainly to find out release dates for physical/digital games for each major market (EU/UK/US/JAPAN). Straight forward text, no images and mostly accurate.
 
If I'm stuck on something I tend to look for guides with text accompanied by screenshots, a video, or ask on a forum. It's a shame how many simple things that could be text and screenshots have been replaced by needlessly bloated videos.

However for complete walkthroughs I do like the good ol' Gamefaqs text file loaded in a formatted e-Book reader program w∕ autosaving bookmarks. It's been a long while since I've used one, but videos wouldn't replace that should I need such a walkthrough.
 
Yep I've noticed this with newer games, especially on Wii U. Couldn't find good guides for W101 or Tokyo Mirage Sessions until a bit after launch.

Videos can be helpful, but I may be stuck in my old faq ways.
 
Not at all, I still use much more gamefaqs than youtube... I use youtube only when there is a particular collectible that I can't find, or something that I can't understand on the written faq...

GameFaqs is the best! :)
 
Incandenza said:
Sometimes I'd rather skim through text than have to scrub through all the "Wwwwhhhaat's up gamers it's chaboi" in a YouTube walk through.
Click to expand...

Pretty much where I stand. I'll only resort to YouTube when a walk through isn't clear, which is rare. Even then I have to turn the volume down.
 
Incandenza said:
Sometimes I'd rather skim through text than have to scrub through all the "Wwwwhhhaat's up gamers it's chaboi" in a YouTube walk through.
Click to expand...

Damn you're so right, there's a circle of hell dedicated to people with egotistical intro's that go for longer than 5 seconds. This isn't a Bond intro sequence, just show me where that last goddamn feather is.

Also, I don't think I've ever used GameFAQS to any real degree. CheatPlanet used to be my jam baby.
 
I like YouTube as a quick reference, but I hate when people talk over the video. If I'm lost and need to see where to go or if I want to see a boss strategy, I have zero interest at all in somebody's commentary.

It's not always like that though, mostly just with newer games. Older games, when you can find them, have more straight forward reference materials.

The other thing old FAQs have over video content is its searchable. It can be hard to find what thirty seconds you're looking for in a 22 minute video titled GHETTO-STOMPING GOBLINS (Alundra Walkthrough Part 24).

YouTube video content also tends to show action, and a lot of the time, the information I'm looking for is clerical. How do I get a shopkeeper to talk to me, or what does another NPC do, or is it possible to go back to an earlier area. Those questions, funnily enough, usually turn up old GameFAQs threads of people asking the same question on the forum.
 
Nope, I've only been using walkthroughs for the last couple years but I always go to gamefaqs first.

It sucks when there isn't a walkthrough available though :(
 
I look up text when I need help with most things in a game. Don't want to have to go through a video to find something. Rather just f3 something in an FAQ.
 
i prefer text walkthroughs in many instances. video walkthroughs can be a pain in the ass to scan through if the video doesn't have any time markers
 
Nah. Following a written guide that you can word search true is much better and more convenient than warding through several YouTube videos looking for what you need.
 
OfTheOverflow said:
Damn you're so right, there's a circle of hell dedicated to people with egotistical intro's that go for longer than 5 seconds. This isn't a Bond intro sequence, just show me where that last goddamn feather is.
Click to expand...

I've scrubbed through videos close to 10 minutes long with seconds worth of valuable information relevant to the title. Some YT'ers are either only looking to increase video length for monetary reasons or they have no clue how to concisely present content.

I'm not ungrateful such answers exist but it's so common a problem that it's frankly a bit of a delight when I encounter short, straightforward videos.
 
While I do not use Gamefaqs as much as I did in the past, it is still a valuable resource if a FAQ/Walkthrough is done well. If it is in an HTML document even better.
 
Pretty much yeah...I was stuck in Unravel,right at the start of a chapter,search on YouTube,exactly what I wanted was there in seconds,done...I havent used GF in years.

I guess its still okay for the loot guides and stuff like that and kudos for people still making them though.
 
Ready2Rokk said:
Not me, because it's easier to find a section I need help with using a guide than a video.
Click to expand...

This.

I can't stand most YouTube speakers, and I find it more annoying to scrub thru videos trying to find the relevant section.

It's waaaaay easier to search in a FAQ.
 
Google killed gamefaqs for me, and seemingly lots of people. I get tons of hits on guides on my website from googlers.

Hate video guides, only use them when necessary. Part of the reason I make text guides on my site is because I was tired of finding video guides. Watching a 5-10 minute video looking for info I could find in 30 seconds in text.

Youtube is nice to have though, if there's no guide you can at least watch someone play.
 
In general, I *hate* having to find information in a video. I still use GameFAQs whenever possible.

That said, if what I'm looking for is not what to do, but how to do something, videos can really help. I looked up how to get a couple of items in Ori this way.
 
Sadly I rarely visit GameFAQs. Back in the day, I printed the entire game guides there. Still remember printing out Bomberman 64 guide.
 
Youtube is a last resort

I don't want to stream and wade through "sick" intros and fluff before I get to the exact point I want. I either google it first and if I can't find anything I ask on reddit or the game forum itself
 
If I'm looking for a general guide of a game GameFaqs still is my go-to site.
If I'm looking for a specific quest or something I will google it or use the game-specific forum on GameFaqs.

Videos are too inconvenient most of the time. Much faster looking up written guides.
 
No, as I prefer text for walkthroughs. Text with screenshots is the best. I watch lets -plays mostly for entertainment and to watch people play games I've already beaten to see their reactions to the good/bad stuff.


Also to sort of see if I'll be interested in a game.
 
strafer said:
Man, I was a frequent Gamefaqs visitor, I even printed some pages once.

I miss those days to be honest.
Click to expand...

I know that feel. Got a lot of use out of GameFAQs in my younger days, but the only time I've been on there in probably the last decade was for boss tactics for my quick re-play of FFX.
 
I still use gamefaqs a lot. I usually just skim the boards when I'm stuck, cause usually there's a thread on what I'm stuck on already. It's really helpful.

I used to use to hang out in the Final Fantasy boards for the community too. Once upon a time the FF boards were filled with interesting threads and enjoyable discussions about the series. It became completely overrun by shit posters though. It was sort of a slow happening, but one day it just dawned on me the 90% of the threads every day were about Stella's armpits or something. That's when I moved to GAF.
 
Absolutely not. I hate the fact that videos have supplanted written walkthroughs and FAQs. I will watch play throughs of games I like on YT or Twitch, but if you're looking for a specific answer to a question, it's painful to try and scrub through a video to find what you're looking for. It doesn't help that 90% of the people doing walkthroughs have the worst, most inane commentary ever. Just shut up and play.
 
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