You think the algorithm puts weight on a game having comments with youtube embeds?
Might be. But I suspect the traffic from youtube with people coming here and playing the game is more than enough.
My observation is rather the opposite. Youtubers commenting with embeds to direct traffic to their youtube channel. But it probably works both ways. As it should. It is the internet after all.
So?
I checked videos on the number #1 popular game right now.
I visited those youtubers and looked how many average views their videos get. Rounded up.
<100, <100, <100, <100, <100, <100
Those are youtubers trying to promote their channels by posting a video under popular games.
But those were the most recend videos in comments. So what if only the first ones were paid? So I scrolled all the way down. I did the same, rounded up and in reverse order.
<20 despite having 2000 subscribers. The video for the game has 21 views, < 150. 120 for the game video, <100. 29 for the game video
The most popular video and from the biggest channel was posted the 6th in comments. It has a whopping 2500 views. Those first videos was all 16 days ago, when the game was released.
So my best guess, there are a lot of specialised youtubers that look for new horror games and make letsplay videos of them.
I cannot say, if anyone of them was hired, but I can confidently say, this would happen even without payment. Itch does recommend promotion outside of itch. How do people think promotion is done? Paying for a printed ad in a magazine? It is putting links where you are allowed and having more famous people promote your stuff. Or outright advertisements, if you have the budget.
Oh, and the game creator also has his own youtube channel. The video for that game also has 2500 views. Did he pay himself? ;-)
