As long as they dont end in blaming the viewers, blaming youtube, blaming advertisers, blaming engagement, blaming advertisers again, blaming .... everything but yourself for unengaging generic mass produced videos with high quality but without soul that nobody wants to view. Like MANY OTHER yotubers do. Sure its hard... and we all told you it will be hard... YOU wanted it anyway...Sorry, i drifted away. YES videos like this are important.
My choice to skip or watch these is weather I'm interested in the subject/content enough. Less important is the format and structure though it does make it much more watchable.
You’re doing a lot of unnecessary justification, you’re doing a great job and you deserve to earn money for the work you put in, keep it up and let’s see 2024 be the best one ever, btw I also think shorts are bollocks and refuse to give in! 😂 Stay Awesome mate!
I'm adopted and when you shared your news, I yelped 🎉. When my partner asked what had happened, I showed her your announcement and she said "what a lucky boy or girl they will be". ❤
Hi Neil, love the channel, the museum and of course the podcast. I do miss your video's repairing and cleaning up vintage machines though - I appreciate you still do them - but maybe we could have a few more of those in 2024? Even if its platforms you have looked at before, Im sure the challenges would be different.
Thanks Mark, I intend to lean into repairs a lot more again in 2024 now I’m settled into this space. The first Trash to Treasure is already in filming and more planned
I agree with you Mark. I still go back to the original Amiga 500 restore on a regular basis. Winding the clock back on these machines with a restore is like going back in time for real.
Neil, I've never understood how this channel has so little subscribers. Your videos are always great quality, your camera work, sound and general video production are top class. I know that the retro scene is quite "niche" but I always look at your subscriber count and think you should have WAY more subscribers. I know you have quite a lot of Patreon's, but I still don't get it. I've been around for years here and you deserve a lot more subscribers.
I’ve never heard or seen this channel but it appeared in my ‘Recommended’ page with ‘Nintendo Poop’ headline caught my eye and with me being a big retro Nintendo nostalgia freak I thought I’ll give this a watch and the rest is history, I’ve subscribed and now have years of content to catch up with and absolutely love this channel now one of my favourites 👍 I’m also a big fan of ‘retro recipes’ so this give me even more content to work watch loving it absolutely loving it 🙌
I think the reason the M82 video might drop viewers is maybe casual viewers not knowing what an M82 is, but for me it was the video that made me decide to become a Patreon subscriber. Keep up the great work and I hope to visit the museum in 2024 🙏
Similar thought but I assume that "casual viewers" may think of it as clickbait because people rather expect news about a new Nintendo Console instead of an old machine. After all, the casual viewer doesn't know what the channel is about when clicking on a random recommended video.
@@ChisakoYume I still feel like a lot of retro stuff especially for US viewers/creators is very Nintendo biased. So it kinda makes sense to me that the M82 stuff did well, wheras a lot of US viewers won't care as much about the other home computer stuff as much.
Great video, keep up the good work. Like the comment of the day bit, LOVED it when it was the hand written comment of romantic weekend in the Cotswolds.... That was my wife, I showed her the video she laughed and then shared it with her friends. The cave and the arcade archive are both awesome.
Having the comments of the day in between sections is a great idea! Also congrats on the adoption approval! Really looking forward to the interview with Jordan Mechner.
Your comments about quality views are absolutely correct, this channel’s USP has always been that you don’t chase views by dumbing down content to appeal to the lowest common denominator (which I have no doubt is what You Tube would prefer). What you have accomplished in setting up the museum, publishing a book and maintaining high quality retro content is extraordinary. Keep it up.
I appreciate you leaving the names of the people who make those comments unfiltered. Not so people can stalk them, but as a reminder that you're a real person and that these comments are public. Thanks for a great year, and keep up the great content!
It would be nice if the collection inventory had a comment section per item, where people could add short stories of their experience with the item. Kind of like Steam review system
You're doing a brilliant job, Neil. Monetisation...It's fine. people surely cant expect you to produce content for free! :D Always enjoy seeing a new RMC video! Best of luck for 2024! Happy new year!
I don't now where it's coming from? it just an Advertisement, your can not go anywhere with seeing them, why would RU-vid be any different the only comment, the ADD's them self, and I'm thing product placement stuff, and even that fine a PCB making company, the making a part, of fare the to get plug, if making file part available etc,
Been watching for years and I truly appreciate the dedication to quality over click-bait. The guest speakers are also fantastic! Please keep up doing what you do! Congratulations on being approved for adoption as well! Well done!
Hey Neil the algorithm and impressions are a funny thing. This is the first video that’s been recommended to me from your channel for at least a year. I used to love your content and actually thought you had stopped making videos. Time go back and binge watch your 2023 content - keep up the great work.
Thanks Neil. I subscribed a few years ago, yet in 2023 my YT feed has completely ignored you (apart from this one). This is the same for the other tech subscriptions I have on YT. My feed is completely dominated by politics and alternative news feeds several of which I’ve also subscribed to. Yes, I could press the notification icon, but I don’t really want all the clutter. However I am still notified in the app of when others have posted a new video, but not the tech ones from the likes of yourself and Adrian’s Digital Basement etc..These appear rarely or not at all in my feed and preference seems to be given to others whom I haven’t subscribed to. I think there are some deep seated reasons at YT for why your viewing figures take a particular trend that doesn’t reflect the underlying support from people like myself. It’s great having you on RU-vid and I look forward to more in ‘24. I’ll have to take a drive to the cave and check out the goodies you have in the exhibition. B/w D
I love your attitude about new retro RU-vidrs, Neil! As one of the newer retro RU-vidrs myself, it's very encouraging and a fresh departure from the other channels that complain about us saturating the market and taking away views. And congrats on moving forward with the adoption!
New to the channel but it's one of my favourites now. The BBC computer series production value was superb and really helped me understand so much about my own childhood and development of computers at that time. Look forward to visiting The Cave when i next visit the UK.
I'm actually surprised that this channel doesn't have at least twice the subscribers that it has, given the subject matter, the superb quality of content and what this channel and by extension the museum is setting out to do, the preservation of gaming/computing history for the enjoyment of all. There are channels that are putting out nowhere near the quality and have more subs, am a little confused by that I must say.
The most important thing Neil is to keep being authentic and not lower yourself to click-baiting. You have something very special here with this channel and the podcast. If I could make one wish for this year, it would be more long form interviews like the ones you used to do on the retro tea break videos but I'm sure whatever you do will be great! And big congrats to you and Lilly for the adoption approval.
Your take on revenue and the algorithm seems to be consistent with all of the other (retro) tech RU-vidrs I watch. You have a good attitude about it. Instead of complaining you just have to (at times, begrudgingly) pivot. If I ever make it across the pond I'd love to visit the museum. Congratulations on all fronts!
Thanks for the nice chat and overview of the Cave! Nice seeing how things are going and impressive job with the inventory! Those comments were just the icing sugar LOL!
Super keen for the Dev Den and especially the music production corner! I got into writing music on PC trackers and it's a section of electronic music production that isn't widely shared. Thanks for all the content over the years, and grats on being approved for adoption! It's such a noble thing to do. Keep at it Neil!
@@RMCRetro Yeah, and it feels like you've really accomplished something at the end. I need to catalog my own growing connection, but I'm trying to find a solid tool for it that isn't subscription based like Collectorz. I'm looking forward to the new system. 🙂
@@RMCRetro Lots of us love digging through archived materials, and I certainly appreciate the time you are spending doing the inventory. I could name another museum that has plenty of stuff lying around in boxes that never seems to be processed, despite those boxes containing potentially historically significant material. Your attitude of sharing as much as you can, literally opening the doors to others, is commendable.
Congratulations Neil on the adoption progress. Oh and great work on the channel and the cave. Being a regular visitor it is great to see the museum evolve and offer new things to regular visitors.
As much as it's great that you make videos about different types about computers and fixing them etc. at the end of the day, this is a part of your job. No one wants to work for nothing if it's not going to put food on the table, clothes on your back and keep a roof over your head. People forget that you still need to make a living so monetizing your videos is perfectly fine. If they're so worried about it, they can always use an adblocker. Or go back to watching free to air tv which has ads as well. And in the UK, a yearly subscription fee courtesy of the BBC.
Having been exposed to BBC terrestrial broadcasting over the holidays, it seems that the Beeb has more adverts for itself - often consisting of smug self-indulgence and puffing up of the corporation's fading brand - than any RU-vid video that I would find myself watching.
Thanks for sharing all this information. I have been toying with the idea of making a channel and seeing all this really helps. I don't understand why people complain about creators taking full advantage of the platform and doing the things that will make a channel more successful. More success just means you get to make more videos with new and cool stuff. It just seems silly to complain about that. Once I get my passport, I am going to take a trip to the UK. Most peoole would go to London and see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, ect. I will see those things but the first places I'm going are The Cave, The Arcade Archive, and This Museum Is Not Obsolete. I'm really looking forward to that trip and seeing these places in person.
I can confirm your M82 video showed in my recommendations and I never watched any of your videos before but watch retro game content on RU-vid. Whatever that reason was the algorithm recommended that video more I’m glad it did!
I would have thought the M82 videos would bring in lots new viewers. It has wide Nintendo appeal and Neil really took his time, care, and respect to bring it back to life and talk about the importance of the system. It's sort of the perfect all-around RMC video!
Congratulations on the approval! You will love being a dad. Great work on the channel Neil! I am looking forward to all the great content for 2024. Much success to you and the retro-collective!
I find it interesting the parallels between gaming and auto scene in the UK. You guys with the quirky stuff and all the small businesses doing highly specialized vintage electronics is amazing, much like with cars. At the same time, Frontier increasingly looks like British Leyland... :)
Have been on here since the start of the time we spent more time at home. Have seen many wonderful things on this channel, and heard many wonderful stories, thanks Neil :)
Glad to see the channel is doing well, Been enjoying it for a few years now. Do miss me a bit of mark tho, Would like to see you do more videos together again. Really liked the chemistry between the two of you.
I’ll try to get some Mark videos in this year. He’s a good friend and I love working with him, but people don’t often realise he lives two hours away, otherwise he’d be in here every day.
congrats on being approved! 🎉🥳 and im ngl makes me happy to hear you're of the position of a rising tide lifts all ships, ive heard too many saying lately its bad theres more youtubers. if we work together things can only go up #facts. also i love these end of the year videos they always make me happy, as always thank you for all the hard work and lovely content 🤍🤍
Hey, the guest videos were are a real highlight of the channel. I also love the more traditional stuff, but these are something truly unique among the retro channels.
For me the quality of content was basically perfected this year, all those interesting videos of huge variety of topics, it was always a treat when a new video popped up. Eagerly looking forward to this year what it brings.
The agave is going from strength to strength! Thank you for all you do for us retro enthusiasts. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the cave once already and hoping to make a return in this year. And what wonderful news about your adoption status - 2024 promises to be a very exciting year
So at the exact moment in the video where you show the "Nintendo Christmas Miracle" comment, the RU-vid algorithm served me up a Nintendo Switch advert. You are winning the 'game'. All the best for 2024.
Hi Neil, the guest videos have been 100% pure gold and I’m very grateful that your channel exists and that you’re pulling together these amazing stories. I can’t describe how fresh and satisfying it is to listen to the people who actually CREATED some of the things most dear to me. The selection of voices and the great depth with which they go into the nichey-niche details of their topics is like finding a fridge full of cold drinks in the middle of a desert. Your work has made important and fascinating history “come alive”, as they say in the museum biz. Cheers👍
Seems like yesterday I was watching you fix up a 486 in your basement. How far things have progressed since then! Congratulation on everything! Looking forward for the continued evolution of the Cave.
Thank you very much for doing this. It gave me a lot of insight on my own channel's stats! FYI, I turned off monetization and the algorithm dropped my numbers in half immediately!
Congrats on your personal news! I've never understood people who feel the need to write negative comments after watching a video. I think Thumper's mum said it best "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"
I may not be able to watch your videos all in one hit, but I always watch them until the end. Who gives up after 13 mins? I hope me leaving a video paused for a few days in a spare tab doesn't frustrate the viewing stats.
Congrats on the adoption approval. Fantastic news. I had this video on in the background while doing some house cleaning and had to double take and rewind to make sure I didn't mishear. It's no small thing to undertake. Kudos to you and your wife. :)
Glad to hear you're doing more restorations next year. That's my main thing I like watching you do, though I watch other stuff too. Thanks for all your hard work!
Congratulations on the channel growth last year! Very interesting to hear how you’ve been finding your way around the RU-vid algorithm. Good luck with 2024! :)
I'm glad YT doesn't promote shorts the same way it does other videos as I have no desire to watch them (I have an attention span longer than an ant). I get the whole point of them but I'm here for the long form videos as I have them running in the background while doing other things. I know I'll never get the chance to visit the Cave, so any video where I get to see it makes me smile. 😁.
I only discovered your channel last month from a RU-vid recommendation, so that worked for me. I only wished I knew about you sooner, I love what I've seen so far, I'm going to trawling through all the older videos. I'm looking forward to seeing you grow, you're doing a fantastic job.
Well done Neil on a great 2023. This is by far my favourite retro gaming RU-vid channel as is the This Week in Retro podcast. Your videos appear to be effortlessly put together to such a high standard (though I’m sure behind the scenes it’s not all plain sailing) and the varied and expertly researched content is a credit to yourself. I had the pleasure of visiting the Cave last April and was blown away by the museum and its treasures housed within. I would also like to point out how impressed I was to see you take the time to chat to each and every person who had visited the Cave that day, what a gent. Here’s to an even better 2024. Thank you Neil
there is no higher commendation i can give above me sitting down to eat after working all night and watching your videos and i have watched a good bit from you and its always quality - please don't ever forget that your effort is appreciated
I really do need to make a Pilgrimage to the Cave and Arcade Archives this year to see everything in person. Maybe in the spring? 😉 Also worth mentioning that a RU-vid Premium Subscription will also turn off the ads in all channel videos and in theory at least YT should kick back some of that sub to creators 😀 Other streaming platforms also exist Neil! 😁
I really like the honest format of this video, seeing behind the RU-vid curtain is great. I don't see why people don't like thinking about monetisation. At the end of the day creators need to make money, they love what they do but they do need to have a viable income. Thank you.
Thanks for your job man! You're inspiring! I almost felt in tears and I'm happy for you regarding the decision about adopting a child. It's so human, especially nowadays :)
This is such an open, impressive and insightful video. Thank you for your transparency for everything that you do for both this channel and helping the wider retro community.
What an exciting 2024 to look forward to. it was Great to make it to the cave last year hope to get there again soon. Massive congratulations to you both!!
What may be happening with your highest-viewed videos is the nostalgia of seeing these objects of desire that 80s/90s kids couldn't have afforded back in the day. The Sega Tower of Power, M82 and turbografx were really something to lust over for a fourteen year old back then and now we're all in our 40s we get to FINALLY SEE what we missed first time round.
Congratulations on your great family news Neil, and thank you for another year of quality, thought provoking, occasionally hilarious content. You're a legend 👍
Thank you for another great year. Glad to see the Cave doing well and the channel going from strength to strength... here is to a great 2024 for you and all the cave dwellers...
Finally got around watching this! Looking forward to the new year with Retro Tea Break, Dev talks, Mega-Tech, Dev Den (those Synths! Wow!),... Its going to be a fun one! I wish you all a fine new year (as the actual year not the day :p) that includes the wonderful people at Heber, Alex, volunteers, cave dwellers,... Neil I wish you all the success you deserve, congratulations to you and your wife on the adoption approval. Your videos consistently entertain, inform and cheer me up! Thank you!