RetroBreak has grown exponentially since I re-branded in 2019, and as a result, I’ve had so many people and companies reaching out, asking me to make videos to promote their games and products. I’m constantly getting emails, DM’s, tags etc across various platforms asking me to check out various games, unbox and review products, share Kickstarters or websites, play and give feedback on demos, and much more… As cool as all this stuff is, and as grateful as I am that people are willing to share their projects with me, I’m sure you can imagine, it’s beginning to get overwhelming.
I never wanted this channel to become all about advertising and promoting content for people. I wanted this to be about sharing my love of retro gaming, all of this is starting to get in the way of what I am really passionate about. I want people to watch and enjoy my videos knowing that I put my heart into each one. I want to go deeper into gaming history, share memories, experience retro games for the first time, and go back to the roots of the channel. I don’t want people to watch my videos and feel like they are missing out by not buying something. This isn’t a shopping channel, and I never wanted it to be.
From now on, I’m going to turn down ALL offers for reviews or promotions of any kind.
I’m getting overwhelmed, and it’s not only hurting my channel, but it’s also causing me unnecessary stress and anxiety. Seeing my inbox flooded with requests for product reviews and games to play, I constantly feel guilty feeling for not being able to get back to everyone. I’ve been taking on too many requests and struggling to make them all in time, all the while putting my own plans on the back burner. I want to take time to focus on what I want the channel to become, without these obligations getting in the way.
I do have a few videos lined up that I’ve already agreed to make, but after those have been released, i’m going to be refusing any new promotional material for the foreseeable future.
Each video I make takes a lot of time and effort, I’ve dedicated too many hours playing through games I wasn’t enjoying just because I’d promised to make a video about it, and I would be much happier putting that time and effort into projects I personally want to create, rather than sacrificing all of my free time to make what basically boils down to adverts for other people. For a while now I haven’t been enjoying making these videos, it has begun to feel too much like work (as much as I’d like YouTube to be a job, it’s really not!)
Perhaps one day I’ll open back up to promotions, but for now, and the foreseeable future. I’m going to go my own way and stick to my plans. I think overall, this will greatly benefit the quality of the videos on the channel, and hopefully make it a much more enjoyable experience for both the audience, and myself!
I’m very excited for this new start for the channel, even while writing this, I feel a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders, and a new excitement for creating again! I hope everyone reading understands how I’m approaching this and looks forward to seeing where I take the channel in the future!
TLDR:
I’ve made the decision to turn down ALL offers for reviews and promotions of any kind.
There is the possibility that I will work with brands in the future, but it will be on my terms and I will make sure it is only going to be for content that I am excited and passionate about.