Youtubers Life OMG
Fun sim shows what it takes to become an online star.
Youtubers Life OMG
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Youtubers Life OMG is a downloadable life simulation game for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs. The simulation lets players pursue their dream of becoming an internet celebrity. Along with going to clubs, players can flirt and pursue romantic relationships with AI characters. There's also occasional use of the word "damn" in dialogue, but other than that, there's no inappropriate content in the game. Parents, though, may question the messages that are presented in a game that focuses on trying to become an internet celebrity, along with everything that entails, and what that could communicate to young kids.
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im a youtuber and never had to do any of this stuff
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Best YouTube game
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What’s It About?
YOUTUBERS LIFE OMB is a life/business simulator that raises the curtain on what it takes to become a YouTube star. Players choose their gender and personality type, and then choose from one of three specialties: music, cooking, or video games. From there, you create and upload videos of yourself demonstrating your expertise. A simple video editor lets you choose (using skill cards) how to respond to filming triumphs and mishaps, and once videos are uploaded, you can pay to promote them and respond to community commentary. Completing timed missions earns you both experience and charisma points; the first grants you skill points, which you can spend on useful skills (songwriting and recipe-making, for example), and the second lets you unlock skill cards that enhance your on-camera performance. In addition to editing and uploading videos, the road to YouTuber stardom requires you to attend events, keep up with your studies, upgrade your equipment and wardrobe, build friendships and professional networks, earn money through odd jobs, and get enough rest and food -- all while honing your social media skills.
Is It Any Good?
After multiple content updates and a few years of play, the rough edges of this simulation game have been rounded out, and made into what it should have been in the first place. Granted, Youtubers Life OMG still has flaws, but the addition of two new career paths and reworked features have turned a mediocre game into an addictive simulation packed with sly social commentary. Internet stardom is the Gold Rush of the 21st century; seemingly everyone wants to get rich by becoming a YouTube celebrity, and no doubt many parents have heard their kids announce as much. But how many wannabe superstars understand the work involved? This fun little sim does a great job of giving kids a glimpse of what's required to gain an online following and shows them not only how much there is to do, but how much time-and-resource management is needed to do it. Things start slow, but soon you're in a frantic race to stay relevant. The hungry online audience constantly demands new content, and it's a long uphill battle before anyone knows who you are or you make any money.
On top of that, it's easy to move out or upgrade your equipment too soon, finding yourself broke, in terrible debt, living on bread and water, missing out on important events, and having clients yell at you for unfinished assignments. It's a lesson in how poor decision-making can get you into trouble, and a great way to assess your priorities. What's more important to you: making appearances, or friends? Buying food or buying that hot new cell phone? Tough questions lurk under the surface that ask us to examine our obsession with "likes" and "followers." The game still suffers from easily avoidable translation errors and confusing interface issues (a Diner Dash-like sequence comes to mind), but these things are minor. Overall, Youtubers Life OMG has matured into a highly entertaining life sim that could function as a valuable tool for teaching kids about the price of internet celebrity, as well as the fleeting nature of it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about becoming a YouTube star. What do you think it entails? Do you think it's as easy as it looks?
Is being rich and famous the only (or best) ambition in the current technological age? Why does there seem to be such a fixation on being rich and famous in society?
Why do you think people spend so much time following the everyday lives of celebrities?
Game Details
- Platforms: Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: U-Play Online
- Release date: May 18, 2016
- Genre: Simulation
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Last updated: January 17, 2022
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