It's also arguably an example of HypocriteSydePhil making an appearance because, as much as he rants about how BS and unfair it is for people to get early access/review copies
That argument is already retarded because it's a classic case of "rules for thee but not for me". When he could get early copies (the few times that he did) and when he could go to midnight releases because he didn't have a job as he was one of the first to be blessed with making money out of uploading videos, it wasn't unfair. Phil still doesn't realize that most people simply can't just afford every new major release and that's why games have transitioned from 60 dollar 8 hour campaigns with some hit or miss multiplayer to being either F2P with battle passes or 70 dollar +100 hour campaigns with updates over the years.
So even if technically it was possible to get every game day 1 back in the day, the people who could didn't have the time to just play them and upload them to YouTube the minute they could. It's like saying that you technically can be a good streamer, you just need to throw 2k dollars on equipment and have six hours every day to compete with the big names. Technically you can, but "not be poor" isn't really an option the same way it wasn't when Phil was getting games on midnight releases. The minute other Youtubers were able to do it, he was left behind quick. He was never on top or the Pewdiepie of old YouTube, he was prominent, sure, but never on top. The 4th place of YouTube gaming, if you will.
Technically, he could get review copies since he has the numbers, problem is that publishers would ask for a review that isn't an hour of drunk rambling. They would also ask that he plays the game off stream to make a review, and we know how much Phil would be down for that. Contrary to popular belief, there's plenty of famous "shills" that are very critical of the games they review, they just happen to say their criticisms in an educated and respectful way instead of going "UUUHHH WHO MADE THIS?? WOW WHAT A FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT IDIOT THEY SHOULD FIRE THE COCKSUCKER WHO DESIGNED THIS PART IM JUST BEING HONEST SOUND GOOD"
I reckon this is the level of engagement of most detractors.
The way I see it, the levels of detracting go like this.
-PASSER BY-
1. "It's the guy". People who only know about Phil for beating off.
2. People who watch documentaries and roughly know of Phil's history, although often misinformed because the videos they watch get things wrong (TurkeyTom)
-MOUTHDROOLERS-
3. People who watch daily clips to laugh at Phil. Not much knowledge of the lore aside what they see on comments (most "detractors" go here IMO)
4. People who watch re-streamers and/or dedicated DSP shows (TBS/WPIG)
5. People who are enthusiasts of the lore
-MENTALLY ILL LOSERS-
6. People who post here or other DSP-centered discussion forums
7. People who make daily DSP videos (often clips)
-THEY WANT TO RUIN MY LIFE-
8. People who make DSP-centered content. From talking about Phil's clips and "adding" to them to making dedicated shows discussing Phil (TBS/WPIG)
9. A-logs/people running gay-ops on Phil or doxxing dents. Also people who make content around DSP orbiters like Derich
10. Keemstar
Of course I'm mostly going by the time people usually spend on Phil content every day, but for most it's less than an hour every day just laughing at him. The irony is that Phil expects his audience to stick around for +3 hours every day (if we go by his retarded logic that there's a different audience for every stream). But in that case you're not a loser for spending so much time of your day on Phil.