Hello everyone,
First post here, was directed here to this thread by a friend who watches DSP. Just wanted to share some of my own views on Phil, being a former fan and all.
I discovered Phil back in early 2010 on Youtube, while looking for Mass Effect 2 videos. Became a very regular viewer because I thought he was funny. I've watched less of his content over time because I don't watch too much gaming content on Youtube these days, I much rather watch videos about cooking food, smartphones, or how to do stuff.
Still, I watch his vlog channel from time to time, and I believe the real reason he is flailing now is because he treats his fans and everyone else around him so poorly. Sure, his content is not as unique as it once was, but that doesn't completely explain the drop in viewership over the past few years.
The inflection point for me was when he released his video featuring his girlfriend Leanna for the first time, all the way back in February 2012. Now, I have nothing against Leanna personally, but her voice is extremely grating. Almost everyone I've shown videos featuring her voice agrees with me that she just has this incredibly nasally voice that just grates much people.
Most fans (like me) asked Phil to stop featuring her so much in his videos. It wasn't because she was a bad person or anything, her voice was not fit for public speaking. He refused, and attacked his fans for even daring to voice an opinion. (It took several years before he heeded their advice.) It was around then that his viewership began dipping. I stopped watching a lot of his gaming content around then.
Still, I watched his vlogs from time to time. What has become increasingly apparent over the years is that his modest success on Youtube has pumped up his ego many times over. Early on, he used to be pretty humble, but the moment he started making money off his videos, you could see the egoism in his videos. His fancy "staycations", leasing a BMW, buying a house near Seattle, etc. And despite all this, he was still begging people for money via Patreon. I mean, really man? Man up and live within your means if you want to keep doing this for a living, but don't beg for money. I never known any other Youtuber I've watched beg for money in the way that Phil has. Most are grateful for the support they get, and always emphasize that they would be nothing without their viewership.
To conclude, it wasn't necessarily just Phil's stagnant content that has put him into the more financially precarious predicament he's in today. It's the way he has treated his viewership, and how he burned bridges with former friends and collaborators like John Rambo.
Phil may limp along for another couple of years Youtubing and streaming on Twitch, but as he has to compete with more people getting into the game and such, he may not be able to make much of a living there anymore. Furthermore, I suspect that even Leanna will eventually leave him when she realizes that he can't take their relationship to the next level. I mean, he did probably beg her to get a job to help pay some of the household expenses.
I don't hate Phil, but he does rub off a lot of people the wrong way, especially with his behavior in recent years. It's a shame, because had he adapted his content and been less of a jerk, he could have easily been among one of the top 250 Youtubers/streamers today. He is genuinely pretty funny at times.
