chuggaaconroy | ||||||||||
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![]() Rosales at PAX West in August 2018 | ||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||
Born | Emiliano Rodolfo Rosales-Birou April 8, 1990 | |||||||||
Other names | Emile Rosales | |||||||||
Occupation(s) | YouTuber Let's Player | |||||||||
Partner | MasaeAnela (2011–2021) | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
Also known as | Chugga | |||||||||
Channel | ||||||||||
Location | Atlanta, Georgia | |||||||||
Years active | 2008–present | |||||||||
Genre(s) | ||||||||||
Subscribers | 1.25 million[1] (2024) | |||||||||
Total views | 1.24 billion[1] (2024) | |||||||||
Associated acts |
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Emiliano Rodolfo Rosales-Birou (born April 8, 1990), also known as Emile Rosales and better known online as Chuggaaconroy or Chugga for short, is an American YouTuber and Let's Player. He is known for his Let's Plays of games primarily exclusive to Nintendo systems, and is known online for his informative commentary.
Starting his online career in 2008, Rosales-Birou began uploading Let's Plays on his main YouTube channel, Chuggaaconroy, and has since uploaded over 40 Let's Plays to the platform. He garnered popularity after his videos were often recommended on YouTube's suggestions, became a YouTube Partner in 2010, and has done videos as a full-time job since 2013. His content consists of playthroughs of various video games primarily exclusive to Nintendo systems. Rosales-Birou amassed a hundred thousand subscribers in 2010 and amassed one million by 2015. Besides Let's Plays, Rosales-Birou has also done several video essays.
Alongside his own Let's Play videos, Rosales-Birou is a founding member of The Runaway Guys collaborative Let's Play channel with Jonathan Wheeler (known online as Proton Jon) and Timothy Bishop (known online as NintendoCapriSun). Founded in 2011, the group records themselves playing various multiplayer video games, have hosted the Thrown Controllers live game show event, and done gaming live-streams for charity. They amassed 487 thousand subscribers and 397 total video views as of 2023.
Early life
[edit]Emiliano Rodolfo Rosales-Birou was born on April 8, 1990, and is a native of Phoenix, Arizona.[2] He is of French and Mexican descent. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2012, where he has resided since 2019.[3] He has mentioned in videos that he struggled with family and financial issues during his childhood, and that he also struggles with autism.[4] He has spoken many times of not having a healthy relationship with his father, citing drug use, alcoholism, and neglectfulness.[5] Rosales-Birou studied statistics in college, and his first job was at a cinema. A lifelong fan of the SNES role-playing game and a member of its fandom, Rosales-Birou had been a member of the fan-site Starmen.net as a teenager.[6]
YouTube career
[edit]Solo Let's Plays (2008–present)
[edit]Rosales-Birou created his YouTube account on July 26, 2006, under the alias of "Chuggaaconroy". Originating from the chugging sound of a running train, his username was originally "Chugga A. Conroy" before he changed it to "Chuggaaconroy".[7] He was initially inspired to make Let's Plays by personalities such as Jonathan Wheeler (known online as Proton Jon), a Let's Player originating from the Something Awful forums and an eventual founding member of The Runaway Guys.[2][8] On March 26, 2008, he uploaded his first Let's Play series covering EarthBound on YouTube, adding commentary on the game's sound and art design.[9] He would later upload Let's Play videos on the other games in the Mother series.[10]
In July 2010, Rosales-Birou's YouTube account was suspended under false copyright claims, though was restored in August. His suspension occurred at the same time as his friend and fellow Let's Player, Timothy Bishop (known online as NintendoCapriSun), was also suspended for similar reasons; he too would have his account restored in August.[11][12] Shortly after the incident, Rosales-Birou obtained a YouTube partnership with The Game Station (later named Polaris), a sub-network of Maker Studios, before going independent a few years later.[13] Rosales-Birou's channel grew in popularity as his gameplay videos were often recommended on YouTube's suggestions, and he has since become a Let's Play creator on YouTube as a full-time job;[7] Nintendo had initially targeted and content ID-claimed several of Rosales-Birou's videos due to them containing footage of their games, causing his ad revenue to temporarily decrease, but later ceased doing so.[14]
On his primary YouTube channel, Rosales-Birou has produced over 40 solo Let's Play series of games primarily exclusive to Nintendo systems, such as EarthBound, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door,[15] Pikmin,[16] Super Mario Galaxy,[note 1] The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask,[19] Pokémon Emerald, Super Paper Mario,[20] Super Mario 64 DS, Animal Crossing: New Leaf,[21][22] Xenoblade Chronicles,[15] and Splatoon.[23] Occasionally, he has collaborated with other YouTubers, including MasaeAnela, who had dated Rosales-Birou from 2011 to 2021, and Stephen Georg (known online as StephenPlays/StephenVlog).[24]
In 2018, Rosales-Birou remade his EarthBound Let's Play series on the tenth anniversary of his YouTube channel's formation, going into detail on previously undiscussed trivia and knowledge surrounding the game.[25] He had previously expressed interest in remaking the series, feeling that he "could have done such a better job now."[9] However, in June 2021, several of Rosales-Birou’s EarthBound videos were content ID-claimed and subsequently blocked worldwide for a temporary amount of time by Sony, due to the company owning the distribution rights to the game's soundtrack.[26]
Commentary and video style
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Masae_Anela_%2829480417557%29.jpg/246px-Masae_Anela_%2829480417557%29.jpg)
Rosales-Birou's gaming videos have been categorized under the walkthrough genre, and have been described as both entertaining and informative. Contrasting from other Let's Play channels, his content focuses on footage from Nintendo games several years after their initial release dates, mainly of titles he has played numerous times before.[27] During his gameplay videos, Rosales-Birou attempts to show every aspect of each individual game he plays to 100% completion, including every item, boss battle, sidequest, and Easter egg possible.[27][28]
Rosales-Birou commentates in an informative manner in his videos with the purpose of guiding viewers to complete the game themselves. For example, in his Pokémon Emerald series he discusses various strategies and viable techniques to ensure optimal success in the game,[29] and in his second EarthBound series he showcased a particular glitch in the game involving the Tent located in Threed, one of the cities featured in the game.[30] In this regard, his gameplay videos function as informative walkthroughs with the premise of guiding players through each aspect of the specific game he plays.
In spite of their informative nature, Rosales-Birou's videos often employ humorous moments in his gameplay, such as the occasional failure or death in a level and subsequent backtracking. His videos have also been described as nostalgic and reflective, as he often tells personal anecdotes of his experiences with the games he plays.[27]
The Runaway Guys (2011–present)
[edit]The Runaway Guys | |||||||
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![]() The Runaway Guys at PAX West 2018. From left to right: Timothy Bishop (NintendoCapriSun), Emile Rosales-Birou (Chuggaaconroy) and Jonathan Wheeler (Proton Jon) | |||||||
YouTube information | |||||||
Channel | |||||||
Years active | 2011–present | ||||||
Genre(s) | Gaming, let's play | ||||||
Subscribers | 489 thousand[31] (September 2023) | ||||||
Total views | 412 million[31] (September 2023) | ||||||
Associated acts |
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The Runaway Guys is a collaborative Let's Play channel formed by Rosales-Birou, Wheeler and Bishop.[32][33] The group records themselves playing various multiplayer video games such as Mario Party, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Wheel of Fortune.[34][35][36] Occasionally, they have collaborated with other YouTubers including MasaeAnela, Stephen Georg, Tom Fawkes and Josh Jepson. They have amassed 487 thousand subscribers and 397 total video views as of 2023.
In addition to their videos, The Runaway Guys have also hosted the Thrown Controllers event, a live game show which focuses on video game trivia and challenges. The event has been broadcast on numerous gaming conventions such as PAX, Magfest and Momocon.[37][38] The group has also done gaming live-streams for charity, hosting "The Runaway Guys Colosseum" stream for the non-profit organization Direct Relief, whose mission is to improve the lives of people in poverty or emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing the appropriate medical resources. Guests who have collaborated with the group on the stream include MasaeAnela, Stephen Georg, Tom Fawkes, Josh Jepson, Lucahjin and The Completionist.[33][39][40]
Other ventures
[edit]Besides Let's Plays, Rosales-Birou has also done several video essays, including Discardables (about the Pokémon Trading Card Game) and Chugga Sticks It to Sticker Star (a critique of Paper Mario: Sticker Star).
In 2012, Rosales-Birou appeared in an episode of The Game Station Podcast hosted by YouTuber TotalBiscuit.[41] In 2014, Rosales-Birou appeared in an episode of Did You Know Gaming? to explain trivia on the EarthBound franchise.[42][43] He had also collaborated with YouTuber TheJWittz in a video discussing theories on the Pokémon antagonist Giovanni, the Team Rocket boss.[44]
In June 2022, Rosales-Birou attended the Games Done Quick event Summer Games Done Quick and served as a couch commentator for a speedrun of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country by speed-runner Enel.[45]
Later that year, he appeared in the Speedrun Survivor online reality series alongside other Pokémon streamers, where he was coached by speed-runner PulseEffect and won the various challenges involving Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
In September 2022, Rosales-Birou appeared in a YouTube video uploaded by the official Nintendo of America channel, where he discussed his thoughts on Xenoblade Chronicles 3.[46]
Public image
[edit]Rosales-Birou's channel reached 1 million subscribers and 760 million views in 2015, and is at over 1.25 million subscribers and 1.24 billion views as of 2024.[3] His Let's Play videos have been received positively. Jennifer O'Connell from The Irish Times noted Rosales-Birou's content as a family-friendly alternative to more vulgar YouTube gaming channels, and Noel Murray from The New York Times cited him as an example of a YouTuber "less interested in personal branding than in sharing their (his) enthusiasm."[7] Stephen Adegun of Reporter had given his content praise for its informative nature, stating that "while watching one of his series of playthroughs, viewers can doubtlessly come away having learned something new about the game, even if they knew a lot about it already." Ryan Rigney from Wired magazine noted that Rosales-Birou "possesses a near encyclopedic knowledge about the games he's playing, and reliably dispenses gobs of obscure information as he plays." Rosales-Birou has also appeared in various lists of the best gaming YouTube channels.[29][19][47]
In 2014, it was reported that Rosales-Birou, in a conservative estimate, earned a salary of approximately USD$62,000 from his YouTube channel, according to SocialBlade.[48][49] Rosales-Birou's YouTube channel name was featured as a cheat code for the 2019 Metroidvania game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, alongside other prominent internet personalities.[50][51] In 2021, Rosales-Birou's Let's Play series on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 coincided with the announcement of characters Pyra and Mythra as DLC fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, marking the second time a Xenoblade character was announced for Super Smash Bros. during his concurrent Let's Play videos on the series.[52] In March 2023, on the 15th anniversary of Rosales-Birou's first Let's Play video "EarthBound - Part 1: Meteor" being uploaded, the YouTubeGaming Twitter page posted a tweet referencing the occasion, referring to him as a "now let's play legend." in 2014 The Atlantic cited Rosales-Birou as an example of a Let's Player making a living off of gaming videos.[53]
Videoography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2008–present | Chuggaaconroy Let's Plays | Himself | 3,017 episodes |
2011–present | The Runaway Guys Let's Plays | Himself | 2,106 episodes |
2014 | Did You Know Gaming? | Narrator | 2 episodes (EarthBound Part 1 & 2) |
2020-2024 | Discardables | Narrator | 4 episodes |
2022 | Speedrun Survivor | Himself | 7 episodes |
2022-2023 | Chugga Sticks It to Sticker Star | Narrator | 6 episodes |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "About chugga". YouTube.
- ^ a b Rigney, Ryan (July 24, 2013). "For Chuggaaconroy, Playing Old Nintendo Games Is a Full-Time Job". Wired. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ a b Dunlap, Charles (August 29, 2019). "Young Mexico man moves forward after treatment". The Examiner. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Rosales, Emile. "Chuggaaconroy - 50 Facts Tag Video". YouTube. Chuggaaconroy. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
- ^ Rosales-Birou, Emile. "EarthBound - Episode 16: Winter's End". YouTube. Chuggaaconroy.
- ^ York, Alex (October 17, 2015). "YouTuber gaining attention". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c Murray, Noel (October 2, 2015). "YouTube's Young Viewers Are Becoming Its Creators". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Kemps, Heidi (April 2015). "Let's Playing Together" (PDF). PC PowerPlay. pp. 34–36.
- ^ a b "Interview With Chuggaaconroy". Girls on Games. September 23, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ Franzese, Tomas (June 6, 2017). "E3 2017 Dreams -- I Hope A Mother 3 Western Release Graces the Nintendo Switch". Dualshockers. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Rappaport, Jason (July 19, 2010). "Chuggaaconroy, Others, Suspended from YouTube By False Copyright Claims". Zelda Universe. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ Rappaport, Jason (August 1, 2010). "Chuggaaconroy is back, baby!". Zelda Universe. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ Schreier, Jason (December 15, 2010). "'The Game Station' Televises Gaming on YouTube". Wired. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Rigney, Ryan (October 21, 2013). "Want to Sell Your Game? Don't Tick Off YouTubers". Wired. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Adegun, Stephen (February 23, 2019). "Smash That Play Button". Reporter Magazine. Rochester Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Noel (October 15, 2015). "Here's what the next-gen are doing on YouTube". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "YouTube gaming charts: 'Duke Nukem Forever,' 'Super Luigi Galaxy'". The Independent. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "YouTube gaming charts: 'Black Ops' tops". The Independent. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Yurevitch, Theo (July 9, 2020). "10 best Let's Play YouTubers". Gamepur. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Beaumont, Mark (October 27, 2017). "The evolution of Mario". NME. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Watson, Elijah C. (July 22, 2020). "'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Is Serving As A Means To Connect Black People Globally". Okayplayer. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Spear, Rebecca (February 14, 2021). "Animal Crossing Festivale: Pavé, Festivale items, rainbow feathers, and more". iMore. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ O'Connell, Jennifer (February 18, 2017). "What children learn from PewDiePie, Stampy and DanTDM". The Irish Times. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Anela, Masae (April 18, 2024). "Re: Emile". Twitter.
- ^ Rosales-Birou, Emile (July 15, 2018). "Rockin a New Let's Play!". YouTube. Chuggaaconroy. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Ryan Craddock (June 30, 2021). "EarthBound YouTube Videos Keep Getting Flagged For Copyright By Sony". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gomes de Matos, Bruno Vasconcelos (November 2017). Let's Play a game: Como Let's Plays se comportam como agentes de comunicação [Let's Play a game : How Let's Plays behave as communication agents] (PDF) (Thesis) (in Portuguese). University of Brasília. pp. 55–58. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ Stanichar, Joseph (March 1, 2023). "Let's Plays Are as Fun as Ever: Why We Still Love Watching Other People Play Videogames". Paste. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Hockenson, Lauren (January 25, 2012). "5 Essential YouTube Channels for Gamers". Mashable. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Kirshenblatt, Matthew (December 10, 2018). "EarthBound Dress Rehearsals and The Beginnings of Interaction: Toby Fox and Gaster's Deltarune Part I". Sequart Organization. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "About TheRunawayGuys". YouTube.
- ^ "The Runaway Guys Interview (Chuggaaconroy & Proton Jon)". Girls on Games. June 6, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Smith, Noah (February 25, 2022). "Top Charity Gaming Stream On For This Weekend". Direct Relief. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Batchelor, Kim (November 8, 2015). "YouTube: a guide to genre part four". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Walker, Alex (March 2, 2012). "Frag Reel Friday: the world of Mario". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ McDonnell, Jeffrey (August 1, 2019). "What Let's Play series are you currently watching?". Nintendo Enthusiast. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Personen, Kalle (2020). "Designing a learning game for parkour courses" (PDF). Lapland University of Applied Sciences. pp. 14–25.
- ^ Wales, Murphy (July 5, 2017). "Momocon 2017 Recap". ComicsVerse. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Henning, Alex (May 15, 2021). "Is Video Game Content Creation Worth Your Time?". CBR. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ Smith, Noah (December 25, 2019). "Gamers Raised Millions for Charity in 2019: Meet Three Leading the Way". Direct Relief. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ "TGS Podcast #29 ft. ChuggaaConroy, Hosted by Total Biscuit & Dodger". TheTVDB.com. October 19, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (March 3, 2014). "Nine Things You Might Not Know About Earthbound". Kotaku. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ Did You Know Gaming (March 1, 2014). "EarthBound Part 2 – Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Chuggaaconroy". Normal Boots. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (October 18, 2013). "Giovanni, The Team Rocket Boss, Is Pokémon's Best Villian [sic]". Kotaku. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ Stanichar, Joseph (July 19, 2022). "The Best Speed Runs from Summer Games Done Quick 2022". Paste. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
- ^ Nintendo of America (September 22, 2022). What We LOVE about Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Why I Play. Retrieved August 3, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Zaher, Troy (January 29, 2019). "9 best YouTube channels for JRPG fans". Softonic. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Zoia, Christopher. "This Guy Makes Millions Playing Video Games on YouTube". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ "chuggaaconroy YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com". socialblade.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Capel, Chris (June 19, 2019). "Bloodstained Ritual of the Night Cheats | List of all cheat codes". GameRevolution. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Koch, Maik (July 17, 2019). "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Weapons, Nightmare Mode - Cheats at a glance". PC Games (in German).
- ^ Ditchfield, Jaimie (March 4, 2021). "Sakurai reiterates it's not his decision to include more sword fighters in Smash". Nintendo Enthusiast. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Zoia, Christopher (March 14, 2014). "This Guy Makes Millions Playing Games on YouTube". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 10, 2021.