Vinesauce | |
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![]() | |
![]() From left to right: Fred, Imakuni, Vinny (standing), MentalJen and RevScarecrow in 2016 | |
Personal information | |
Origin | New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Live streamers |
Website | vinesauce |
YouTube information | |
Channels |
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Years active | 2010–present |
Genres | |
Subscribers | 3.48 million (combined)[b] |
Total views | 1.33 billion (combined)[a] |
Associated acts | |
Last updated: December 19, 2023 |
Vinesauce is a collective of online content creators founded in 2010.[1] The group primarily focuses on video game livestreaming and commentary videos. The group is most notable for content in which video games are corrupted to cause glitches, as well as content covering obscure video games and other media.[2] The popularity of this content has earned media coverage from major video game outlets such as Kotaku, VG247, PC Gamer and Nintendo Life.
History
[edit]In 2010, content creator Vinny[note 1] formed Vinesauce as a streaming community and YouTube channel.[1][4] Inspired by both the nascent medium of streaming and a dream he had where he streamed the SNES video game Chrono Trigger, Vinny created an account on Livestream to stream the game, eventually learning aspects of streaming over time.[1] Adopting the alias "Vinny Vinesauce" as his online pseudonym,[1] Vinny later founded the Vinesauce website[4] and recruited other streamers and content creators as members of the community.[1][5] As the years went by, the group has become independent as most of the members focus more on their individual content.[5]
Internet content
[edit]Vinesauce's content primarily focuses on hacks and mods of various retro games such as Super Mario 64 and its Chaos mod,[2][6][7] The Legend of Zelda,[2][8][9] Half-Life,[10][11] Pokémon[12] and Metal Gear Solid.[2] Their content on retro games, in which they employ ROM corruptions and code manipulation to produce random glitches and effects,[2] have been described as creepy and frightening from various media outlets.[2][13][14] Vinesauce's process for game corruptions involves the use of a program called the "Vinesauce Corruptor", which arbitrarily rearranges a video game's source code in order to recontextualize the game with new effects.[15] Several of these effects range from humorous in nature to surprising and ghastly, with some corruptions offering new challenges to older games.[15] Maxwell McGee of GamesRadar detailed the process of Vinesauce's corruption videos, stating that "using the Vinesauce corruptor is like tuning a guitar, only instead of making something sound good you want it to sound as horrific as possible without completely falling apart."[15] The group has also played various other video games such as Cyberpunk 2077,[16] Fallout 4[4] and Super Mario Maker.[17]
Active Worlds
[edit]In 2016, Vinesauce received mainstream attention for their livestream of the 1995 virtual world game Active Worlds.[18][19][20] Taking place in March 2016, the stream involved Vinny venturing in the virtual world until encountering a user named "Hitomi Fujiko", a player who appeared to exhibit non-player character traits.[21] Vinny had initially assumed Fujiko was a character intended to guide players through the virtual world, but after various interactions with Fujiko, he slowly realized the character had evinced human-like traits.[21][22] Vinny and Fujiko's interaction escalated with a conversation where Fujiko knew Vinny's name despite him registering his account as Vinesauce; shortly after, Fujiko left the server.[21] 6,000 people watched the stream unfold with many of them attempting to register accounts in order to join Vinny's session, leading to an overload of the game's servers.[18][21] The stream had led Vinesauce's fan base to uncover clues about the mystery surrounding Fujiko's actions,[18][20][21] with Alex Avard of GamesRadar asserting that "the events that followed were mythologized into one of the internet's best creepypasta stories."[23] In 2018, author Andrew Reinhard cited the Active Worlds videos as an example of archaeogaming in the book Archaeogaming: An Introduction to Archaeology in and of Video Games.[24]
Fake farm game
[edit]In 2021, several of Vinesauce's videos were cited in a mystery about a farming game that never existed.[25][26] The mystery came into existence when a Reddit user named "Sparta123" wrote a thread on r/tipofmyjoystick describing a farming game akin to Harvest Moon that they tried to recall, with the premise involving a man who manslaughters his wife and tries to hide the body while working as a farmer.[25][26] Sparta123's post led the game rumor to spread to various social media communities, with users attempting to investigate the existence of the farming game.[25][26] In a video essay, YouTuber Justin Whang revealed that the premise of the game originated from Vinesauce member Vargskelethor Joel, citing a Reddit post from user "PM_MeYourEars" and a Discord post from "AqueousSnake" that identified an animated clip from one of Joel's streams.[25][26] Sparta123 later confirmed that Vinesauce Joel's video was "likely the source of the game,"[26] and Joel also apologized in a Twitch stream.[25]
Other ventures
[edit]Philanthropy
[edit]In 2014, Vinesauce created the Vinesauce is HOPE charity drive, a variety gaming stream where proceeds go to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF); former Vinesauce member Hootey is credited with the idea for the event.[1][27] In 2017 the Vinesauce is HOPE stream raised over $137,000[1] and in 2019 they raised over $218,000.[27]
Red Vox
[edit]Red Vox | |
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![]() Red Vox performing in 2016 | |
Background information | |
Origin | New York City, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2015–present |
Members |
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Website | redvoxband |
Red Vox is a rock band formed by Vinny and drummer Mike (Jabroni Mike) in 2015.[1][28] Their music is primarily alternative rock with influences from psychedelic rock. Vinny has stated that rock bands such as Radiohead, Nirvana, Pink Floyd and Tame Impala were inspirations for the group's music.[1][28][29] Their second album Another Light was released in 2017 and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.[29][30] They have released 6 albums and 2 EPs in total.
Other work
[edit]In 2014, Vinesauce interviewed video game developer Edmund McMillen to discuss secrets surrounding his game The Binding of Isaac.[31][32][33] In 2020, Vinny appeared in an episode of the Boundary Break web series focused on the out-of-bounds content of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.[34][35] In 2022, Vinesauce interviewed the actor Jack Mulcahy for starring in Creating Rem Lezar and discussed topics relating to insight on actors and film production. They also discussed the emotional aspects of the film and how Rem Lezar was specifically designed.[36]
Impact
[edit]Vinesauce's videos have been credited for popularizing Internet memes, such as The Daily Dot citing Vinesauce member Joel's Rollercoaster Tycoon videos as bringing various memes to a wider audience.[37] Vinny's level creations on Super Mario Maker have also inspired similar creepypasta-based levels in the game.[17]
TechRadar cited Vinesauce as one of the 10 best YouTube channels playing games in a 2016 listicle, noting Vinny's Active Worlds videos and the channel's focus on esoteric games and mods.[4] In 2021, Vinesauce was cited as an example of a "comfort creator" in an article from The New York Times.[38]
On September 30, 2022, Vinny was invited by CNN to speak about his experience with the musical-comedy game Trombone Champ.[39] In November 2022, he was again invited by CNN to speak about his experience with the video game Placid Plastic Duck Simulator with Rick Damigella.[40]
See also
[edit]- TooManyGames – A convention that both Vinesauce and Red Vox regularly attends
Notes
[edit]- ^
Views, broken down by channel:
389 million (Vinesauce)
394 million (Vinesauce: The Full Sauce)
123 million (Vinesauce: Twitch Clips)
14 million (Vinesauce: The Extra Sauce)
155 million (Vargskelethor Joel)
216 million (Vargskelethor Uncut: Full Joel Streams)
14.9 million (Vargskelethor: Twitch Clips)
1.12 million (Imakuni Full Streams)
111 thousand (FreddyT09)
10.5 million (Revscarecrow)
8.56 million (RevScarecrow: After Hours)
1.67 million (Limealicious)
1.14 million (Lime Archives)
533 thousand (Dorb)
93.2 thousand (Dorb Dump)
4.05 million (Potato) - ^
Subscribers, broken down by channel:
1.11 million (Vinesauce)
567 thousand (Vinesauce: The Full Sauce)
245 thousand (Vinesauce: Twitch Clips)
77.1 thousand (Vinesauce: The Extra Sauce)
781 thousand (Vargskelethor Joel)
461 thousand (Vargskelethor Uncut: Full Joel Streams)
42.1 thousand (Vargskelethor: Twitch Clips)
12.9 thousand (Imakuni Full Streams)
3.09 thousand (FreddyT09)
69.8 thousand (Revscarecrow)
41.6 thousand (RevScarecrow: After Hours)
36.3 thousand (Limealicious)
14.7 thousand (Lime Archives)
6.46 thousand (Dorb)
1.56 thousand (Dorb Dump)
12.6 thousand (Potato)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Brierley, Louis (August 18, 2017). "Vinesauce & Red Vox". HEAVY Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Birch, Nathan (December 3, 2013). "Give Yourself Nightmares With The Best Vinesauce Video Game Glitch Videos". Uproxx. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Loffhagen, Matthew (December 4, 2020). "Why Vinesauce got banned on Twitch for streaming nudity". Elecspo. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Rowlatt, Henrietta (May 10, 2016). "10 of the best YouTubers playing PC games today". TechRadar. Archived from the original on May 18, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Finley, Brittni (April 5, 2021). "Twitch Streamer Vinny Vinesauce Speaking With Lawyer After Misconduct Accusations". Game Rant. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Birch, Nathan (November 7, 2014). "'Mario 64: Chaos Edition' Is The Horror That Happens When Mario Overdoses On Game Genie Codes". Uproxx. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan (November 6, 2014). "A Terrifying New Way To Play Mario 64". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (December 28, 2013). "Majora's Mask Looks Better When It's Broken". Kotaku. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Vas, Gergo (September 8, 2013). "Nintendo 64 Games Had Some Of The Best Glitches". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Petitte, Omri (October 8, 2012). "Half-Mind mod gameplay video shows Gordon Freeman's brush with madness". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan (March 9, 2015). "Broken Half-Life Is Scary Half-Life". Kotaku. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (October 30, 2014). "Glitched Out Pokémon Is The Best Kind of Nightmare". Kotaku. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Latshaw, Tim (December 2, 2013). "Weirdness: Super Mario 64 Corruptions Yield Hilarious and/or Terrifying Results". Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (December 12, 2013). "Super Mario 64 As A Glitchy Nightmare". Kotaku. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c McGee, Maxwell (August 10, 2015). "Make old games feel new again by ruining everything". GamesRadar. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (March 30, 2021). "Cyberpunk 2077 players show game is still a mess despite hundreds of fixes". Polygon. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Kemps, Heidi (November 1, 2015). "Behold the Horror of the Mushroom Kingdom with These Creepy 'Mario Maker' Levels". Vice. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c Hernandez, Patricia (March 28, 2016). "YouTuber's Journey Into Abandoned MMO Is Creepypasta Material". Kotaku. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ Hillier, Brenna (June 17, 2016). "A spooky encounter in an abandoned 90's MMO". VG247. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Siegal, Jacob (March 30, 2016). "YouTuber explores abandoned virtual world, ends up inside a creepy nightmare". BGR. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Emerson, Sarah (March 30, 2016). "Who Is the Last Active Player in This Long-Dead MMO?". Vice. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Fredricksen, Eric (March 29, 2016). "Streamer delves into 1995 MMORPG, finds one person still haunting the servers". Techno Buffalo. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Avard, Alex (January 25, 2018). "Destiny, Battlefield, and the strange, surreal horror of revisiting abandoned multiplayer games". GamesRadar. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Reinhard, Andrew (June 18, 2018). Archaeogaming: An Introduction to Archaeology in and of Video Games. Berghahn Books. p. 158. ISBN 9781785338748.
- ^ a b c d e De Leon, Radhamely (June 21, 2021). "The 5-Year Mystery of the 'Evil Farming Game' Has Been Solved". Vice. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Notis, Ari (June 15, 2021). "Mysterious 'Evil Farming Game' Never Actually Existed". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Plunkett, Luke (July 22, 2019). "Vinesauce is HOPE 2019". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Brierley, Louis (January 19, 2018). "[INTERVIEW] Basking in ANOTHER LIGHT with RED VOX". HEAVY Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Alvernaz, Adam (March 10, 2020). "The engrossing sounds of Red Vox's 'Ozymandias' and a discussion with the band's lead vocalist". The Highlander. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ "Heatseekers Albums: Up and Coming Musicians Chart". Billboard. January 3, 2018. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick (November 3, 2015). "The Binding of Isaac's New Secrets Sound Completely Nuts". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick (February 3, 2016). "The Binding of Isaac's Biggest Secret Nearly Broke The Guy Who Made It". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Carter, Chris (November 13, 2014). "Team Meat and Rebirth dev talk about the woes of fans datamining The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth". Destructoid. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Sharp, Jamie (April 3, 2020). "Boundary Break discovers secrets in Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Destructoid. Retrieved April 17, 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Craddock, Ryan (April 3, 2020). "Video: Areas You Weren't Meant To See In Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (September 5, 2022). "Creating Rem Lezar: The Bizarre Cult Classic Lands an Anniversary Blu-ray". CBR. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ Hathaway, Jay (August 26, 2016). "What it really means to 'nut' and 'succ'". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Marcus, Ezra (November 29, 2021). "What Is a 'Comfort Creator'?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ "'Trombone Champ' hits some funny notes". CNN. September 30, 2022. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "Vinny on Placid Plastic Duck Simulator". CNN. 25 November 2022. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.