Casual and online gaming are two sectors that have grown exponentially over the past couple of years. As a consequence, video games have gone from being niche to mainstream very quickly. And Google may be about to use YouTube to latch onto the trend.

From Geeks To The Mainstream

When I was growing up, video games and gaming were the domain of the geeky. And I was one of the nerds involved. But it’s an activity that has changed massively in recent times.

The release of the PS2 and then the Wii brought gaming into the mainstream in a big way, with new people of all ages casually dipping their toes into the water.

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YouTube may be about to diversify its content in an extreme way – by charging for it. Whether by one-off rentals and download fees, or monthly subscriptions, it looks as though YouTube is set to make revenue from methods other than advertising.

YouTube Goes Long

YouTube began as a bit of a Wild West of online video, but soon settled down to become the number one site for short, user-generated clips in the world. Mainly under Google’s ownership and tutelage.

But it has recently been trying to add more professional, long-form content as well. Some old movies and TV shows are now available on the site, and in the U.K. it has recently inked a deal with Channel 4 to have its archive of programming added to the site.

However, while Channel 4 is happy to sell its wares to YouTube for advertising revenue (alongside 4oD), most content creators and television networks aren’t so ready and willing to license their content. At least not merely for a share of advertising revenue.

Cue alternative revenue models.

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YouTube is by far the most popular and most visited online video site on the Web. But which videos in particular were big during 2009? And which keywords were the most searched for over the past year? Helpfully, Google has answered both these questions.

YouTube In 2009

It’s fair to say YouTube has had a good year. It’s carried on experimenting both with advertising methods and premium content, and while there was a debate about whether it was yet profitable, it’s certainly heading in the right direction.

YouTube also announced it was now serving one billion views a day, which coincided with the third-year anniversary of Google acquiring the site. Google CEO Eric Schmidt did however reveal that the company had paid over the odds for YouTube.

YouTube today revealed a collection of statistics for usage of the site, including the most viewed videos and most common search terms through 2009.

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Vevo, the Hulu for Music videos which has the backing of YouTube (and obviously Google) and three of the four major record labels, has now launched. And it’s kinda working. However, there are still question marks over whether it can succeed. And actually, who, why, and what is it for?

Vevo

Vevo is a joint venture between Sony Music and the Universal Music Group, with the backing of YouTube – probably because it had to play ball in order not to lose music videos from YouTube altogether.

Rumors abound for months of a Hulu for music, all happening against the backdrop of the major record labels negotiating new licensing deals with YouTube. The plans were cemented in April and Vevo launched on time on December 9.

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Vevo has finally arrived after months spent preparing the site for launch. However, its first day was marred by the site going down due to heavy traffic. And there are still questions to be asked over content, an international roll out, and whether the site is actually necessary in the first place.

Vevo Forever

We’ve been following the story of Vevo since it was first mooted a year ago. The idea of a Hulu for music videos was being touted due to the issues YouTube was having trying to secure licensing deals with the record labels.

In April of this year the plans were cemented, with YouTube and Universal being the brains behind the new site. Vevo then named Rio Caraeff as its CEO, other record labels came on board, and the launch was set for December.

And it’s arrived on time, with EMI doing a last minute deal to come on board, leaving Warners as the only major record label still to do so.

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Not all computers are created equally and not all connection speeds offer the same experience. Which is why companies are now realizing they need to be inclusive and cater for the majority rather than the minority of people. YouTube ‘Feather’ is one such effort.

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Computers have been getting more and more powerful and Internet connection speeds have been increasing in speed as well. However, Web sites have continually stayed ahead of the curve, offering more graphic-heavy and slow-loading pages to tax even the newest machines.

So, while the Web of today would be unrecognizable to someone from 1998, the same problems of connection speed and buffering exist as they did back then.

Which is why some sites are now trying to cut down on clutter and offer users a more streamlined experience. Enter YouTube ‘Feather’.

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You know online video is starting to mature when its even influencing Tinseltown. Federico Alvarez, an unknown filmmaker from Uruguay, has landed a $30 million budget to make a Hollywood blockbuster purely based on a short film he uploaded to YouTube.

YouTube & Upwards

YouTube in particular, and online video in general, is fast becoming a means of gaining fame, popularity, and wealth. We’ve seen the people behind certain viral video hits make a mint from their content creation.

Lauren Luke started off uploading short make-up tips on YouTube and is now an in-demand make-up artist. And Lucas Cruikshank has already made a load of money for his ever-popular Fred shorts and is currently involved in making a movie based on the petulant man/boy.

However, the story of how Federico Alvarez landed a huge Hollywood deal beats those hands down.

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