Well I see it as though the LPers make money off of themselves and their work.
Anyone can make a LP of Mario, but lot's of people won't watch an entire game from start to finish if the LPer is constantly sucking up snot and the video quality sucks. No, the viewers watch because they like the LPer and the quality of their videos along with some other things.
I've seen many viewers ask a LPer to play a game that they themselves already played. Why? Because they like to see how the LPer plays, reacts and likes the game. Even older games.
LPers are basically the friend who tells all their friends about a game and if it's worth the price or not. The friends could still be reluctant to buy the game so they have to see the gameplay for themselves. So this friend starts playing the game and now all these people are exposed to the game and become potential buyers. The game company wins because someone spread the word that this game is worth the price.
Also, If you liked watching LP's and you saw someone playing a game that you thought looked fun, would you continue watching that series to the end? Or would you stop watching the series because you want to experience the game for yourself? Most people want to experience the game for themselves if they care about the game. Think about it, if you plan to buy something you try to avoid anyone and anything that could potentially give away the ending. But if you don't care about the product, you don't care about the ending and never planned to buy it anyways.
Anyone can make a LP of Mario, but lot's of people won't watch an entire game from start to finish if the LPer is constantly sucking up snot and the video quality sucks. No, the viewers watch because they like the LPer and the quality of their videos along with some other things.
I've seen many viewers ask a LPer to play a game that they themselves already played. Why? Because they like to see how the LPer plays, reacts and likes the game. Even older games.
LPers are basically the friend who tells all their friends about a game and if it's worth the price or not. The friends could still be reluctant to buy the game so they have to see the gameplay for themselves. So this friend starts playing the game and now all these people are exposed to the game and become potential buyers. The game company wins because someone spread the word that this game is worth the price.
Also, If you liked watching LP's and you saw someone playing a game that you thought looked fun, would you continue watching that series to the end? Or would you stop watching the series because you want to experience the game for yourself? Most people want to experience the game for themselves if they care about the game. Think about it, if you plan to buy something you try to avoid anyone and anything that could potentially give away the ending. But if you don't care about the product, you don't care about the ending and never planned to buy it anyways.