PewDiePie is the World's Most Popular Channel on YouTube!

PewDiePie is the most subscribed channel of all time, across all categories.

PewDiePie is the most popular video game commentator on YouTube, with over 21 million subscribers. Screenshot: YouTube

(SALEM) - Gamers know who he is. The kids know who he is. Video-gameaholics can’t get enough of him. He’s hotter than Rhianna. It’s time you get to know PewDiePie.

PewDiePie was the most popular person in the world the week of January 13-19, 2014, according to Starcount, the social media leaderboard, which tracks data across 11 global social networks to provide an aggregated measure of social media popularity. PewDiePie joined Facebook in 2011 and today he has over 1,193,000 likes, he has 2,190,468 followers on Twitter, and YouTube subscribers total 21,177,630. His real name is Felix, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Felix aka PewDiePie

PewDiePie (pronounced pyoo-deh-pai or PewDie or Pewds, for short) produces videos for YouTube that are dedicated to video games. He specializes in Let’s Play (LP) walkthroughs of the horror and action video game genres, as well as gaming-themed comedy montages.

According to The Guardian, “What might once have seemed an unlikely sub-genre has proliferated across the network and been rewarded with its own channel, called Let's Play, or LP. “ Let’s Play (LP) is a video of a playthrough of an entire video game, usually with commentary by the gamer who shares his/her comments and opinions, laughing, screaming, jumping and cursing, all in good fun.

What’s so special about PewDiePie? He’s hilarious, and smart, he laughs at himself and offers himself up in raw form (PG-13 BTW). He bonds with his viewers. He plays games while they watch and are entertained. He chats it up with his crazy, mixed-up hilarity and the viewer feels as if they’re right beside him. When it’s a scary game, he gets scared. And not just a little scared—he yells, jumps and behaves just like the people that are watching would.

He really gets into his work. He’s a decent, sometimes good, sometimes not so good, video game player, so watching him play teaches people what the games are all about, from a real perspective. Some people will never play the games themselves, but really enjoy watching someone else play. And, sometimes, again and again. It’s more than viral, it’s a full-on outbreak.

PewDiePie’s channel appeals strongly to younger viewers, and Google has dubbed the group as “Generation C: The YouTube Generation”. Google’s research study states, “Gen C is a powerful new force in consumer culture. It’s a term we use to describe people who care deeply about creation, curation, connection, and community.

"It’s not an age group; it’s an attitude and mindset defined by key characteristics. 80% of millennials are made up of Gen C, YouTube’s core (though by no means only) audience.”

The study says that Gen C is "twice as likely to be a YouTube viewer than the general population – and 40% more likely to be only a light TV viewer", and that 80% of Gen C with a smartphone watch YouTube.

Indeed, it would be a rare sight to know a young person with a smartphone that does not watch YouTube. And most of them, if not all, must be PewDiePie subscribers.

Fearless Leader of the Bro Army

Yes, PewDiePie has a “real” name. The mega popular gaming vlogger is 24-year old Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is a high school graduate, and then went on to college for a time, before his YouTube career took off.

Felix and his girlfriend, Marzia live in Brighton, England, along with their pug dogs well known to the bros, named Maya and Edgar. Most fanmail addresses are not correct because they have moved, or are moving, or may be moving in the near future. Something like that.

His online name “PewDiePie” originated from the pew sound of lasers and die for death. “Pewdie” was his first name, but after forgetting the password to his YouTube account, he created another alias by adding the word pie to his name because he “f**king loves pie!”, per the Wikia page article.

PewDiePie has built up a loyal audience of subscribers which he refers to as the “Bro Army”, made up of all his bros. He finishes each of his videos with a Brofist. He has built up a respectable collection of work in three-years, and is continually expanding his ideas for his loyal fans. According to the Guardian, PewDiePie says his videos are devoted to “sharing gaming moments on YouTube with my bros.” His many bros totally appreciate it.

Comedy is essential to his success, and he keeps his bros entertained with his clever commentary and very expressive reactions while they follow along on the adventure that is whichever video game PewDiePie is playing. He is most well-known for horror and action video games, specifically Amnesia: The Dark Descent and its related mods; but there are numerous others. If he features a game developer, they often experience a noticeable boost in sales. Yes, this is his full time job.

His BroNation enjoys every day of the week, but Fridays are special. PewDiePie usually uploads a video known as Fridays with PewDiePie which includes Q & A’s, answering questions chosen from Twitter and YouTube, opening “bromail” and filling in the audience about what’s up in his life.

In spring 2013 he added a segment called Pewds Does Everything, which keeps his bros rolling with laughter. He takes requests from Twitter followers who ask him to do near-crazy things, like “Get naked!”, “[give the] camera a sexy stare the whole time”, and “Get a YOLO tattoo”. And these things...he does. Who wouldn’t love that?

In recognition of the 10 million mark, PewDiePie decided to help out a worthy cause, bringing clean drinking water to the needy around the world.

“Hitting 10,000,000 subscribers means so much to me. In honor of that, I wanted to find something really cool that we could all do to celebrate, and I can't think of any better way to do that than work-ing together to raise money for this awesome cause. 100% of everything we raise will directly fund water projects.

"...My goal is to have 10,000 bros donate and to raise at least $250,000. I know that this is a HUGE goal, but that if everyone pitches in even a tiny bit, I really think we can reach it. This will ensure that 12,500 people have clean drinking water for the first time.

“I will be donating a dollar for every 500 views my video announcing this campaign gets up to $10,000. My YouTube network, Polaris will be matching every dollar I give too.”

PewDiePie’s Bro Army raised over $450,000 for the water campaign. That’s a force to be reckoned with, or at the very least, respected.

In July 2013, his became the second most subscribed YouTube channel, then in August 2013, he overtook the leading channel, Smosh, for first place in the world.

By 2013 year’s end, PewDiePie’s channel had 19 million subscribers, and was gaining a new subscriber every 1.037 seconds. One of them was me (and perhaps you!).

Today, there are 21,177,630 subscribers. Wait, I think that just changed. Again.

PewDiePie’s Rise to the Top

Videos about video games have been gaining in popularity for the last five years, but PewDiePie's channel has been moving faster than a speeding bullet.

Felix opened his YouTube account under the name PewDiePie on April 29th, 2010 with a Minecraft playthrough video showing a zombie that had spawned in a minecart in a shed with another player. That spawned it all.

PewDiePie was in college when he started this endeavor, pursuing a degree in Industrial Economics and Technology Management. In 2011, he left the university because it became clear that time would be more well spent growing the YouTube Channel. His YouTube channel became his career.

In 2012, it really started to take off, reaching 1 million subscribers in July, then it hit 3 million in September. By April 2013, PewDiePie's channel was up to 6 million subscribers; and 8 million in June. He broke one record after another.

In late 2013, PewDiePie appeared in YouTube Rewind: What Does 2013 Say? in a memorable part, the last scene, as he buries the “rewind” logo under rocks on a beach, where it will metaphorically stay until the next year’s YouTube Rewind. Other YouTube stars in the video included Tobuscus (Toby Turner), the Internet comedy duo Smosh (Ian and Anthony), Jenna Marbles, and iJustine, just to name a few.

But is it a paying job? As it turns out, yes. Not all YouTube enthusiasts can “make it” on the measly wages that come from a passionate hobby. This is no hobby.

PewDiePie and Google have an ad partnership, as do most of those that have an active presence on YouTube. PewDiePie’s incredible stats make him money, make no mistake about that.

According to StatSheep.com today (Jan 25, 2014), PewDiePie’s Subscribers total 21,177,630. It is changing by the minute.

In the last 48 hours, he has gained 1,069,869 new subscribers. He has a total of 3,399,400,188 Video Views, with over 60 million coming in a day. PewDiePie’s Projected Earnings* (in 4 months) is $11,525,829.

No wonder he’s always in such a good mood.

*Projected earnings are calculated based off $2.50 per 1000 views, by Statsheep.com.

Bonnie King has been Publisher of Salem-News.com since August '04. She is a photographer and video producer, writer, editor and mother, which she considers her greatest position. Bonnie has served in a number of positions in the broadcast industry; TV Production Manager at KVWB (Las Vegas WB) and Producer/Director for the TV series "Hot Wheels in Las Vegas", posts as TV Promotion Director for KYMA (NBC), and KFBT (Ind.), Asst. Marketing Director (SUPERSHOPPER MAGAZINE), Director/Co-Host (Coast Entertainment Show), Radio Promotion Director (KBCH/KCRF), and Newspapers In Education/Circulation Sales Manager (STATESMAN JOURNAL NEWSPAPER).

Bonnie has a depth of understanding that reaches further than just behind the scenes, and that thoroughness is demonstrated in the perseverance to correctly present each story with the wit and wisdom necessary to compel and captivate viewers and readers alike. An lifetime activist for just causes, she continues to strive to present facts that support Truth, Justice and Peace, as we are in the world to change the world for the better. "TJP"

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