Announcing the Shmup Video Index!

[Mark_MSX]

So this is a project that I think is really cool and something I have been working on for months. I think this is going to be extremely useful for everyone. It is called the Shmup Video Index, and it is a resource that compiles as many shmup replays of various games as I could find into one location. I am not hosting these videos, but merely acting as a directory. This is a win-win because it helps viewers find some awesome vids that would be tough to track down in many cases, and it also gives these vids more views since the index does not host the replays. What is also cool about this project is that it includes information about the run that is easy to access and organize, so you can find exactly what you are looking for very quickly.

As you will notice there are a ton of awesome shmups that don't have a page on the index yet, don't worry though a lot more is going to be added. There is also a submission form everyone can use to fast track games and videos to be added to the index (I really encourage you all to use this, as I think it will grow the index faster).

Also this index aims to record runs of ALL different skill levels, not just the top scores. The reason why is because, based on the score you are playing for, the strategies you will use will be different, and I think it is important to document shmup play at many different skill levels, rather than just the highest scores.

I know for sure that this project is extremely useful, as I use it myself all the time and I'm the guy who put it together

Huge thanks to all the members of my discord who really helped me a ton in the early phases of this project. Not only did they help me track down a bunch of different videos, but they also gave helpful input on how it should be structured and stuff like that. Plasmo, especially, has been an extremely valuable collaborator and adviser, so huge shout outs to him for all the help! Finally, a sincere thank you to McCormo for helping me with all the technical aspects of putting my website together!

http://electricunderground.io/shmup-video-index/

[zlk]

Great work! Thanks!

[Shepardus]

Is it just for replays or any video about the game (reviews, partial replays, tool-assisted longplays, etc.)?

A nice enhancement for the page would be to embed the videos in the page when you click on their links.

Right now there's a lot of videos but the game selection is pretty limited. If you're looking for something with which to seed the index besides 100+ Garegga replays, linking to Perikles' entire channel would get you pretty far for arcade games.

[Mark_MSX]

Great work! Thanks!

Thanks man! I appreciate that.

[Mark_MSX]

Is it just for replays or any video about the game (reviews, partial replays, tool-assisted longplays, etc.)?

A nice enhancement for the page would be to embed the videos in the page when you click on their links.

Right now there's a lot of videos but the game selection is pretty limited. If you're looking for something with which to seed the index besides 100+ Garegga replays, linking to Perikles' entire channel would get you pretty far for arcade games.

So about embeding the videos into the page, I've actually given this a good deal of thought and have decided against doing so. The reason why is that I think it would be better for both the user and the video host if the index just redirects to the source. Why I think this is a better way to go is because, if people just watch the videos from my webpage (which I could dig in most cases) they are going to actually miss out on a lot of information about the run, as well as not have the opportunity to interact with the uploader by leaving comments, reading comments, asking questions, liking the video and stuff like that. I think VioletHatPurple's runs are a great example of this, because he writes a ton of notes about the runs on his YouTube pages:

https://youtu.be/PnEdJfDX86g

Also I think interacting with comments and leaving likes and stuff will help these videos become more discoverable in the YouTube search (for people using Youtube who don't know about the index).

You are right about the game selection being limited, I plan on continuing to add many more games. Think of this as just the starting phase.

As far as what types of videos are listed on the index, there's really not a hard rule on what is and what is not allowed, I just try to include stuff that is gameplay focused and somewhat complete (I tend to exclude really short videos of gameplay like single boss or stage runs, unless they stand out in some way). Concerning shmup content like reviews, guides, and STG weekly, I think you'll notice that I'm kind of all over the place with STG weekly on different pages. What I have decided to do is to create a separate section for each page for reviews, STG weekly, and guides, they absolutely deserve a place on the index, so I'll start incorporating them onto the index soon.

Cheers!

--Mark

[FRO]

Is it just for replays or any video about the game (reviews, partial replays, tool-assisted longplays, etc.)?

A nice enhancement for the page would be to embed the videos in the page when you click on their links.

Right now there's a lot of videos but the game selection is pretty limited. If you're looking for something with which to seed the index besides 100+ Garegga replays, linking to Perikles' entire channel would get you pretty far for arcade games.

+1

Great work, Mark! Looking forward to using this as a resource, going forward