With over 24 million YouTube subscribers, DanTDM is quite simply one of the biggest online gamers on the planet. We asked the man formerly known as Daniel Middleton about his gaming beginnings, performing live, and the innovations that excite him the most!
What first drew you to gaming online? And when did you realise “Oh, this could actually be a lot more than a bit of fun”?
I actually discovered a lot of games, and how to play them, online. I’ve always been a heavy user of technology, so when the internet became more widely available, a whole new world was there for me to explore. Even way back when I was playing on the Playstation 2 and trying to find cheat codes for Tony Hawk, or walkthroughs for other games that I was stuck on, the internet pulled through with the answers. It all started with basic websites and forums, that eventually evolved into people actually uploading their gameplay onto the likes of YouTube. Fast forward a few years and I get introduced to a game called Minecraft – and the best place to learn how to play was YouTube. I was already making videos at the time for the Pokemon TCG, but recording gameplay was completely new to me. I gave it a go and never looked back...
Famously, you once stacked shelves in Tesco; what’s it like to look back on your journey?
It’s crazy to look back and think of what I was starting to build while studying at university and working part-time at Tesco. Even back then I was learning the skills that would eventually help me to build a huge platform. It’s been a lot of work, but I’m so grateful to be where I am now. I pinch myself every day and think “Is this real?! This happened to me?!”
Going back even further, then – can you remember the first game you ever played?
It was Super Mario World on the SNES. I loved the colours, the art style, the gameplay – absolutely everything about it. I played it through multiple times when I was younger and it was that game and console that really sparked my interest in video games.
What would you say are the reasons for your popularity?
When I was just making Minecraft videos, I was making stories and small cartoon-like films in the game, something that had never been done before, so that’s really what led to my channel growing so quickly. Now that my channel is more general gaming, without a focus on just one game, I think people still enjoy my videos because it’s like playing a game with a friend; just chilled out, enjoying some video games. I also believe I’ve worked incredibly hard to build and sustain an audience for so long, so a strong work ethic combined with a little luck can take you pretty far...
Is there a pressure that comes with having so many eyes on you?
For sure. The amount of followers I have across all of the platforms I use is really intimidating if I think about it too much, and I’ve always been super careful with what I do and don’t include. However, over the past few years, my fans have been growing up with me so my content has evolved to recognise that. Overall, there is a pressure associated with having such a large audience, but if you’re simply a nice and respectful person, you won’t run into much trouble. It’s also important to share both the good and the bad with your audience too, to let them know that you’re still a human, just like them. I’ve had various battles with my mental health which I think a lot of people can relate to and with such a large audience, just sharing that with them can help a lot of people start their journey to tackling something that they are finding hard in their life too.
2019 saw you go on tour — that must have been quite the change from gaming at home alone?!
Yeah, definitely. A lot of people don’t know this about me, but I’m a pretty introverted person. I used to struggle giving presentations to a small class at university so taking on the task of doing a whole show which you’ve helped create and performing it in front of 10,000 people was quite a challenge. It was tough at first, but the whole experience of doing YouTube and then meet-and-greets, stage shows and live performances have all made me grow as a person. I strongly believe that I wouldn’t be the same person I am today without everything that YouTube and my audience have taught me. It was a big challenge, but both tours will always be the best thing that I have ever done. It’s an experience that I’ll never be able to have again, and I’m so glad that I took the opportunity when I did.
“I actually discovered a lot of games, and how to play them, online. I’ve always been a heavy user of technology and computers so when the internet became more widely available, a whole new world was there for me to explore.”
Do you have a mammoth collection of consoles or are you a minimalistic kinda guy?
I’m actually pretty minimalistic. I have an arcade machine in my office which is loaded up with almost every old-school game you could ever want – so if I feel like playing something older, I’ve always got that. I’m big into digital as well, so I don’t really own any physical games anymore – it’s kind of crazy how you can do that now! One of my prized possessions, though, is a Pikachu N64 that my wife bought me. That’s going to stay with me forever. I have a lot of fond memories of playing that console with my brother, who’s a big gamer too.
Are there upcoming releases that have you excited?
I’m really excited to see what the next generation of consoles brings to the table as well as any developments in the VR world. VR is such a unique and powerful experience when done right, so I’m really looking forward to what’s going to happen there. I think party games are getting the love they deserve now too. Fall Guys and Among Us have led the way in showing us that we don’t always have to be playing something competitive to have fun, so I’m looking forward to seeing if anything new comes out in that space too.
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