COLUMBIA, Mo. — In the tradition of groundbreaking science fiction, the upcoming YouTube show Alpha Betas poses a challenging, otherworldly question: what if gamers actually contributed to society even a little bit?
Animated by Starburns Industries and starring popular YouTubers from the Vanoss crew, the show exists in a universe in which video games secretly power the world. Fans were fascinated by the concept of YouTubers exploring high-octane video game environments, utilizing fun gadgets, and most shockingly, making their parents proud.
Popular Twitch.tv streamer Emily Lentz commented on what this inventive story means for the gaming community.
“When I heard about the premise, my mind was like, totally blown. Gamers getting out there and having a positive impact on the world? This is one of those insane ideas that on paper seems infeasible, even paradoxical,” Lentz said. “It took me a while to wrap my head around, but after I watched the trailer a dozen times or so, I started to understand it. A little.”
By pushing the envelope of what’s possible in fiction, Alpha Betas sent shockwaves through online communities, all of them remarkably nonessential to the world.
“All of us real YouTubers were caught totally off guard,” Lentz said. “Someone working on this show threw out the whole playbook on gaming. The idea that the power grid runs on video games? Sure. But we’re on the edges of our seats, waiting to see how someone who games for a living could do one single positive thing for the world.”
Alpha Betas hopes to challenge preconceived notions about how gamers function, creating a dialogue by using a fantastical, “what-if?” scenario of YouTubers not only playing games for money, but using that skill to become a productive member of their community.
“Gamers can barely save themselves, let alone the entire world,” Lentz said. “I can’t wait to see what Alpha Betas will do next after starting off with such a high concept. Who knows? Maybe one of the characters will actually get health insurance from their job, maybe a family member will tell them they understand their career choices, anything is possible!”
This article is sponsored by Alpha Betas. Check out the pilot below!