TierZoo

Last updated
TierZoo
TierZoo logo.jpg
YouTube information
ChannelsTierZoo
Created byPatrick Lacey
Years active2017–present
Genres
Subscribers3.77 million
Total views437.6 million
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg100,000 subscribers2017 [1]
YouTube Gold Play Button 2.svg1,000,000 subscribers2018 [1]
Last updated: September 22, 2024 [2]

TierZoo is an educational web series and YouTube channel created and hosted by Patrick "Patch" Lacey. [3] [4] The series launched on its eponymous YouTube channel in 2017; Lacey continues to upload TierZoo videos on YouTube, but the series streams on Nebula as well. [5]

Contents

The series features Lacey discussing animal-related topics such as wildlife ecology and evolutionary biology through a video gaming lens. In videos, Lacey heavily utilizes terminology and visuals that are prominent in video game culture and presents topics as if animals are players and the environments they live in are gaming servers. As of September 2024, Lacey's channel has amassed over 3 million subscribers and 435 million video views. [2]

Format

Many of Lacey's videos borrow terminology and visual themes found in video game culture. [6] [7] RuneScape , Overwatch , and Dark Souls are specific games which Lacey borrows text from, which he overlays on his videos. [8] He also utilizes music and visual effects from Super Smash Bros. , the Halo franchise, and Darkest Dungeon in his videos. [8] The core structure of Lacey's videos has him place animals in a "tier list", a concept designed to subjectively rank in-game elements (such as characters) based on their viability respective to the list. Fighting games are particularly associated with tier lists, [9] and Lacey credits the fighting game series Super Smash Bros. and its community with introducing him to the concept. [3] Tier lists became a phenomenon on Twitch and YouTube in the mid- and late-2010s. [9] Lacey also uses visuals from animal documentaries in his videos. [7]

History

Lacey attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he studied microbiology. [4] [10] He graduated in 2017 and shortly thereafter launched TierZoo on July 1. [3] Lacey initially ran TierZoo as a side project while working as a food scientist for about a year before fully committing to TierZoo due to the channel's early success. [3]

In April 2018, Kotaku covered TierZoo's "Earth's Worst Balance Patch" video which discussed dinosaurs and their extinction. [10] Later that year, Lacey and many other science and education YouTube creators attended ThinkerCon in Alabama. [11] In 2019, Lacey was featured in a PBS Eons video titled "Why Male Mammoths Lost the Game". [12] The following year, he narrated an episode of Did You Know Gaming? . [13] In October 2021, Lacey participated in the Team Seas fundraiser organized by MrBeast and Mark Rober. [14]

Despite finding success with his pivot to full-time content creation, Lacey was denied the ability to rent an apartment as the landlord did not see his TierZoo venture as legitimate. [15] [16] However, his online success with TierZoo allowed him to have a sponsorship deal with the Karat, a fintech credit card company, which issues credit cards exclusive to content creators. [17]

TierZoo won the Streamy Award in the "Learning and Education" category in 2023. [18]

Related Research Articles

jacksfilms American YouTuber (born 1988)

John Patrick Douglass, better known as jacksfilms, is an American YouTuber, videographer, and sketch comedian, best known for his series Yesterday I Asked You and Your Grammar Sucks, in which he commentates on content sent by fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markiplier</span> American YouTuber (born 1989)

Mark Edward Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, is an American YouTuber, actor and filmmaker. He mainly uploads Let's Plays and is known for his videos of indie horror games. After joining YouTube in 2012, Fischbach became popular on the platform with Let's Plays of Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010) and the Five Nights at Freddy's series. As of October 2024, his channel had over 37 million subscribers.

jacksepticeye Irish YouTuber (born 1990)

Seán William McLoughlin, better known publicly as jacksepticeye, is an Irish YouTuber whose videos focus on gaming, comedy and vlogging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pokimane</span> Canadian and Moroccan online streamer (born 1996)

Imane Anys, known professionally as Pokimane, is a Canadian and Moroccan online streamer and YouTuber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MrBeast</span> American YouTuber and businessman (born 1998)

James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson, better known by his online alias MrBeast, is an American YouTuber, internet personality, and businessman. He is known for his fast-paced and high-production videos featuring elaborate challenges and lucrative giveaways. With over 319 million subscribers, he has the most subscribers of any YouTube channel, and is the third-most-followed creator on TikTok with over 104 million followers. He also has over 60 million followers on Instagram and 30.9 million on X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valkyrae</span> American live streamer and YouTuber (born 1992)

Rachell "Rae" Marie Hofstetter, better known as Valkyrae, is an American live streamer and YouTuber. She is a co-owner of the gaming organization 100 Thieves and founder, co-owner, and CEO of media company Hihi Studios. She has been YouTube's most-watched female streamer since 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaiden Animations</span> American YouTuber and animator (born 1997)

Jaiden Dittfach, known online as Jaiden Animations, is an American YouTuber and animator, known for her story-time animations. Her videos explore a variety of topics, spanning from her experiences to personal stories. She now primarily creates videos centered around video game stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludwig Ahgren</span> American YouTuber and streamer (born 1995)

Ludwig Anders Ahgren, known mononymously as Ludwig, is an American live streamer, YouTuber, podcaster, comedian, esports commentator, and competitor. Ahgren is best known for his live streams on Twitch from 2018 through late 2021, and on YouTube beginning in late 2021, where he broadcasts video-game-related content as well as non-video-game-related content such as game shows and contests. He is also known for his work as an esports commentator at various Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments. He is the co-owner of the esports organization Moist Esports. He began streaming full-time on February 16, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasan Piker</span> American political commentator (born 1991)

Hasan Doğan Piker, also known as HasanAbi, is a Turkish-American online streamer, YouTuber, and left-wing political commentator.

Nick Kolcheff , known professionally as Nickmercs, is an American Kick streamer, YouTuber and co-owner of FaZe Clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dream (YouTuber)</span> American YouTuber and Twitch streamer (born 1999)

Clay, known online as Dream, is an American YouTuber, Twitch streamer, speedrunner, and singer primarily known for creating Minecraft content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebula (streaming service)</span> Video streaming service

Nebula is a video-on-demand streaming service provider. Launched by the Standard Broadcast content management agency in 2019 to complement its creators' other distribution channels, the platform has since accumulated over 650,000 subscribers, making it the largest creator-owned internet streaming platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cr1TiKaL</span> American YouTuber and livestreamer (born 1994)

Charles Christopher White Jr., better known as Cr1TiKaL, MoistCr1TiKaL, or penguinz0 is an American YouTuber and streamer. He is best known for his commentary videos and live streams covering internet culture and video games. His content is mostly characterized by his monotonous voice, white shirt, deadpan comedic style, and long hair, which has earned him the nickname of "Internet Jesus". In addition, White is the co-founder and co-owner of the esports organization Moist Esports and co-founder and member of the musical duo the Gentle Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GeorgeNotFound</span> English internet personality (born 1996)

George Davidson, better known online as GeorgeNotFound, is an English internet personality, YouTuber, and Twitch streamer. He gained substantial popularity in 2020 and 2021 through uploading Minecraft content. Alongside content creator and frequent collaborator Dream, Davidson founded the Dream SMP, a Minecraft role-playing server consisting of multiple storylines and characters. As of July 2023, Davidson's five YouTube channels have all collectively reached over 15.2 million subscribers and over 742.1 million views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emiru</span> American streamer and cosplayer (born 1998)

Emily Schunk, known professionally as Emiru, is an American Twitch streamer and cosplayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IShowSpeed</span> American internet personality (born 2005)

Darren Jason Watkins Jr., known online as IShowSpeed or Speed, is an American internet personality and online streamer. He is known for his variety and gaming livestreams which showcase his dramatic and energetic behaviour, as well as his IRL streams around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Jacobs</span> American Twitch streamer and YouTuber (born 1998)

Karl Thomas Jacobs, formerly known as GamerBoyKarl, is an American Twitch streamer, YouTuber, writer, and producer. He rose to prominence as a member of MrBeast's on-screen cast and then developed his own videos, primarily Minecraft content. Jacobs is the creator of the anthology series Tales from the SMP set in the Dream SMP, which will be adapted into a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. He is also a co-host of the Banter podcast with fellow YouTubers Sapnap and GeorgeNotFound.

Jidon Armani Adams, better known online mononymously as JideonorGiDeon, is an American YouTuber and online streamer. Initially hosting a comedic vlogging and prank-oriented channel, Adams shifted from this style in favor of Christian-based content in September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kai Cenat</span> American Twitch streamer and YouTuber (born 2001)

Kai Carlo Cenat III is an American online streamer and YouTuber who specializes in comedic live streams and videos. As of 2024, he is the fifth most-followed Twitch streamer with 13 million followers and second most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, surpassing Ludwig Ahgren's record during a February 2023 subathon. He was named "Streamer of the Year" at the 2023 and 2024 Streamer Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quackity</span> Mexican YouTuber and Twitch streamer (born 2000)

Alexis, better known online as Quackity, is a Mexican YouTuber and Twitch streamer. He is known as the founder of QSMP, an invite-only multilingual survival multiplayer (SMP) Minecraft server. He is also well known for his time in the Dream SMP. As of September 2024, he had 6.4 million followers on Twitch, making him the 28th most followed streamer on the platform.

References

  1. 1 2 "tierzoo Monthly YouTube Statistics". Social Blade. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "TierZoo - About Page" . Retrieved July 22, 2024– via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "About TierZoo". TierZoo. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Patrick Lacey - Content Creator - TierZoo". LinkedIn . Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ Were Pterosaurs Overpowered?. TierZoo. August 31, 2020. Event occurs at 6:30–8:31. Retrieved October 16, 2023– via YouTube.
  6. ↑ McKee, Spencer (August 11, 2023). "'Video game-themed' video highlights Colorado's fastest mammal species". The Denver Gazette . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Lakunishok, Sandra (2022). Virtual Tourism - The Possible Future? (PDF) (Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis). Supervised by Plöjel, Matilda; Nikolaeva, Olga; Troyan, Cassandra & Nemoto, Mirai. Linnaeus University. pp. 4–5. Retrieved September 12, 2023– via DiVA.
  8. 1 2 Unthank, Kennedy (February 25, 2022). "TierZoo". Plugged In. Focus on the Family . Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Paez, Danny (September 6, 2020). "How fighting games inspired a bizarre meme on YouTube and Twitch". Inverse . Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  10. 1 2 D'Anastasio, Cecilia (April 13, 2018). "YouTuber's Animal Tier Lists Are Brilliant". Kotaku . Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ Roop, Lee (November 17, 2018). "YouTube's biggest science stars meet in Alabama". AL.com . Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  12. ↑ Why Male Mammoths Lost the Game (w/ TierZoo!). Eons. PBS. December 19, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ Pokemon & Prehistory - Did You Know Gaming? Ft. TierZoo. Did You Know Gaming? . June 27, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2023– via YouTube.
  14. ↑ Spangler, Todd (October 29, 2021). "YouTubers MrBeast, Mark Rober Reteam for 'TeamSeas' Charity Fundraiser to Clean Up Trash From Marine Environments". Variety . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  15. ↑ Silberling, Amanda (July 1, 2021). "A bank for the creator economy, Karat raises $26M in Series A funding". TechCrunch . Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  16. ↑ Ma, Charley (October 13, 2021). "Fintech in the age of the influencer". alloy.com. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ Weiss, Geoff (June 25, 2020). "Fintech Startup 'Karat' Raises $4.6 Million To Launch Credit Card Exclusively For Digital Creators". Tubefilter . Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  18. ↑ Tinoco, Armando (August 27, 2023). "Streamy Awards 2023 Complete Winners List: Dylan Mulvaney, MrBeast, Michelle Khare, Dream & Leo González And More". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.