Shirley Curry has been posting videos on her YouTube channel for years. The focus is on the game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. In her latest video, however, she reveals that she will be scaling back in the future. The reason is the know-it-all comments on her videos and her health situation.
Update 4:50 PM: Shirley Curry has since commented on Twitter regarding messages about her situation. She emphasized that while there were negative comments, it was not an “onslaught” of comments, as some media outlets have titled.
Who is the “Skyrim Grandma”? The now 84-year-old Let’s Player Shirley Curry released her first video on September 18, 2015. This first episode has now been viewed over 2 million times.
The “Skyrim Grandma” currently has over 830,000 subscribers on YouTube and has released over 1,200 videos.
Viewers appreciate her for her calm demeanor and the role-playing aspect in her videos. In her honor, an NPC has even been created in a mod that can be installed for Skyrim, as our colleagues from GameStar have reported. She is also set to become an NPC in TES6.
What has happened now? In a new vlog released in early May, she shares rather sad news. Instead of providing nearly daily new content, she is taking a break and will publish less content in the future.
The reason is the know-it-all comments posted under her videos. But she is also disappointed with the general viewer behavior.
“I have been playing Skyrim for years, I know the mechanics of the game”
What is the big problem? Shirley Curry revealed in the video that she is mainly annoyed by the comments that constantly try to explain to her how Skyrim works and what she could do better:
I have been playing Skyrim for years, I know the interface, I know the different mechanics of the game, I don’t need to be constantly reminded.
Curry tries to highlight the role-playing aspect in her videos. She doesn’t want to rush through the content or engage in min-maxing. She simply enjoys experiencing the content her way.
Additionally, there are comments that recommend new or better games to her. She is also dissatisfied with these:
I look at all games. I am a gamer. If I wanted to play those games, I would play them. And if I say no to someone, that’s a simple answer, easy to understand.
But these comments have currently ruined her fun. That’s why she plans not to respond to such statements in the future:
I know I shouldn’t let these things stress me, but they do. From now on, I will respond to very, very few comments. I will just delete a lot of comments.
What else bothers her? In addition to the know-it-all comments, the Skyrim Grandma has a problem with viewer behavior. Although she has over 830,000 subscribers, most videos are only watched by a few thousand.
She doesn’t understand why so many people follow her when they are not interested in the content. And she is also surprised why many viewers drop out of her videos after just 4 to 5 minutes.
The numbers, says Shirley Curry, are generally indifferent to her. But those who do not want to watch her content should not follow her. She is stressed by the fact that she tells a compelling, cohesive story that then doesn’t interest anyone.
The “Skyrim Grandma” has been releasing a video almost daily for a long time, lasting between 20 and 40 minutes.
How much is the situation affecting her? Right at the beginning of the video, the YouTuber reveals that she is not in good health:
My health is not so good. My blood pressure is high, and my stress level is significantly too high. And I need to regain control over that.
Even the fun of playing suffers under the current situation:
I am not happy. I play to have fun. And if I am not having fun, I shouldn’t be playing.
That’s why she has taken a break for now. The vlog from May 2 is currently the last video that Shirley Curry has released. But she is doing well, and she continues to share a Skyrim screenshot on her Twitter account daily.
In addition to the “Skyrim Grandma”, there are other older ladies who enjoy pursuing their hobby. The Japanese Hamako Mori, for example, has been playing for almost 40 years. For her, gaming is a wonderful hobby and she has experienced nearly every well-known game series.
Skyrim will finally be playable as an MMORPG
Today, on May 26, 2020, Greymoor, the latest expansion to The Elder Scrolls Online is released. In it, you can explore western Skyrim and the Blackreach.
In keeping with this, we have our special issue with guides and exciting articles about ESO.
As ESO can be wonderfully explored and played alone, this expansion is particularly worthwhile for fans of Skyrim who want to see the familiar areas in a new guise and with a new story.
