James Rolfe made waves as the Angry Video Game Nerd. His fans attest that he should have been more popular today. So what happened to the YouTuber and James Rolfe net worth?
Rolfe had a similar passion as the great director Alfred Hitchcock whose love for making movies started early. James lived his dream and made tens of short films as a boy. He was lucky to have been born at a time when modern recording devices already existed.
James Rolfe was one of those content creators who started to upload videos while YouTube was in its infancy. He took on the personality of an Angry Nerd who voiced out decades of frustrations while reviewing popular films and console games from the 80s and 90s.
Though Rolfe was not the pioneer of commentary reviews, he successfully turned the genre into a trend. His projects were all out of interest, and at the time, the thought of making money or receiving recognition for his works, like FouseyTube, never came to mind.
What started as a random post in 2005, continued for years and to the time of video monetization. And by today’s standards, Rolfe should be one of the wealthiest and most successful YouTubers. But for some reason, that’s far from reality.
Believe it or not, James Rolfe net worth is no more than $600,000 as of the current year.
So what happened to the extremely popular Angry Video Game Nerd who spawned copycats left and right? It still is a lot of money but does James Rolfe net worth reflect a 17-year career?
James Rolfe – Short Bio
James Duncan Rolfe was born on July 10, 1980, in Penns Grove, New Jersey. As a boy, he was fascinated with video games, watching movies, and storytelling. His interests, combined with his highly imaginative mind, naturally led to little James’ curiosity about how movies were made.
In the late-80s, James received his first video camera. His parents, Scott and Marlene, knew even then that their son’s passion was genuine. The best that they could do was provide James with the basic tools to hone and express his creativity.
And after spending the whole of his childhood learning the most he could about creating simple movies, James Rolfe moved to Philadelphia for his college years. He attended the University of the Arts from 1999 to 2004, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts.
Early Projects
Jame’s juvenile works evolved from comic book doodles to camera stills enacting made-up adventure stories based on The Legend of Zelda and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. By 1989, James Rolfe bumped his projects into short films.
From the late 80s to the late 90s, Rolfe experimented with short films as a hobby. He became such a pro with what many called “camera tricks.” Today, with the numerous video software we have now, modern movie creators simply describe the old style as “tedious.”
Such comments can be an offense to real movie lovers, but time has turned almost every process into a production line. Everything is easier, faster, and primarily based on quantity rather than quality. But the truest filmmaker will still say, the old ways are timeless.
As James became more ambitious with his mini-projects, the friends who participated in his short clips gradually got tired of the increasing demands of his creativity. Note that the future YouTube sensation was just in his early teens.
He kicked up his imagination instead of giving up.
James resorted to using action figures and puppets to fill up the roles that his friends left empty. He moved his projects to his parent’s garage, holding an annual Hockey House Halloween attraction which he kept up for a few years.
From his makeshift studio, James produced the horror-comedy flick, The Deader The Better, and the series pilot of the film Jersey Odysseys: Legend of the Blue Hole.
The Turning Point for James Rolfe
A few years later, some of his friends did come back after becoming wise enough to see that James would go places with his endeavors. He probably didn’t mean to mimic great directors, but Hitchcock’s shock value, and Tim Burton’s mixture of brilliance and strangeness, were there in James’ approach. The film, Cinemaphobia was the turning point of his aspirations.
After Cinemaphobia was It Came from Beyond the Toilet, a randomly dodgy horror movie but scary in its own right.
James upped his gears once more in 2003 with Curse of the Cat Lover’s Grave. The story took inspiration from Stephen King’s novel, Pet Cemetery. The book was published in 1983 and was also adapted into a movie by the same title in 1989.
James proudly showcased his work at a film festival in 2003. The movie was divided into three different horror styles: The Chiller, The Shocker, and The Splatter.
The Angry Video Game Nerd
In May of his graduation year in 2004, James Rolfe got this random idea of recording a review of an old Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, game and uploading the clip online. James never thought that his silly idea for a video would start a legacy in the digital world.
The Persona
“Why the nerd?” Well, why not? James’ logic over his chosen person is actually pretty clever.
Who would be interested in a guy babbling about a well-forgotten, pixelated game? Only a true blue nerd would be hyperventilating out of frustration while fidgeting with a terrible, old game that no one can beat without cheating.
A nerd is the only convincing persona that could make such a docile genre interesting. And thus the birth of the Angry Video Game Nerd, with pens in his left pocket and all.
Reviewing Retro Games
To everyone born when emulators were already downloadable, the Angry Video Game Nerd, or AVGN, was the perfect embodiment of stressed-out kids from the 80s and 90s. And whenever the Nerd pointed out ridiculous elements of a game, viewers cheered.
A disgruntled hero emerged from “retro-space,” silly enough to swing at Nintendo’s not-so-entertaining Entertainment System.
James Rolfe on YouTube
AVGN Official YouTube Channel: Cinemassacre
In April of 2006, James Rolfe joined YouTube to house his projects and appropriately named his channel, Cinemassacre. At this point, James was working as a video editor for a local company and maintained his reviews and projects purely for fun during his extra time.
One of the most iconic episodes for season two was of the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNJ) III, simply because it was a movie review.
AVGN’s Golden Age
After some time, James took the particular video down from YouTube due to copyright reasons. He later re-uploaded it to Cinemassacre’s official website as part of an exclusive series. The official pilot of season two was replaced by AVGN’s console review of the historic Atari 5200.
To this point, James’ videos weren’t reliant on just the games or the films he was featuring. The persona of the Angry Video Game Nerd carried the entertainment factor of the show. He ran a gag with lots of exaggerated reactions, special effects, and animation that viewers enjoyed.
Another fascinating aspect of AVGN was Rolfe’s realistic environment. The room wasn’t a set made to look like a nerd’s house but the home of an actual video game nerd.
And like the review he made for TMNJ III, the Nerd featured the Ghostbusters Trilogy. The video was filled with every imaginable element surrounding the film franchise despite the simplicity. James even included his old Ghostbusters toys which made it more nostalgic for his viewers.
AVGN videos were so convincing that the 80s and 90s who never cared for video games or the films they were adapted from bought old consoles to share the experience.
The First Great Collaboration in YouTube History
By 2007, AVGN and Cinemassacre surfed the mainstream with many positively received videos. James added web shows with different storylines. There were times when the Nerd went out on adventures or had excellent encounters with fictional characters right in his room.
Attack of the Babbling Clones
The Cinemassacre channel had well over 100,000 subscribers by 2008 and has over 130 videos totaling eight seasons of AVGN. And sure enough, by this time, “clones” or copycats had dared to imitate James’ video style but never really came close to his production rate or quality.
With all the longstanding commotion built around AVGN’s fame, it’s funny how YouTube only started monetizing videos in 2008. James Rolfe net worth was that of a blue-collar worker.
And, of course, James quit his job when he started getting compensated for his projects.
The Nostalgia Critic
The Nostalgia Critic, Doug Walker, started a “fake” feud with the Angry Video Game Nerd. Their encounter was a memorable event that lightened the mood from the rampant flame wars that surrounded James, his wannabe copycats, and a rambling hoard of third parties.
It all started with Critic playfully calling out the Nerd, claiming that he does better with film and game reviews than AVGN. At first, James ignored Walker. He avoided drama and refused to embarrass himself online for the worst reasons.
But Critic kept tagging him until he responded.
After realizing that the bait lit a path to a fun plot, AVGN went along for the ride. The random candid banter with the newbie content creator escalated to a public gathering ambush where the unlikely duo had to come up with an impromptu skit and slow-mo fistfights.
The apex of the legendary event happened in AVGN’s iconic room, where the two silly men duked it out. The fight involved lightsabers, a hailstorm of curse words, throwing each other on a pile of empty boxes, Street Fighter moves, and superpowers that conjured the devil.
Finally, Critic was defeated after Super Mega Death Christ rolled in and blasted the somewhat unhinged fellow. The video ends in a cliffhanger, indicating that Critic was still alive and will probably come back with a vengeance.
The Fall of Angry Video Game Nerd
AVGN the Movie
As fun as it was, the great collab was the peak of Nerd history, even if the channel and James Rolfe are still active today. It’s safe to say that things took an ugly turn when money got involved, and the drive that once possessed the Angry Nerd slowly faded after one more significant event.
James Rolfe’s ultimate goal was to become a filmmaker. He started a crowdfunding page with an initial target of $100,000 for AVGN the movie and ended up with over $300,000.
Everyone believed that James was more than capable of producing a real Hollywood movie based on the outstanding achievements of AVGN on YouTube. While no one can deny that James was able to live out his ultimate dream, the film failed the expectation of many.
Just some of the reasons why the movie was poorly received:
- The movie was filled with random characters that never appeared in the YouTube series.
- There were details in the movie indicating that the Nerd in the film was a different person on YouTube.
- The movie felt rushed, though production dragged on for four years.
- A lot of elements were missing in the movie. The film left moviegoers with a forehead-wrinkling question mark due to the lack of backstory and important details leading to the plot.
While they were shooting the movie, James also had to keep up with his YouTube content. But brilliance as a filmmaker didn’t matter if he didn’t have a solid plan from the very beginning. Because on top of the movie and Cinemassacre, James became a father to a newborn baby.
In 2014, James Rolfe net worth was valued at around $1.4 million. He was more than capable of supporting his young family, but the bad reception of the movie took a noticeable toll on the YouTuber. The once fiery motivation he had as the Nerd slowly faded in the succeeding years.
James Rolfe and AVGN 2016 and Onwards
2015 ended relatively uneventfully. Fans were left puzzled about why AVGN’s YouTube production never recovered even after the arduous movie was over. Then in 2016, James uploaded a game review which he ended by saying he had had enough of crappy games and wanted to quit.
AVGN and Screenwave Media
For the lack of more appropriate words, Screenwave is a sketchy bunch. Albeit each of the three were notable personalities on the net, they hauled too many bad vibes into Cinemassacre. Their involvement began in 2017 in AVGN’s season 11, which led to the division of Nerd fans.
The Screenwave Media tainted Cinemassacre’s pride of never getting involved in dramas. It didn’t take long before half of the AVGN fans protested that James was pushed into the background, and the helm was replaced by three guys who just rambled sleepily about movies.
The whole image of AVGN was also reinvented into a generic-looking, professionally monetized channel. Cinemassacre’s authentic vibe was gone. The guys from Screenwave were in charge of everything, and only the AVGN name was left alone.
James received tremendous backlash for the distasteful makeover of Cinemassacre. Loyal Nerd followers vehemently pointed out the questionable background of the channel’s new staples.
The Screenwave Crew
The three guys from Screenwave took over everything from scriptwriting to the whole content production process. While the summary of Tony’s offense to Nerd fans was changing thumbnail videos and being a loyal corporate slave, the case for the other two was more serious.
Kieran is famous for his temper. He could never take any form or level of criticism and would retaliate in a very unhinged manner. He never considered how his actions would affect his affiliates.
On the other hand, Justin hardly made an effort to hide his camaraderie and continuous communication with a man convicted of severe crimes against children.
Why bring up these issues? Because the presence of the Screenwave crew, especially the latter two, brought down such a negative impact on Cinemassacre. It significantly aided the channel’s decline and hindered AVGN’s original potential of reaching further heights.
James Rolfe Net Worth – Frequently Asked Questions
How Much is James Rolfe Net Worth?
James Rolfe net worth is estimated at $600,000 for the current year. Rolfe joined YouTube in April of 2006 and popularized the genre of angry game and movie reviews with entertaining twists.
How Much Did the AVGN Movie Make?
The Angry Video Game Nerd movie started with a budget of $325,000. The crew handling the project never disclosed how much the film made after its release. Though many found it enjoyable, the project suffered from bad reviews and was deemed a flop.
Who Owns Cinemassacre?
It’s not clear if James Rolfe still owns the majority of Cinemassacre Productions. But there are rumors that Screenwave Media bought Cinemassacre in 2015, resulting in the gradual takeover of the channel.
James Rolfe Net Worth – Final Thoughts
As of today, James Rolfe net worth is estimated at $600,000. And though the Nerd assured the world numerous times that he is content with his current standing, AVGN’s loyal fanbase is still protesting that the channel has become an enormous letdown. But why are people so insistent?
Once upon a time, James Rolfe net worth reached a sum of $1.4 million. Back then, the Nerd had complete control of Cinemassacre. Though people understood James’s adjustments for his new family, allowing Screenwave Media to take over the channel was the worst option.
It didn’t seem like James set boundaries to protect the integrity of the Cinemassacre. The apparent takeover was blunt and quick. Could it be that James signed over the channel?
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