Gaming Commentary: What Makes It Enjoyable?

Personally, I enjoy commentary from people who are not in it for the attention or the fame, but are actually good at providing quality commentary because it's something they feel passionate about.

I can never stand watching commentaries from people with webcams on unless there's a good reason for it; the best example I can think of from the top of my head would be those streamer guys who marathon games for charity in a room with 20 or so other guys who are just watching.
These days, having a webcam on is just a gimmick that everyone and their mother's seems to use because one guy did it and became successful. Unless the person who's face is on the webcam is directly engaged with their audience then it's completely pointless.

I also prefer people who can actually talk about the content, or a subject related to the content, or maybe even just talk about something interesting that they saw the other day that isn't too related to the game. Just discussing a subject in a clean and composed manner can really draw in my attention.
Even then, there's a vast difference between pointing things out and actually discussing the subject. A lot of amateur commentators do this and it dulls the mind watching someone spend 30 minutes looking at dead bodies and going, "LOL this guy died, he has such an ugly face."

Then there's the worst type of commentary, people who play games just to humiliate themselves and get views. Common examples of this are folks who slap on a webcam, play the latest flavor of the month scary game, and scream at everything that moves. Other examples are girls who put on their lowest cut top and stream world of warcraft.

Overall, a good commentary is something that's rather textbook by definition. You wont listen to a radio station if the people on it aren't actually talking about anything particularly interesting or can't speak clearly.
It's also vital to remember that a commentary is a commentary. People want to watch a game while someone with a good voice and interesting ideas talks them through it.

I share that view.

Also, I want to add that most of the people I have watched play SMNC streaming are boring. I watch them because I know them, but aside from that novelty, they are so incredibly boring.

I enjoyed Sunny Dove's videos though, haven't seen many other that weren't streams though.

huh? pointing that out for second time is a fix? ok...

It's interesting how most things EmBox said also apply to shoutcasting.

Thanks, everyone. All useful insight.

Streams are generally going to be boring when the streamer is not catering at all for the audience. Sunnys SMNC videos were good because they were quite informative, and he didnt just sit there saying junk like "im shooting the gunslinger now and then after this im going to push this lane" which I found a lot of others do, he spoke about the games updates, current affairs and tactics. I only really watch gameplay commentaries if I think I'm going to learn something from them.

to me, being informative isn't necessary - just one of the many styles I'd consider entertaining. Too much totalbiscuit is a downer, too much seriousness in one sitting.

TB has quite a british sense of humour though, there's a lot of cynicism and sarcasm which I think the UK/EU audience appreciates more than the Americans.
Someone mentioned STAR_ earlier; he does pretty good TF2 commentary that's pretty enjoyable and informative - but whenever he plays anything else, I just can't shake the feeling that TF2 is the only game he actually likes (aside from Blacklight), and he rags on anything that isn't TF2 for not being TF2.
I'm also just gonna add that I really love Jesse Cox, because he's too adorable XD

I appreciate british humor. That's not it.

It's not british humour, it's BEING british.

Also, slightly off topic, and while I have no comment on the actual quality of her reviewing skills, the internet can go f*ck itself after doing this http://devinandrewwhite.com/2013/09/22/gaming-community-we-need-to-talk-again/

it should go without saying that british people have a british sense of humor.

It's not just his sense of humour though, it's the mannerisms and subtleties. Lots of parts of British culture are just invisible or baffling to Americans, in the same way a lot of American cultural subleties aren't noticed or seem absurd here