If you just make boring playthroughs without commentary, captivating titles and with generic YouTube music and those template intros with some stupid name like xXxLoserPlayerGeneric12323xXx then you don't stand a chance. But if you turn all that around and have a unique channel with unique content e.g brand new games or mods for games or whatever, with a catchy channel name, a unique intro and some nice channel art then you can succeed. Some promotion would help, e.g buying views, social networks, (ads if you want to invest real money.)
It all depends on your approach to it all. A lot of YouTube viewers these days will stay loyal to the channels they watch, but then again, thousands of people are born every day, so thousands of people gain internet access and make YouTube accounts every day. Chances are one in those thousands will comes across your channel and they will tell their friends and so it goes. I found a lot of Youtubers like LeafyIsHere back when he only had about 100 subs, he has 3 MILLION now.
I meant boring titles, in the first line, (can't edit my posts?)