Like the thread title says, are there any programs in which I can record my gameplay that are free?
Not talking about pirating crap, I don't wanna do that. I just want a free program, like how VLC or Winrar are free programs.

Typically not without a watermark being placed somewhere on the resulting video, either always or after a certain trial period has elapsed. (Fraps, bandicam, growler). I'm sure there might be something out there, but quality and of course program rep/safety might be iffy.

Some have used the open source CamStudio but I'm not sure how well/efficient it is for/with dx/open gl etc. games, as it's more of a desktop recorder I think.

Xfire has a pretty good recorder with it and Wegame is good to

Oh I don't mind watermarks as long as they don't overpower the video 'too' much.
Are they generally at one of the corners or in the middle of the screen?

Those aren't stand-alone things tho...they're more of a service.

They're often in the top center of screen, small white letters, but may vary a bit with company.

Edit: remember that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szvFN6P9slg like that.
Also, they may have recording timing limits, like 10 minutes per session (you can edit them together).
FRAPS makes huge files/needs editing. Bandicam supposedly is better about that but I've never used it so can't comment.

Fraps has a little one at the top. And will only record 30 seconds at a pop unless you buy the full version. But that is good enough for me in the free mode.

Unregistered Fraps is only 30 seconds? For some reason I thought it was longer....must be confusing it with another one. But yeah, if you're just trying to get quick snippets, that's plenty. If you're trying to record a complete long boss battle, not so great.

Here are some http://alternativeto.net/software/fraps/?license=free.

If anyone doesn't have this site bookmarked, I recommend doing so

VLC can also record the desktop, but no audio If you want, you can always edit in post-game commentary with a video editor. It depends on what you want to do with it though.

The problem with that list is most of them are desktop recorders. They can sometimes be used to record gaming (either by playing in a window or the program can record fullscreen dx/openGL), but often are much more stressful on the CPU/GPU causing a lot of lag the longer you run it. I have HyperCam, for instance ... it's great for certain things, but video game recording ... no.