Nintendo and Youtube.

You may have heard but Nintendo is going after people who stream/make Let's Play videos that use Nintendo games. They want their ad revenue rather than taking down the videos. Of course they have the right to but does it make any sense to go after people who give you cheap PR? Or perhaps they should let them have some of the ad revenue so that everyone doesn't abandon ship?

Original story: http://ca.ign.com/articles/2013/05/16/ni...lets-plays

It seems like a poor choice to me even if they're trying to be more reasonable than shutting down everything. I don't know how it is with video LPs and the revenue they earn, but it just seems to me like people would be turned off from Nintendo for trying to cash in on their efforts since good video LPs need some investment and I've always thought the publicity game companies get from having fans record gameplay helps them to earn more since paying people to publicize your products is going to be a lot more expensive.

God damn it. There goes 99% of my ideas for Youtube videos. All that's left is f'ucking MapleStory... >_>

I really wouldn't mind it if they had just asked for a percentage of the revenue gained from advertisements, but to completely screw us over by now allowing us to profit from our gameplay experiences? This sucks.

If you are making ad revenue from lets plays of nintendo games (or virtually anyone elses for that matter) you're already breaking the youtube adsense TaC.

Nintendos official stance was

Update: Nintendo issued Game Front the following statement:

As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a YouTube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the YouTube database. For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property.

God damn it. There goes 99% of my ideas for Youtube videos. All that's left is f'ucking MapleStory... >_>

I really wouldn't mind it if they had just asked for a percentage of the revenue gained from advertisements, but to completely screw us over by now allowing us to profit from our gameplay experiences? This sucks.

I already have a workaround...kinda.

If you are making ad revenue from lets plays of nintendo games (or virtually anyone elses for that matter) you're already breaking the youtube adsense TaC.

That is not true.

http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/an...wer=138161

What can I monetize?

Video game content may be monetized depending on the commercial use rights granted to you by licenses of video game publishers. Some video game publishers allow you to use all video game content for commercial use and state that in their license agreements. Likewise, videos showing software user interface may be monetized only if you have a contract with the publisher or you have paid a licensing fee.

Partnership programs follow the same general rule. You can upload videos of video games with commentary and the like if it's for the purpose of walkthroughs or whatever, but uploading video game content over a certain length without any reason (no commentary, etc.) puts it in the red zone. Moreover, you cannot crisscross video games with other media sources. For instance, you cannot play a game like World of Warcraft with AC/DC playing in the background. You cannot upload video game footage if that video game includes any kind of music by an artist whose music is not listed as free-use on Youtube, whether those songs are actually part of the game or not. You also cannot play Mario and have Zelda music playing in the background. If you upload video game footage, it has to be including only its own content, plus whatever you do to make it unique (commentary, video editing for guidelines, etc.).

Video game content itself is not against Adsense's Terms and Conditions. If it were, anyone up to this point would have been nailed long, long ago, including myself and Zelkova.

Nintendo has a right to profit off of their own content - however, when it comes to Let's Play, it's not entirely their own content anymore. If I record my commentary on myself playing a game, then I've added my own creativity to the mix and I have a right to profit off my own creative work. It's not Nintendo's place to take that away, even if I used their work for my own creative purposes.

Regardless of the legality, this was entirely stupid for Nintendo to do. Any developer will tell you that when a "famous" YouTuber shows off your game, sales go up. Not everybody shows off games strictly for profit, but some do. In the end the money they make off a video's "profits" are going to be measly compared to increased sales.

I honestly dont see anything wrong with this. Its not like they are ruing the video by putting adds in (although you could argue taking all the revenue might not be the most equal case). It really doesnt affect most people, especially with addbloack. Im interested to see how much money lets plays make, I dont know of anyone making a living off them.

It's completely foolish and is already having a negative impact on their reputation from what I can tell.

Nintendo, if they knew anything about their consumers and the communities that support them, should know how PASSIONATE the Nintendo consumers are in the Let's Play community. These people buy their products almost religiously, and the community that passionate and active helps to gain more interest in the products. It's free advertisement. Nintendo is a big fan of the cheesy ''family having fun'' commercials, yet don't realize that people enjoy REAL people having fun with their product. Same goes for any product. Are you more likely to buy a product based off a commercial alone, or will you go to your friend who OWNS the product to get their REAL feedback?

Let's Plays are free advertising that help to keep your product relevant. Whether the game played is a small indie or a AAA title. Many companies are realizing this and openly support Let's Plays, ESPECIALLY indies because they know the good that it does for them. Nintendo, I know you're still well behind the times and that you're getting desperate for money but come on now. It isn't smart to bite the hand that feeds you; making a huge stink with the community that loves and supports you with a passion. You not only don't have to pay them a single penny, but the money the Let's Player makes from ADs helps them CONTINUE to create their content. I don't know if they or others realize this but Let's Playing is a hobby that takes money. You need equipment, games, consoles, etc. If they can't afford to continue buying these things the content isn't going to be rolling out, meaning less eyes on your product.

Good thing I personally don't have any Nintendo footage. I ain't havin no part in this pomegranate.

Does...does this include games that are on the Wii U/3DS but not officially owned by Nintendo....for example...Monster Hunter?

I was going to record some 3U videos eventually, but not sure if I'm going to waste the money on a capture card now if that's the case.

Does...does this include games that are on the Wii U/3DS but not officially owned by Nintendo....for example...Monster Hunter?

I was going to record some 3U videos eventually, but not sure if I'm going to waste the money on a capture card now if that's the case.

No, because it's not licensed by Nintendo. Only the 3DS version is.

Now that I think about it, while Nintendo probably made the wrong decision for themselves, I don't think I mind that you can't make money off Nintendo game LPs. If the whole reason someone was LPing Mario Party was because they wanted to make money on it, then I probably didn't want to watch their video. I personally watch LPs at Something Awful (The "mecca" of LP), where LP is considered a hobby you do because you love the game you're showing off, not because it puts food on your table. So on second thought, thanks nintendo. For bettering your community by taking a financial hit.

The announcement mentions "most fan videos wont get affected", only those of a certain length. Has Nintendo released more details on whats required to get affected by this?. I think we need to know this first in order to know who is safe and who isnt because for all we know so far this could be affecting IGN, GameSpot and such sites and not touch regular LP makers.

In any case I don't see the point to this. Does Nintendo really need this money? Is it worth losing support from some costumers? In the spot they are right now, definitely not.

From what I hear it's really spotty. I hear some videos in a series are getting tagged while some aren't. Chances are if you LP a game at this point every video won't get tagged.

The worst, and saddest part is it's hurting the most passionate Nintendo consumers the most.

The ones who covered and promoted MORE Nintendo products than anybody else get hit the hardest by this. The ones who constantly hype up and spread the word and excitement for Nintendo products got pomegranateted all over. Nintendo's decision can be shrugged off by variety channels, sure, but the ones most passionate CAN'T just shrug this pomegranate off as their channels were mostly if not ALL Nintendo-oriented. No company loses anything to Let's Plays; it's a win-win situation. Company makes product > LPer plays and hypes product for free > LPer and company both profit. There isn't a single loss in this for either party, only profit. Why ruin a good thing? Sure, you profit from the existing content, but the people have the right to take all of that down if they want now, and a lot of people are already saying they will now stop producing Nintendo-oriented content on their channels. (Less free hype and promotion for Nintendo)

Massive stink.

The problem itself is copyright I think. Yes Nintendo has a right to enforce control on whatever they own by any means they have (and they have lots I'm sure) but when exactly does something stop being a ripoff and become original? A comedian could rip on say Mass Effect 3's ending for some reason (please don't tell it I haven't played the game) on a televised show and that could be seen as original copyright because he put himself/herself on a camera and made something that claims a copyright. Since it is classified as a parody it wouldn't be against any laws to do it (think Weird Al Yankovic). But if you placed Mass Effect 3's ending in his show and had it visible and him/her showing other people what he/she actually means that apparently becomes copyright infringement on the game. It should be viewed as a visual enhancement and not a copyright infringement. I mean if I placed a copyright on pie charts should I go sue everybody that uses one in a video? And since you are not forcing the person to watch it the information in the video should not be deemed as spoilers or ruining the game etc.

Copyright is a control mechanism. Nintendo trying to go after something that is fairly harmless and is actually useful for the people who play their games could be seen as a bit dictator-y. Sure it will make them money but it will lose them customers and contributors that may or may not be replaced by employees. If they achieve 25 cents per view they will make about the price of a single Wii U per 1000 views. But the time invested in order to do it and trying to keep people contributing will eat away at that. If they go through with it they may not even make any money is what I'm trying to say. Just a hurt reputation and more disgruntled customers.

Oh yes, EA has said they have no games in development for the Wii U at all. The amount of developers abandoning the system is heartbreaking really.

Really good video about this topic from Totalbiscuit:

[video=youtube;6yX4io2O4EI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yX4io2O4EI[/video]

Those LPs and similar video's shouldn't be touched IMO. They are indirectly making Nintendo and other company's money through pretty much free advertisement. After a certain point some people start coming to the LP for the commentary and not the game itself to some extent, once a person gets so popular as a commentator for the games, they can start playing crap games, and make commentary so interesting that the viewers may want to get the game just to imitate them. My little brother has watched complete series of a few LPs and that is what encouraged him to wanting those games, which in turn made me or someone go out and buy it because of those videos. If they want money from the LPs they can simply hire people from within the company to do the LPs and profit from that if they feel it is that big of a revenue maker, it isn't like the person is selling merchandise (usually) that is infringes into their territory.

Honestly, how much money do you think the average LPer makes on their videos in a given month? Somewhere in the 10s range? I can likely count the number of people that make a living off LP bux on one hand.

Also, there's this

Honestly, how much money do you think the average LPer makes on their videos in a given month? Somewhere in the 10s range? I can likely count the number of people that make a living off LP bux on one hand.

Also, there's this

I make over $10 a day and I'm tiny.

People that are partnered through networks (such as TGS and Machinima) follow a different set of rules though. Most (if not all) of the people that make money of game related videos on youtube are partnered through such a network.

In a nutshell, so long as my content isn't explicitly copyrighted (Music, Movies, TV Shows, Nintendo Content) they'll take the heat for me. I don't have to follow vanilla YouTube rules.

I have gone out of my way to obtain unique licensing from content holders (Music Artists) to utilize their music in my videos as well.