Nintendo has a complicated history with YouTube, to say the least. So when Nintendo characters were added to Minecraft recently, people were sceptical. Wouldn’t the company apply the same draconian copyright measures to Minecraft videos on YouTube? They weren’t supposed to! But, well, they did.
YouTubers are currently able to monetise their Minecraft videos, which has helped make the game so damn popular on the video service. Nintendo, however, forces players to sign up for a service where they take a huge cut.
Minecraft‘s collaboration with Nintendo wasn’t supposed to apply to this, but people started getting hit with copyright claims by Nintendo. What the heck?
@4JStudios Am I able to dispute these claims, your tweet said there wouldn’t be any copyright issues with the Mashup pic.twitter.com/ynzr5GOMU9
— Jason Stettner (@Skycaptin5) May 18, 2016
This is how Nintendo’s copyright claims, which allow you to publish on YouTube but not make money, look. Here’s one I got from Nintendo today:
4J Studios, the company behind the add-on, quickly responded to concerns.
“We’re hearing reports of copyright strikes on Super Mario Mash-Up videos,” they said on Twitter. “We were assured this wouldn’t happen. Following up with Nintendo.” In another tweet, they said Nintendo was “going to investigate”.
Nintendo and 4J Studios didn’t respond to my requests for additional comment.
The Minecraft add-on, which has otherwise been praised, is free on Wii U.
Popular YouTubers have been against Nintendo’s approach for a while. Here’s what the website’s biggest star, PewDiePie, said when it was first announced:
First off all, they have every right to do this and any other developer / publisher have as well. There’d be no “let’s play” without the game to play. And we (YouTubers) are humble to this fact.
But what they are missing out on completely is the free exposure and publicity that they get from YouTube / YouTubers. What better way to sell / market a game, than from watching someone else (that you like) playing it and enjoying themselves?
This is why a tiny one man indie game like Minecraft could grow into a 2.5 billion dollar deal. That’s 2.5 billion… Made possible, largely because of the exposure it got from YouTube!
If I played a Nintendo game on my channel. Most likely most of the views / ad revenue would come from the fact that my viewers are subscribed to me. Not necessarily because they want to watch a Nintendo game in particular.
Yes, there are exceptions of YouTube channels that uploads day 1 release of a game, 50 parts just to milk views off YouTube. That’s more of a problem for YouTube than Nintendo.
I also think this is a slap in the face to the YouTube channels that does focus on Nintendo game exclusively. The people who have helped and showed passion for Nintendo’s community are the ones left in the dirt the most.
And finally, when there’s just so many games out there to play. Nintendo games just went to the bottom of that list. Even if more publishers starts implementing this idea of sharing revenue. Then fine, there’s always going to be plenty of games out there, ready to become the next “Mienkraft” – Sounds cheesy, but it’s true.
So, fuck you Nintendo.So, you should reconsider this decision Nintendo. (◕‿◕✿)
I’m guessing they won’t, PewDiePie, but maybe they will make an exception here.
Comments
15 responses to “Nintendo’s Awful YouTube Policies Accidentally Impacting Minecraft Videos”
Nintendo, once again demonstrating they are the back of the pack in modern game industry.
They have until February 2017 to sort this out and come up with a brand new policy, or this will drastically effect the sales of the NX. If reviewers and streamers dont have fair and easy access to display Nintendo content on Youtube and Twitch… most of their reviews will look like a Jim Sterling monster mash and the Nintendo fans will turn hostile cause they wont be able to show off their new toy online.
They are stopping the videos being monetised, not them being shown on Youtube. I also think you are overestimating the number of people who buy a console based on whether they can make money from Youtube with it.
I’m imagining one guy who glossed over his brief, sitting at his computer flagging videos all day while people lose their shit.
Nintendo, about as progressive as ‘blacks only’ drinking fountains.
The status quo has been for a company to make a claim on an already monetised video. Nintendo sought to create a programme for revenue sharing. That’s quite progressive.
They created a program where you would give them editorial control of your videos. There are reasons other than money why someone wouldn’t want to sign up to that program.
Well then the solution is simple: if you want editorial control, produce original content which uses IP which you own. Nobody forced anybody to make videos about Nintendo.
There are valid reasons to critique the program, sure. For a reviewer who relies on the schtick of anger or cynicism to garner an audience, it’s possible Nintendo is going to take issue. But for the average streamer who wants to monetise they’re work? No problems.
The point still stands that Nintendo’s affiliate program is progressive in the realm of uploaded footage. Whether aspects or the whole are positive is debatable.
If you are just streaming game footage with some commentary, then perhaps it is reasonable to sign up to their program.
If you are publishing reviews, where the footage you’re using is likely to be covered by fair use (US) or fair dealing (Australia), giving up editorial control is kind of a big deal. Why should Nintendo have veto power over the contents of reviews of their games?
“First off all, they have every right to do this and any other developer / publisher have as well”
Yep. They do.
Should Nintendo change? Probably.
But the bullshit “exposure/publicity” argument is from people who want to make money off the back of playing video games and taking the ad revenue. See oatmeals Exposure comic.
Nintendo knows they can and will survive without the backing of youtubers exposure/publicity.
I have no sympathy for any of these guys. Never have, never will.
The can and will survive thing is in the air.
Ps4 sales 36million
Xbox one 19mill
Wiiu 12 million.
And the wiiu has been out longer than the other 2.
Nintendo isn’t the money machine it used to be.
Still making a big profit, every year has been run at a profit, unlike microsoft which continually runs at a loss and sony which last year was the first year in 3 to run at profit.
So yeah. Nintendo is fine.
PSP Vita 12 mil
3DS 58 mil
Both were released in 2011.
Ahh I did forget about them.
I would say that Nintendo have a complicated history with planet earth and the human race as a whole.