Hi guys! Thanks for checking out my blog today! I have another rant a-brewing, but I thought I’d give you a break and keep it light for today. So I’ll just say I love you all, and I have posted a new video to The Diecast’s YouTube Channel. Show me some love and check that out. Click on the link below, and don’t forget to like, comment and above all please subscribe! Hope you enjoy. *^_^*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRXUpUt6Ixs
~A~
I want to take a moment to talk about copyright infringement as it pertains to YouTube. Apparently lately there has been some kind of major crackdown on the content of YouTube videos, in which the monetization of certain videos has been pulled due to what is only described by YouTube as “matched third party content.” YouTube videos that contain video game footage have been hit especially hard this month, and that’s a big deal for a lot of people. Gaming videos and game reviews are wildly popular on YouTube right now – both to produce and to watch. There are many YouTubers who make a portion of or their entire income from these kinds of videos. Was this a test on behalf of YouTube to measure user outrage? I do wonder. It is entirely possible that a much bigger crackdown is looming, something that could be disaterous for producers of gaming videos as well as the fans that love them.
Several of our own videos over at The Diecast were affected by this action. It seems that the big ticket items that cause monetization to get revoked are things like cut scenes, music, and the displaying of high profile logos like EA Games. This is easy enough to solve by simply turning down music volumes and skipping cinematics during playthroughs, but we have encountered this issue even on some indie games. What I would like to know is, who is this third party? Seems awfully vague and mysterious to me.
I suppose I wouldn’t be quite so bothered by it if I got a message telling me that EA or Blizzard or whatever game developing company has said they do not want me to use their content. I would still disagree with such a decision (I’ll explain why in a moment), but I would be able to accept it because the video game is their property. But this is John Doe making a claim against my monetization. This isn’t the game devs or even YouTube. Who is it? The fact that some party unrelated to the creation of the games is able to cause this to happen is just, well…Sketchy.
But, sketchiness aside – I have other issues with this whole thing. To begin with, if we are to follow the logic that nothing containing another person or company’s creative content can be used by anyone else, where is the line for that drawn? In theory, we could then sue people who use photos with certain landmarks or buildings in the background. An engineer could potentially make a claim against someone who had a jet fly by in the background of one of their videos. The world is filled with stuff. We don’t live in the wilderness anymore where everything is generic and belongs to no one. Things are inevitably going to start bleeding together. I don’t personally think that’s a problem. It’s not as if YouTube gamers are trying to claim any of the video game content as their own, and most of us will make pennies – if anything at all – off our videos. The Tobys and Pewdies are few and far between. In short, we aren’t really hurting anyone.
The YouTube gamer phenomenon could be a mutually beneficial relationship for all the parties involved. What a shame if this potential gaming trifecta were not to be taken advantage of by YouTube and game devs, as well as YouTube gamers. Everyone could make money, everyone could have a good time. As a fan of YouTube gaming videos, I can say with authority that watching these kinds of videos has only ever increased my level of interest in the video games being shown. I truly believe that there is no such thing as bad publicity for games, because quite honestly, even when it comes to the bad games…the REALLY bad ones…I have been inspired on occasion to buy them after watching my favorite YouTubers play them. Even if only for the shared experience, the laughs, the gamer achievement. I’ve also been reminded of old games I loved or never got to try, and been inspired to buy those as well. YouTube gamers are a good thing for game devs of all sorts, and Youtube gamer videos are good for YouTube. If a few nobodies like me happen to make a couple bucks, what’s the big deal? If anyone’s watching my videos, the ultimate cash winners are the game devs and YouTube. NOT me.
Is it just me? I feel like YouTube should defend the people who give their site a reason to exist. We didn’t create the site, but we made YouTube. We ARE YouTube. Seems like shooting yourself in the foot to come after us. Stay on our side, YouTube, and surely YouTubers and their fans will rally behind you in turn.
~A~
I suppose I should start this blog with an entry about what I’ve been doing and why. What I’ve been doing is creating gaming videos. If you haven’t seen a gaming video before, check one out. Whether it’s mine or someone with a bit more YouTube presence than I have, they’re very enjoyable. They are much more than how-to guides and gameplay footage. They can be relaxing, informative, entertaining and funny – often all in a single ten to twenty minute video. I’m absolutely in love with the genre.
As to the why behind my YouTube activities, I won’t lie. While I would love to be able to say that I came up with the idea independently of having seen other YouTubers do it, I can’t. In all honesty, the idea never would have occurred to me had it not been for the numerous hours my husband (Ammortis, also of The Diecast) and I have spent watching the YouTube gamer greats – PewDiePie, Toby Turner, Game Grumps and Steam Train, the Yogscast and Totalbiscuit. I felt inspired by these people who managed to find an outlet for what some might call a childish endeavor. Who doesn’t love video games? And these awesome gamers found a way to make gaming an integral part of their lives. I admire that a lot. I aspire not to duplicate a business model – lord knows I don’t even expect to earn a living wage at this, let alone achieve any level of fame from it – but rather to have a taste of that lifestyle. One of doing whatever makes me happy, even if that thing is playing video games.
Of course, sharing my gameplay with the world in a semi-creative way also has the effect of making me feel like I’m being productive while I play World of Warcraft…
~A~
Nerocast 