Should YouTubers pay game developers?

@Agent the comparison doesnt make sense. Comparing a stream of a game to a stream of a movie are completely different. If I can watch the movie for free there is no point in me going out to buy the movie on DVD/blu ray. Even though I can watch someone stream
an entire game doesnt mean I will get the full experience of it. If you get the full experience from watching game streams cool, Ill just say you dont like video games.

 

If the devs should get paid, I have some questions.

1. How long do pay them? Till the next game come out, a year, 2 to 3 years, longer?

2. How do handle payment across state, and country lines.

3. Who pays the taxes?

4. Is a flat fee, a percent, a varying percent depend on the life cycle of the game.

5. What happens when the dev go belly up, get bought up, leave the market?

 

No. We bought Spawn; Armageddon for the 8GB Xbox, and was stuck trying to figure out how to cross a gap. So we went to YT to find a walkthrough on it, and learned that you have to double jump, press both triggers, and then X to swing up. If that vid had
not been there we would have never figured that out.

Side note. Not everyone plays the same way, so whatever is uploaded to YT is unique to the way that person plays, and/or the tricks easter eggs he/she may discover along the way.

 

I have purchased more games based on Let's play videos in the last few years than those based on reviews or hype alone. Some videos end up being free advertising for the games.

Like many have said, many of the popular channels bring more than just footage of the games. Personally, I watch for the personalities.

 

I don't believe that people should have to pay a percentage to developers for playing their games. I look at it this way, it's free advertising. If the game sucks, so be it, no one will really bother with it anyways, but if the game happens to be good and
gets eyes on it and interest, then why complain on it?

Look at the Game Grumps for example. They often get games from the developers themselves, it's good advertising for new and old games.

 

On one hand, yes and on the other, no. Sure they are using another companies game/whatever to make a profit off of their videos, but by them doing that are also advertising that game/whatever to millions of viewers which may influence them in buying the
comapanies product that they may not have done so if it wasn't for watching the YouTubers video.

 

As a general response, no they shouldnt pay the devs/pubs. A lot already falls under fair use and can be excluded immediately and most is in a seriously seriously gray (grey?) area that will need to be litigated before any money changes hands or you are
just treating devs/pubs as charities. I would argue that the people who post 'walkthroughs' w/o commentary on youtube may very well be infringing on peoples copyrights tho. The argument that people can watch a game and then not buy it because of that is
somewhat specious tho in that most people who watch a video game playthrough of a game that they dont own were probably never going to buy that game anyway. Time and the courts will tell tho.

As an aside, I have a list of people who when I hear them say something, i automatically assume the exact opposite is the truth. Mr. Fish is one of those people for me.

 

^Ah Sin, the voice of reason.

I think the thing that really ticks me off his he equates the whole thing to piracy. I can understand if it's nothing but the game uploaded but I doubt MOST deves/pubs don't give two ***. They're to busy worrying about stuff that actually matters.

 

If a Nintendo game is uploaded, this is exactly what is being proposed...... Your commentary video gets half of the profit taken by Youtube already, then Nintendo takes another half because it's a Nintendo game...

This means the youtube content provider only gets a tiny fraction after getting the views.

Lets say 100 people view your video...... you get 1 penny for doing the work of uploading /editing/ and playing/commentating.

1,000,000 views means the uploader gets 10 dollars for the work put in....... Thats NOT good business

 

BTW, youtubers are already paying the developers...... They have to purchase the games just like everyone else. (most of the time)

 

The video I have linked to below, by 'TotalBiscuit' on this subject is pretty much what I think.

 

After watching mos of that video, I really want to buy Fez. LOL

 

I understand what Fish is saying, but here is the thing.. if it was not for Youtubers the game would not have been as popular as it was. Youtube is free advertising and indie developers need as much free advertising as possible.
I think as long as you add commentary over your videos then you should be fine.

 

Your math skillz are horrible, Bong. lol. If they get 1 penny per every 100 views, on a video with 1 million views, they would get $100 for that video.

 

After watching mos of that video, I really want to buy Fez. LOL

It's a great game. The 360 version is broken but you can get it on cross buy for all 3 Sony consoles for £4.99 in real money. Probably cheaper if you're unfortunate enough to live in a 3rd world country like USA or even a wealthier place like Africa.