My Stance on the Nintendo/YouTube Situation (also Let’s Playing)

THE CONTENTS OF THIS POST ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. THE STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS POST ARE SIMPLY MY VIEWS ON THE SITUATION AND TOPIC AT HAND; CRITIQUE IS ALLOWED.

Recently, Nintendo has begun to content-ID claim certain videos containing their content on display; mostly affected are Let’s Players, such as myself, JoshJepson, ZachScottGames, and more. One thing must be made clear; content-ID claims are NOT the same as copyright strikes. Content-ID claims allow whoever owns the claim to gain ad revenue based on the views the video gets, while copyright strikes would force you to take the video down (see the SEGA/Shining Force controversy), and mark a strike on your account; insert your baseball analogy here and there you go. This means that if Nintendo owns the claim to a video, they get can get any and all ad revenue from it, while the person who uploaded the video does not. While I have not been (as of this posting) directly affected by this, I do understand that some of them have planned dedications to doing this for a living, and some actually DO make these videos for a living. 

Chuggaaconroy, SullyPwnz, and the formerly mentioned other two, are just a few of the many Let’s Players who make videos on Nintendo games, and with this recent event, their stances on Let’s Playing their games has changed quite negatively. For me on the other hand, I’m currently Let’s Playing two of their produced games: Kirby’s Adventure (through Kirby’s Dream Collection), and Paper Mario (through the Wii’s Virtual Console service). A lot of Let’s Players, and video makers who have uploaded gameplay of Nintendo games, have stood up against the company, stating that they will stop making videos about their games until a resolution has been made where both sides are satisfied, or until Nintendo just plain stops with it. With all that “backstory” though, what is my stance on it, you ask?

I don’t care.

To make a long story short, there you go. For a more in-depth reasoning, it’s because I personally do not make much off the videos I upload as it is, and I do not PLAN to make a living off of it either, so it honestly doesn’t damage me as much as it would others. Call it pessimism if you want, but that’s just how I feel. Don’t get me wrong though; this decision is rather ridiculous, but I stand neutral as I think both sides are taking this rather silly. Yes; Nintendo basically leeching off others’ time and effort is not something I would except from them, nor it is necessarily fair or nice, but on the other hand, if you’re Let’s Playing for the sake of living off of it (as in your primary purpose is as such), I don’t guarantee you’ll be successful in it easily. I’m not against earning revenue, mind you, since I’m doing it, and if I were against it, I’d look like a hypocrite. If you’re already making a living off of it, or are just doing it to make due with some income while looking for a full-time job in the workplace, more power to you, but if you’re just starting off, I cannot guarantee you that you will be able to make a living off of it.

Let’s Playing shouldn’t be JUST about money; it should be about sharing your experiences with games from your past, or showcasing a game that you find really interesting and want others to get because it’s really interesting. With the open acceptance of the YouTube Partnership Program now available to pretty much everyone, it seems that Let’s Playing of that kind has slowly dwindled, as Let’s Plays of games on their launch-days and those containing intensive self-promotion guff (mostly merchandising) have become increasingly abundant. Will I stop Let’s Playing because of all this though? No; why? Because I still have games to show everyone, and until the point when I run out of games to show off (or until I get invested into a full-time job not based on YouTube where the time to do so will no longer be possibly) I won’t be stopping any time soon.

- Hunter James, Let’s Player (2009-Present)