So if you've been following gaming news recently, you may have heard that Let's Players are finding their job suddenly got a whole lot more difficult.
For those who are new, Let's Players are people who film themselves playing sections of videogames for extended periods of time.
Generally, (very generally) there is peace between YouTube and Game Developers. Here's how the dialogue goes.
Game Developer: "Aw gee, I sure do like people watching our new and latest video game in these playthroughs done by members of the gaming community. However, what about spoilers and content that doesn't belong to us that's used alongside the game?
YouTube: "Don't worry, we'll make sure that doesn't happen by automatically running Content ID on every video that gets uploaded! That'll check for copyrighted material and anything illicit!"
Game Developer: "k thanks babe."
And so there was peace in the kingdom. Well, until now.
Every day, hundreds of videos are taken down every day due to YouTube... er.... I'm not even sure what they've done this time. Ballsing it up royally is how they usually roll.
"But Charlie," I hear you interrupt. "don't you hate Pewdiepie and wish to eat his skin? Aren't you glad that now he'll suffer because of the increase in flagged Let's Play videos?"
Well, as much as I hate the torturous Swedish girl-man, he is a strange sort of necessity.
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Let's Players (Including Pewds) are responsible for more of a game's publicity than we give them credit for. We now live in an age where people will not buy a game until they've seen footage of regular people playing the game. This is where companies get mistaken and they'll always pout their pouty lips and go.
"Don't you want to see our footage? It's prettier and we spent ages filming it and making sure the shots were good. Wouldn't you prefer to see something that's much more nicer? It's shorter too. Only all the good bits."
No, I would rather watch community footage or screenshots than official screenshots and footage. I mean, they pretty much answered the question of "Why?" themselves. I think the answer is straightforward.
I do not own an expensive computer or rig. I own a few games consoles.
I do not own the best TV money can buy. I have an old ALBA with a HDMI output.
I want to see footage and screenshots that relate to ME. I want to see undoctored footage complete with glitches and bugs. Take off all that stupid make up, game developers. You know it'll start to smudge the second I pick up my controller, so why are you setting me up for disappointment?
It's a matter of trust. I trust the gaming community more than official videos and journalists because the community has no reason or incentive to lie about the game or manipulate the playthrough/footage.
Not many people would have heard of Amnesia: Dark Descent is Pewdiepie hadn't played it, unfortunately.
I'd say the same with Dark Souls, but that's always kind of had its following.
The truth of the matter is that if we take Let's Players away, the general public will buy a game with more of a blindfold. The corporations, paid journalists/critics and gaming developers will dominate.
And that leads to lazier design and cut corners. Why innovate when you're closer than ever to guarenteeing purchases? It's not as if anyone can go on the internet and find parts of a game that might cause someone not to buy it. No, this the future of only positive reviews and corporate hooks pulling up a rictus grin on the Orwellian-faces of the gaming public.
The only thing that stops this from happening of course, isn't restraint or taste.
It's money.
Ubisoft, Blizzard, Deep Silver and Camcom all stood up and tweeted to Let's Players who had been flagged to contest the flag so their video can be approved. I mean, why wouldn't they?
It's free advertising of their game. And right now it's the only freely available, honest, non-biased advertising that's around. And it's only going to get more popular from here on in. At least, that's my take on it.
Read more here @: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25351123
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