@clyde46 said:
Maybe AJ will have to get a real job now.
YouTube IS a real job. It's a form of self employment, and make no mistake, it takes a lot of time and effort to make videos; from recording, to editing, and sometimes even scripting. AJ has a lot of production in his reviews, with green screen and other visual effects he does. It's very comparable to the time and work people put into going into a store and punching a clock. Sure some videos are quick 10 minute blogs, but few videos are posted un-edited. With those that have had more thought put into them... I mean if you think these are all just 5 min worth of a handful of mouse clicks, you are deluding yourself.
More on topic, while all game developers have cause to defend their properties, there should still be compromise, some middle ground to be found in relation to community contributions. Just look at how some devs commission cosplayers as official spokesmen for their games, such as Ormeli as Elizabeth of Bioshock Infinite.
It's beneficial for studios and publishers to have better relations with their community, the very people who support their product and brand, and to give recognition in that support. And this really needs to be examined in context. It's not as though Joe (or any other blogger) makes some home-made game using someone else's property and tries to sell that knock off on the open market, like online. These videos are great publicity for game makers, but what YouTubers essentially do is pay tribute to the game makers... unless we're talking about a critical review, and let's hope that's a fair & honest one.
But for the most part, while legally actionable (on a technical level), it's still ethically questionable. Nintendo's actions are a slap in the face to their own supporters, a failure to recognize the value of community. Their backwards business model has to evolve or sooner or later they will suffer for it.
Log in to comment