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'Some' YouTubers approach indie developer asking for sales revenue of his game.

komplanen

Member
Sorry for horrible massacred attempt at a thread title but I seriously just had to drop this gem here: (read backwards, obviously)

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Here's his twitter for more. This is the game he is a developer of.

Totally didn't know this was a thing so sue me for revenue share if old or unworthy but g'damn YouTubers LOL.

A couple of meaningful updates to common concerns:


 

lethial

Reeeeeeee
He should tell them to fuck off. How people make money off themselves playing some fucking game on Youtube is so stupid.
 

KJRS_1993

Member
Tell them where to stick it.
They already monetise the developers content.
Dickwads. Wish I knew who they were, what a disgrace.
 
Edit: When writing the post below I had not noticed that the Youtubers made unsolicited demands towards the developers. I acknowledge that this practice is shady and it would be a better business practice to negociate any collaboration beforehand instead of begging.

Why not? Youtubers are de facto participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. Both parties have something the other wants so they might as well make a deal. Everyone wins, it's the free market.
 

Kade

Member
That's scummy as fuck.

Why not? Youtubers are participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. It's the free market.

You make a game. You're okay with people making videos of your game so you don't make them ask you for permission or anything and are well aware that some of the bigger names are going to be making money. ThePissedOffTripHopGamer, the #1 YouTube commentator makes a video of your game and after a month of his video being up and never ever communicating with you, sends you an unsolicited e-mail asking for a cut of total revenues. You see nothing wrong with this? This guy wasn't a part of the process at all, made no meaningful contributions to the development of the game and just made a post release video because he liked a game and now he's asking for money. A free market does not excuse panhandling and similar behaviour.
 

saunderez

Member
Time to claim copyright on all videos of his game on YouTube like some of the big studios and publishers do. Then we'll see how much these assholes like being extorted.
 
Why not? Youtubers are participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. It's the free market.

Because they're already getting the revenue for their work - and unless a deal was struck beforehand, this seems like a case of Youtubers doing work unsolicited and asking for a deal after the fact, which is just silly.
 

Lynq

Banned
He should tell who exactly asked about part of revenue or he shouldn't say anything at all.

Now GAF only have more reasons to label all YouTubers as "scumbags".

Yea, I'm in the minority who don't mind that they exist and I like couple of YT reviewers/critics.
 

komplanen

Member
Why not? Youtubers are participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. Both parties have something the other wants so they might as well make a deal. Everyone wins.

The problem is that that is absolutely not how marketing or advertising works on any level. A revenue share just because you made a YouTube video or two about someone's game is just unbelievable! Of course getting paid to do something is another thing but a revenue share isn't exactly the same as buying a banner on a website or a magazine. Also as said above a couple of times, these YouTubers are already getting advertisement and sponsorship money for their work.
 

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
I don't see a reason why they shouldn't be aired out. Though I guess the indie dev is scared that he'll lose coverage.
 

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Until somebody tells me why I should trust this person this sounds like crap to me.
 

Twinduct

Member
I would love to hear the reasoning behind this. I mean if the youtuber made money off of it ... then he got his. If they didn't ... then why should the creator be held accountable?

Also saw Jim talking about it, although no idea if his source is Simon as well.
 
Probably PewDewPie.

And honestly, in his case, he would probably be justified to part of the revenue, as games like Goat Simulator wouldn't sell nearly as much without youtubers.
 
Why not? Youtubers are de facto participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. Both parties have something the other wants so they might as well make a deal. Everyone wins, it's the free market.

Debatable. And such agreements need to be on paper before the content is delivered for there to be any value in it for the game maker.
 

webrunner

Member
I would love to hear the reasoning behind this. I mean if the youtuber made money off of it ... then he got his. If they didn't ... then why should the creator be held accountable?

Also saw Jim talking about it, although no idea if his source is Simon as well.


it's like the digital age version of someone washing your car windows and then asking for money
 

Twinduct

Member
it's like the digital age version of someone washing your car windows and then asking for money

And holy shit that still happens here in South Africa! Honestly and if you don't pay them they squirt dirty muddy water on your windshield. It's a fucking crock.
 
The problem is that that is absolutely not how marketing or advertising works on any level. A revenue share just because you made a YouTube video or two about someone's game is just unbelievable! Of course getting paid to do something is another thing but a revenue share isn't exactly the same as buying a banner on a website or a magazine.

Of course, making a deal for a couple videos seems useless but if you're the professional kind of Youtuber who does this in a regular fashion and have millions of views, that'd be a different story.

Anyway, I'm neither a developer nor a Youtuber and if one or the other won't sign a deal it's not my problem. It's certainly not for everyone. My point is that the idea of sharing revenue isn't shocking in my opinion.
 

Vlodril

Member
First i do not think youtubers are scumbags for monetising the videos most indie creators give permission (and not indie these days).

As for the rest name and shame friend. Get it out in the open.. this wink wink shit i never understood.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
Why not? Youtubers are de facto participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. Both parties have something the other wants so they might as well make a deal. Everyone wins, it's the free market.

He didn't invite negotiation, which is the issue. They don't have anything he wants. They just rudely interrupted him to ask him to give them money. It's begging, it's not negotiation.
 
Before anyone starts hating... We don't have any information at all.

This is one guy asserting that someone is extorting him for money. He won't name names, and he won't say if he agreed to this as a promotion deal, he's not willing to discuss details (at least yet).

This isn't just hearing the story from one side... This may as well at this point be a story about someone picking a fight with an imaginary friend (Curse those "youtubers"!)
 

Valkrai

Member
Why not? Youtubers are de facto participating in the marketing/advertising campaign of many games so I can see why they'd negociate a share of the revenue. Both parties have something the other wants so they might as well make a deal. Everyone wins.

It's good enough that they can make money playing their game as that's a common practice. To ask for a cut of royalties from the game sales is just ridiculous. The fact that they would even ask for that would make me laugh in their face and also bugs me that they're trying to do that.
 
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