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EA Too!™: Be extra nice and EA will pay you (participants may not disclose details)

O

Orayn

Member
peterb0y said:
Is it possible- that we're jumping to conclusions and misreading these NDAs? I'm inclined to believe an interpretation that's something along the lines of Machinimas statement eaier today.

Still scummy.
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Possible, but I'm not inclined to give the Worst Company in America the benefit of the doubt on this kind of thing.
 
M

Majanew

Banned
Good thing I only use YouTube for watching gameplay / trailers on my smartphone. Who listens to what YouTubers say about a game? You can get that here at GAF from user impressions.
 
R

Recall

Member
I wonder how many gaf members are apart of any scheme where you are paid to praise a game/product and not disclose?
 
A

Averon

Member
Not surprised at all. MS and EA's recent buddy-buddy relationship makes perfect sense now. They are perfect for each other.
 
M

Mudkips

Banned
Mondy said:
It gets outed that publishers moneyhat Youtubers and you automatically assume they all must be in on it?
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I'll assume that for all the popular ones, yes.
If your videos routinely get millions of views and you're offered several dollars per thousand views to highlight specific games and lie about how good they are, you'd be a moron to not take that money.
 
G

Gartooth

Member
Welp guess its time to find out how deep this goes. I doubt that this would have a big effect on these companies outside of legal action, but this might cause the YouTube community to take a hit.
 
M

Majanew

Banned
Recall said:
I wonder how many gaf members are apart of any scheme where you are paid to praise a game/product and not disclose?
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Microsoft sent a bunch of astro turfers here last year for the Xbox One damage control. They even sent Albert Penello for damage control. At least we knew what he was sent to do, though.
 
N

NavyPharaoh

Member
Dusk Golem said:
I can tell you as a medium-small YouTube channel, and on my own basic principle, I have never accepted an offer that tries to censor my personal thoughts on the game, and I've been offered such deals. I've been offered by more smaller teams to make videos on their game by me sending a copy early, but I just share my thoughts on it, and make 100% sure that I don't have to 'promote' it in an untrue or dishonest way, and simply if the game is good, I'll speak for it and push my love for it, if it's bad, I'll just say what I don't like about it.

I also know I'm not the only one who does this. The only higher profile YouTuber I know a bit personally is Cry or Cryaotic, and I know for a fact he doesn't accept offers of the sort either.

I bet some do, but sometimes it can be a bit easy to tell who's 'selling out' and who's not.
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I appreciate your honesty then.


StoppedInTracks said:
If you guys think only gaming publishers do stuff like this..................................

Every clothing, make up, jewelry, "life-style" company does the same exact thing. Every "December Haul", "Best of..." etc. video series by semi-famous to famous vloggers are paid and sponsored by corporations.
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Those are different industry, this is entertainment. Would anyone visit ESPN or would siskel & Ebert had been as big as it was if ppl knew their opinion could be bought? We assume We know it goes on but the fact that we have proof changes everything
 
S

shuri

Banned
Majanew said:
Good thing I only use YouTube for watching gameplay / trailers on my smartphone. Who listens to what YouTubers say about a game? You can get that here at GAF from user impressions.
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I remember posters who would not stop be posting about Halo 2 getting paid tickets for an official launch party and random loot back in Ancient-Gaf..
 
J

Jburton

Banned
Projectjustice said:
Can't trust youtube anymore.
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This is the real damage around this entire issue.


Any personalities are going to have to work really hard to convince people of that they are trustworthy and that any opinion pieces are actually that and not just paid promotion parroting words EA, MS etc have given them.




Maybe this will actually be beneficial in the end, the truth will maybe help clean some of this up or at least bring around a code of conduct.

This whole area around YouTube and undercover advertising in the guise of a video blog will certainly come under more scrutiny from authorities, hopefully the UK trading standards and even the EU step on this shit hard ......don't hold out much hope for America though.
 
B

Banjo-Kazooie

Member
Metalmurphy said:
That makes more sense, the pictures on the OP looked like this was something on an EA site or something.
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Well I'm not sure where these ones come from, but I'm saying the topic earlier about MS was Machinima's promotion, this one is EA's. Not to say MS didn't know what Machinima was doing of course...it's still pretty disgusting.
 
J

jorma

is now taking requests
Commanche Raisin Toast said:
Nvm thought there was a typo.

I think it's still on MS/EA because isn't it against the law to offer someone payment to do something illegal?
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Yes, but the NDA is what makes it illegal, because without it they are offering youtubers money for producing videos that makes the game look good. Which is fine.

With the NDA they are offering money to pass off ads as.. uhm.. something that isn't an ad. Something that is probably illegal in most countries.
 
N

Nokterian

Member
shinobi602 said:
I'm reading the contract now and it is saying participants may not disclose details on this program to the public.
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tumblr_m5pho1y7at1rwcc6bo1_400.gif
 
P

PONGSTAR

Banned
This is some good exposure to a bad thing for gamers. Hopefully it gets a lot of publicity. I want to be able to get an honest opinion - not an opinion that is dyed, washed, dried then ironed based on a detailed guideline that has been given to them.
 
G

Gartooth

Member
Majanew said:
Microsoft sent a bunch of astro turfers here last year for the Xbox One damage control. They even sent Albert Penello for damage control. At least we knew was he was sent to do, though.
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I can live with YouTube going down, but I come to GAF for a lot of game recommendations so I'd hate for the situation to get worse here. Thankfully the site is in great hands so I can trust NeoGAF to not sell out like some YouTube channels, but at the same time the wave of Microsoft astroturfers made me a bit paranoid.
 
J

joesiv

Member
Lunar15 said:
CPM - Cost Per Thousand. $1 CPM = $1 per thousand views.

Giant Bomb is supported by ads, not by endorsements (as far as I know)
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Thanks, not sure where the M comes from.

I'm not sure about Giant Bomb, but as I say, now that we know this stuff exists, it should be pretty easy to spot if it really bothers you (by looking at the existance of links or hashtags).
 
O

Orayn

Member
jorma said:
Yes, but the NDA is what makes it illegal, because without it they are offering youtubers money for producing videos that makes the game look good. Which is fine.

With the NDA they are offering money to pass off ads as.. uhm.. something that isn't an ad. Something that is probably illegal in most countries.
Click to expand...

A lot depends on the specifics, though. If Microsoft gives Machinima a few thousands dollars and tells them to run an ad campaign but doesn't specify all the details, I think it would be on Machinima if telling people not to disclose the promotion was their idea.
 
R

rayisbeast

Neo Member
Gartooth said:
Welp guess its time to find out how deep this goes. I doubt that this would have a big effect on these companies outside of legal action, but this might cause the YouTube community to take a hit.
Click to expand...

I would be more interested if this go beyond Youtube. If it goes to some major game sites there would be a big problem. Hopefully only Machinima are the ones doing this
 
B

Brazil

Living in the shadow of Amaz
Those read like emails sent to their marketing teams.

Probably because that's exactly what they are!
 
A

anexanhume

Member
Tekkie said:
It seems a bit silly to me to damn every single YouTuber for this. If anything I'd say that there's a lot of personalities who would say no out of principle and are actually able to say no to these sorts of things than on the average gaming site.
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Between the purge of videos due to being 'unlicensed' and the emergence that some of the people immune to those purges may be paid shills, it's looking less and less like the oasis of easy, independent opinion making.
 
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