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[LordOfLore]

Searched around and couldn't find a thread.

Link.

Since March, YouTubers have watched their revenue plummet as advertisers bleed out of the platform. Some videos containing violence, real or fictional, are considered “inappropriate for advertising.” First-person shooter Call of Duty, a massively popular game on YouTube, is no walk in the park. So, the huge community that’s formed around it is getting hit by widespread demonetization.

After Activision announced upcoming Call of Duty title, Call of Duty: WWII last week, the community’s financial problems took a turn for the worse. Viewers and fans want to hear about the next CoD game, but as a result of its WWII theme, YouTubers are risking demonetization by talking about it.

PrestigeIsKey, a Call of Duty YouTuber with over a million subscribers, published a video on Sunday about how his channel is struggling with demonetization. “At first,” he said, “I thought this wouldn’t affect gamers because, obviously, video games aren’t real.” Throughout his seven years making CoD content on YouTube, he’d never had an issue until recently. Months ago, when the demonetization crisis was in full swing, his channel suffered enormously because it depicts fictional war.

Now, that he’s trying to cover the news of the upcoming World War II-themed Call of Duty game, his channel is financially gutted. In the week since WWII was announced, YouTube demonetized several of his videos (I saw an ad on his video about CoD:WWII’s movement mechanics). “My WWII zombie-related videos have been taken down,” he said. “I’ve had videos demonetized because of ‘depictions of war,’ even though it’s Advanced Warfare and I’m talking about WWII, or I’m showing gameplay of CoD: WWII. It’s like, are games really lookin’ that good nowadays?”

Across YouTube, ads have stopped appearing on some videos with “vulgar language,” “disasters and tragedies,” sexually suggestive content or “subjects related to war.” That’s because, after the Wall Street Journal reported on ads appearing on racist videos, advertisers like AT&T pulled YouTube ads en masse. To get them back, in March, YouTube introduced “brand safety controls.” Advertisers could choose to avoid “higher risk content,” like anything referencing marijuana. Channels as big as PewDiePie and H3H3Productions say they’ve been making way less money in comparison to their earnings from earlier this year. (YouTubers can appeal demonetization.)

When asked about whether ad-friendly filters can tell the difference between real and video game violence, a YouTube representative referred me to a blog about how YouTube’s having more positive conversations with advertisers.

To make money again, YouTube suggests making more advertiser-friendly content. For YouTubers like ChaosXSilencer, who’s been making CoD videos for five years, rebranding his channel is out of the question: his fans come for the first-person shooters. Before he carved out a full-time job on YouTube, he ran a Papa Johns in Arkansas and, before now, he’d never had any financial problems making a living on YouTube. The Call of Duty community, he says, is having a lot of issues—and especially now that the big story is CoD: WWII.

More at the link.

 

[BY2K]

With their new policies, unless you want to make a Disney style afternoon sitcom, I think you should reconsider making a living off YouTube.

 

[Machina]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

 

[Kysen]

Youtube gravy train is over, advertisers got scared off. I guess patreon is the big thing now.

 

[Kart94]

Well there is Twitch.


Sad thing They most likely blame Wall Street Journal. While they should blame Youtube.

 

[duckroll]

This is not a CoD WWII problem imo, it's a Youtube problem. They don't want to regulate and take responsibility for the content they host, but they still want to attract easy advetising dollars, so the pass the burden on to content creators on their platform.

Youtubers should not lament that CoD is a WWII game or that they are considered high risk content as game streamers. They should protest to Youtube for being a garbage company run by Google, a hypocritical shitheel of a corporation.

 

[oti]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

What.

 

[N7.Angel]

With their new policies, unless you want to make a Disney style afternoon sitcom, I think you should reconsider making a living off YouTube.

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

 

[Corpekata]

Isn't this just a result of Youtube's policies currently being extremely basic? I can't imagine by the time it releases that it will be the case still. They slapped on a basic solution and probably will launch some other "fix" that addresses most of the demonitization issues.

 

[BY2K]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

...

This has nothing to do with silencing critics.

This is about advertiser not wanting their ads next to violence and vulgarity.

YouTube passing the burden to their content creator is bullshit. But that's YouTube for you.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I'm sure this is just a small bump in the road for video games on YouTube.

I firmly believe changes will be made so that things go back to how they were. The only people who will then get no money going forward is people who do these videos and drop the F bomb everywhere and swear like a trooper.

 

[FelipeMGM]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

What the...

Activision has nothing to do with this, its a YouTube issue

 

[duckroll]

Isn't this just a result of Youtube's policies currently being extremely basic? I can't imagine by the time it releases that it will be the case still. They slapped on a basic solution and probably will launch some other "fix" that addresses most of the demonitization issues.

Youtube launching something that fixes a problem? Lmao, best joke of the year so far.

 

[Some Nobody]

This is not a CoD WWII problem imo, it's a Youtube problem. They don't want to regulate and take responsibility for the content they host, but they still want to attract easy advetising dollars, so the pass the burden on to content creators on their platform.

Youtubers should not lament that CoD is a WWII game or that they are considered high risk content as game streamers. They should protest to Youtube for being a garbage company run by Google, a hypocritical shitheel of a corporation.

Accurate. Even the unfortunate part about Google.

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

Translation: Why aren't you kids working a job where you're miserable?!

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

Eh?
But it's not Activision hitting them with take downs, it's YTs policy about not monetizing War and Graphic videos after the backlash from advertiser's over their products being sold next to terrorist propaganda​.
It's just another example of how a robotic automatic system can't do this job that YT depends on.

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

It sucks they can't make money on it but let's not blow it over proportion, there is no censorship here as they are still free to talk about the game, just that their videos won't generate money for them.

This is not a CoD WWII problem imo, it's a Youtube problem. They don't want to regulate and take responsibility for the content they host, but they still want to attract easy advetising dollars, so the pass the burden on to content creators on their platform.

Youtubers should not lament that CoD is a WWII game or that they are considered high risk content as game streamers. They should protest to Youtube for being a garbage company run by Google, a hypocritical shitheel of a corporation.

And yeah, this, YT is the problem here and not CoD.

 

[Shiggy]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

Huh? Why is it Activision's fault that companies don't want to be associated with (fictional) violence?

 

[Maximo]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

I blame Obama!

 

[Cheat Code]

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

What makes YouTube as a job any less legitimate than a musician or an actor. They serve no purpose to the world besides entertainment.

 

[Ikuu]

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

The irony of posting this on GAF lol

 

[UncleSporky]

Geez, if 100k views on CoD gets you $10, and 30k views on milk gets you $40...I guess they're gonna have to go family friendly to appease advertisers. You can't really appeal to Coca Cola that it's ok to advertise on your video where you yell fuck a lot while shooting people.

I dunno, even though Nintendo's creators program claims 30%, that might still end up better than CoD money. If you can get your 30k milk views, that's still $30.

 

[test_account]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

This seems to be related to Youtube and advertising only. Doesnt seem to have anything to do with what you're allowed to say and critique on the net.

 

[fireflame]

My interest in youtube keeps dropping over the years:/

 

[BY2K]

Advertisers basically want YouTube to be more like TV. Keep violence and mature stuff for late night.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Huh? Why is it Activision's fault that companies don't want to be associated with (fictional) violence?

He only read the thread title, not the thread.

 

[Maximo]

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

You sound like a child its a job same as everyone else.

 

[Machina]

Eh?
But it's not Activision hitting them with take downs, it's YTs policy about not monetizing War and Graphic videos after the backlash from advertiser's over their products being sold next to terrorist propaganda​.
It's just another example of how a robotic automatic system can't do this job that YT depends on.

Huh? Why is it Activision's fault that companies don't want to be associated with (fictional) violence?

So if that's the case, is a Youtube movie critic going to have his critique of, say, Schindler's List demonetized? Or is that something Youtube wouldn't have the balls to do?

 

[Akai__]

Youtube launching something that fixes a problem? Lmao, best joke of the year so far.

I know H3H3 has been de-monetized alot recently for discussing controversial topics.

Dire situation, but not that surprising. As long as you want the big money, you are the advertisers' bitch.

You'd actually think that these big companies wouldn't care, because these YouTuber's give them a pretty big audience. Not sure why YouTube has changed their policies about it, but they are pretty laughable.

 

[Majine]

I know H3H3 has been de-monetized alot recently for discussing controversial topics.

Dire situation, but not that surprising. As long as you want the big money, you are the advertisers' bitch.

 

[RRR]

Wouldn't this create opportunities for a YT competitor?

 

[LordRaptor]

Pretty much all traditional 'old' media have entire departments solely devoted to sourcing advertiser funding, and building relationships with advertisers that are a good fit for their brand and content, or having to modify their content to attract advertisers.

I don't see this as a problem, just because youtubers up until now have benefitted from youtube and google to the extent that this is a thing they have never had to think about before didn't mean that that was going to last forever.

 

[jett]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

Is it really corporate overreach? Advertisers have a right to decide where they want to place their ads. Before they would just appear wherever.

So if that's the case, is a Youtube movie critic going to have his critique of, say, Schindler's List demonetized? Or is that something Youtube wouldn't have the balls to do?

Actually I wonder if this affects channels like The Great War, which is an weekly ongoing documentary on World War I. But then again, that's funded by Patreon. I guess that's where a lot of YouTubers are going to have to run off to.

 

[Brianimaniac]

This is not a CoD WWII problem imo, it's a Youtube problem. They don't want to regulate and take responsibility for the content they host, but they still want to attract easy advetising dollars, so the pass the burden on to content creators on their platform.

Youtubers should not lament that CoD is a WWII game or that they are considered high risk content as game streamers. They should protest to Youtube for being a garbage company run by Google, a hypocritical shitheel of a corporation.

I don't see how they're realistically supposed to regulate this stuff, especially to the degree that they can promise advertisers that they won't get into situations they don't want to be in.

There's a lot of talk about whose problem this is, but I don't know that I agree that there is a problem. I see this as the way things were inevitably going to go when people are trying to get ad dollars on a thing that's not really policeable in any realistic way. It was a bad road to go down in the first place for a lot of the people being negatively effected if they were expecting the thing they had going to last.

 

[Some Nobody]

So if that's the case, is a Youtube movie critic going to have his critique of, say, Schindler's List demonetized? Or is that something Youtube wouldn't have the balls to do?

Possibly, yes. Are you doing research? There's a lot of YT folks losing a TON of money right now. This is not just a video game thing. I follow a whole different niche hobby on YT that's had ads pulled from the vast majority of their videos.

Yeah publishers trying to control shit is a problem but that's got nothing to do with what we're talking about right now.

 

[Corpekata]

So if that's the case, is a Youtube movie critic going to have his critique of, say, Schindler's List demonetized? Or is that something Youtube wouldn't have the balls to do?

They probably would just because it's a bad automated process.

The issue isn't with specific products, it's that it's blanket covering a ton of things with barely any discernible rhyme or reason.

 

[atomsk]

With their new policies, unless you want to make a Disney style afternoon sitcom, I think you should reconsider making a living off YouTube.

Pretty much how things feel right now. The majority of my views come from wrestling-related games/content, and youtube has decided that's not "advertiser friendly"... despite WWE being PG these days.

Doesn't matter how clean my language is, wrestling videos make shit money right now. (but playing something like Roblox does just fine)

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

It's always important to have a Plan B no matter what field you work in, and to also not put all your eggs in one basket. But I'm sure every struggling actor/musician/artist has heard that exact line at some point. I don't see how YouTube is any less valid.

 

[nynt9]

Many people seem to be not reading the OP and thinking this is Activision pulling a Nintendo 2.0 but it's actually the recent advertiser problem on YouTube. People should really read the OP.

 

[Phu]

This is not a CoD WWII problem imo, it's a Youtube problem. They don't want to regulate and take responsibility for the content they host, but they still want to attract easy advetising dollars, so the pass the burden on to content creators on their platform.

Youtubers should not lament that CoD is a WWII game or that they are considered high risk content as game streamers. They should protest to Youtube for being a garbage company run by Google, a hypocritical shitheel of a corporation.

This. I've seen people across the board get hit by the recent ad stuff, not just gaming.

 

[fernoca]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

Just another example of not reading the main post.

 

[NeonBlack]

Which is a great thing to me, this kind of shit is not a long term job and people need to think more about their future.

Why shouldn't this be a long time job? What standards should be held up for a career?

I'm pretty sure you can use whatever you're thinking for a lot of careers out there.

 

[razgriz417]

Heh hope those alt right racists asshats are happy, they've gone and made advertisers so averse to risk that YT ads placement is gonna try to mirror TV ad placements. Now that the power is in the advertiser's hands, unless they hand select to white list channels, I don't see this changing anytime soon

 

[N7.Angel]

You sound like a child.

More like the opposite, The day YouTube screw all those "content creator" which are usually people like me and you, they'll be unqualified to find a real job and they will struggle for the rest of their lives, seriously, I don't give a shit about people having big money for playing video games or making "critic" videos, that's good for them but the platform and the media itself is unstable, it could crumble anytime and only the biggest will be safe, you can already see Angry Joe crying everytime one of his videos get demonetized so imagine if he don't get enough money because YouTube or advertiser decides to stop there...

Well I don't give a shit at the end, just my 2 cents, secure your future dudes.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Why shouldn't this be a long time job? What standards should be held up for a career?

I'm pretty sure you can use whatever you're thinking for a lot of careers out there.

You have to hate your job, and it has to drain all happiness and life out of you. That's the only standard.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

So if that's the case, is a Youtube movie critic going to have his critique of, say, Schindler's List demonetized? Or is that something Youtube wouldn't have the balls to do?

We will only find out going forward, but other companies like Facebook have already run foul of these automatic systems in automatically banning holocaust education pages for violence/hate speech and even banning people for posting pics of Phan Thi Kim Phuc because she's​ naked in the photo.

 

[Machina]

Is it really corporate overreach? Advertisers have a right do decide where they want to place their ads. Before they would just appear wherever.



Actually I wonder if this affects channels like The Great War, which is an weekly ongoing documentary on World War I. But then again, that's funded by Patreon. I guess that's where a lot of YouTubers are going to have to run off to.

Possibly, yes. Are you doing research? There's a lot of YT folks losing a TON of money right now. This is not just a video game thing. I follow a whole different niche hobby on YT that's had ads pulled from the vast majority of their videos.

Yeah publishers trying to control shit is a problem but that's got nothing to do with what we're talking about right now.

Look I get it, Youtube has become a wasteland of corporate panic after ads were found attached to videos that people claimed were supporting questionable ethics and ideals, but I really can't get over how convenient this seems for certain elements who want to minimize criticism of their products. If someone already has a positive pre-disposition towards CoD, they will make a video saying so regardless of whether it's monetized. I could be wrong but I think you're far less likely to see the opposite.

The majority aren't like the likes of Angryjoe or Jim Sterling, who would spit in Activision's eye regardless of whether they're making money or not if the game deserved it, but I guess you could apply that logic to anything.

 

[kiguel182]

YouTube's advertisement algorithms continue being the worst and their ad policies overall really. Sucks for those that depend on this for a living. Hopefully YouTube will change this or they need to migrate to a better platform. I wonder if Twitch would be able to scoop them up and expand to recorded content.

 

[sueil]

Youtube (and twitter et al.) have a big problem with terrorist propaganda videos showing shit like cutting off peoples heads. Advertiser's were kinda unhappy about their ads being shown on those videos. This is the result.

 

[True Fire]

Just another example of corporate overreach on the internet. This is really not much different to what the end of Net Neutrality would deliver. Activision get to control every aspect of what people say about their product.

In short, silencing critics outside of the official reviewer sphere.

Did you even read the article?

Advertisers don't want to be affiliated with violent or provocative content. I work for a tech marketing department and it makes a lot of sense. You don't want screenshots of your banner with nazi zombies. It's bad PR, and in the age of viral PR disasters it means being extra careful.

 

[Kart94]

More like the opposite, The day YouTube screw all those "content creator" which are usually people like me and you, they'll be unqualified to find a real job and they will struggle for the rest of their lives, seriously, I don't give a shit about people having big money for playing video games or making "critic" videos, that's good for them but the platform and the media itself is unstable, it could crumble anytime and only the biggest will be safe, you can already see Angry Joe crying everytime one of his videos get demonetized so imagine if he don't get enough money because YouTube or advertiser decides to stop there...

Well I don't give a shit at the end, just my 2 cents, secure your future dudes.

You don't gave a shit, but you made a paragraph telling you don't give a shit. sounds weird.

 

[In Service]

Good story.

Do the advertisers not want to advertise on COD channels or are they just auto-filtered?

I can't see PC related adverts being pulled if they thought about it rather than being filtered automatically.