How Important Are YouTube Game Videos To Game Companies?
from the really-freaking-important dept
While it hasn't been a crescendo, there's been some noise recently about how accepting video game publishers and related industries are in allowing YouTube videos that feature their content. Granted, most publishers seem perfectly fine in allowing such videos, but there have been reports of take down notices going out as well. Of course, there was also a recent dust up between let's-play-ers and Nintendo, which opted into YouTube's ContentID platform. With all of the resulting hand-wringing over who is greedy, who is a thief, and whether all of this is heavy handed, the question that hasn't really been asked is: are YouTube videos of this nature good for gaming companies?To answer that question, Google recently did a study dissecting how gamers use YouTube. The results, summarized by Kotaku, indicate that game publishers might not want to slaughter this cash cow. Some of the results are mildly impressive, such as the revelation that 95% of gamers watch YouTube videos about games. More interesting findings are that a full 47% of game videos were let's-play videos, while 50% of views were of videos released directly by the publishers. However, the most important bits are these two:
- The most popular clips on YouTube aren't announcement trailers; they're reviews.
- A staggering 1 in 3 views for gaming clips took place on a mobile device, Google hypothesizing that much of these were "second screen" views, done while gaming on a TV or PC for things like FAQs.
The lesson here is less that YouTube game videos are awesome (though they are) and more about how important it is for content creators to just let go. Not only are these gaming videos not doing you any harm, they're helping you in ways you may not have considered.
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Filed Under: game videos, let's play, youtube
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For the rest, I don't doubt some publishers send TD notices, but even they have to acknowledge how futile this is.
And there are game previews on the site? Huh. Since I'm on XBL, I generally don't have a choice to bypass the "We paid to be in this large center box" ad.
Not that I'm complaining but it sure does explain why previews get less views on the site.
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Re: I find most videos are taken down because reviews will often times have music unassociated with the game and the ContentID flags it as a violation.
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Re: Re: I find most videos are taken down because reviews will often times have music unassociated with the game and the ContentID flags it as a violation.
It's because content ID is so inaccurate so much of the time that if it doesn't flag your music as being infringing on one thing, it will for another.
And furthermore, video game videos with music dubbed over them are shit. You're ruining otherwise perfectly good game audio to dub music over it. So many videos that may have been good have been ruined by some jerk deciding that "Let the bodies hit the floor" playing in a loop through the whole video was somehow appropriate to digging a hole in Minecraft.
You're only robbing yourself by dubbing music over video game footage.
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Re: Re: I find most videos are taken down because reviews will often times have music unassociated with the game and the ContentID flags it as a violation.
Do you mute the game audio while you're playing it and just listen to music? Then why would you do it for a video?
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The only reason publishers might want to kill this is if they are putting out bad games because there is now such a breadth of access to larges amounts of game play with large amounts of commentary that bad games have nowhere to hide. In a way it's a lot like how in the music industry it's really hard to get away with filler tracks these days.
It just comes down to one simple thing... produce quality content. But that actually takes effort and aptitude.
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Lego Mindstorm
When Lego first put out the Mindstorm, a lot of people decided to see what they could do with them, they started to hack them.
This upset Lego greatly, as they wanted to be the ones doing things with Mindstorms and protect their investment.
BUT:
What they did was really great and I wonder why Masnick and TD do not use it as a shinning example.
First they went after the hackers and tried to shut them down, but Lego eventually worked out these 'hackers' were doing some really great things with the mindstorm, and Lego with great wisdom decided instead of fighting them, they would SUPPORT THEM, and get them to invent new and great ways to use the Mindstorm. The result being massive success for Mindstorm and for Lego, and for the people who wanted to push this technology to it's limits and beyond.
It's "lets fight them, oh but they are doing some really cool stuff, ok then, lets HELP THEM, and get them to do really cool stuff for us, WITH OUT PRODUCTS".
As for video's of games, watching a vid of a game is not the same as playing the game, but it sure does make you want to try them.
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Re: Lego Mindstorm
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Re: Re: Lego Mindstorm
What someone needs to do is download the episode of "Mega Factories" the only on the Lego company. (by numbers, the largest tyre manufacturer in the world).
In that show they have one of their executives talking about the Mindstorm product and how there were first 'worried' about them being hacked and 'unlocked', until they saw what the people were doing, and then he talks how they embraced the hackers (fans) and all parties profited from it.
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Re: Re: Re: Lego Mindstorm
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Re: Lego Mindstorm
Fighting your community because they're using your product should be grounds for a boycott, not a worshipping. If their first reaction to learning that people are enjoying their product is to get out the lawyers and truncheons, they should be avoided at all costs.
If they see the dollar signs and realize that there is profit to be exploited later on is irrelevant. At the core they hate you and what you are doing with their product and don't deserve your time or money.
For other examples of this, see Xbox One.
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Of course, the only real reason to take down videos is if the game sucks and they don't want people to see just how bad it is. Taking down videos for a good game just makes no sense. Since many gamers come to rely on video reviews, games without them can get passed over. If a game sits on a shelf, virtual or otherwise, and there's no video reviews, is it any good? Know knows.
OTOH, I find video walkthroughs to be almost useless. Text walkthroughs and FAQs are usually organized fairly well, making it easy to find the part were I'm stuck. I can even search for a specific term to find where it appears in the text. Video walkthroughs, however, usually have no organization whatsoever. Where's the part with the mystic temple on the 6th level? Video 6/12 or 9/12? Who knows, there's usually no section or level index. So, just pick one. Oh right, there's 15 to 30 minutes of video to sludge through, clicking forward on the timeline to skip ahead to the relevant part. Oh damn, that's not the right video, try again. Nope, that's not the right one, and it just spoiled the ending of the next level too! Maybe the one before? Nope, still haven't been there yet, that must be after the mystic temple. OK, one more time... Geez, I would have found it already and been back in the game if this was in text!
Now, in an alternate universe that had a text walkthrough... OK, there's Level 6...mystic temple. Search for "blue gem". Oh, it was on the ledge in that room down the hall. :faceplam: Why didn't I think to jump up there!
If you didn't know why video walkthroughs suck, now you do.
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Re:
If I need help with a game or want to get the gist of the game. Nothing tells me more about it than watching a few minutes of footage. Playthroughs are invaluable in that regard.
What I don't need is some fat nerd heaving into a microphone telling me about every fucking problem going on in his life and making "funny reactions" every time something happens in the game.
ha. ha. a skeleton popped out, this caused you to scream and throw a fit like a two-year old. then you made a fart joke. Nice job PewDeeShit.
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Exactly. People post their gameplay because they LIKE THE GAME, and they want to show off the cool things they can do. How can anyone see this as anything other than free advertising? I bought Guild Wars 2 based on an Angry Joe video that I bumped into completely by accident. He was so positive about it, I bought it right away.
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You can't trust game reviews as they have all been leaned on by the companies that release early editions for the game review magazines to use for their reviewing purposes. Only if they give anything less than a sterling plus report, they are removed from the early review releases list.
Seeing a game played is not actually playing the game but it does give an idea of graphics and sound and that's about it.
These gaming houses have already killed the review magazines cause you can't trust them to give an honest opinion on it. Killing the videos will do them more damage as many are now using this in place of reviews.
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Let me dumb it down to the simplest expression...
1) By allowing people to post up their Lets-Play videos you allow a culture of FUN to further cultivate around your product! Let's be honest here, the most successful Lets-Play Youtubers are especially funny in their commentary and reactions to the game. So many people who are watching aren't there just to see the game's narrative unfold, but for the broader, or "derivative", fun of the whole experience
2) The stronger this culture is (in theory) the more FUN it will also be. Therefore you create a culture that attracts people making them want to participate in the FUN. This cycle of FUN only helps to further raise the value of the whole culture, and the products targeting that culture.
3) Control, and the attempts to exert it, on the other hand is not FUN. It isn't FUN for the company; and it definitely isn't FUN for your fans who want to support you, but can't for you make it hard and not FUN. Thus, since your fans become bored and unengaged they move on to something else that's FUN and they can become passionate about. When it comes to the game of control "the only winning move is not to play."
*) We come to the unique point in a robust culture where actually not all games have to be FUN. Some can be challenging, or heartbreaking, or a commentary on our culture either gaming culture or the broader society. I feel that you need a stable and robust culture to be established before you get to this point where we can have games like the Last of Us. Games that explore the medium for more than just having FUN, making them into works of art. Again though, the attempt at trying to control the medium and your products in it jeopardizes this emerging culture and ruins the FUN.
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I use YouTube reviews and LPs
I've also chosen not to purchase games because the company involved has been a real asshat. Sega's policies regarding infringement enforcement have driven me to avoid their titles altogether. Granted, the fact that Aliens: Colonial Marines turned out to be a total dud certainly eased the blow of having resigned myself to not playing it.
Thank you for the heads up, jupiterkansas
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GAMES
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Re: GAMES
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Maybe that's one of their problems? Their flashy trailers and often unrepresentative images are undermined when people are able to simply show/tell how crappy the game is (e.g. Aliens: Colonial Marines). They'd rather obfuscate the crappiness of their product than ensure it's not crappy to begin with...
"done while gaming on a TV or PC for things like FAQs"
Bingo. If you're stuck in a game, especially one that depends on split-second tactics or three dimensional puzzles that are hard to describe accurately in words, nothing beats seeing someone else get past a sequence you're stuck on. Sometimes, they mean the difference between beating a game and giving up totally.
Most people are more likely to buy a sequel or DLC for a game they've managed to complete rather than one they got hopelessly stuck on, so it's hard to imagine how removing such content could have anything other than a negative impact on future sales.
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Of course, in today's world, most games are 90% FMVs and 10% gameplay. And even the 10% gameplay is designed for idiots. "Press "X" to open door", "Press "O" to grab onto ladder", etc.
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