Can I trust their opinions?
By Jamaal Ryan
As this topic rapidly develops, a NeoGAF post outlines that
EA allegedly has too taken part in YouTube campaigning partnerships.
Statements released today by both Microsoft and Machinima
ostensibly clarified the guidelines and stipulations of the promotion.
Machinina claims that participating YouTube channels were bound by
confidentiality of the details of the promotion, not taking part in the
promotion itself. This implies that YouTuber X could run a video with a disclaimer
stating, “I am taking part in a promotional deal with Microsoft under Machinima”,
though I can imagine how much of a bad taste that’ll leave hearing that. Furthermore,
as this campaign has come to light, both companies are now encouraging
YouTubers to announce their involvement in the promotion; any actions otherwise
would likely be in direct violation of the FTC guidelines highlighted in the
earlier post.
With EA, we see parallels in their contract to what was seen
in Machinima’s Microsoft promotion. YouTubers were to be awarded with $10 per
1,000 views (remember Microsoft participants were awarded $3), and the games to
be covered included Need for Speed Rivals, Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, and Madden
25. In EA’s case however, the publisher has been said to disallow any mentioning
of the promotional partnership:
You agree to keep confidential at all times all matters
relating to this Agreement and any Assignment including, without limitation,
the Details and Compensation listed above.
You
understand that You may not post a copy of this Agreement or any Assignment or
any terms thereof online or share them with any third party without EA's prior
written consent. You agree that You have read the Nondisclosure Agreement
(attached hereto and marked as Exhibit A) and You understand and
agree to all of terms of the Nondisclosure Agreement, which are incorporated as
part of this Agreement.
This is disruptive news compiling on the recent unveilings
of Microsoft and Machinima’s deal. Though the alleged statements could, as we’ve
assumed before, be in violation of FTC guidelines, this ultimately contributes
to the rapidly developing mistrust of YouTube and potentially the games press
at large.
Some may compare these dealings with television and radio
who pump advertising partnerships into our faces, however that comparison
dissolves here. Gaming YouTubers, whether they identify themselves as such or
not, are critics. Unless they strictly provide content for walkthroughs, they are
critics that you and I watch to get a consumer-ish based opinion and point of
view on games before we decide to purchase them.
I will think twice before ever looking at a YouTube video on
a game outside to guides from here on forth.
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