Mojang Tempted to Claim YouTube Revenue on Minecraft Videos

[Cognimancer]

Mojang Tempted to Claim YouTube Revenue on Minecraft Videos

Notch was very close to alienating Minecraft's Let's Play audience.

YouTube can be a complex place. Nintendo recently earned the ire of the Let's Play community [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos] by invoking its copyright power, claiming ownership of Let's Play videos en masse. The big dispute is whether the "owner" of the video is the company that made the game or the person providing commentary. It seems this question is reaching beyond Nintendo, however: Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson announced that he had met with YouTube to discuss taking similar action with Minecraft videos. He and the rest of Mojang decided against it - to the relief of Minecraft Let's Play hosts everywhere - but he came close to taking the deal.

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/notch/status/335045859156819969]

It's not hard to understand why. Minecraft is an incredibly popular topic for Let's Play videos, and the combined revenue would add up to quite the pretty penny. In the end, Mojang decided that it would be better to not interfere with the community; the videos draw plenty of attention as it is, and those views can be considered free advertising for the game. To take the ad money away from popular YouTube personalities could push them away from Minecraft, like many are already doing with Nintendo games.

Mojang isn't the only one viewing these videos are free advertising. Notch mentioned that Machinima.com, a host of Let's Plays on YouTube, demanded a cut of Mojang's profits in return for the "advertising" provided by the videos. Expressing his thoughts on Reddit, Notch admitted that Machinima's hosted videos do bring in Minecraft sales, but he also pointed out that Machinima was making money from Mojang's work. "It's the perfect example of a win-win situation," he wrote, "and them asking for money from us was just offensive ... They have amazing engineers and passionate directors, but their business practices are insane."

For the time being, it seems the Minecraft community is safe to do whatever it wants with the game and upload the results to YouTube, though it remains to be seen if Machinima will take action against Persson's rebuttal. Hopefully this doesn't mean we're going to see a chain of publishers taking ad revenue from creative fans, because that's one surefire way to kill a valuable source of user-made entertainment.

Source: Reddit [https://twitter.com/notch/status/335045859156819969]

Permalink

 

[mad825]

Notch is a dick, should we all be so surprised?

Quite frankly, now that I've got Minecraft Mojang could just disappear...Screw the updates as well, all they've done is broken the game, the bloodly engine.

 

[Falterfire]

I think the important thing here is that even though they were given the option - and probably needed the money much more than Nintendo does - they opted not to take it.

 

[Remus]

Notch mentioned that Machinima.com, a host of Let's Plays on YouTube, demanded a cut of Mojang's profits in return for the "advertising" provided by the videos.

Just....wow. Machinma better have some deep pockets to lawyer up if they decide to pursue this beauty later.

 

[Vivi22]

Notch is a dick, should we all be so surprised?

So it's dickish of him to be somewhat tempted by more money but turn it down because it's better for everyone that way? Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. Sorry, but anyone saying they wouldn't be even a little tempted by the prospect of getting more money is a liar.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I don't see Machinima doing anything about Mojang telling them no, there's enough Mojang copyrighted material on Machinima acounts that they could be buried under DMCA claims overnight if they tried to press the issue, but Machinima are like that, trying to strong arm every penny out of everyone at any given opportunity.

 

[Victim of Progress]

God, I hope Notch will get his wish. I'm absolutely tired of the endless stream of vomit that is Mincraft videos, clogging up youtube.

 

[AndrewC]

How about a little less of the DRAMATIC MISLEADING ARTICLE TITLE Escapist? Seems to be happening a bit too much lately, needing more page hits for any particular reason? *stares*

How about 'Mojang WAS tempted' - this is really annoying me for some reason that a lot of stories lately are complete u-turns on what the title actually states :<

a) Machinima is full of idiots anyway

b) If Machinima took Mojang to court, it's pretty obvious who would win

c) I wonder if we're going to start seeing a lot of these cases soon: like Nintendo a few days ago.

 

[Vivi22]

God, I hope Notch will get his wish. I'm absolutely tired of the endless stream of vomit that is Mincraft videos, clogging up youtube.

Stop searching for Minecraft videos on youtube and you'll probably find yourself a lot less annoyed about it. Seriously, I rarely see them aside from one or two linked on websites/forums maybe once every other month. If you're seeing so many that they actively annoy you then you're either spending too much time in the wrong communities or actively searching them out for some reason.

 

[Aggieknight]

Notch is a dick, should we all be so surprised?

So it's dickish of him to be somewhat tempted by more money but turn it down because it's better for everyone that way? Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. Sorry, but anyone saying they wouldn't be even a little tempted by the prospect of getting more money is a liar.

I think that he didn't RTFA.

I applaud Mojang for passing.

 

[Entitled]

The greatest harm the copyright industry has ever done with their poularization of the term "Intellectual Property", is how they ended up manipulating even many otherwise well-adjusted, generous, and balanced artists into believing that whatever authority the current legislation happens to grant them as "their right", is self-evidently their moral right to "their property" and giving it up shouldn't even be a question.

It's a natural thing, most of them are too busy actually creating works to stop thinking about doctrinal theories behind copyright law. The special ones are those who actually bother to question it, and realize that they aren't actually being "harmed" by letting other people produce new things based on theirs.

There are the occasional novelists and musicians publshing under Creative Commons, or software devs choosing open source, but those are exceptions, for realizing that the purpose of the "IP" monopoly was supposed to be to guarantee a certain profitability, not to authorise absolute control over ever possible aspect of the result of their work.

 

[bananafishtoday]

Notch is a dick, should we all be so surprised?

Quite frankly, now that I've got Minecraft Mojang could just disappear...Screw the updates as well, all they've done is broken the game, the bloodly engine.

Uh... did you read the article? Granted, the headline is worded poorly, but the body of the post makes it clear that it's meant to communicate "Mojang thought about it in the past but decided it was a stupid idea," not "Mojang is thinking about it in the present."

OT: I wouldn't have bought Minecraft if not for LPs. Particularly from "professionals" like Rooster Teeth and Cupquake, folks who rely on being able to monetize the videos they make. I never really got the appeal until I started watching the LPs, and I'd imagine there are tons of other people in the same boat. I doubt Minecraft would have been anywhere near as successful without its healthy, enthusiastic community.

 

[Entitled]

Notch is a dick, should we all be so surprised?

So it's dickish of him to be somewhat tempted by more money but turn it down because it's better for everyone that way? Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. Sorry, but anyone saying they wouldn't be even a little tempted by the prospect of getting more money is a liar.

Want attention on a forum? Why, just attack a someone/something popular out of the blue with no explanation!

Trolling 101

No, it's not even trolling, it's just not reading the article and taking the title at face value about Notch contemplating to block Minecraft video revenues right now.

 

[Sixcess]

Notch mentioned that Machinima.com, a host of Let's Plays on YouTube, demanded a cut of Mojang's profits in return for the "advertising" provided by the videos.

This is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

That said, sooner or later the greed and/or egomania of some Youtuber or other will spur them to actually push hard for this from some developer. After all, e.g. if you read the comments section on some vids (not advisable if you value your sanity) Frictional owes the success of Amnesia: The Dark Descent entirely to Pewdiepew or whatever his name is.

Which is ridiculous, of course... but having no case has never stopped lawyers before, has it?

 

[Smooth Operator]

So 3 key pieces of info there:
- Google is actually the one offering these deals, the backstabbing pricks
- Machinima is extorting all devs for add revenue
- and the only ones left with a modicum of decency are indie devs

 

[Legion]

Notch mentioned that Machinima.com, a host of Let's Plays on YouTube, demanded a cut of Mojang's profits in return for the "advertising" provided by the videos.

I don't often say things like this, but what fucking tools. I sincerely doubt a game such as Minecraft needed Machinima to help them out.

I think Notch should have done what Nintendo did, just for Machinima. Sure, it'd be childish, but they'd deserve it, and it'd teach them to take their heads out of their arses.

After all, e.g. if you read the comments section on some vids (not advisable if you value your sanity) Frictional owes the success of Amnesia: The Dark Descent entirely to Pewdiepew or whatever his name is.

Not related to Youtube, but I recently read that Valve owe the success of Team Fortress 2 to the people who play 6 vs 6 tournaments, and that now those have died down, the game is starting to die off as well. Apparently the people who play 24 player matches on 2Fort and such are playing it wrong.

The internet is fully of some very stupid people.

 

[mad825]

No, it's not even trolling, it's just not reading the article and taking the title at face value about Notch contemplating to block Minecraft video revenues right now.

Hehe, no. Even going to Youtube with the intent of laying down the law is not a nice move, him denying the offer was a way of saving his arse.

A potential backstabber is still a backstabber.

 

[Victim of Progress]

Stop searching for Minecraft videos on youtube and you'll probably find yourself a lot less annoyed about it. Seriously, I rarely see them aside from one or two linked on websites/forums maybe once every other month. If you're seeing so many that they actively annoy you then you're either spending too much time in the wrong communities or actively searching them out for some reason.

God, I hope Notch will get his wish. I'm absolutely tired of the endless stream of vomit that is Mincraft videos, clogging up youtube.

Uuum... so don't watch them?

If I were to search, let alone watch those videos, I wouldn't have no problem with them popping up. The thing is, they appear everywhere. Even on a clean private browsing session, I see at least two simultanous mincraft casts appearing on the front page.