The effect of 'Let's Plays' in the digital world have been huge. It seems we went from none to over-saturation overnight. But what started this Let's Play menace and just why is it so bad?
What Is A Let's Play?
In case you are lucky enough to have never come across the never ending vomit train that are Let's Play videos, I'll briefly summarise what it is. In essence, it's a dodgy person putting up pirated gameplay footage online and then using this pirated footage to make themselves a bit of dodgy cash.
In the name of fairness there are a few Let's Play videos who you wouldn't consider to be leeching, but honestly you can count them on Abu Hamza's fingers.
In the name of fairness there are a few Let's Play videos who you wouldn't consider to be leeching, but honestly you can count them on Abu Hamza's fingers.
So How Did Let's Plays Start?
Just as the first video pirate slimed their way into the latest hit movie with a rucksack and smuggled camcorder, Let's Players quickly picked up on the fact the underbelly of society will endure the lower quality of the video, as long as they are getting something for cheap.
But unlike the slimy loner, avoiding the gaze of the films audience, Let's Players felt secure pirating the work of others. After all, they were in their bedroom, who was going to tell them off?
But unlike the slimy loner, avoiding the gaze of the films audience, Let's Players felt secure pirating the work of others. After all, they were in their bedroom, who was going to tell them off?
How Did Let's Plays Get So Popular?
In around 2007 YouTube started displaying paid adverts on the site, this money incentive was like pouring petrol on the fire of piracy. Videos went from being a hobby, to full blown businesses overnight.
It was just too easy to use pirated gameplay footage to make money, with the tiniest of effort, for some to resist.
Fast-forward to today and the number of Let's Play videos has exploded. Not content with a video here and there, the worst offenders keep pumping videos out as fast as they can. Sometimes several in one day.
They won't stop until they've pulled out every penny they can possibly get from a developer's game. Much like a leech will gorge itself on the blood of another. But what happens when there is more than one leech?
Well you end up with an army of the blood sucking bastards. They don't care if they suck their host dry, there is always another victim.
The perfect storm happened to make Let's Plays as out of control as they are. YouTube has turned a blind eye to piracy/e-theft, as it earns them cash - a 'we'll ask no questions, unless someone bothers us' approach.
The world seems full of shit parents, content with someone else distracting their little mistakes, as long as they don't have to spend time with the little shits. Besides, if they ever do any wrong, they have a convenient scapegoat to their non-existent parenting skills.
The inventions of the smart phone and tablet have meant these kids could carry on consuming content, whether that was in their bedroom or at school. In fact before the boom in content on YouTube, there was no real need to use, let alone own a smart phone.
So we have an nice cycle of Let's Players pumping out pirated game footage, earning themselves and YouTube cash - thus incentivising it carries on. More and more competition for those kiddies eyeballs to earn those fractions of a penny per view, has actually drove these illegal Let's Play videos up to a certain quality, which has now plateaued.
Shit Parents + YouTube Money = Let's Plays get bigger and bigger.
It was just too easy to use pirated gameplay footage to make money, with the tiniest of effort, for some to resist.
Fast-forward to today and the number of Let's Play videos has exploded. Not content with a video here and there, the worst offenders keep pumping videos out as fast as they can. Sometimes several in one day.
They won't stop until they've pulled out every penny they can possibly get from a developer's game. Much like a leech will gorge itself on the blood of another. But what happens when there is more than one leech?
Well you end up with an army of the blood sucking bastards. They don't care if they suck their host dry, there is always another victim.
The perfect storm happened to make Let's Plays as out of control as they are. YouTube has turned a blind eye to piracy/e-theft, as it earns them cash - a 'we'll ask no questions, unless someone bothers us' approach.
The world seems full of shit parents, content with someone else distracting their little mistakes, as long as they don't have to spend time with the little shits. Besides, if they ever do any wrong, they have a convenient scapegoat to their non-existent parenting skills.
The inventions of the smart phone and tablet have meant these kids could carry on consuming content, whether that was in their bedroom or at school. In fact before the boom in content on YouTube, there was no real need to use, let alone own a smart phone.
So we have an nice cycle of Let's Players pumping out pirated game footage, earning themselves and YouTube cash - thus incentivising it carries on. More and more competition for those kiddies eyeballs to earn those fractions of a penny per view, has actually drove these illegal Let's Play videos up to a certain quality, which has now plateaued.
Shit Parents + YouTube Money = Let's Plays get bigger and bigger.
Are Let's Plays Legal?
The short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is noooooo.
Let's Plays by their nature are illegal. The public displaying of someone else's work is illegal, if you did not get their permission.
B-b-but - fair use!
Often fair use is misinterpreted as 'copy and paste this line of text in the description and we can ignore the intellectual property rights of other people' - it'll be just like we live in China!
No commradski, fair use does not allow you to e-steal other peoples' intellectual property.
Fair Use has a fairly narrow scope, but as a lot of YouTuber's make a shed load of cash abusing this system, you're not going to here about it. Strange that. Some of the most popular people in the eyes of young kiddies today and the world's most popular site, aren't informing people what they are doing is illegal - strange that.
The transition from Illegal to Legal is a matter of consent. The all rights reserved bit means exactly that. All rights are reserved for the copyright owner.
It's no wonder people misunderstand the law, especially when the people who can grab your attention are the ones breaking it. It would be like if burglars were asked for their interpretation on theft. You would most likely hear it did no real harm and in fact was a benefit to society - a part of the greater good.
Whereas if you asked the rightful owners of the things they stole what they thought, they would say 'why are you asking stupid fucking questions - just cut his thieving bastard hands off'.
Let's Plays by their nature are illegal. The public displaying of someone else's work is illegal, if you did not get their permission.
B-b-but - fair use!
Often fair use is misinterpreted as 'copy and paste this line of text in the description and we can ignore the intellectual property rights of other people' - it'll be just like we live in China!
No commradski, fair use does not allow you to e-steal other peoples' intellectual property.
Fair Use has a fairly narrow scope, but as a lot of YouTuber's make a shed load of cash abusing this system, you're not going to here about it. Strange that. Some of the most popular people in the eyes of young kiddies today and the world's most popular site, aren't informing people what they are doing is illegal - strange that.
The transition from Illegal to Legal is a matter of consent. The all rights reserved bit means exactly that. All rights are reserved for the copyright owner.
It's no wonder people misunderstand the law, especially when the people who can grab your attention are the ones breaking it. It would be like if burglars were asked for their interpretation on theft. You would most likely hear it did no real harm and in fact was a benefit to society - a part of the greater good.
Whereas if you asked the rightful owners of the things they stole what they thought, they would say 'why are you asking stupid fucking questions - just cut his thieving bastard hands off'.
But What Can You Do About Let's Plays?
As for what you as a game developer should do about your leech problem is entirely up to you. However if you want my recommendations - burn it with fire!
Find out how here. (Link not active currently - will be available in the future).
Find out how here. (Link not active currently - will be available in the future).