Let’s Play personalities and other gaming related content on YouTube has become extremely popular over the last few years. Â So popular that Microsoft is looking to pay these people a premium price to mention the Xbox One in their videos.
The catch: You can’t say anything negative about the Xbox One or its games
According to a report from ArsTechnica, Microsoft is partnering with the likes of Machinima to offer premium revenues for mentions of their new hardware. Â The deal was first discovered via Twitter, where Machinima told its followers about the promotion.
The requirements to qualify for this Microsoft money seem pretty straight forward. Â Machinima partners simply need to post a video that runs for at least 30 seconds that features Xbox One game footage, mention the Xbox One by name, and include a specific tag with their content.
Sounds straight forward, right? Â Well a little digging has found that these YouTube content creators may not say anything negative about Machinima, Xbox One, or any of its games if they want to get paid. Â Trade laws in the United States dictate that when there’s a connection between a product endorser and the seller of a product, that relation must be disclosed. Â It’s unclear if this is the case with this new arrangement between Microsoft, Machinima, and YouTube content creators.
Does this mean that you can’t trust your favorite video makers on YouTube? Â No, not necessarily. Â But, if they all of the sudden change their tone about the Xbox One or start spouting about the games or console in a manner that they hadn’t done previously, you know why.
Published: Jan 20, 2014 11:54 am