In an official statement, Google distances itself from the opinion of the developer’s statement. It says:
The recent tweets by Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director at the Montreal Studio of Stadia Games and Entertainment, do not reflect the opinion of Stadia, YouTube, or Google.
Via 9to5Google
YouTube Lead Ryan Wyatt also emphasized on Twitter that publishers and creators have a good partnership:
The positive effects that streaming can have are best demonstrated by Among Us. The indie game is thriving 2 years after its release because it became popular on Twitch. The title now regularly makes it into the top 5 on Steam.
However, the fact that publishers do not enforce their rights is seen by some as clear evidence that streaming has a rather positive impact on the games:
Others believe that Twitch should be held more accountable. Similar to Spotify, the platform should ensure that game developers are paid, after all, Amazon earns a lot with its platform.
Google distances itself from Hutchinson
In an official statement, Google distances itself from the opinion of the developer’s statement. It says:
The recent tweets by Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director at the Montreal Studio of Stadia Games and Entertainment, do not reflect the opinion of Stadia, YouTube, or Google.
Via 9to5Google
YouTube Lead Ryan Wyatt also emphasized on Twitter that publishers and creators have a good partnership:
The positive effects that streaming can have are best demonstrated by Among Us. The indie game is thriving 2 years after its release because it became popular on Twitch. The title now regularly makes it into the top 5 on Steam.
Alex Hutchinson, the creative lead behind games like Far Cry 4 and Assassin’s Creed 3, has spoken out about the current situation on Twitch. Streamers are currently complaining about the deletion of clips that contained copyrighted music. In his view, the streamers should not complain, as he believes they should actually be paying game developers.
What is it about? For years, some streamers on Twitch have been using music that they play in the background. This was actually against the platform’s rules, but it remained without real consequences for a long time.
However, Twitch is now deleting clips with music and warning the streamers. Until Friday, the streamers have time to independently review their material and delete content.
Hutchinson, whose studio is now part of Google’s Stadia division, believes that streamers should be less worried about the music and much more about the games they showcase daily. After all, they make their money off content they do not pay for.
For his statement, Hutchinson received some positive feedback, but also a lot of criticism. Critics mainly see the streamers as “advertising banners” for the games.
“Should buy licenses, like in any real business”
What exactly does Hutchinson say? In a tweet, the developer states that everything would be over for the streamers if the publishers decided that games could no longer be shown on Twitch.
He believes that streamers should buy a license from the developer to then pay for the usage, just “like it occurs in any real business.”
In another tweet, he gets even more specific. He sees the streamers as entertainers of a show, while they do not pay for the content shown. He does not consider purchasing the game alone as sufficient.
What are the reactions like? Many believe that Hutchinson ignores two major points in his tweet:
- On one hand, the streamers function as advertising banners. They showcase games to the masses and usually more effectively than any other advertising medium. It is no coincidence that big streamers are often well-paid to feature small games.
- On the other hand, many of the now large streamers are good entertainers and would also manage without big games. The well-known streamer Felix “xQc” Lengyel often enjoys playing a game of chess and even there, the viewers stay engaged.
A Twitter user writes that big titles like Minecraft, Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Among Us would never have become as popular as they are today without streams, and he speculates that publishers would rather incur losses through such a license:
I think most publishers understand the benefit of free publicity.
— Isaac (PDMG) (@pizzadudemanguy) October 22, 2020
I don’t think Minecraft, Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Among Us would’ve been NEAR as successful as they’ve been without streamers encouraging their products.
Publishers who enforce a license will lose this advantage.
Others also criticize that there are many small streamers who could not afford such a license. These restrictions could mean significant changes for the entire streaming culture.
Are there also positive voices? Yes, there are users who partially or even fully agree with the tweet. After all, streaming is often a “legal gray area” – the rights ultimately lie with the developer and publisher.
However, the fact that publishers do not enforce their rights is seen by some as clear evidence that streaming has a rather positive impact on the games:
Others believe that Twitch should be held more accountable. Similar to Spotify, the platform should ensure that game developers are paid, after all, Amazon earns a lot with its platform.
Google distances itself from Hutchinson
In an official statement, Google distances itself from the opinion of the developer’s statement. It says:
The recent tweets by Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director at the Montreal Studio of Stadia Games and Entertainment, do not reflect the opinion of Stadia, YouTube, or Google.
Via 9to5Google
YouTube Lead Ryan Wyatt also emphasized on Twitter that publishers and creators have a good partnership:
The positive effects that streaming can have are best demonstrated by Among Us. The indie game is thriving 2 years after its release because it became popular on Twitch. The title now regularly makes it into the top 5 on Steam.
