Nintendo’s turbulent relationship with the community of content creators over on YouTube seems to be in rocky waters once again. The company recently shot out an email to members of its Nintendo Creators Program to make them aware that streaming Nintendo games on YouTube is not allowed under the initiative.
While streaming can be a beneficial way for developers to generate interest in their games, not all game makers are keen on seeing streamers or YouTubers make bank on the backs of their releases. Nintendo, in particular, has received flak for denying YouTube creators revenue on videos using footage from its games in the past.
The Nintendo Creators Program itself was sort of a compromise between Nintendo and the YouTube community created following that controversy. Membership in the program allows video makers to split the ad revenue generated by such videos with Nintendo, so long as they meet the requirements and adhere to the code of conduct set by the company.
But, according to the now-updated rules for the program, streaming Nintendo-owned games on YouTube Live is not allowed for any account registered in the program.
“We have updated the Nintendo Creators Program User Guide with how revenue generated during live stream broadcasts on YouTube will be handled in the Nintendo Creators Program,” reads an email sent by Nintendo to registered creators.
“Live streaming on YouTube falls outside the scope of the Nintendo Creators Program. This means that you cannot broadcast content on YouTube Live from the account you have registered to the Nintendo Creators Program.
“Thank you for your ongoing support of the Nintendo Creators Program. As YouTube continues to evolve, we will work to provide you timely information to help you manage your account with the Nintendo Creators Program.”
In its updated user guide, Nintendo states that those wishing to stream Nintendo games do have a couple of options to do so. Its first suggestion is that streamers do so under a separate account that is not registered to the Creators Program. The company’s second solution is that creators interested in streaming from their main channel withdraw their account from the program and instead submit videos to it on an individual basis.
Though, as that same page points out, this means YouTubers will receive 10 percent less revenue per registered video since the advertisement revenue share is 70 percent for registered channels and only 60 percent for individual videos.