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PewDiePie On YouTube Monetization: 'Everyone Loses In This Scenario Nintendo Has Created'
Yesterday, Nintendo launched a pilot program to share revenue with YouTube creators. The initiative covers select games, and passes 60 to 70 percent of ad revenue to those that post approved videos.
Today, YouTube phenomenon PewDiePie (real name Felix Kjellberg) spoke out on the matter. Kjellberg cites Minecraft as a principle reason why developers and publishers should welcome YouTube exposure.
“This is why a tiny one man indie game like Minecraft could grow into a 2.5 billion dollar deal,” he writes. “That’s 2.5 billion… Made possible largely because of YouTube!”
Kjellberg’s 34 million subscribers afford him flexibility, he says. However, smaller channels and those that specialize in Nintendo games will be most impacted.
“I also think this is a slap in the face to the YouTube channels that does focus on Nintendo game exclusively,” he writes. “The people who have helped and showed passion for Nintendo’s community are the ones left in the dirt the most. And finally, when there’s just so many games out there to play. Nintendo games just went to the bottom of that list.”
Kjellberg closes with some unkind words for the house of Mario, but reiterates that there are no winners in this situation. “Everyone loses in this scenario that Nintendo has created,” he writes. “That’s why I’m against it.”
[Source: PewDiePie]
Our Take
Whether you like or loathe Kjellberg, he has enormous reach and unmatched clout. Nintendo would do well to consider his sentiments (though maybe, not the part with the foul language).
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