Nintendo ends YouTube's controversial revenue sharing program

For almost three years now, creators who wanted to make money with videos containing Nintendo game sequences had to submit to the heavy approvals and content requirements of the Nintendo Creators program, which also gave Nintendo a reduction of 30% of its advertising revenue. Today, Nintendo has announced that it will stop this program at the end of the year, in favor of a new set of "ground rules" for video creators. If these rules are followed, Nintendo now states: "We will not oppose your use of game sequences and / or screenshots captured from games for which Nintendo owns the copyright. "

The guidelines, as written, encourage creators to use Nintendo content in videos with "that include your creative contribution and comments." Direct and unedited videos of Nintendo game sequences without this additional content "are not allowed," Nintendo says, unless they are shared via "system features, such as the capture button on Nintendo Switch ".

This requirement could impact the popular genre of YouTube feature films, which capture hours of direct gameplay for countless games.

In addition, Nintendo said that video creators could monetize these videos only through a number of official partner programs on a handful of platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Twitch and Facebook. Other forms of monetization, such as third-party advertising or sponsorship schemes, are not allowed in the guidelines.

Nintendo also reserves the right to remove content containing unpublished games (as we have seen in a recent popular movie). Smash Bros. Ultimate leaked) or that "features the hacked Nintendo software." This last recommendation may be of interest to speed enthusiasts and other retro gaming enthusiasts who often use Flash carts filled with ROM files to broadcast their games.

"We appreciate and encourage the continued support of content creators and thank them for their commitment to helping us create smiles."

While it's nice to see Nintendo loosening its grip on how its games are shared online, the new guidelines are still much more stringent than those of some competitors. Microsoft's rules for Xbox video content, for example, are less stringent with respect to video content rules and monetization methods.