Support NeoGAF

[la flama blanca]

Lodamercy. Fuck you MS, glad you're getting what you deserve. All this money spent could have gone towards a better system, instead, you give shitheads within your company more money to do what they shouldn't be in a position to do in the first place.

 

[KDR_11k]

Wait, isn't it illegal to take a bribe like this on a seemingly neutral (v)blog without disclosing that fact? That mommyblogger legislation should apply here.

 

[LegoDad]

gen just started a few months ago and it's already getting good

Have to give props for using a #kstate gif.

 

[Jamix012]

I honestly don't get the uproar about this. Someone explain to me what the difference between this and, for example, paying for celebrity endorsement is?

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

Hmm I was going to say this is advertising at its core and relate it to Google but not even them are that shady to throw those crazy rules on their own products.

I believe this. I mostly do because Microsoft is an huge monopolistic company and that's the American way. It's not something Apple, nor Verizon and whomever wouldn't have done.

 

[dark_prinny]

 

[KingFire]

Insane conflict of interests! I can't believe this madness.

 

[Uno Venova]

I know you're being sarcastic, and the hidden tag is hilarious, but seriously I sort of agree.

That's really disappointing.

 

[Magwik]

 

[Dragonborn]

At least this way we'll know who the sell outs are. Seriously, leave to MS to try and pull something like this. Just when they starts getting some positivity going they have to go and mess it up. And then they wonder why there's so much hate for them? Come on.

I'm also pretty sure this is also some kind of illegal, no?

 

[pixlexic]

Have you read up at all on this issue?

no i am not really into the console wars thing. but to me its not a big deal ... its the same as xbox with doriitos or sony with taco bell.

it just means you can not trust you tube videos to be bias.. but could we really in the first place?

 

[Rizzi]

Well this is interesting news.

 

[Cow Goes Moo]

got my popcorn

 

[alr1ght]

I honestly don't get the uproar about this. Someone explain to me what the difference between this and, for example, paying for celebrity endorsement is?

You know the celebrity is being paid.

 

[StoopKid]

 

[UberTag]

This is where I full-stop no longer give any YouTube-dedicated revenue-dependent game critics any clout whatsoever. Or hits, for that matter.

Except for possibly Boogie2988.

Thank you for destroying a good thing, Microsoft.

 

[KMS]

So was this rule created by Machinima and sent to their members? Was it Machinima or the ad company asking people to basically to break the law?

 

[Junior Mint]

I'll just assume anyone talking positively about Xbox One on YouTube is being paid by MS and never go back to their videos again. Thanks.

 

[anexanhume]

I am 100% sure that's an FTC violation.

http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/pres...ises-online-advertising-disclosure-guidelines

Quote relevant text?

 

[antronoid]

So more Xbox One Lets Plays incoming?

 

[BocoDragon]

I don't see the problem with this. All Microsoft is doing is paying and supporting the content creators supporting them. If other content creators who aren't fond of the Xbox Brand, decide to jump aboard and sell out on their personal beliefs for money, that's their fault and Microsoft's gain.

Just like any business contract, which this is, by the way, you aren't legally allowed to discuss the terms, conditions, or what you receive from it, so whatever.

The "you can't be negative about the Xbox One and it must be relevant" part also makes sense, why would the support you trashing their product? Besides, it's necessary. You already saw some posts on GAF discuss loopholes and ways to get money from Microsoft without doing anything. "Put it at the end of a totally unrelated video! Make a video discussing this bullshit and make money since it's about the Xbox One! Tall badly about the Xbox One and tag the video so you get paid!"

Can't blame Microsoft.

As a content creator and YouTuber myself, my channel is already practically a Xbox only channel (thanks Sony for making it so hard and BS to capture PS3 footage! And thanks even more for not allowing PS4 footage at all!), so I'm just getting paid for doing what I already do, I don't see the negative. Microsoft is just supporting those supporting them.


I know you're being sarcastic, and the hidden tag is hilarious, but seriously I sort of agree.

So you like it because you are getting paid for it.

Isn't it nice that we know you're getting paid so we can put your viewpoint in the proper context?

 

[Alienous]

 

[RoyalLaFlame]

Come on MS, this is shady as fuck... but to be honest I'm not surprised.

I won't support your console if you keep doing this.

 

[RooMHM]

Fuck Microsoft, may they rot in hell. Gaming would be so much better without them.

 

[Tsundere]

So this was created by Machinima and sent to there members? So was it Machinima or the ad company asking people to basically to break the law?

Microsoft did this through Machinima.

 

[kadotsu]

I honestly don't get the uproar about this. Someone explain to me what the difference between this and, for example, paying for celebrity endorsement is?

One is an advertisement the other one is editorial.

 

[Darksol]

Now we're in full-on illegal territory, right?

Seems like it, yeah.

 

[Takao]

Why would people need to get paid to advertise the all-in-one Xbox One? With tremendous exclusive hits like Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Sons of Rome, Lococyle and upcoming exclusives like Halo 5, and Titanfall the games are all there. It even allows you to experience live TV like never before with the new Kinect sensor, and Snap functionality. Xbox One is a great buy.

 

[Talamius]

pretty sure they pay for commercials and product placement deals as well just like sony and every other company in the world.

what makes this any different?

The problem (and possible FTC violation) stems from not actually disclosing you're being paid.

It's one thing to run an infomercial with a disclaimer that it's paid for by the company whose product is being pushed. That's 100% A-OK.

To push the product without disclosing that you're being paid to do so? Big no-no.

 

[alr1ght]

This is where I full-stop no longer give any YouTube-dedicated revenue-dependent game critics any clout whatsoever. Or hits, for that matter.

Except for possibly Boogie2988.

You can always check the tags on the videos.

 

[KingFire]

This is where I full-stop no longer give any YouTube-dedicated revenue-dependent game critics any clout whatsoever. Or hits, for that matter.

Except for possibly Boogie2988.

He did a bit with Major Nelson. I would suspect he is much more likely to be into this compared to, say, Angry Joe.

 

[Goodacre0081]

When the train comes in, everybody rides!

 

[Chobel]

MS defense force please read this

The arrangement as described might go against the FTC's guidelines for the use of endorsements in advertising, which demand full disclosure when there is "a connection between the endorser and the seller of the advertised product that might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement." The document offers a specific example of a video game blogger who gets a free game system that he later talks about on his blog. That blogger would need to disclose that gift, the FTC says, because his opinion is "disseminated via a form of consumer-generated media in which his relationship to the advertiser is not inherently obvious." That same reasoning would seem to apply to the opinions expressed by the video makers participating in this promotion.

Now please come with better arguments than "Sony too!™" and "It's perfectly fine"

 

[dolemite]

Political rallies do this all the time: only favorable opinions/questions are allowed. MSFT is no different, it seems.

 

[Speedy Blue Dude]

That's really disappointing.

I disagree with the "positive" part, because Microsoft isn't targeting and going after negative comments or negativity in general. Nor should they. If people think the Xbox One is a garbage system, they should be free to say so in videos, forum posts, tweets, etc what they believe. Microsoft is only supporting those who have positive opinions, which doesn't overshadow (and once again, shouldn't overshadow) negative opinions.

 

[Metalingus5150]

To the people in the thread saying this is okay.
So bribery is okay?

 

[gofreak]

I honestly don't get the uproar about this. Someone explain to me what the difference between this and, for example, paying for celebrity endorsement is?

When I see Beyonce in an ad for Nintendo, it's pretty obvious it's an ad. From Nintendo.

If a supposedly independent third party is advertising something and it's not disclosed, it sullies the relationship between the viewer and the youtuber. How can you trust their opinion if you know it can be paid for?

Where I am, paid-for product placement and promotion on TV etc. has to be disclosed. For good reasons. Should be the same here.

 

[Hoho for breakfast]

I really don't care if they pay people to advertise for them (I don't think it will matter in the end anyway) but to have it in the terms that you cannot talk about being paid for it is absolute bullshit. You should HAVE to disclose that information.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I'm actually prepared to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt here and think it's a Machinima fuck-up, they are relatively inexperienced in the media business and may not realize the mistake they have made here is.

Don't be ridiculous. No business lawyer puts a legal clause into a contract excluding criticism of a single company they're not a part of because they're "new."

 

[dragonbane]

That's some crummy shit right there.

 

[McDougles]

You can always check the tags on the videos.

They removed that years ago.

 

[Finalizer]

manufactured rage guise come on

 

[AkuMifune]

This is just business as usual carried over from last gen. Didn't we already know they were paying Machinima under the table for mentions? Andrea Renee on Weekend Confirmed?

We just tend to forget and move on, and they keep on doing the same shit.

 

[fantomena]

MS defense force incoming.

 

[PBY]

Its definitely gross, but I have full faith in MS legal. I think they'll be fine on that front.

 

[KMS]

I honestly don't get the uproar about this. Someone explain to me what the difference between this and, for example, paying for celebrity endorsement is?

Ones an advertisement the other is subversive propaganda aimed at brainwashing you into liking something you otherwise wouldn't.

 

[kurbaan]

The problem (and possible FTC violation) stems from not actually disclosing you're being paid.

It's one thing to run an infomercial with a disclaimer that it's paid for by the company whose product is being pushed. That's 100% A-OK.

To push the product without disclosing that you're being paid to do so? Big no-no.

This is youtube. You think the FTC actually applies to videos people put up? This isn't tv.

 

[fastford58]

no i am not really into the console wars thing. but to me its not a big deal ... its the same as xbox with doriitos or sony with taco bell.

it just means you can not trust you tube videos to be bias.. but could we really in the first place?

Absolutely you can't trust the content, but no one company has been this balls deep stupid as of yet. MS may just be the first to get caught and called on it (about par for the course over the last year).

 

[derFeef]

Fuck Microsoft, may they rot in hell. Gaming would be so much better without them.

Oh boy!

 

[zeldablue]

..No one on the marketing team thought "Hey, this probably isn't legal"?

Maybe they just thought they wouldn't be caught? @__@ This is sketchy as heck.