Microsoft reportedly paying YouTube gamers to praise Xbox One

[KMJ_84]

Microsoft is offering YouTube gamers payments for showing Xbox One games in a positive light, a new report alleges. Ars Technica reports that the new promotion targets Machinima video partners, offering them $3 for every 1,000 hits they receive.

To qualify, video producers must post a video including at least 30 seconds of Xbox One game footage, mention Xbox One by name and add an 'XB1M13' tag. The promotion was tweeted by Machinima's UK community manager, but the tweet in question has since been deleted.

While it isn't uncommon for YouTube presenters to agree to these types of deals, it is generally accepted that full disclosure within the video is the ethically correct procedure.

Full story here http://www.computerandvideogames.co...dly-paying-youtube-gamers-to-praise-xbox-one/

This just reeks of desperation

 

[dannyboy]

Wow that is very interesting news. These gaming companies will do anythibg to make sure their product gets promoted.

 

[Titan]

Heh. I read this last night on my phone and was actually just looking for the article to post it. Beat me to it. But yeah, I started laughing because this seems like a very desperate move. 3 bucks for every thousand hits? Doesn't seem like a lot. Unless you are one of those channels that gets a million hits with every video. But I doubt they would sell out like that, lol.

 

[KMJ_84]

Isn't the normal Youtube going rate $3 for every 1,000 views anyway?

 

[Titan]

Isn't the normal Youtube going rate $3 for every 1,000 views anyway?

But that's YouTube paying. This is making news because its a console manufacturer paying the producers of the videos and not YouTube. So I guess these guys are making 6 bucks per 1000 views.

 

[CpmPanda]

That pissed me off man, seriously. Why? Because I've been creating machinima since 2002 with my machinima production CpmStudios. It went from "Machinima is so fun, so awesome woo!" to "look at me get a kem strike, look at me play fallout for 24 hours straight'. I have even seen machinima post so many non-game or non-machinima related crap for years. I used to be partnered by them and they ended up cancelling my contract telling me that my machinima isn't "OF QUALITY" pfft.. quality? I was using PSP which is 1000x harder for machinima than having a capture card. Our quality got better but it should never be about quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H1Nr5llMbA&list=TL86nY0XC7_ddLidf-gqel3CqETvbq_gbp
Theres the episode they didn't care about, the episode that got us a ton of fans and started a huge fan base for a few years. I didn't need machinima. We did make stuff on PS3 with Metal Gear Solid online and it got featured but after awhile all they cared about are 100k views and 1080p quality. I get it, but that's not what machinima is about!

We went to this and they still don't care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVvuxj8Z2F8&feature=c4-overview&list=UUW8fy7I_SurlOwPlb90Wc_A

 

[KMJ_84]

But that's YouTube paying. This is making news because its a console manufacturer paying the producers of the videos and not YouTube. So I guess these guys are making 6 bucks per 1000 views.

That was sort of the point I was getting at - they're not offering any more than YouTube, but I suppose it's a quick way to double your money from YouTube videos.

EDIT:

Well it turns out MS are not the only guilty culprits of doing this

Following on from Microsoft and Machinima’s “typical” paid Xbox One promotion, one NeoGAF user has come forward with documents allegedly pertaining to a similar promotional deal pertaining to next-generation EA games. While not going into specifics, an EA representative confirmed the promotion’s existence with The Verge, saying that “some fans are compensated for the YouTube videos they create and share about our games” and that participants are required to abide by the FTC’s guidelines regarding disclosure of paid advertorial material.

http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/22/ea-has-also-paid-for-youtube-promotions/

Incredible!

 

[Esperahol]

Wow... that's one way to nickle and dime your way to a paycheck. That said I'm not too shocked I mean Microsoft invested heavily and it seems that to a degree they chose poorly so they just have to dig their way out of the hole they made themselves.

 

[The Unlosing Ranger]

This is some shit right here, but it a not surprising.

 

[SpaceTiger]

Not surprising. After the rough 2013 they had publicity-wise, nothing is a suspect advertising practice.

 

[Ghost_of_Crash]

Pretty much what SpaceTiger said, Microsoft has really been pulling out whatever they have in the promotional bag to move units while waiting for their heavy hitting games.