Nintendo hasn't exactly embraced YouTube and "Let's Play"ers. About a year ago, the company began issuing "content ID match" claims against YouTubers putting out Nintendo-related video content. Nintendo would insert short ads into these videos, preventing YouTubers from generating any ad revenue off of their own content. When prodded for a comment, the company released the following statement: "As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a YouTube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the YouTube database. For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property."
Now, Nintendo is taking steps—although not necessarily positive ones—to try to bring YouTube content creators some ad revenue. Nintendo tweeted out its ideas for a shared-revenue plan for YouTube video creators, which were translated by a NeoGAF forum member: ".@Nintendo is planning a YouTube affiliate program to split advertising proceeds with video creators," reads the translated tweet.
According to Gamasutra, Nintendo's new plan will require content creators to get permission from the game company first. "Under this affiliate program, revenues will be shared between Google, Nintendo and the video creator. Nintendo notes that it has already begun tagging recent YouTube videos of Nintendo games, and Nintendo ads are appearing on these videos," states Gamasutra. Unfortunately, there aren't too many finite details of how this affiliate program will work just yet.
