350°

Microsoft Isn’t the Only Company That Will Pay For Promotion on Youtube

In the last few days quite the hubbub exploded because of an agreement between Microsoft and Machinima to bring positive promotion for the Xbox One on YouTube, but apparently Microsoft isn’t the only company enacting that kind of practice. New sources show that Electronic Arts does it as well, and YouTubers confirm that it's a much more common practice that it seems.

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dualshockers.com
3763d ago Replies(8)
cyguration3763d ago

I love how so many people excuse this common practice as "okay".

Abriael3763d ago (Edited 3763d ago )

Totally not ok, but unfortunately it's much more widespread than it seems.

SpiralTear3763d ago

Exactly. I'm completely against this concept, but Microsoft is not the only guilty party in regards to this crime.

Godmars2903763d ago

That it exists only invalidates gaming journalism both professional and hobbyist.

SpiralTear3763d ago

What is "hobbyist gaming journalism"? I'm not even joking or being sarcastic; I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you use that term.

LOGICWINS3763d ago

I understand why its unlawful, I just personally don't see the issue with it. If you're dumb enough to buy into paid propoganda...so be it. It doesn't affect me.

Godmars2903763d ago

Until you buy a crap game on bad info. Only have compromised sources to rely on for info, with any "good" Youtube sources removed for copyright infringements for good measure.

LOGICWINS3763d ago

Well thats what game rentals and full game walkthroughs are for.

cyguration3763d ago

Dude, we watch videos, read reviews and scour game sites for information so we don't get caught up in "paid propaganda".

The whole point of using sources that are balanced and fair and critically objective is so you can make an informed purchase.

LOGICWINS3763d ago

^^ Theres an error in you're reasoning. You're assuming that money is the only thing that determines the objectivity of gaming journalists. A critic who doesn't like racing games (not paid by Sony or MS) will not review Forza or GT favorably. Just because a journalist isn't being paid off doesn't automatically make him/her reliable.

Godmars2903763d ago

The point is that between this kind of payola and the ability to censor or remove anything a company doesn't like on Youtube, that games will only be shown and spoken of in a favorable light regardless of how it actually is. Doesn't really matter if its MS, Sony or EA.

If anything, the likes of EA or Activision have shown by past examples that they would happily use such tactics if they could get away with it. And they've tried.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3763d ago
Kayant3763d ago (Edited 3763d ago )

The more we know the better it will be for the industry IMO.... Luckily for me I don't put that much weigh in game reviews in the first place but loooool at *Please don't highlight that we rush our development teams and don't do enough testing for bugs* - EA Too!™

The amount as well is funny because it's 3x the amount MS is paying.

EA being EA....

I wonder how deep the rabbit hole goes on this.

jonboi243763d ago

While paying for Youtubers for promotion is very common place, most from what I've watched tend to say they are a part of a promotion with a company. The part that really ticks me of is the non-disclosure part of MS and Machinima's deal. There are rules to marketing on the internet and being open about the promotion is one of them.

jackanderson19853763d ago (Edited 3763d ago )

it's actually a very grey area easily abused... due to the fact MS were going through Machinima who then used outside parties to do it they created a seperation from MS and the youtubers that breaks the direct link... also i believe it was MS paying Machinima who then paid the youtubers and the machinima logo is on their videos (assumption as personally never seen a machinima sponsored/related video)thus showing it as sponsored.

finally in the FTC guidelines it's mentioned that it's a sustained gift (or words to that effect) for the continual promotion of the product... this was a once off (technically as the deal only said 3,750 and then no more) deal and could be construed as not being a true paid endorsement as said youtuber could immediately release a follow up video with "oh that other vid was aloada crap"

MestreRothN4G3763d ago

I'm glad I have my modded Xbox360, so I can test every game they try to fool us to buy, before actually adquiring the good ones for the PS3.

Now it is a problem with PS4, but in due time I'll buy a XB1 for testing purposes as well. :D

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220°

More Job Losses At Xbox, “There’s More To Come”: Paul Thurrott

Paul Thurrott in a recent episode commented on the on-going Microsoft fiasco hinting at more job losses and that "there's more to come".

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spieltimes.com
Sonic18818h ago(Edited 8h ago)

There won't be no more acquiring game publishers from Microsoft in the future . Xbox has to pay Microsoft back. It might take two decades to do that.

sagapo5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

I don’t understand what you’re saying. Xbox IS microsoft so there’s no “paying back “.
And MS gross profit in 2023 was over 140 billion dollars so forget your 2 decades.

Unless you mean the money MS invested in Xbox (acquisitions included) and the time it will take for xbox as a brand to gain that money back on it’s own, then yeah, that could take a while.

SonyStyled4h ago

“There won't be no more acquiring game publishers from Microsoft in the future”

No bro, there do be is for Microsoft not acquiring for what is now if not what it be is 😂

Ms3tjt2h ago

“ Xbox has to pay Microsoft back. ”

Aka

“I don’t know how business works”

Domkakop1h ago

You might need to take a good hard look in the mirror

Ms3tjt1h ago

Yeah I forgot Xbox is separate from Microsoft and Xbox borrowed the 69bn from Microsoft, and Microsoft didn’t get COD, Candy crush etc in return 😂😂👏

jwillj2k48h ago

There really needs to be a class action lawsuit here. You buy these companies just to put people out of jobs. And it’s not like something happened to derail their plans this WAS the plan. Microsoft has no business in this space at all.

franwex7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

Microsoft has been doing this for years. They simply want the IPs. Look at Nokia. Look at Skype. This time it simply expanded to games. Gaming is not as important to Microsoft’s executives as it was to the founders too. Bill Gates was willing to sell the og Xbox at a loss. Steve Balmer approved the red ring of death fiasco. This CEO isn’t really a gamer.

-Foxtrot7h ago

Maybe it's time though to put a stop to it and use a big giant like Microsoft as a huge example to the rest of these big companies.

There has to be a line drawn somewhere.

People like the FTC and the like went against Microsoft yet their Actvision deal was still allowed to go through yet look what's happened...it's not even Acitivisions studios aswell, it's Bethesdas.

RNTody7h ago

Ninja Theory, Perfect Dark, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Wolfenstein 3, Dishonored, Prey, Doom, Quake... something tells me that bad things are going to happen to these entities under Microsoft.

anast6h ago

Good thing the bosses of all those small studios made their money.

glenn19796h ago

they cant do it right now they will get burned

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90°

Microsoft Opening Xbox Mobile Game Store in July

The Xbox brand is expanding, as an Xbox mobile game store is opening this coming July where Microsoft will brings its "first-party portfolio."

Jin_Sakai1d 22h ago (Edited 1d 22h ago )

“Bond adds that they will start on the web”

This will go nowhere.

Nice knowing you Xbox. This is what happens when the house never gets cleaned.

MrDead1d 21h ago

The only this MS is expanding is the amount of feculence it sprays on everyone who just want to enjoy gaming and make games.

The best thing MS can do for the gaming industry is leave and never return.

XiNatsuDragnel1d 19h ago

Good luck with this even it might not succeed.

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210°

Microsoft once tried to nab LittleBigPlanet from Sony after a few drinks

It turns out that many moons ago, Microsoft once had its eye on the Sony published LittleBigPlanet series.

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eurogamer.net
XiNatsuDragnel2d ago

Microsoft had a good idea but fumbled it again.

Cacabunga1d 9h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

Project Spark idea was decent but they quickly gave up ..
LBP was wonderful

ApocalypseShadow2d ago

Microsoft in a nutshell. Always tried to poach Sony employees, games, 3rd party games and devices like the depth camera that was turned into Kinect but was running on PS2 before Xbox 360. Wouldn't be surprised they wanted LBP. Just like they worked behind the scenes pushing the MLB to bring Sony's baseball game to Xbox instead of making their own.
https://www.playstationlife...

They didn't spend years trying to develop their own baseball game. They wanted Sony's game.

They're scum.

Zachmo1821d 8h ago

Microsoft didn't force MLB on Xbox. MLB gave Sony 2 options either go multiplat or risk losing the license.

Rynxie22h ago

And why do you think MLB said that? I believe Ms approached MLB.

ApocalypseShadow21h ago(Edited 21h ago)

Totally ridiculous comment.

The only exclusivity Sony had was to their own creation of The Show. Microsoft could have paid the MLB for the license just like Sony did and made their own baseball game.

Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox. They're worth 3 TRILLION dollars. You think that's not enough money to make their own baseball game? Don't be delusional.

Microsoft spun it like they always do and told the media that they had to trust Sony with their hardware. After they put Sony in that position of not having a choice. Either go multiplatform or stop making one of their successful games. That's a no win scenario.

And what did Microsoft do? They didn't try to sell the game to the Xbox community. They put it on game pass to hurt Sony. Pushing the idea of why buy games that are $70 when you can play them in their cheap service for $10. It was a dirty tactic.

You fell for the Kool aid drink Microsoft served you instead of spitting it out. Hope it tasted good because you were fooled by Phil and the gang.

17h ago
Hereandthere13h ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Bond revealed that MLB The Show “always came up” in conversations between Microsoft and the Major League Baseball organization. “We always said, ‘We love this game. It would be a huge opportunity to bring it to Xbox.'” she recalled. However, when Microsoft’s efforts materialized, it put the company in an awkward situation where it had to send in pre-release consoles to a rival company.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 13h ago
Notellin18h ago

"Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox."

Take a nap, conspiracies are rotting your brain.

17h ago
Hereandthere13h ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Hereandthere13h ago

They were too cheap/inept/lazy to develop their own mlb game, so they port begged for years and bribed the mlb to make the show multiplatform. Like i said many times, xbox brought nothing to the table their 24 years, ZERO.

OtterX1d 11h ago

"However, Healey said Media Molecule wouldn't have felt right doing that, adding it would have been "morally corrupt"."

Major kudos to Media Molecule for being an upright studio with principles.

RNTody1d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

Great, more stories like this please. Show the last of the zombies holding the line what we've been saying for years: Microsoft is anti competition, anti industry and has no interest in making games at all.

But hey, at least there's an Xbox Games Showcase to look forward to, right?

Inverno1d 10h ago

Well considering SONY just killed the series, LBP would've been dead by now either way. Though MM probably wouldn't exist by now either, so I'm glad they stayed with SONY, hopefully they don't get shut down any time soon or ever honestly.

Sheppard7t31d 8h ago

How did Sony kill the series?

Inverno1d 8h ago

They shut down the servers, that's millions of user created levels gone. That and dead are pretty much the same, it's also been years since 3 and they cancelled HUB soooo.

17h ago
fsfsxii18h ago

They shutdown the servers because no one was playing, no one in the community cared about the user created levels so why keep them up? Wtf you guys would never succeed in running a business.

Inverno17h ago

Yea dood no one was playing so they shut off the servers. Cause people with enough common sense can't just Google why they were actually shut of, right?

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