If it feels like there's more YouTube videos about franchises like Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite than there is around Mario Party, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon, it probably has something to do with the Creators Program, a policy instituted by Nintendo that squirreled away up to 40% of a YouTube video’s ad revenue after YouTube had taken a cut.
It's an antiquated program that streamers hate and one that ultimately limited the amount of Nintendo-focused videos on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook and other streaming and video hosting sites.
But, thankfully, according to Nintendo, that program is coming to an end.
By the end of December, Nintendo will no longer force content creators to register with them and will be free to post Nintendo-based content to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, NicoNico Live or Twitter without it being taken down.
Nintendo says it will still have some guidelines as to what is acceptable content – users can’t just dump hours of gameplay online without commentary, for example – but the new policy will be much closer to that of Sony and Microsoft’s.
Now you're playing with power
This is obviously exciting news if you're a YouTuber who makes most of your income by making videos about the games you play, but this has wider implications for gamers in general as it means you'll start to see more and more Nintendo-focused YouTube and Twitch content.
Now, Nintendo didn't explicitly mention why the Creators Program was ending and why it chose December as the time to do it, but we'll just say that the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate impending release date is slated for release on December 7. Might that have something to do with it?
The program is winding down now with a complete halt planned by the end of next month.
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