Edit: Google has since distanced themselves from Alex Hutchinson and requested the user update his Twitter bio to accurately state that he is not, as he claims, the Creative Director at Google Stadia. Read more here.
If you’re one of the very many individuals that have been a bit miffed by the post-launch support and plans for the Google Stadia, it might finally be coming to light precisely why there are so many strange claims and off-putting decisions made by the tech giant as Alex Hutchinson, the Creative Director for the Stadia, opted to weigh his opinion publically regarding the DMCA fiasco that is currently rocking Twitch.
Multiple large developers and publishers encourage users to make content of their games because it gets the word out for the title and helps generate hype which directly leads to sales. Valve condones it, as does Electronic Arts: even Blizzard, of all companies, allows the streaming and content-creation using their materials as long as there is a free option.
The real truth is the streamers should be paying the developers and publishers of the games they stream. They should be buying a license like any real business and paying for the content they use.
— Alex Hutchinson (@BangBangClick) October 22, 2020
Streamers, according to Alex Hutchinson, should be paying for additional licensing from developers and publishers to broadcast gameplay.
It’s arguably the hottest take of the day, if not month.
congrats to Google Stadia on its most talked about day ever
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) October 22, 2020
Man y'all ruthless on this guy I LOVE IT pic.twitter.com/H9FVys6tqW
— Luke Mercer (@LukeMercer11) October 22, 2020
https://twitter.com/alexjimithing/status/1319357274956050432
They're not promoting the game. They're running a business. It may also sometimes promote the game, but that's not their business.
— Alex Hutchinson (@BangBangClick) October 22, 2020
Geoffry Card (the design director for Undead Labs that brought State of Decay 1 & 2) even hopped in and attempted to explain how disastrous the entire idea would be, forcing thousands of streamers away from the platform due to publishers double-dipping to grab as much profit as possible.
Also … only a tiny minority of streamers do it professionally. If we charged streamers for access to our game, only the ones with large-scale operations could afford it, and all the little streamers would drop out. The entire community would wither. Why would ANYONE want that.
— Geoffrey Card (@Rangutang) October 22, 2020
Whether Alex Hutchinson has a point to make or not regarding if large streamers should have to offer their earned income towards the developers of the game they play if relatively indifferent; this is a solid look at the general corporate consensus and beliefs revolving around video games and the culture.
Streamers and fans never matter until they could possibly make companies additional income; film critics would regularly use the phrase ‘like watching someone play a video game’ as though it was derisive of ‘true entertainment’ until some contract details began leaking out that some content creators were earning contracts well over a million, on top of the number of subs and bits that users donate to keep the content on the air.
It’s further worth noting that Alex Hutchinson does not speak as the official platform for the Google Stadia, nor is the flagging support for the Google Stadia the result only of Alex Hutchinson; it’s easy to dogpile onto hot takes like this one and beat the hell out of a dead horse, so it’s important that we take this in stride while understanding where the line should be.
Here’s hoping none of the publishers get this idea into their heads.
