YouTube Red Blocks Selected Gaming Videos in the United States
YouTube is drawing criticism after launching YouTube Red, where a user needs to register and pay a monthly fee in order to watch all the videos.
In a post by Destructoid, Jed Whitaker cited how YouTube sent him an email informing him that some of his chosen videos were not viewable in the U.S. region. He also noted that some of the videos that were blocked came from Japanese developers, such as videos about "Attack on Titan," "Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2" and "BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma." All three videos were cited to have content ID matches that also display ads, which is apparently one of their sources of revenue.
The main concern here has been the inability of users to view their favorite content in the U.S., which makes users question YouTube Red's terms and conditions.
According to YouTube's Official Blog, starting Oct. 28, they will launch the YouTube Red membership, wherein a user will get the ultimate YouTube experience for a fee of $9.99 a month. The fee will let users play videos on YouTube without the interruption of ads as well as save these videos so they can still access them offline. The fee, according to the blog, will serve all platforms where the registered account is accessed including that of YouTube's latest project, the YouTube Gaming app.
Just recently, ESPN was forced to remove a majority of its videos from YouTube due to the conditions cited on YouTube Red. Apparently, ESPN is currently in contract with other distributors and may post some breach of contract if they agree to YouTube Red's contract.
Deadspin first reported how ESPN went "dark" after YouTube Red's terms and conditions affected the whole concept of their video posting. People also noticed how other channels such as Grantland Network and Grantland Podcast didn't have any content when they visited it.
YouTube's Official Blog also introduced some new features along with the announcement of YouTube Red. These include YouTube Music, Gaming apps and Kids apps. They also confirmed that user from the U.S. can also avail of the free trial of YouTube Red for one whole month starting Oct. 28.
In a report from TechCrunch, YouTube was asked what would happen if content creators did not agree to their terms, but they shrugged off the question saying that most of them have already agreed on the terms, implying that there shouldn't be so much negative impact on their part.
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