Nintendo reveals YouTube affiliate program for Let's Players

Nintendo suffered a backlash from some fans last year, when it came to light that the company had begun claiming ad revenue and shutting down YouTube Let's Play videos showcasing its games. Although the company seemed to back off at the time, it has now revealed new plans to split revenues from videos of Nintendo games with their creators. A couple of tweets from the official Nintendo Twitter this morning state that those users who want to record videos of Nintendo games for YouTube will need to get permission from Nintendo, via an affiliate ad revenue sharing program. 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. Update: A Nintendo representative gave the following comment on the news to Gamasutra: "Nintendo has been permitting the use of Nintendo copyrighted material in videos on YouTube under appropriate circumstances. Advertisements may accompany those videos, and in keeping with previous policy that revenue is shared between YouTube and Nintendo." "In addition, for those who wish to use the material more proactively, we are preparing an affiliate program in which a portion of the advertising profit is given to the creator. Details about this affiliate program will be announced in the future."