Google Stadia dev says streamers should pay publishers to stream games

If you’re looking for a hot take, we got you covered. The creative director of Google Stadia, Alex Hutchinson, stated today that streamers should pay publishers to stream their game. This comes just after a bunch of Twitch streamers received copyright strikes on their accounts for using various content in past streams.

“Streamers worried about getting their content pulled because they used music they didn’t pay for should be more worried by the fact that they’re streaming games they didn’t pay for as well. It’s all gone as soon as publishers decide to enforce it,” said Hutchinson on Twitter. “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.”

Other media, such as music and movies, require permission to be used like this. Either you pay for a license or they grant you written consent to use their content. In theory, games can also fall under this but most publishers don’t go after people for streaming their games. The reason being is that it promotes their games and is often considered “transformative”. Movies are a more passive experience, so if you see it for free, there isn’t really a reason to pay to see it again. Games, however, are replayable and streams often encourage people to go buy a game. Streamers can also play it differently, giving you a different experience than if you were to play it yourself.

Games like Among Us and Fall Guys were popularized by streamers and YouTubers. The only time publishers tend to copyright videos or streams is when the game hasn’t released yet. Hutchinson has received a lot of criticism for this hot take with some people throwing shots at Google Stadia for failing to reach mass audiences.

We’ll keep you posted if this story develops.