Filed under: Video, Web services, web 2.0
Vimeo bans gaming videos, starts debate among users
Popular video hosting site Vimeo has announced that they will no longer allow videos of video games on the site. Specifically, they're going to be deleting "game walk-throughs, game strategy videos, depictions of player vs player battles, raids, fraps, or any other video gaming videos that simply depict individuals playing a video game." As of September 1st, all videos that fall under that description will be deleted. The staff blog post on the subject lists some reasons for the decision, including the staff's feeling that these videos don't meet the standards of "creative expression" that the site tries to uphold. More importantly, though, video game vids tend to be some of the longest and most common videos on the site, slowing down transcoding times for the other content that Vimeo is apparently trying to encourage.
Debate has already fired up in the comments section of the Vimeo blog, as users wonder why the site would cut off a type of video that is evidently popular enough to take up significant system resources. There's also a fair share of relieved comments from folks who are glad to see this type of "unoriginal" content removed from the site. We can see the points that both sides are making, but what's your take?
[via Eric Rice on Twitter]
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bill said 9:46AM on 7-23-2008
Good decision Vimeo! If it will shorten the transcoding time, I'm for it.
Reply
Paul Nicholson said 9:51AM on 7-23-2008
"users wonder why the site would cut off a type of video that is evidently popular enough to take up significant system resources"
If you want them to follow the traffic, then they should allow porn.
You have to draw the line somewhere. It is their site, they can do what they want with it. It's not like there aren't other sites out there for gamers to use.
Reply
kevjohn said 1:32PM on 7-23-2008
It pains me to say this, because I don't know you at all so there's a legitimate possibility you're a f*cking moron, but dammit man you're right! Then again, another site I frequent that proclaims to promote "creative expression", deviantArt, frequently draws the ire of its members by arbitrarily reclassifying or even deleting their 'artistic' submissions.
mxxcon said 9:55AM on 7-23-2008
but they are still allowing Machinema videos, which is good.
Reply
Matt said 10:28AM on 7-23-2008
Enforcing "creative expression" with censorship makes sense to me.
Reply
Halo2Master said 10:42AM on 7-23-2008
I don't see how Vimeo is in a position to define what constitutes "creative expression". Just like beauty, creativity is in the eye of the beholder. There are many things that I don't find particularly creative or engrossing, but are popular nonetheless.
Of course it is true that Vimeo can run their site however they see fit, but their rationale about video game content not being creative does not work for me (and I don't even make or watch these types of videos). If this decision is about technical resources, they should just say exactly that; trying to define something as abstract as "creativity" is a very slippery slope.
Reply
Hax0r said 1:29PM on 7-23-2008
Ok and some guy unboxing something he purchased is creative? Those types of videos are on vimeo also taking up resources. Not every video is going to be a cinematic master piece. The real problem is that vimeo is reaching its threshold on how much high quality content it can allow. Now I know that vimeo has been having some technical issues but to say that this will help is absurd. Hey if people want to use vimeo let them as long as its not perverse or inappropriate. I have never seen a company say hey were getting too popular lets cut back now.
Reply
Noel said 11:33AM on 7-23-2008
Seems like a mistake. Does Vimeo really want to wade into the debate over what does and does not constitute creative expression? This can only end badly for them.
A smarter, more devious approach would have been to simply flag those users who are responsible for uploading the majority of the gaming videos they deem "uncreative" and punish them in transcoding queue placement (e.g., game videos get low priority in the queue and only get transcoded during low usage time periods).
Reply
jeadly said 12:30PM on 7-23-2008
This seems a lot like a "Murky Coffee" decision to me. Its worth alienating a demographic of customers in exchange for creating an atmosphere that target consumers will enjoy and become more deeply engrossed in.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080720/1654101736.shtml
Reply
Halo2Master said 3:20PM on 7-23-2008
Yeah, I see what you mean, but I think there is a difference between this situation and something like the Murky Coffee deal. Iced cappuccino (or whatever it was) is a defined, discrete product; a company can choose to offer it on their menu, or not.
Vimeo, on the other hand, is a service, which by definition is much more nebulous. The whole premise is users sharing creative video content; it offers no guidelines (other than legal ones) about what the actual contents of a given video are. Until now, that is.
If they can say that all video game content lacks creativity, what stops them from declaring the same thing about, say, "day in the life" type documentaries? Or, like another commenter pointed out, product "unboxings"? In effect, they have drawn a line between what content is "creative" and what content is not. The problem is that if you asked 10 people to draw that same line, you would see 10 different lines. It is all subjective, and I think a poor basis on which to deny certain users their creative outlet.
Earnest said 7:03PM on 7-23-2008
When you visit Vimeo, it's clear that they're trying to differentiate themselves from their competitors by the kind of videos they want to attract and promote. Videogame walkthru's are not what Vimeo wants to be known for, and I don't mind that they're exercising editorial control over the content on their site. Vimeo, Stupidvideos, and FunnyorDie are all niche sites that allow uploads of all kinds but are clearly catering to specific audiences. I applaud Vimeo's decision to attempt to better serve its core audience.
supernova_hq said 5:03PM on 7-24-2008
I think it's a good idea executed badly. There are some game videos that I don't think should be taken down, ever seen "sticky style"? (1), but on the other hand, watching a guy walk through WoW for half an hour really isn't the most creating thing I would like to watch.
Also, saying that a type of video is popular because lots of people make them is stupid, a video types popularity should be gaged by how many people WATCH them, not how many 10 year olds finally figured out how to capture video screenshots.
(1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6MI8FAp76k
Reply
Alan said 9:07PM on 7-23-2008
How about leaving those gaming videos to a site dedicated to them:
http://www.gamevee.com/
=P
Reply
Alfred said 10:17PM on 7-23-2008
http://www.wegame.com/ has pretty good quality videos. I hear they are going HD soon.
Reply
captain_duck said 6:07PM on 7-24-2008
Well i cant really care, i've used vimeo for a let's play before, but viddler is a far superior video host and isn't bitching about this. Vimeo just want to save some server costs i bet.
Reply
James said 4:11PM on 7-28-2008
They might as well just say "I'm the owner and I'm deleting anything that's boring and a waste of my time". Works just as well, IMHO.
Reply
srinivas said 1:11AM on 7-29-2008
thanx for the information
Reply
srinivas said 1:11AM on 7-29-2008
very well