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Paying YouTubers to Post Footage of Your Video Game

By Prindle Institute

12 Jul 2014

The internet is blurring the boundaries between paid sponsorship and product review, and this is most apparent in the world of video game reviews.

A recent article, over at Gamasutra discusses the an interesing ethical issue with video game YouTubers, people who record themselves playing video games while typically commenting on the gameplay. Is it ethical for video game development publishers to pay these YouTubers to record and post footage of them playing the video games the publishers have developed? Is it morally permissible for YouTubers to agree to these arrangements.

It turns out that 26% of these YouTubers with over 5,000 subscribers have accepted payment in exchange for posting footage of them playing a developer’s game.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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