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Are there legal issues when youtube advertises Stadia?

crazillo

crazillo

Member
Apr 5, 2018
8,185
The European Commission is well known for its strict regulation on competition. They're investigating amazon's dual role as marketplace provider and retailer with their own products at the very moment. They have sanctioned Google just today for abusing its dominant position for online advertisement and fined them with 1.5 billion dollars. When Stadia was uncovered yesterday, I immediately had the same question on my mind. So, youtube is almost a monopoly for videos these days. Mixer and Twitch are nice but more niche, you only go there when you are already interested in gaming. Most of the 2 billion gamers and potential customers will be on youtube, that's for sure. Now in youtube you can click on 'play' and will be redirected to Stadia and can start playing games.

This goes well beyond affiliate links. Imagine xCloud or PS Now advertisements on youtube: Will they have a similair button that links to their service? What about all the other companies putting up their trailers on youtube? Will the 'play' button redirect to Stadia only?

I think the success of Stadia will rise and fall with youtube. How do people who know more about the judicial aspect of this announcement see the youtube-Stadia integration?

Youtube is the biggest asset for Google with Stadia, but is it also its pitfall?

This is the way it was shown off yesterday BTW. Ubisoft trailer with the 'play now' link and the reference to Stadia below.

26394c-1553084355.png
 
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OwOtacon

OwOtacon

Alt Account
Banned
Dec 18, 2018
2,394
You raise an interesting point. My prediction is that they'll try and blur the lines even more to try and get away with it. Maybe Youtube Red will be part of the Stradia subscription or vice versa?
 
Dan Thunder

Dan Thunder

Member
Nov 2, 2017
14,055
I wonder whether Google would try and throw up some obfuscation as to what YouTube actually is i.e. classify it as something that means competitors don't have the same 'rights' as Google enjoy as the platform holder?
 
MrKlaw

MrKlaw

Member
Oct 25, 2017
33,059
Take it one step further - Youtube adding auto links to stadia for any game footage it detects as being availble on its platform, wherever it was uploaded from..
 
MCD

MCD

Honest Work
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,805
Amazon advertises their Echo, Fire and Kindle lineups all the time. Maybe it's ok?
 
Akai

Akai

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,045
The speaker for the EU parliament is questioning YouTube's existence anyways and he is actively trying to kill it in the EU with the EUCD.

Might actually not be an issue soon, if the law gets passed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

Demileto

Member
Apr 23, 2018
143
OwOtacon said:
My prediction is that they'll try and blur the lines even more to try and get away with it
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That didn't work all that well for Microsoft with Internet Explorer. :)

DerekOfTheDykes said:
It's possible that there will be legal hurdles in the EU, but the US is almost certain to let them run wild with advertisements.
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Agreed, but here's an interesting though: Will Japan take issue too? Two of their most prized companies, Sony and Nintendo, have stakes in this battle.
 
Mindwipe

Mindwipe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,224
London
I think there's definitely a risk, yes.

But such investigations can take a long, long time to come about. Apple have been in flagrant breach of EU law on this for several years, but they're only now going to a formal complaint and any decision is probably three years away.
 
Kittens McMittens

Kittens McMittens

Member
Nov 14, 2017
4,928
Most likely what will happens is that they'll use YouTube to cross-promote Stadia for a few years, but then bow to pressure and pay any fines if they manage to establish a good market position.
 
Windu

Windu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,630
maybe, but I am sure in 10 years once the EU finally makes a ruling on the matter the market will have already decided though.

thats of course if Youtube linking is limited to Stadia. If its just a simple url I don't see why other services couldn't also use similar linking on YouTube.
 
OP
OP
crazillo

crazillo

Member
Apr 5, 2018
8,185
Windu said:
maybe, but I am sure in 10 years once the EU finally makes a ruling on the matter the market will have already decided though.

thats of course if Youtube linking is limited to Stadia. If its just a simple url I don't see why other services couldn't also use similar linking on YouTube.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I can already see the payrolls of Sony, MS and Google directly to the third party companies: Who pays more for the 'marketing deal' which will in fact be the direct URL link in youtube... I do think that if Google monopolises this in terms as if 'you can only have your games trailer on youtube if it's a Stadia link' then it could get problematic for them. Not an expert though so I was hoping we might have somebody who is more knowledgable than me on this issue.
 
thetrin

thetrin

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,652
Atlanta, GA
I don't see what the problem is.

There would be a problem if competing platforms COULD NOT advertise on Youtube, and only Stadia could.
 
OP
OP
crazillo

crazillo

Member
Apr 5, 2018
8,185
26394c-1553084355.png


This is the way it was shown off yesterday BTW. Will also edit the pic into the first post.
 
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