Persona 5 developer asks streamers to limit what they show in the game
Atlus, the developer of Persona 5, has made a request to streamers and content creators to restrict the portions of the game they showcase. This request has sparked a debate about copyright, streaming, and ownership of the content viewed online.
The game, released in Japan last September and finally arrived in the West yesterday, is a Playstation RPG that spans the course of a year.
In a statement released yesterday, Atlus USA, the Western publisher of Persona 5, asked streamers and content creators to avoid showing most of the game’s story. They specifically requested that streamers refrain from showcasing all but one boss fight, the endings of major palace sections, and anything beyond the in-game date of 7/7—approximately 25 percent into the game.
Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in DMCA takedowns issued by Atlus USA. These takedowns can lead to loss of revenue and account suspensions on Twitch and YouTube. Atlus USA claims to be enforcing these measures out of respect for the original Japanese developers.
The announcement from Atlus has drawn criticism, as has Twitch, who retweeted the Atlus guidelines on their Support Twitter account. However, Twitch is legally obligated to comply with valid takedown notices.
While fair use principles may be relevant, disputing a takedown on this basis could result in a lengthy and expensive legal battle.
The ownership of gaming content created by individuals and third parties remains a contentious issue as the industry continues to expand.
Esports has also been affected by this issue, such as when SK Telecom T1 attempted to take down videos of their players being spectated while playing League of Legends. Similar takedown attempts were made against the SpectateFaker Twitch channel in 2014. In both cases, SKT did not have the right to control the content, but developer Riot Games did. Riot Games has taken the side of teams, effectively establishing the in-game play of professional players as part of their likeness.
Furthermore, Riot Games and other third parties like ESL are attempting to sell broadcasting rights for esports games for millions of dollars. However, the existence of these products relies on licensing from developers like Riot and Valve.
Gaming content, including esports, may now be worth billions, but this case once again highlights how unclear the rules governing this content are and how much power game developers hold.
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