Arc System Works, the developer behind the popular Blaz Blue fighting game series, is warning video content creators to refrain from airing any segments of the upcoming BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle’s story mode.
“We want to give you the freedom to upload your amazing matches and online shenanigans,” Arc System Works wrote on its official blog. Streamers are free to broadcast multiplayer matches as much as they please, but when it comes to the game’s story mode, the company appears to be far less lenient.
Outlined in the blog is a blanket policy that disallows content creators from “Stream[ing] Episode Mode at all. Just don’t. If you have to, very short clips of Episode Mode content up to Chapter Two are permitted for video content only.” Anyone attempting to air any of this content may, as a result of Arc System Works’ policy, receive either a content ID claim or an outright takedown notice against their channel.
This isn’t the first instance of a Japanese developer taking a strong stance against having its games spoiled. On April 10, Atlus, the distributor of the widely popular Persona franchise in the western hemisphere, prohibited any airing of Persona 5 on the internet. Gaming behemoth Nintendo has also been notorious in regards to content creators earning ad revenue from videos related to its titles on sites like YouTube—so much so that it has instituted a revenue sharing program users are forced to sign up for if they wish to publish videos featuring its games.
What’s more concerning is that the developer also notes that these rules apply across all of its franchises, including the very popular 2D fighting game Guilty Gear.
While Atlus eventually loosened its initial streaming demands after severe backlash from its player base, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle fans may not be as fortunate, since Arc System Works notes in its blog that “the guidelines are non-negotiable.”
H/T GamesIndustry
