E3 Tells Creators Like Geoff Keighley They Might Get In Trouble For Streaming Show

Photo: Vivien Killilea (Getty Images)

On an internet obsessed with reactions, events like E3 are a gold mine. Content creators of all stripes co-run big announcements as they happen, adding some flavor to otherwise perfectly packaged proceedings. Today, however, E3 told the creators that it might not be such a great idea this year.

This morning, Geoff Keighley, who hosted E3 for years but left last year launch his own event called Summer Game Fest, tweeted an email from E3 sent to content creators. Many of these creators applied to be part of the official E3 co-streaming schedule, but not all. In the email, the organization explained that the spaces for its official co-broadcast program were “limited” and “quickly filled.” He went on to say that if others choose to co-broadcast one of the biggest gaming events of the year, they will do so at their own risk.

“While we do encourage fan engagement and people to co-stream and think it’s great when the community does, we’re not speaking for platforms like Twitch, YouTube or Facebook,” Luke Stepleton wrote, Head of the E3 Talent Team. “We recommend that the terms of use and guidelines of these platforms be followed for such events.”

“I tried to play well,” Keighley tweeted, including the Summer Game Fest event, which took place earlier this week, expressly stipulated that everyone was allowed to distribute it “for free”. “Creators are wary unless you have permission,” Keighley said.

He then asked other content creators, streamers, and hosts if they had received the same email. Many responded that they had, and that they were upset that they were only getting this information today, having already planned some content around E3.

“Wow!” the owner of a small YouTube channel called The Weekly Wrap Up said on twitter. “It’s extremely disheartening and disheartening, especially for a small chain like me. Maybe I should rethink all the co-streams I had planned.

In the past, E3 conferences were full of licensed music and other stuff that could easily go against platform rules, especially news (at least, compared to previous E3s). Twitch happy with DMCA. During BlizzConline earlier this year, for example, Twitch himself co-broadcast a performance from Metallica to which he realized he didn’t have the rights, which forced a Twitch channel official at replace Metallica’s live music with generic wind chime noises in order to avoid a DMCA. While Twitch has already encouraged E3 co-streaming, 2021 is a very different year for the platform than, say, 2019.

In a DM in Kotaku, Keighley answered a question about whether he thought his rejection was a matter of application timeline or other factors (e.g. Summer Game Fest) saying he had applied to co -broadcast “weeks ago”. Kotaku has contacted E3 for more information on why he has waited until now to release this information to the creators, but he did not respond as of the date of this publication.

The seemingly small handful of bigger-name streamers who were part of the official E3 co-streaming schedule applied at different times, when they applied. Long-standing variety diffuser Anne Amunition told Kotaku in a DM that her manager had asked her if she would be interested in participating “around the very end of May,” which would put E3’s decision to add her to the program according to Keighley’s application schedule. Companion variety streamer Renee said she also signed last month after E3 organizers, including Stepleton, whom she had previously known from a talent agency called 3BlackDot, contacted her directly. CohhCarnage, pillar of Twitch, on the other hand, told Kotaku that the process started for him “a few months ago”.

In general, however, it appears that E3 was very selective, hand-picking some streamers who hadn’t even applied. This contrasts with the Summer Game Fest, which took a valve-opening approach more in line with Keighley’s emphasis on a “more digital and global” future for video game events.

“I didn’t even know you could apply to co-stream [E3], to be honest, ”Renée told Kotaku. “I was just planning on ‘attending’ as a fan this year, so I’m pretty glad they thought of me.”

For the majority of streamers, this is a huge blow, but all hope is not lost. Individual publisher event rules vary, with Microsoft in particular ensuring that everyone should be able to co-stream the Xbox and Bethesda event of tomorrow.

“At Xbox, we greatly appreciate all co-streaming efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience should you choose to do so,” Microsoft written on the “How to watch” page of the event. “To this end, we cooperate closely with the music industry and with platforms like YouTube and Twitch. “

He noted, however, that “due to forces beyond our control” automated software and glitches could interfere. -Diffusion.

It’s unclear why E3 hasn’t taken similar action, although it’s not hard to imagine trying to bring together so many different publishers and events in the same tent, so that many things apparently came together at the last second– might have something to do with it. For its part, E3 hopes to give creators a better experience next year.

“We hope to continue the [E3 co-streaming program] next year with greater availability, ”Stepleton wrote in the email to creators,“ and encourages you to apply again next year for the opportunity to participate. “