Japanese YouTuber convicted of copyright violation after uploading Let’s Play videos::A 53-year-old Japanese man has been convicted of copyright infringement after uploading gameplay videos of visual novel Steins;Gate: My Darling’s Embrace and videos summarizing Spy × Family and Steins;Gate anime episodes.
Yikes, this is the part where I side with the developers.
Let’s play as a consumer helps me determine if I should buy the game or not. Because watching someone play a game isn’t the same as playing it. But, showcasing the whole game before release? That feels wrong.
I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s wrong for a lot of games, but for a visual novel, that can definitely be damaging to sales. If an entire let’s play of cities skylines 2 came out, showing every progression milestone and all of the features, I’m still buying it on release. If anything the video would help cement that decision. For a visual novel? Well I’ve already seen the entire novel so, who cares. Generally though, if you have early access to a game before release, you should be respecting the developers guidelines, and are likely contractually obligated to do so.