Angry Video Game Nerd's YouTube Account Suspended - Updated

[Shawn Zipay]

Update: It seems as though the YouTube channel for AVGN has just recently been restored. The channel for Cinemassacre is still suspended for reasons unknown.

Original story: It seems as though another prominent gaming personality was hit with YouTube's rather harsh, and often times unfair, automated infringement policies. This time the account of James Rolfe, better known around the web as the "Angry Video Game Nerd" (AVGN) has been suspended by YouTube.

The current message on AVGN's YouTube page reads as follows.

This account has been terminated due to repeated or severe violations of our Terms of Service.

Under fair-use, his videos were perfectly fine. Meaning that this is either another mistake on YouTube's part or his account is another in a string of take down notices being dished out by game studios, similar to what SEGA has been doing.

Roughly two months ago, a huge number of YouTube channels were suspended after SEGA essentially forced YouTube's hand to take down channels that had anything related to Shining Force in them. Why? Because apparently footage of a game series that first came out over 20 years ago is somehow going to interfere with their releasing of a new entry in the series for the PSP.

One channel hit by the heavy hand of SEGA was notable YouTube personality TotalBiscuit, whom was hit with his second copyright notice and immediately took down all videos that had anything to do with SEGA. Having personally been hit with a copyright notice in the past, they come without warning and will immediately place a strike against your account, regardless of whatever permissions you have from the copyright owners or regardless of the idea of "fair use." Most times, you do not even have a chance to remove the offending videos prior to the strike being dished out.

In my case, it was because I uploaded a publicly available trailer from Microsoft that was provided to me and all members of the press from them and their press site for promotional purposes of their game. Needless to say, it's not hard to understand how completely absurd and broken this entire system is, or just how absurd some game studios can get with this.

There is really no saying for sure what the full reason is behind the suspension. There is merely speculation at this point based on recent events. The suspension of AVGN's channel also reaches onto the separate channel for his website, Cinemassacre.

[jimykx]

Saying that youtube can be retarded is an understatement

[RedInk]

That's a shame, if not for these people there would be tons of game I never would had purchased or known.

[cikame]

Marketing can't understand what free publicity is, and that it's a good thing.
If you're not constantly paying a lawyer you're not doing something right apparently.

[Sir-diealot]

Gaming companies shutting down people for posting videos of their games is a very foolish mistake, the gamers that post videos of in game material do more to sell the games than all their TV and magazine spots combined. The only time this is not true is if they put out a crap game and then the people should be warned.

[CptainCrunch]

I have a few videos banned in countries because of pieces of music. Fair use doesn't seem to mean anything. Its why I stopped making them. No point in putting in all that effort to get them blocked because someone/something thinks it violates something.