Warner Bros Found Guilty Of Paying Off Reviewers (PewDiePie)

[sternrogers01]

The Federal Trade Commission has found Warner Bros. guilty of paying YouTube infuencers such as PewDiePie "hundreds to tens of thousands" of dollars for promoted content disguised as favorable video game reviews.



The FTC just dished out a heavy fine to Warner Bros. for failing to disclose that video game reviews from several notable YouTube personalities were in fact, promoted content (advertising). The most famous name among the list was PewDiePie, the face of the "Let's Play" streaming movement whose channel counts over 46 million subscribers. The specific fine is for placing a disclaimer in the video's description box rather than making the disclosure in the actual video. Of course a number of "reviewers" didn't have the disclaimer present in either location.



Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection stated, "Consumers have the right to know if reviewers are providing their own opinions or paid sales pitches. Companies like Warner Brothers need to be straight with consumers in their online ad campaigns."



This particular case is centered around the release of the 2014 video game, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, a PS4 and Xbox One game. Ironcially enough, this game likely didn't need paid reviews, as it received several awards, including Game of the Year at the 17th Game Developers Choice Awards.



While not divulging specific numbers, the complaint alleges that WB paid hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars to paid influencers on the condition that they gave favorable scores and didn't disclose any bugs or glitches.

gamefragger.com/multiplatform/action_adventure/lord_of_the_rings/middle-earth_shadow_of_mordor/wb-a5175

[chrom]

We always joke about people being paid off to give good or bad reviews, but then it goes and actually happens

[Deleted]

Jul 12, 2016 12:42:16 GMT -5 chrom said:

We always joke about people being paid off to give good or bad reviews, but then it goes and actually happens

It actually happen a couple times before. Sony is one example in movies and I won't be surprised if it happen a bunch times in video games. Now what I'm wondering is this going to hurt PewDiePie career or not.

[Dub H]

I remember that at the time of shadow of mirror launch, there was a lot of talk of people being paid to give it good video reviews

[Dub H]

Jul 12, 2016 12:47:45 GMT -5 @shadowcage said:

Jul 12, 2016 12:42:16 GMT -5 chrom said:

We always joke about people being paid off to give good or bad reviews, but then it goes and actually happens

It actually happen a couple times before. Sony is one example in movies and I won't be surprised if it happen a bunch times in video games. Now what I'm wondering is this going to hurt PewDiePie career or not.

90% of his fan base won't know about it, nd if they knew 80% would find an excuse
for him. He will be fine

[Cyno]

Is there a better article about this than some no-name site without any links to FTC reports?

[sternrogers01]

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36771304/warner-bros-paid-youtubers-thousands-to-promote-games

The BBC are reporting it also

[Big Poppa Pumpkin]

Not at all surprised tbh

[Vice honcho room temperature]

God how I abhor PewDiePie

[mcmahonfan85]

i think its pretty obvious whats going on here. Disney has bought off the FTC to lie and say that Warner Bros pays reviewers. we all know Disney is the one who buys off reviewers because of Batman v Superman, and they know we're on to them, hence this "shocking" discovery. in one fell swoop the Big Bad Mouse has damaged Warner's reputation, their credibility, and their financials means. this is all part of Disney's evil scheme to control the superhero movie genre, and i for one am not going to fall for it like the rest of you sheeple!

ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY, OPEN YOUR EYES!!!

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Jul 12, 2016 13:32:06 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

i think its pretty obvious whats going on here. Disney has bought off the FTC to lie and say that Warner Bros pays reviewers. we all know Disney is the one who buys off reviewers because of Batman v Superman, and they know we're on to them, hence this "shocking" discovery. in one fell swoop the Big Bad Mouse has damaged Warner's reputation, their credibility, and their financials means. this is all part of Disney's evil scheme to control the superhero movie genre, and i for one am not going to fall for it like the rest of you sheeple!

ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY, OPEN YOUR EYES!!!

I don't trust any conspiracy theory unless they use the word sheeple

[A Platypus Rave]

I knew Wakko and Yakko were dirty

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Jul 12, 2016 13:32:06 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

i think its pretty obvious whats going on here. Disney has bought off the FTC to lie and say that Warner Bros pays reviewers. we all know Disney is the one who buys off reviewers because of Batman v Superman, and they know we're on to them, hence this "shocking" discovery. in one fell swoop the Big Bad Mouse has damaged Warner's reputation, their credibility, and their financials means. this is all part of Disney's evil scheme to control the superhero movie genre, and i for one am not going to fall for it like the rest of you sheeple!

ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY, OPEN YOUR EYES!!!

And those box office reports for Civil War, are totally made up. If you look at some photos of people leaving the cinemas, you'll see some same people on different times. Who goes to see a movie more than once? Come on Disney, at least hire different consumer actors.

[Clover Star]

This is common though. Even if WB didn't disclose it, the YTers are required to disclose sponsored things, and they (nearly) always do. As long as the YTer discloses, it's not illegal.

[Cyno]

It is weird that WB thought it was necessary to do for that LOTR game. Everyone I knew that played it said it was really good and I'm pretty sure none of them were paid to tell me that.

[A Platypus Rave]

Jul 12, 2016 14:21:27 GMT -5 Clover Star said:

This is common though. Even if WB didn't disclose it, the YTers are required to disclose sponsored things, and they (nearly) always do. As long as the YTer discloses, it's not illegal.

IT says in the report that they didn't.

or if they did they did it in the comments when it has to be in the video proper.

[wisdomwizard]

Jul 12, 2016 14:23:09 GMT -5 Cyno said:

It is weird that WB thought it was necessary to do for that LOTR game. Everyone I knew that played it said it was really good and I'm pretty sure none of them were paid to tell me that.

That's the weirdest thing about all this. It wasn't like it was going to be a proto-Mighty No. 9, fans were saying from the get-go that it looked good. Why bother doing anything like this for a game that was never even getting major negative feedback?

[Rumble McSkirmish]

Jul 12, 2016 14:16:20 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

I knew Wakko and Yakko were dirty

Dot managed to avoid prosecution through via her overwhelming cuteness, that poor FTC investigator had no chance.

[Fade]

What cucks. Total lack of confidence.

[Deleted]

Ever since I read one of Richard Roeper's books, where he described, in detail, the process of somebody being paid by studios to provide positive reviews (when it came to several individuals in the industry, especially one from Connecticut), I've always been leery about these types of things.

I personally see film companies doing this because good reviews are cheap, but positive, publicity, and with studios raking out millions of dollars on advertising alone in some cases, these things will continue.