Nintendo(n't put that up on YouTube)

Ugh. It's been a while hasn't it? I've been flat out busy for the past few weeks with my job and just haven't had the energy to update my blog. However I've taken an extended weekend to refresh so now is as good as time as any, particularly since once I head back to work, I'll be busy again.

Anywho, here is a turnaround for the character rig I have made of Starfox's Krystal, for the animations I hope to be able to get around to doing. Still a few tweaks to do, such as hand shapes for each angle and I've just realised I haven't drawn the belt pouches on a few angles, but overall you get the idea. It may be some time before I get around to doing some Starfox animation, not only due to the lethargy I've got thanks to work, but also because I have a couple other projects I'd like to get done first.

Though if I do make something, I'm concerned it may be for naught. At present, Nintendo are clamping down handing out copyright infringement claims to any video on YouTube that feature footage/music etc from games they have published. This... this is just plain DUMB and makes me angry. Yes, you could argue in this case that YouTubers are using (and sometimes profiting off) someone else's intellectual property which is technically copyright infringement, but the games industry generally tends to turn a blind eye over these things. Video games are an interactive experience. To get full enjoyment, you need to play them. Watching a video of a game will not fill this void. These aren't music or movies, where uploading something allows the user to experience something they would otherwise have to pay for. The video game industry would not lose revenue by people uploading videos of their games. If anything, it boosts it. A video can show the viewer how the games looks as well as how it plays. It can generate interest and make people think 'ooh, that looks like fun, maybe I'll give it a go.' It's basically free advertising - it showcases a game without the developers/publishers having to pay any money. I mean, I've bought games I wouldn't have otherwise picked up or even known about this way. Hell, it was some YouTube gameplay footage that made me finally decide to buy a Playstation 4 (which is another reason for the lull in blog posts. The PS4 is fuuuuun).

By removing these 'offending' videos, Nintendo are basically shooting themselves in the foot. Without mainstream exposure, they are narrowing their customer base. I'm sure there are many people that would find Nintendo games a lot of fun, they just need to be shown what's out there. I know Ninty do a lot of things in their own way, but it infuriates me that they seem to be increasingly out of touch with important industry trends.

This brings me back to my Starfox animations. While the animations would be of my own creation, they still are based off the Starfox franchise - which I don't own the rights to. So my concern is that if I was to put up something, it may get one of those copyright strikes. But since the strikes focus more on video game footage, maybe I'll be ok.