One of the oldest gaming networks, Machinima, has gone dark after almost two decades of operation. Founded in 2000, Machinima went on to become one of YouTube’s biggest gaming channels since joining the site in 2006. In a move that stunned its content creators this weekend, the company put its entire library of monetized videos to private without a single warning.
News of the move first started making rounds on Twitter and Reddit yesterday, where some content creators revealed that their contracts were terminated. Others said that they received letters welcoming them on board by Fullscreen Media – a part of Otter Media, which AT&T moved Machinima under in December 2018.
However, what no one understands or knows is why their monetized videos were wiped out.
For those who aren’t aware, Warner Bros. acquired Machinima in 2016. Following AT&T’s acquisition of Warner Bros., Machinima became the latter’s property. Over the years, the company worked with a number of known content creators like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Maximilian “Dood” Christiansen.
For its part, Otter Media sent the following statement over to Kotaku:
We are focused on creating new content with the Machinima team, which will be distributed on new channels to be announced in the coming months.
In the meantime the Machinima network of creator channels continues to showcase the talents of the network. As part of this focus on new content, we have pivoted from distributing content on a handful of legacy operated channels.
Machinima has come under fire several times over the years for questionable practices and its treatment of content creators but it’s evident that this move surprised everyone.
What do our readers make of this?
[Source: Kotaku]
