[gubneor]

Pretty much any game you can think of has a full playthrough on YouTube. I am not fully informed on this topic, but from a distance, this seems like a poor decision by the Japanese government. Why go after YouTubers when there is rampant piracy of all things anime? Easy targets?

[ribosometronome]

Watching a full play through of a visual novel recreates most of the experience of playing the visual novel. Watching someone play Madden 2023, less so.

From the article, though: >In a statement following his arrest, CODA, Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Promotion Organization, asserted that, “in principle,” any use of gameplay videos requires permission from the rights holder.

[the_af]

I agree this is a poor decision, and it's draconian, and I'm against it.

That said, a visual novel has little to no gameplay. "Watching it" is all there is to it (minor minigames may be present in some games in this genre, but barely and often not at all). So streaming a full video of its gameplay is as close as it gets to giving the game for free. This is almost like streaming a full episode of an animé to which you don't have the rights.

Again, I don't agree with arresting anyone for this, just providing context.

[mock-possum]

Watching the video is entirely different than playing the game, in my own experience as a gamer. If you’re not in control then you’re not playing. It’s not the same thing. Watching someone else play is always different from playing for yourself.

[Dalewyn]

>this seems like a poor decision by the Japanese government.

Granted the article linked doesn't explain anything: The Japanese government, specifically the courts and law enforcement, are simply exercising demands made by Kadokawa concerning copyright infringement.

[fomine3]

TV anime is a sort of freemium, novel game isn't.