From the realm of the gang who just cannot shoot straight some weeks...
Twitch.tv announced today it is implementing an automated content muter, which triggers when third party music is played during a highlighted broadcast. This system goes through and blocks the audio track of the offending cast in thirty minute blocks if it thinks the music may violate copyright. Not surprisingly, it is similar to what YouTube has used, just a different result as instead of banning your video outright, it is cutting out what may be violating the law.
Of course, we already have this: http://www.twitch.tv/dansgaming/b/550299036
Yes, that's Dan's Gaming playing Fallout 3 with the music from the game, and it has been almost entirely muted by Twitch's new automated system.
Music. From the game.
Major casters, like Dan's Gaming, Man Vs Game, and others are up in arms again, raising back the specter of the bans from last November which Senshudo reported on. Again, this was implemented without warning, just like the Justin.tv shutdown yesterday, without any beta testing period by the casters on Twitch.
Senshudo understands why this is being implemented, in trying to protect the new acquisition of Google (which is assumed by many) from legal suits arising from the increased publicity the site will be receiving when the press release is finally out on the purchase. But something major like this needs more than an alpha test before implementation, or you are going to have a riot.
Considering the reactions back in November, is it any surprise Twitch is getting pounded on social media?
The blog post put up by Twitch is at http://blog.twitch.tv/2014/08/3136/ which explains the changes in good detail, but with no word on how the testing was done, or if games that have soundtracks such as Grand Theft Auto, Fallout 3, and Final Fantasy were even tested by Twitch before this was implemented.
Twitch, please hire someone who understands social media, press releases, and believes in the concept of transparency. It will save you these debacles in the future.