It’s a strange time for video games. Indie titles are more popular than ever, yet turning a profit can feel like a climb up a slippery slope. A big reason? The rise of streamers. Many players now opt to watch someone else play instead of buying the game themselves. This shift is hitting sales hard, sparking a big debate among Japanese developers.
Okuda Kaku, an indie game creator from Japan, recently voiced his concerns. He took to X, also known as Twitter, to talk about how developers and streamers interact. His thoughts were also highlighted in a report by Automaton-Media.com. Kaku pointed out that streamers often earn far more from playing a game than its creators do from selling it.
作ったゲーム、有名実況者が実況して一晩で数十万再生あったものの、動画の詳細欄に購入リンク入れてないし、まったく売上に影響なくて、タダ乗りされて実況者１人儲けられて終わりみたいな事を体験してるんで、ホントこのあたりどうにかして欲しいんよね。マジで。 https://t.co/5DJNmf5P2B
— 奥田 覚（OKUDA Kaku)＠カエルパンダ (@KAKUBOMB) August 24, 2025
Kaku shared a personal example. A famous streamer played one of his games, racking up hundreds of thousands of views in just one night. But Kaku noticed something important: the streamer didn’t include a link to buy his game in the video’s description. This meant the massive viewership did nothing for his sales. “They basically got a free ride and earned money quickly, while I got nothing,” Kaku wrote in his post. “This is what I’ve been seeing, and I really hope someone can fix this problem.”
Takayuki Fukatsu, an interactive designer, agrees that streamers showing game content isn’t wrong. He thinks the real issue lies with today’s social media platforms. These platforms often push for a lot of content, not necessarily good content. He explained that it’s often easier to repeatedly show off a great piece of work, like a game that took three years to make, than to spend three years making a new masterpiece yourself.
SNS社会においては、「コツコツ3年かけて超大作を作る」より、「誰かの3年かけた超大作を毎日紹介する」ほうが、金銭・名声・労力の全てでコスパが良くなる。この捩れを、人類は乗り越えねばならない https://t.co/EMtXHYvFFW
— 深津 貴之 / THE GUILD (@fladdict) August 24, 2025
To fix this, Fukatsu suggests live-streaming platforms should add a revenue-sharing system. Imagine developers getting a small slice, maybe 5%, of what streamers earn from showing their games. But he admits this is a tough sell. There’s no strong group or organization pushing for this, unlike how Japan’s music industry has groups protecting songwriters and artists.
One Twitter user, who enjoys watching others play games because they can’t play themselves, weighed in. They argued that even if a purchase link is there, watching is often enough for them. This user suggested that developers should charge a fee for streaming their games.
作ったゲーム、有名実況者が実況して一晩で数十万再生あったものの、動画の詳細欄に購入リンク入れてないし、まったく売上に影響なくて、タダ乗りされて実況者１人儲けられて終わりみたいな事を体験してるんで、ホントこのあたりどうにかして欲しいんよね。マジで。 https://t.co/5DJNmf5P2B
— 奥田 覚（OKUDA Kaku)＠カエルパンダ (@KAKUBOMB) August 24, 2025
Not everyone sees doom and gloom. Nama Takahashi, an indie developer behind a popular puzzle game in Japan, offered a brighter idea. She thinks content creators could split their gameplay videos into short, separate parts. Uploading these over time would build excitement for viewers. It would also make people want to buy and play the game themselves before spoilers ruin the fun.
These are just some early ideas to tackle a big problem. Social media is a huge part of our lives today. So, finding a fair balance where both game developers and streamers feel good about the setup, without causing new problems, remains a real challenge.