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Advertisements disguised as Tutorials

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by MichaelJT, Oct 20, 2017.

  1. MichaelJT

    MichaelJT

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2015
    Posts:
    14
    There are a lot of great content creators on YouTube more than willing to share their knowledge of Unity and programming on YouTube.

    However I'm seeing an increasing trend towards people disguising advertisements for their Unity Asset Store products as Tutorials.

    This is extremely frustrating, especially when sometimes it's not until 3-4 minutes into a tutorial that the creator directs the viewer to their Unity Asset Store product.

    Stop it.

    I have no issue with people using YouTube to advertise their Unity Asset Store products. What I have issue with is the deliberately deceptive tactics being used to direct people towards Asset store products. If people can not tell that your video is a guide on using a pre-existing asset within the first 20 seconds of your video, then it's fairly clear you're deliberately misleading the viewer.

    If you are not willing to teach others, do not label your advertisement as a tutorial. You are literally wasting my time, and the time of others. If you want to do a tutorial on how to use your existing asset, then label it appropriately in the title.

    Here's a good example of how to title and structure your YouTube video:

    "How to use Epic Ocean System to create Ocean Waves in Unity - Tutorial" - the start of the video will explain that the video is for an asset store item called "Epic Ocean System" with a link to download it.

    A great example of this, is the AQUAS tutorials - he states within the first 10 seconds of the video that the tutorial is for AQUAS. This is how it should be done. Big +++++ for Dogmatic! This is YouTube content done right.

    Here's a bad example of how to title and structure your YouTube video:

    "How to create ocean waves in Unity - Tutorial" - with 3-4 minutes before the video directs viewers to go and buy "Epic Ocean System" on Unity Asset Store.

    I'm not going to name and shame anyone here.

    People who are doing this are doing the entire Unity community a disservice.

    So far, I've identified a few asset developers who've done this, and I can assure you, if you're reading this, I am never going to buy your asset. You wasted my time. I might've bought your asset if I decided later on that achieving what I wanted wasn't worth the work, but because you wasted 3-5 minutes of my time just to figure out that your tutorial was in fact an advertisement, you've just fortified my resolve to do it myself instead of paying for it. And if I do buy something instead of making it myself, it won't be through you.

    If I want to buy a system instead of making it myself, then I'll look on the Unity Asset store instead of searching through tutorials.

    What can we all do as a community to stop this?

    Don't buy from anyone who wastes your time. If they're not up front and honest in their advertisements, simply don't give them any money.

    It would be like a carpenter running a YouTube channel, with the title "How to install a door frame - Tutorial", and then about 4 minutes into the video, he says "Now just call 1800 DODGYCARP and I'll come around and install the doorframe for you! It's that simple!"

    Or something closer to home would be someone who says "How to model a Pumpkin in 3D", then directs the viewer to a $2 pumpkin asset on the Asset store.

    What can Unity do to stop this? Start blacklisting asset store items that deliberately misrepresent advertisements by labelling them as tutorials on YouTube.

    What can you call your video if it's not a tutorial?

    Call it a Tech Demo, a Demonstration, a Set-up Guide, Visual Test, whatever, just don't call it a tutorial.

    We don't need a tutorial on how to asset flip.
     
    dogmachris, Ony, TooManySugar and 2 others like this.
  2. theANMATOR2b

    theANMATOR2b

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2014
    Posts:
    7,790
    I agree -
    Kinda reminds me of this tutorial.


    Also - please turn off ads on a asset youtube advertisement. There annoying.
     
  3. alexanderameye

    alexanderameye

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Posts:
    1,383
    I agree with you. I myself have created a tutorial on how to create doors in Unity where I direct the users to an asset of mine, but that asset is free and it's clear after a few seconds in the video that you need to use this asset. There are no ads on this video.

    The title of the video previously stated 'Unity door script - How to create openable doors TUTORIAL' but since that might be misleading to users, I have changed the title after I read your post. New title is:

    Unity Doors Free - A Powerful Door Script - Tutorial Video

    With 'Doors Free - A Powerful Door Script' being the title of my asset.
     
    theANMATOR2b likes this.
  4. Mordus

    Mordus

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2015
    Posts:
    174
    You dont like ads on your ads? :p