Steam Developer Threatens NerdCubed Over 2015 Video

Published: July 4, 2016 8:42 AM /

By:


Monster Truck Destruction NerdCubed

Chances are, you probably haven't heard of Monster Truck Destruction. Put out for $5 onto PC by ODD Games and Merge Games in July of 2015, the game was originally available on Android and designed for phones. As with many mobile ports, Monster Truck Destruction received criticism for its mobile design and simplistic graphics not living up to the standards of the PC platform. One such voice in the discussion was Daniel Hardcastle, better known to most as the YouTuber NerdCubed. A week after Monster Truck Destruction's debut on Steam, NerdCubed put up the following video about the title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqCxcMXDZtU

Just under 300,000 people have watched the video since then, which featured NerdCubed attempting to wrestle with the game's lack of mouse controls on menus and the inability to put the trucks into reverse. In the time since the video's release, ODD Games have fixed those issues via patches, which is good news for anyone interested in some quick and cheap monster truck fun. This should be where the story ends, but instead, it continues with an email that NerdCubed got from the developers as explained in another video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9VjNSPdlIw

To summarize, ODD Games want NerdCubed to remove his first impressions video of their game because the issues reflected in that video are no longer present. If NerdCubed doesn't comply with this request, then ODD Games promise to "escalate" the situation to "the relevant authorities." 

This isn't the first time that Steam developers have clashed with YouTubers. In March, word got out about legal proceedings going forward between developer Digital Homicide and YouTube critic Jim Sterling. In addition, notable critics such as TotalBiscuit have had public scuffles with developers such as Wild Games Studios over copyright claims on impressions videos. Speaking of which, TotalBiscuit has already responded with a video of his own explaining the situation in some detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVwF2kXwTS8

It isn't clear if ODD Games is planning to issue a DMCA takedown of the video in this case, but it does add to a growing list of situations where game developers are actively attempting to remove or alter games criticism on YouTube. TechRaptor has reached out to both NerdCubed and ODD Games, and will update this piece if any response is received.

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Alex Santa Maria TechRaptor
| Staff Writer

Alex Santa Maria is TechRaptor's former Reviews Editor (2015-2020) and current occasional critic. Joining the site early in its life, Alex grew the review… More about Alex