Hello,

With the big scare created by SOPA and PIPA, and the recent actions of the FBI against Megaupload, a lot of let's players are worried that the very activity they've come to enjoy may one day be attacked by video game developers, resulting in their accounts being taken down without warning, or worse, facing a lawsuit.

In case you aren't already aware, a "let's play" is when a person or group of people play through a video game on camera, prividing commentary and sharing their experiences with the game as they play. They serve as a form of entertainment, as well as a way for gamers to connect and identify with other gamers in the online community, particularily useful when many gamers (such as myself) don't have anybody to share those experiences with outside the internet. They also serve as a way to let people know what games are out there, what they're like, and perhaps, convince people that they might enjoy the game as well. Up until now, let's players such as myself have seen let's playing as a perfectly harmless activity. But the current activities with the US governement have us beginning to think otherwise.

I am conducting research in hopes of setting the record straight. I am contacting various game developers in the hopes of finding out how many of them are alright with the let's play community, whether certain games or allowed or disallowed, or if they prefer certain conditions for allowing the let's playing of their games (such as waiting three months before let's playing a new game, which is a common rule in the let's play community). I will post my findings on YouTube, with the responses from these developers read out word-for-word, hopefully making it clear whether let's playing these games are allowed.

And so I come to you, to ask for your official statement. Is your company alright with people let's playing your games? And if so, are there certain conditions you'd prefer the let's play community follow?

Hoping to clear the air,
[my real name]