Last week it was discovered that Machinima, the once-massive and massively despised YouTube multi-channel network, had set everything on their channel to private. EVERYTHING. Every video they’d published over the past 19 years, gone just like that. As hated as the network is, it normally wouldn’t be a big deal. However, many a classic video and series was published through Machinima, even some half-way decent in-house content. And now it’s gone. All of it. Never to be seen again unless someone grabbed it and saved it elsewhere first. And you know what? That really really sucks.

I’m sorry if my manner is a bit different this week. I really want to say something about this, but it all kind of just boils down to “this sucks and it shouldn’t have happened.” So read on if you don’t mind a quick rant. Otherwise, I’ll at least have something a little more organized for you next week. Anyway, about Machinima.

I’m among those who considered the network’s practices as downright shady. Their whole business model was built on what amounted to trapping fresh YouTube creators into terrible contracts, doing little to nothing for them, and then pocketing the lions share of the earnings. They were a terrible company and I’m not sorry to see them go. (They’re not “gone” gone; the channel still exists and the company is still around as a part of Fullscreen, but still.) That said though, the loss of their content is definitely a loss for the gaming community.

Arby ‘n The Chief, Freeman’s Mind, Best Friends Play, Inside Gaming, Counter-Strike For Kids and so on; these were the series and videos that defined gaming video content in YouTube’s early days and laid the foundation for much of the content we enjoy today. Some of it’s been preserved, but much of these classic series and videos are now gone forever unless Machinima decides to reinstate them. Considering they went to the trouble of setting them to private in the first place, that’s probably not going to happen. Nothing lasts forever, but I kinda hoped I’d be able to enjoy these videos for at least a little while longer.

How do you feel about the apparent death of Machinima and the loss of their vast library of content? Are there any favorites you’re going to miss?

Lede image captured by Hatm0nster