Many MMO players have had the experience of crafting the perfect name only to find out someone else beat them to it. Unfortunately, Amazon’s colonial-themed MMO New World is no exception to that rule. It’s usually just a coincidence when two players happen to pick the same name, especially in a game that has over half a million players. But it gets a little suspicious when a popular content creator gets their name swiped out from under them.
That’s precisely what happened to popular streamer Asmongold. The Twitch creator recently logged into New World for the first time only to discover someone claimed that username before him. This has triggered a debate about whether content creators are entitled to first pick of their screen name.
The game has seen rocketing popularity since its servers went live, resulting in New World's frankly insane queue times. That popularity also means many players will have trouble getting their preferred name. This is especially true since New World’s list of player names is global instead of server-based. So even if Asmongold is never in the same server as his doppelganger, he still can’t use the name. Like many other MMORPG players, the streamers got around the problem by adding an “X” to his name.
Normally this would be the end of it. However, Asmongold feels that he and other creators should have a right to use their professional names in the games they stream. He proposes that developers implement a “creator program” where content creators can communicate with companies to reserve names in advance. Asmongold argues that it would prevent other players from impersonating streamers or selling their names, the latter of which happened to him. Preventing that would naturally help to preserve streamers' brand integrity. He also says the program would help to hold streamers accountable. Asmongold additionally points out that streamers provide free advertising, and it would benefit both parties for developers to implement such a program.
Not all of Asmongold’s fans agree with his idea. Some accused him of acting entitled, prompting the streamer to double down. Although it’s easy to see why some viewers feel that way, that may not be the main problem with the streamer’s suggestion.
Game publishers and developers have long understood the utility of working with content creators to promote their products. However, this sometimes includes shady tactics. It’s not unheard of for developers to offer early access or financial incentives in exchange for positive reviews or misleading endorsements. One could argue that programs like Asmongold suggests could result in unscrupulous companies using name rights as leverage against content creators. Fortunately, that’s currently only a theoretical concern.
New World is available now for Windows PC.
Source: Twitch