Undisclosed agreements between YouTube networks and game marketing divisions, in which both agree that video personalities can endorse a game for a fee, have been described as "commonplace" by a well-known YouTube figure.
YouTube personality Boogie2988, who has more than 1.6 million subscribes and produces the popular Francis rage videos, claimed that the controversial endorsement policies are part of daily business within YouTube networks.
Zoom His comments, which came with a confession that he too has signed similar contracts, comes in the wake of new revelations about Microsoft paying YouTube personalities to endorse Xbox.
On Tuesday it emerged that YouTube organisation Machinima was offering its video partners $3 for every 1,000 views of a video which endorses Xbox. As part of the deal, video personalities were not allowed to disclose that they were advertising the system, nor were they allowed to speak negatively of Xbox One.
Machinima claimed that the deal "was a typical marketing partnership", while a Microsoft spokesperson said the corporation was not aware of the practice, and urged Machinima to add disclaimers to such videos.
Despite such revelations triggering outrage within the public, Boogie2988 believes these undisclosed deals are widespread.
"I'm not entirely sure why this is so controversial, because this happens every day," he said in a new video.
"This system is so commonplace," he claimed.
"I want to tell you that I have taken part in this system. Sometimes those contracts were so absurd that I refused to sign them. In that handful of cases where I have agreed, I have tried to make it abundantly clear."
Speaking generally about the absent code of ethics within YouTube games coverage, he went on to confess: "In many cases, when I received a game and I reviewed it and thought it was shit, you never heard about it."
He estimated that such deals drive a large portion of YouTube's games coverage, though adding that "not all of them, maybe even not half" take part in such controversial practices.
He went on to suggest that it is the networks themselves that are the catalyst to these developments.
"These contracts are the norm with people who are networked," he said.
"Multi-channel networks will push you with these contracts, they will tempt you with money. Not everyone feels the need to be transparent, not everyone feels the need to be honest with you.
"It's not fair to you when YouTubers are not being open and are not being transparent about them getting paid. The basis of this system needs to be transparency, openness and honesty."
