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Minecraft marketing mods miff Mojang

Sucking ad revenue away from other channels, how DARE you?

Minecraft advertising is about to turn into a sockpuppet business, with Mojang implementing a new no-advertising policy.

It's described in this blog post, which says: “we’re not happy when the selling of an unrelated product becomes the purpose of a Minecraft mod or server.”

Ad agencies, corporations, nonprofits and politicians are forbidden from building mods that present “unrelated products” (eg: don't put your restaurant into a Minecraft mod or server); or marketing movies or TV shows (so, no Deadpool trailers as Minecraft mods or servers).

The Minecraft Commercial Use Guidelines were updated 31 May, with the new section explicitly banning marketing/promotional activity under the heading “Building Promotions With Minecraft”.

What's allowed? Ads in Minecraft videos, and ads served on Minecraft-related websites or servers.

Why does Vulture South reckon this is the path to sockpuppetry? Here: “fans of a particular restaurant, movie, or some other thing are still free to build things in Minecraft that represent or celebrate it so long as the goal or focus is not to promote or sell that stuff”.

Mojang realises that people might take some under-the-table cash to build a Maccas (or whatever) into its mod. It will consider a user naughty if they do so; “likewise, you can express your support for a political candidate in a map/mod/server, but not if you have been hired to promote them.”

Good luck policing that one, people. ®

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