Bad news for Canadian Warhammer+ Subscribers

[Grotsmasha]

*APPARENTLY* (if I read and understand everything correctly) a new law in Quebec has been passed that mandates Canadian content on streaming services, which means GW for the moment is not accepting new subscriptions for Warhammer+ (and by extension the App) and isn't renewing existing subscriptions either.

 

Source: Spikey Bitz Article

Edited August 24, 2023 by Grotsmasha

[Orion]

"Ok, next problem."

[Lord Marshal]

"No, no, they're CANADIAN Shock Troops."

[Lemondish]

Canuck here.

 

There's actually two bills (potentially) at play in this.

 

The first is Bill C-11, or the Online Streaming Act. It adds to the current scope of broadcast legislation so that any entity or undertaking that conducts "broadcasting" over the Inrernet would now fall under the regulatory scope of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), giving it the power to impose "conditions" on their operation.

 

These can include compelling them to make use of Canadian talent, mandating that they make expenditures in support of the production of Canadian content, and being ordered to being ordered to improve the discoverability of Canadian content on their platforms. Some of these elements are popular, like requiring certain baseline accessibility features like closed captioning. The crazy thing about this is how much of modern content is produced with some level of Canadian help. Just watch until the end credits of any recent blockbuster film or popular tv series and there's a high chance you'll see references to Quebec, BC, and Ontario film credit benefits. You don't get those unless you operate there.

 

In any case, this often gets confused for a bill in Quebec which actually does something very different.

 

Bill 96 reinforces businesses' obligation to serve consumers in French when providing goods and services. Most of it took effect a couple years ago, but a few elements of it came online recently. This is likely something that GW will have to address, but it truly only affects those in Quebec.

 

It is very likely that this is not the source of the issue, and that the aforementioned Bill C-11 is the true reason they're being cagey here.

 

It's actually kind of surprising that GW did not have a plan for this. For all of their growth and dominance in the market, they seem to always come up short with things that seem so run-of-the-mill.

[RWJP]

This was also discussed on Reddit a few days ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/comments/15tp5rf/i_emailed_gw_about_paid_battleforge_in_canada_the/

The new law in Quebec about everything needing to be provided in French is part of this, but there's also a new general law in Canada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_Streaming_Act

There's a lot of stuff in there, but the big thing is that this new law allows Canada to force companies who want to operate a streaming video service (like Warhammer TV) to utilise Canadian talent, or otherwise pay to support the production of Canadian content. The trouble is, the definition of "Canadian Content" is broad and vague, the powers granted in the law are broad and vague, and no thought has been given to the size of the companies involved. Warhammer TV, which is frankly absolutely tiny, would be treated exactly the same as Netflix.

So it appears that GW have decided to cut their losses and avoid the possibility of being fined/forced to spend money they don't want to by just stopping offering Warhammer+ in Canada.

 

[MithrilForge]

Damn...  Those 12 people who subscribe in Canada will miss out....  joke!! , I do wonder how many sub's Canada actually has....  GW sometimes seems such a big Steamship on the Thames but in comparison to other "Oceans" is such a tiny sailboat bobbing up and down 

 

M .  

[01RTB01]

Solves my dilemma of resub or not. 

[caladancid]

1 hour ago, Grotsmasha said:

*APPARENTLY* (if I read and understand everything correctly) a new law in Quebec has been passed that mandates Canadian content on streaming services, which means GW for the moment is not accepting new subscriptions for Warhammer+ (and by extension the App) and isn't renewing existing subscriptions either.

 

Source: Spiky Bitz article which I can't dig up right this second 

Sounds like good news, people can't be tricked into wasting money on that sub.

[Special Officer Doofy]

1 hour ago, RWJP said:

So it appears that GW have decided to cut their losses and avoid the possibility of being fined/forced to spend money they don't want to by just stopping offering Warhammer+ in Canada.

 

Good. I'm not even a fan of Warhammer+ but even less of a fan of a law like that. Hope no one caves to it and they all pull out.

[Lemondish]

7 hours ago, RWJP said:

So it appears that GW have decided to cut their losses and avoid the possibility of being fined/forced to spend money they don't want to by just stopping offering Warhammer+ in Canada.

 

Which strikes me as a miscalculation on their part. Neither bill should be a surprise, and there are ways they could have managed this to enable things like the army builder without it needing to be strictly tied to it, let alone ways to acquire Canadian content and, more importantly, meet the accessibility requirements, well before this.

 

It's like it snuck up on them, and again, that surprises me most.

 

 

5 hours ago, Special Officer Doofy said:

 

Good. I'm not even a fan of Warhammer+ but even less of a fan of a law like that. Hope no one caves to it and they all pull out.

Some parts of it are fantastic, like the requirements to supply accessibility features as a baseline part.

 

But as usual, the good shan't be excuses for the bad. Ultimately, I hope it results in some quick deals for Canadian streamers to be hosted on the platform in that region. Better for everyone that way. Can hate on the law all you want, but depriving Canadian consumers on principal alone will probably not do anything but harm the brand.

[SkimaskMohawk]

The bill has been marked as a fiasco the entire way through it's multiple times in the House of Commons, with many opportunities to be further nuanced and defined in scope; those weren't taken.

 

Rather unsurprisingly, the government that refused to tighten it up and leave it extremely open ended is the entity getting blamed for companies deciding to cut their losses, not the companies themselves. The shuffling of the minister who was originally responsible for proposing it is telling. 

Edited August 22, 2023 by SkimaskMohawk

[MegaVolt87]

Isn't this problem solved just by making French dubs?

[Special Officer Doofy]

6 minutes ago, MegaVolt87 said:

Isn't this problem solved just by making French dubs?

 

Hah. No (putting it in spoilers).

 

Spoiler

The bill amends the Broadcasting Act to account for the increased prominence of internet video and digital media, and to prioritize the "needs and interests" of Canadians, and the inclusion and involvement of Canadians of diverse backgrounds in broadcast programming. It adds undertakings that conduct "broadcasting" over the internet to the regulatory scope of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), giving it the power to impose "conditions" on their operation. These can include compelling them to make use of Canadian talent, mandating that they make expenditures in support of the production of Canadian content, and being ordered to improve the discoverability of Canadian content on their platforms. 

 

They can try and force/fine GW to use "Canadian Talent" and promote "Canadian Content".

[Sgt John Keel]

The EU has similar rules about minimum 30 % European content, and a few EU countries are instituting laws regarding national content as well, so this is something GW will have to come up with a plan for, I guess. It seems kind of stupid when it comes to niche streamers, e.g. is Britbox supposed to supply Canadian content as well?

[beefeb]

Wow....a country with even more stupid laws than the UK.  Crazy.

[Beaky Brigade]

The solution is simple surely, just hire the guys from Miniwargaming... 

 

It sounds as though the scope is too wide if Canadians can't enjoy niche content like this, it's not as though GW is pushing hundreds of American soap operas lol. 

 

 

[Xenith]

=][= Discussion of politics is prohibited on this site, please keep discussion on the law itself and its ramifications relating to Warhammer (as opposed to the groups that passed it) so this topic can remain open. Thanks! =][= 

[Halandaar]

Seems an easy solve, they invited Ash from GMG to Nottingham to try out the Contrast range a while back, I'm sure they've got a few seconds of footage with his face they can stitch into every video 

[Captain Idaho]

Maybe GW should use this opportunity to do something truly ground breaking and turn Warhammer+ into a community platform and allow folk to upload their own stuff like how YouTube would.

 

Sure, they couldn't moderate it easily, but YouTube doesn't suffer because people make videos criticising YouTube, for example.

 

Then this issue in Canada and other places like that wouldn't be such an issue and GW would finally have lots of content.

[Rusted Boltgun]

WH+ needs a Grot-based animation done by the people who make Grizzly and The Lemmings. That'll sort it.

 

With regard to 'they should have seen it coming', GW is still a relatively small company and this isn't their main revenue stream so it isn't that surprising that a new local law has tripped them up. Hopefully this will be. A pause and not a full stop.

[Doghouse]

Another reason to make the app free.

 

[SkimaskMohawk]

Also addressing the "should have seen it coming/shouldn't have been surprised" takes:

 

You know when an edition is around the corner and you see the previews (or leaks) and can immediately tell that the amount of enjoyment you'll get out of your army will be really low compared to the amount of effort of playing the game, and decide to sit it out of it stays the same on full release? That's basically what happened. 

 

There's a lot of aspects of the law that are too vague to be able to make an informed decision. What, precisely, does this mean for GW:

 

Quote

(f.1) each foreign online undertaking shall make the greatest practicable use of Canadian creative and other human resources, and shall contribute in an equitable manner to strongly support the creation, production and presentation of Canadian programming, taking into account the linguistic duality of the market they serve;

 

I know what I think it means, and it reads like "use as many Canadians as you practically can in your business, also you have to develop Canadian content in both languages, in a strongly supported way (no half hearted attempts)". But there's no way of measuring what's enough; you can't cost-benefit analyze it.

 

How about this one:

 

Quote

• (r) online undertakings shall clearly promote and recommend Canadian programming, in both official languages as well as in Indigenous languages, and ensure that any means of control of the programming generates results allowing its discovery;

 

Reads to me like they'd have to push their Canadian content from above, ensure that it's front and center in Canada, and also have it in even more languages. 

 

Idk, looks a bit annoying to me if I had to retrofit my software and change my business model for my streaming, as well as hire a bunch more language specialists, all to not be sure if you got "enough". And that's before we come to the conditions (note that broadcasting undertakings cover online undertakings):

 

Spoiler

Quote

Conditions

9.1 (1) The Commission may, in furtherance of its objects, make orders imposing conditions on the carrying on of broadcasting undertakings that the Commission considers appropriate for the implementation of the broadcasting policy set out in subsection 3(1), including conditions respecting

(a) the proportion of programs to be broadcast that shall be Canadian programs and the proportion of time that shall be devoted to the broadcasting of Canadian programs;

(b) the proportion of Canadian programs to be broadcast that shall be original French language programs, including first-run programs;

(c) the proportion of programs to be broadcast that shall be original French language programs;

(d) the proportion of programs to be broadcast that shall be devoted to specific genres, in order to ensure the diversity of programming;

(e) the presentation of programs and programming services for selection by the public, including the showcasing and the discoverability of Canadian programs and programming services, such as original French language programs;

(f) a requirement for a person carrying on a broadcasting undertaking, other than an online undertaking, to obtain the approval of the Commission before entering into any contract with a telecommunications common carrier, as defined in the Telecommunications Act, for the distribution of programming directly to the public;

(g) a requirement for a person carrying on a distribution undertaking to give priority to the carriage of broadcasting;

(h) a requirement for a person carrying on a distribution undertaking to carry, on the terms and conditions that the Commission considers appropriate, programming services, specified by the Commission, that are provided by a broadcasting undertaking;

(i) a requirement, without terms or conditions, for a person carrying on an online undertaking that provides the programming services of other broadcasting undertakings in a manner that is similar to a distribution undertaking to carry programming services, specified by the Commission, that are provided by a broadcasting undertaking;

(j) terms and conditions of service in contracts between distribution undertakings and their subscribers;

(k) access by persons with disabilities to programming, including the identification, prevention and removal of barriers to such access;

(l) the carriage of emergency messages;

(m) any change in the ownership or control of a broadcasting undertaking that is required to be carried on under a licence;

(n) the provision to the Commission, by licensees or persons exempt from the requirement to hold a licence under an order made under subsection 9(4), of information related to

(i) the ownership, governance and control of those licensees or exempt persons, and

(ii) the affiliation of those licensees or exempt persons with any affiliates carrying on broadcasting undertakings;

(o) the provision to the Commission, by persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings, of any other information that the Commission considers necessary for the administration of this Act, including

(i) financial or commercial information,

(ii) information related to programming,

(iii) information related to expenditures made under section 11.1, and

(iv) information related to audience measurement, other than information that could identify any individual audience member; and

(p) continued ownership and control by Canadians of Canadian broadcasting undertakings.

 

 

Bit of  wall of text so it's in the spoiler, but the highlights include:

Quote

 

(a) the proportion of programs to be broadcast that shall be Canadian programs and the proportion of time that shall be devoted to the broadcasting of Canadian programs;

(b) the proportion of Canadian programs to be broadcast that shall be original French language programs, including first-run programs;

(c) the proportion of programs to be broadcast that shall be original French language programs;

(d) the proportion of programs to be broadcast that shall be devoted to specific genres, in order to ensure the diversity of programming;

(e) the presentation of programs and programming services for selection by the public, including the showcasing and the discoverability of Canadian programs and programming services, such as original French language programs;

 

 

These are things that the regulatory body can just say "you don't have enough content that suits us after all the changes you made; you need more Canadian programs, need to have more time devoted to them, also you need some French language exclusive stuff in there". 

 

And if they don't comply (determined by the regulatory body that made the order) they can be fined up to $250,000 for the fist time, and double that after. 

 

So why take the risk of dumping money and changes to accommodate one country?

 

 

[aura_enchanted]

as a canadian, this is dumb, mainly because it locks us canadian people out from buying the warhammer + models

[Carach]

7 hours ago, beefeb said:

Wow....a country with even more stupid laws than the UK.  Crazy.

 

 

Is one thinking of the Online Safety Bill, per chance?

 

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Carach

[WrathOfTheLion]

From my quick reading, just not offering the service in Canada is the most rational decision, especially for a smaller service. The overhead costs of having to implement any of this stuff or taking any fines likely far outweighs any profit gained out of the country.

 

Larger companies, such as netflix or amazon, may just completely ignore it, depending on the frequency that the penalties can be issued.