There was a time when being a YouTuber made it practically essential to be part of a Multi-Channel Network, where several producers and people came together with the goal of receiving support from a corporation so that they could increase their profits. Machinima was one of the pioneers of this movement, beginning more than ten years ago and gaining a total of 12 million subscribers during its operations.
However, times are different now, as YouTubers can earn money without needing to be part of a network, and this considerably affected the field, culminating now in Machinima officially ending its operations, according to a statement from a company representative on Deadline.
Two weeks ago, all the content on the channel was taken offline, including famous series such as Sonic For Hire and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Ownership of the corporation was then transferred to Otter Media by AT&T as part of a reorganization of divisions that took place after AT&T purchased Time Warner.
The representative also confirmed that a "selected number" of Machinima employees were transferred to Otter Media, resulting in 81 employees losing their jobs because of this shutdown.
Machinima has ceased its remaining operations, which includes layoffs.
"Machinima has ceased its remaining operations, which includes layoffs," the representative continues. Machinima's origins date back to 2000, when it was a website dedicated to those who wanted to make videos using video game renders or sprites as their medium. It reached another level of popularity when YouTube became popular and evolved into a network of channels that brought attention to several content creators, resulting in millions of subscribers. It was acquired by Warner Bros. in 2016.
