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Game Publishers Doing More Damage than Pirates?
thenextpresident writes "Over on JoeUser.com, there is an interesting article, from the creator of the previously mentioned TotalGaming.net subscription service, that discusses two things: the PC game market vs the console market, and how one game developer views game publishers as a bigger problem than the software "pirates". "So don't talk to me about piracy. It's not the pirates that have ripped us off of hundreds of thousands in lost royalties. It's been "Real businesses" doing that thank you very much. The position of royalty eating parasite has already been taken." He also digs into all the problems PC games have: usually being buggy on release, CD keys, patches (and more patches), hard drive space while still requiring the CD be in the drive. All together, a really interesting look at the game industry from just one developer."
Copy protection hurts legitimate users more than it helps the software developers. When users who legitimately buy games have trouble playing them, while pirates can simply crack the game (and they can, pretty much no matter what you do) and play it more easily than the legitimate buyers, you know you need to step back and re-evaluate your copy protection policy. Most legit users end up cracking the game anyway, just for simplicity's sake. At least UT2K4's patch removed the CD checking.
It doesn't even stop at games. I can't play Let It Be...Naked by The Beatles in any CD player I own because of the copy protection. There's even a disclaimer on the back stating that it may not work in all CD equipment. However, I'm sure you could download the entire album in 10 minutes if you wanted to.
Looks like the developers are involved in the DP of all time - boned by the publishers and the players. Almost makes me wonder why they bother.
Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
When I lost my CD to Armed and Dangerous awhile back it really got me looking for a legitamate place where people who bought software and wish to not have to lug out a CD each time they want to play a different game could go. Are there any other place besides gamecopyworld that are like that? I do not want to download any EXE from some random P2P user.
An Education is the Font of All Liberty
In 15 years, I have never NOT bought a game because it had a copy protection. In 15 years, I returned 1 game because of a copy protection issue, but in the same 15 years, I also returned about 10 games for being buggy and unplayable.
Games released in bad condition, my last experience - Temple of Elemental Evil are hurting the industry FAR more than any copy protection issue, as much as the casual pirate would like it to be otherwise. Yes, the article has a point, publishers DO hurt game sales, but mainly because of their crappy stance toward QA.
Sadly, this guy has a point. Something's not right when a game you just downloaded off Kazaa is less of a hassle to play than the same game off the box. The "copy protection" craze has gone to far; no matter what, digital content of any kind *will* be copied and used illegally. You just can't get arround it, CD-Key, DMCA, Dongles, or whatever. Instead of fighting an uphill battle, software publishers should focus on making the game good enough so people will happily buy it. As this guy said, this is rarely the case nowadays.
As for the patching issues, i didn't mind when patches were minor or to improve the overall experience, but most PC games are so buggy and slow lately that patching is mandatory. Again, if the product needs work, move the deadlines forward a bit and focus on delivering a quality product.
This guy has it 100% right. Every single game that I've downloaded a no-cd patch for has been a game that I've legally purchased.
Causation can cause correlation
"Since the loss estimates are always based on "potential" sales minus costs instead of actual sales minus costs, you probably are an "evil pirate" in the industry's eyes."
Gotta wonder what the 'potential sales' really are if somebody's willing to jump through the hoops to find, download, and install a game that could potentially have a trojan or something in it instead of simply going to buy it.
Frankly, I think legitimate demo downloads are the best anti-piracy measure. Sadly, it's all too often that the demo doesn't show up at the right time. Pity, I like knowing if a game will run on my computer.
"Derp de derp."
It sucks, but the Video Game Industry IS a business. It's like rock music finally selling out to MTV. All facets of the product are being changed to maximize profit, and to hell with anything else.
Game play, doesn't matter. Replayability, doesn't matter. Graphics and buzzwords are the new game play, that's what's eye catching in the store, and replay ability is dangerous to them, if they want to release another game shortly after.
Expansion packs, something that we never used to see so soon after a game was released are now common, and often companies start work on expansion packs as soon as the main game is done (road to rome), knowing they can get another 20-30 dollars from suckers who don't realize a few maps, some new guns, and skins aren't worth the price.
The game industry sold out.
If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
If they are 0$ worth for you, don't play them. You don't steal cars because you wouldn't buy them.
That's just not true. I've downloaded more than a few games I thought were crap, and didn't stay on my computer for more than a couple of days. And, there are some games that I was waiting for release (WBC3, grr silly Americans, you have tons of developers, let us have our guys release the game here 1st, or at least at the same time), so I dled it, and when they *finally* got around to releasing it here, it was purchased.
Possibly, the frustration of PC gaming is driving more than a few people to alternate solutions. Not that they want it for free, it is just too much of a burden to gamble on getting a decent game.
Which brings me to my next point. I accept that dling is a better way of trialling a game than demos or purchasing.
Demos almost never give you a good enough impression of the game to judge whether it is worth your time.
And what happens if you purchase a game you don't like. Wow! You've just spent $90 on a game that you managed to contrive about 30 minutes of pain from. Gee, what a great way to spend $90! (And yes, I've had my fair share of what I thought were duds!)
the only reason developers deal with publishers at all is shelf-space, plain and simple. If you write a game and want it on display at Sam Goody, Electronics Botique, or Wal-Mart - you have to do it over their dead body.
Game publishing companies are aiming to be the digital equivilant to the RIAA, in many respects. With developers as the under-paid artists.
If the biggest dev studios (and small ones too) resorted to using their own means of publishing - such as "Steam", eBay, and Online ordering - then magic might happen.
Less hype, few patches, longer development cycles, and better games. Developers will get what they deserve, and piracy will be negligible again.
Copy protection begins and ends with cd-keys as multiplayer licenses. So don't waste your time/money on safedisc/laserlok/whatever. Piracy is forever, and you won't be it's champion unless you're running an MMOG, and maybe not even then.
Publishers such as Garagegames have the right idea IMO. Fight the power!
Why can't all fpga/microcontroller manufacturers just release free optimizing compilers???