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."

Comments

Copy Protection

[volteface]

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.

Re:Copy Protection

[Micro$will]

I've had this same issue numerous times, most recently with Painkiller and Thief 3. My "favorite" is the buggy installers that don't take the cd check into account. Install the disks in order, then for some braindead reason the installer asks for disk 1 again before completing the install. Alrighty, I do it, it finishes, then when I play, instead of "Insert Game Disk" or something, it either gives me some cryptic error message, or it accuses me of using a backup. Putting in the last disk solves the problem, but it's quite annoying.

Re:Copy Protection

[Mumbly_Joe6432]

Basically, companies need to make the prices and convenience more appealing to the buyer- just like in any other industry. I would have to argue that software prices are amazingly high; it does take a lot of work to create them, but if everyone was to actually pay for all of the software they use I don't think that nearly as many people would be able to afford a computer at home, or want to. I've seen the most honest people I know take home a cd from work,say microsoft office, and quite frankly, I don't blame them.

It is true that many software companies are shooting themselves in the foot by using too much protection, but the root of the problem stems from the buyer being unwilling to pay the price. The problem simply builds on itself when enough buyers feel this way and unite to make cracks and even whole programs easier to aquire than a purchased version of the program.

Some major reforms are going to be made in the future concerning how we buy software/music. I'm willing accept the revolution, as long as the revolution doesn't have irresponsibly priced products.

Re:Copy Protection

[timftbf]

Exactly, and this is the same reason copy protection is going to hurt the music industry more than help it in the long run too.

People - regular people, not just geeks, are buying MP3 players. Lots of them. They want to turn their CDs into MP3s. If they can't press the "make MP3s" button on whatever software they're using, they're going to turn to their techie friends, and *they* are more than likely going to introduce them to the wonders of file sharing. (The CDs *will* be available on these services, regardless of the protection used. It only takes *one* smart person to make the original rip (somehow), then millions can not only download but upload to others.)

Once you get to the position that you *have* to go to the file sharing networks to get the MP3 version of most of the CDs you buy, a whole lot of people are going start wondering why they're paying for the CD in the first place...

You can largely ignore the monetary cost, and the fact that people would *like* to have a legitimate version, if the illegal version gives more utility, that's the way people are going to go.

Regards,
Tim.

Re:Copy Protection

[GuyWithLag]

Actual example: I bought SimCity 4 as a present for my fiancee. After installation the game won't run as it claims that it can't find the original CD. After much serching, googling and fiddling, it looks like the friggin copy protection requires that you have a CD-ROM drive to play the game on. Not a DVD-ROM, not a CD-RW, but an actual CD-ROM - who buys these things anymore?

I actuall had to find a no-cd crack to play the (bought!) game....

Burned at both ends

[heinousjay]

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.

I don't deal with CD protection

[linzeal]

Since I mostly play 1st person games that require game copy protection and the online games usually have a code instead I use GameCopyWorld, for all my 'tweaked' exe's.

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.

Re:I don't deal with CD protection

[Aerion]

I've been using similar software, Daemon Tools, for a number of years now, and it's worked pretty flawlessly (well, except when I realize that I have a 6 GB hard drive, and no room for a bunch of CD images laying around...).

One obvious advantage to Daemon Tools is that it's free.
The other obvious advantage is that the website used to have on its front page, in large, friendly, letters, "THERE IS NO ILLEGAL MATERIAL ON THIS WEBSITE." It's not quite as reassuring as "DON'T PANIC," but ... well, actually it's not really reassuring at all.

But it's still free.

disagree

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Great!

[Lu Xun]

They should just shut down all the publishers and let the pirates pirate each-other. They can fund new games with the pr0n-ad revenue they get from their sites.

So true

[Lisandro]

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.

Re:So true

[Sigma 7]

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.

Actually, CD-Keys (and other subscription style software) are one of the few protection systems that work. They are very effective at restricing the pirate's ability to use online portions of the game, if it is implemented correctly. (i.e. the game only works if there the CD-Key has been printed at the press.)

Even though there are alternate servers or cracks to allow bypassing the CD-Check, not many people use them, and as a result, the pirate is placed in a smaller group of servers or players.

However, I do agree that other forms of protection can be eventually broken - if the system trusts the client at all, than it is vulnerable.

I've often wondered

[Thedalek]

Whenever I've seen those figures of "The game industry lost x kajillion dollars last year to evil pirates," I wind up asking myself "How does that figure stack up to money spent on failed advertising, ineffective copy protection, or some useless novelty packaging feature? How about bloated development costs due to a rushed schedule?"

But then again, I'm not buying the bulk of these games, so I must be an evil pirate.

All that said, the article doesn't really address much. Mostly it's little "fight the power" and "I'm for the little guy" throwaway remarks interspersed with plugs for products. Shame about Strategy First not paying royalties. I wanted to like them.

Re:I've often wondered

[Pluvius]

But then again, I'm not buying the bulk of these games, so I must be an evil pirate.

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.

Rob

Re:I've often wondered

[NanoGator]

"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.

Re:I've often wondered

[Pluvius]

I actually should've said "'potential' sales minus actual sales." For example, if a publisher set a potential of $100 million but only sold $70 million, he would say that he lost $30 million to pirates, even if he actually made, say, $50 million (by actual sales minus $20 million in costs) in reality.

But yeah, what you said is basically right.

Rob

Galactic Civilizations

[Prien715]

I really liked the game, it's the most retro game I've seen as far as copy protection (was released last year, with a decent ammount of critical acclaim). I could burn the CD without problems and the game didn't even require the CD in the drive to play it. That said, it did have a CD key, which I don't mind so much. And although the game was stable on release, they added NEW features accessable if you had a unique CD key.

If we'd like to change things, perhaps it's time you voted with your wallet. That, and if you'd like to play a really good Turn-based strategy game.

NoCD Patches

[algae]

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.

It's our fault

[superultra]

Why shouldn't the companies stop putting copy protection on games? I don't see these "legitimate users" threatening to boycott games with Safedisc on it. How many here have sent written letters through snail mail to their publishers saying they won't buy any more games with Safedisc on it?

Including copy protection on a game, thus far, doesn't cost a publisher any sales. Who looks at a game and doesn't buy it based on its copy protection? So it doesn't work with users' CD-ROMs? Release a post-mortem patch, and people will start playing the game and stop whining.

At this point, regardless of what Stardock's big cheese says or doesn't say, it costs companies more to exclude copy protection than it does to include it. Until consumers stop buying games with copy protection and there is a visible drop in sales that can be unquestionably attributed to the inclusion of copy protection (a visible boycott), it will always exist.

Why do you think that copy protection on music CDs isn't on every single CD? Because enough people return the CD to the store. The only CDs with copy protection are corporate experiments. They're the ones the publishers are using to test the waters. But computer game buyers have been so pavlov-ed into the idea of patching and the inability to return a game that it doesn't even occur to us that we deserve a product that works on first try.

We do, and maybe we should start acting like it.

Re:It's our fault

[Txiasaeia]

"Why shouldn't the companies stop putting copy protection on games? I don't see these "legitimate users" threatening to boycott games with Safedisc on it. How many here have sent written letters through snail mail to their publishers saying they won't buy any more games with Safedisc on it?"

Obviously you've never been on a forum on the release date of any game in the past three years. Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind, GTA, Master of Orion 3, etc. etc. - many, many users were calling for blood because their game didn't work with the particular firmware of their CD-ROM drives.

I don't buy comp games any more, simply because none of the above games worked on my computer when they were released. I've instead gone to the Gamecube, believe it or not, and have enjoyed every second of it. Gaming houses might not have missed my absense, but in turn I certainly haven't missed anything in the last two years or so.

I would like to add...

[OOO0000OO0O0]

Blame it on the console games. Ever since publishers thought the XBox and PS2 were going to kill PC gaming, there has been a shift in paradigm. I'm seeing shallower and shallower games designed to appeal to the average couch potato retard.

It is not only the copy protection that publishers are screwing up on. I hate copy protection as much as the next guy. I will not buy The Sims. I will not buy Battlefield Vietnam. I will not buy Soldner. I will not buy Freelancer.
But I will buy Doom 3; at least it has some creative direction and provides an immersive experience. I will buy Half-Life 2; at least it give syou a bigger possibility space (in the AI and physics) than other games. However, I will NOT buy, and will NOT even waste the time to download, titles that have been rushed out the door simply to make money. This problem exacerbates warez activity.

Is it the publisher getting whacked by its inability to meet the lowest common denominator (which is damned low these days) or is it laziness and incompetence on part of the developers? This is another reason people don't buy games sometimes and just download them. Freshness and originality are out and repetitive gameplay is in. Graphics, mindless multiplayer, and other console trappings are replacing personality, feel, and depth of gameplay. Do we want to ante up the cash for yet another Battlefield 1942 or Far Cry (which wins my award for repetitive unoriginality) clone? We don't; that's why we download games.

Does someone see a vicious cycle here? Developers and publishers work in tandem to develop games that aren't meant to be played but meant to make money. Jaded gamers routinely respond by doing the ole download-off-IRC and Throw-Away. The publishers feed back by introducing more copy protection, which fosters resentment in the community, which decreases the number of enthusiastic developers, which...

Re:I would like to add...

[sqrt(2)]

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.

Eh

[bobstevens_took_my_n]

Funny how tons of game sites jump on any story that can make software pirates feel good about themselves.

Copy-protection methods are necessary. It's not the publisher's fault that copy protection is necessary, it's the fault of the software pirates. Placing the blame on the publisher for something that was caused by piracy is pretty poor planning.

The guy should have just said that we need less-intrusive copy protection schemes. Like those little scanners at the exit of every retail store in the United States. Ink tags and things *are* a hassle to consumers, but no one minds because theft drives prices up so much and the hassle is minimal.

This guy's view is shortsighted, but if he wants to self-publish his own games he's welcome to it. That's the proper solution, if publishers are *really* the problem.

Only we can stop the publishers

[zarthrag]

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!