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Videogame Piracy - Is a Stricter Approach Necessary?
Thanks to GamerDad for its editorial focusing on recent attitudes to videogame piracy, in which a change in approach is argued for: "The [ESA] should be less focused on the ratings system... and more focused on educating consumers that downloading games is theft, plain and simple.... Consumers only understand one thing, the game is available freely on the Internet with a minimum of work and that means they don't have to pay for it." The writer continues: "I can't bring myself to download games, even the things at a place like The Underdogs which specializes in supposedly 'out of print' games to download. Out of print used to mean something was rare and worth something. In the digital media world it apparently now means 'Ok to steal.'" He concludes by suggesting ways to make games more attractive again: "One great way to do that is including good stuff in the box. Give me a color manual or include a poster. Maybe a CD with all the music from the game? How about liner notes with each game describing some part of development?"
It may be wrong, it may be illegal, but It's not theft. Plain, simple, or otherwise. It's copyright infringement.
It used to be somewhat more difficult to download things. BitTorrent has sort of killed that, though. All you need to be able to do is point your browser at Suprnova these days.
Orson Scott Card article.
" What annoys me is that its often easier to get a download a pirated game than buying it in a shop."
I contacted Cenaga about having a dodgy CD2 for UFO:Enemy Unknown. They concluded that my CDROM drive was at fault, to which I asked the question, 'both of them and my DVD rom drive?'.
At that point the conversation stopped and I was never offered the chance to return the media, even after saying that I'd be happy to pay a small charge for new media. Bear in mind that I'd already bought it, it's just that I got consistent CRC errors.
So I made my own CD 2.
No real moral to the story, other than it's a damn sight easier to act illegally, even given the penalties, than go through the correct channels, especially for replacing damaged or otherwise unusable media. It wasn't even worth the hassle of trying to get replacement under warranty (which would have involved at least four legal entities and more trouble than 2 days downloading and $0.50 CD blank.)
Oddly Draconis
Too cynical to live, too stubborn to die.
Take one part Usenetserver account ($3.00 a day for a 3 day trial, or $15.00 a month), and mix liberally with one part NewzBin usenet archiving service. Add your favorite y-enc enabled newsreader to flavor to taste. Serves an entire campus, until your OIT decides to block port 119.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
Don't forget the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (also by Infocom). It came with a "Don't Panic!" button, some pocket fluff, Peril-sensitive glasses (solid black cardboard glasses), and a "microscopic space fleet" (empty plastic bag).
Software sucks. Open Source sucks less.
I also liked the Suspended package, which came with a nice map and tokens that you could use to keep track of your 5 or 6 robots. I miss Poet.
>> "What would the robut do? Frame someone!"