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Game Developer's Response To Pirates

Posted by samzenpus on from the scuttle-the-console dept.

cliffski writes "A few days ago, indie PC games developer Positech publicly called for people pirating their games to explain why, in an open and honest attempt to see what the causes of gaming piracy were. Hundreds of blog posts, hundreds more emails and several server-reboots later, the developer's reply is up on their site. The pirates had a lot to say, on subjects such as price, DRM, demos and the overall quality of PC games, and Positech owner Cliffski explains how this developer at least will be changing their approach to selling PC games as a result. Is this the start of a change for the wider industry? Or is this the only developer actively listening to the pirates point of view?"

12 of 734 comments (clear)

  1. First Post by narcberry · · Score: 5, Funny

    Most responses were, "we'd pay for your games if you'd remove the key protections"

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    Modding me -1 troll doesn't make me wrong.
    1. Re:First Post by B3ryllium · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've heard that wine, if used to excess, can not only cause depth perception issues, but also memory corruption and crashing.

      Usually only with the older builds, however.

    2. Re:First Post by mlts · · Score: 2, Funny

      Actually, DRM is more akin having security guards affix handcuffs, belly chains, leg irons, and a spit mask on all customers entering a shop. Yes, if one's customers have their hands cuffed behind their back, and their feet shackled to a shopping cart, they are not going to be shoplifting... but they are not going to be darkening the door of the store unless they have that sort of fetish.

    3. Re:First Post by laejoh · · Score: 3, Funny

      its hard to describe, but it feels good not being a pirate.

      You do realise you're contributing to global warming, do you?

    4. Re:First Post by Errtu76 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Judging by the content of your post, I assume none of these programs you pirated back then included a spell checker.

  2. I don't know. by Kamineko · · Score: 1, Funny

    Is this the start of a change for the wider industry? Or is this the only developer actively listening to the pirates point of view?"

    Uh... I don't know? Ask me later.

    1. Re:I don't know. by mazarin5 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Is this the start of a change for the wider industry? Or is this the only developer actively listening to the pirates point of view?

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      Fnord.
  3. Thanks by Kamineko · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nice to hear from you chris, and I wish you luck with that puzzley-platformer of yours!

  4. Re:I use the tools... by flyingsquid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Personally, I think the major reason that pirates steal games is that gold-laden Spanish galleons are now awful hard to come by.

  5. Re:I use the tools... by QuantumRiff · · Score: 4, Funny

    How do you play your games that ran on 5 1/4 inch floppies? DO you piss and moan that the publisher screwed you over, or wasn't forward thinking enough?

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    What are we going to do tonight Brain?
  6. Re:DONATIONS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    > If you aren't worth $10, you aren't worth a donation at all.

    Meh, if every slashdot user were to donate me $1, I would still be very, very happy (AC also accepts euros *hint hint*).

  7. Re:I use the tools... by halcyon1234 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You might notice, that since the days of floppies copy protection IS NOT STOPPING PIRACY.

    What are you talking about? That was the most influential period for me. It's when I learn the most important lesson in life: DON'T COPY THAT FLOPPY!

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    UTF-8: There and Back Again