An In-Depth Look At Game Piracy

TweakGuides is running a detailed examination of PC game piracy. The author begins with a look at the legal, moral, and monetary issues behind copyright infringement, and goes on to measure the scale of game piracy and how it affects developers and publishers. He also discusses some of the intended solutions to piracy. He provides examples of copy protection and DRM schemes that have perhaps done more harm than good, as well as less intrusive measures which are enjoying more success. The author criticizes the "culture of piracy" that has developed, saying. "Fast forward to the 21st century, and piracy has apparently somehow become a political struggle, a fight against greedy corporations and evil copy protection, and in some cases, I've even seen some people refer to the rise of piracy as a 'revolution.' What an absolute farce. ... Piracy is the result of human nature: when faced with the option of getting something for free or paying for it, and in the absence of any significant risks, you don't need complex economic studies to show you that most people will opt for the free route."

Comments

excuse me, mr. idiot

[unity100]

"Fast forward to the 21st century, and piracy has apparently somehow become a political struggle, a fight against greedy corporations and evil copy protection, and in some cases, I've even seen some people refer to the rise of piracy as a 'revolution.' What an absolute farce. ... Piracy is the result of human nature: when faced with the option of getting something for free or paying for it, and in the absence of any significant risks, you don't need complex economic studies to show you that most people will opt for the free route.

and political struggles and revolutions are EXACTLY that.

an unglorified movement of 'rabble', at least at the start, which developes into a formatted, defined ideological struggle.

if you had seen french revolutionaries in 1789, you would want to spray them with insecticide. it was a total stampede of barbarians. but then, in 2-3 years' time, it has become the very thing that awarded your sorry ass with the modern social guidelines about human rights, civil conduct we know today.

piracy is exactly like that. just like it was back in 17th century, in which mercantilism was the order of the day. smugglers and pirates and traders ignored royal laws and edicts and traded with the nations they were barred from trading. the nations who were prevented from trading turned to piracy. no armada was able to stop piracy up until end of 16th century, when countries eased mercantilist laws and started trading with each other. then piracy waned like an extinguishing candle.

same goes with software/music/movie piracy. IF, you are not providing a product that justifies it cost with EVERY aspect of itself, people WILL pirate and even out the thing. even if it takes more hassle to actually find a good, acceptable, virus free, quality copy of the game, movie, music, and even if it takes days to download and set up to watch (those horrible codecs and filters), even if it is missing on features .... AS LONG AS the hassle justifies the thing, they will do it.

now imagine something different. imagine that, im able to acquire a game i need for $10. imagine that i can acquire it online at any time, directly download it to my computer in just half an hour. imagine it works regardless of where i put it, without any installation, shitty copy protection, problems, anything. do you think, unless im really in need of cash, AND i have the means to pay that company online through internet without any security/privacy issues, i still would go through the hassle that is pirating ?

i wouldnt. and i dont. and IF i was in desperate need of $10, you wouldnt take my money regardless of the laws or enforcements you might have put out. thats a segment of society that is never going to be able to pay for those, so get charging them out of your mind already.

an excellent example is spore. there was too much hype about the game, and the premise looked good. so, i go, buy it, shelling out $30, thinking it was a game worthy of my cash. i come home, i install the thing, only to discover that it is shitting with my computer, trying to install stuff i do not want on it. i go get a crack for the exe so it wont be disturbing MY property in a way i dont want. i actually, had to, CRACK a game i have PAID for. this is an irony that can kill people.

6 hours of gameplay, another 3 hours of forced gameplay on the weekend, another 4 hours more on sunday, and i decide game wasnt worth either my 30 bucks, or the hassle i went through for the cracking. now i think, if i had known that it was going to be like that beforehand, i wouldnt even take the hassle of pirating and acquiring it through the internet even.

too few are the games im going paying and buying boxed. and they generally happen to be the same software houses' stuff. you know, bioware, blizzard and so on. the companies who actually at least TRY to continue the pre-1995 (advent of the cd) era of innovative, entertaining game developme

But not music, right?

[AugstWest]

Now if only someone was allowed to present such a sane argument about music piracy on Slashdot, I would think people might have finally actually grown up.

Fat chance, tho.

Re:Try this:

[Wildclaw]

Actually, I prefer calling piracy, raping, as in

"I am proud to rape those RIAA bastards."
or
"I raped Britney Spears yesterday" (Only an example. I wouldn't admit listening to BS)

The only way to fight the modern newspeech facists is to embrace it and use it against them.