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The Sims 3 Racks Up Over 180,000 Downloads Prior To Release
Bloomberg reports that pirated versions of EA's The Sims 3 were downloaded over 180,000 times between May 18 and May 21. The game will not be officially released until June 2nd, and it does not make use of SecuROM for DRM. Quoting:
"That outpaces the 400,000 downloads over three weeks for Electronic Arts' Spore, the most-pirated game of 2008. ... Copies of the game available on file-sharing Web sites aren't the full version, Electronic Arts said. 'The pirated version is a buggy, pre-final build of the game,' Holly Rockwood, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. 'It's not the full game. Half the world — an entire city — is missing from the pirated copy.'"
Ill just wait and pirate the full copy when it comes out then. Thanks for the heads up EA i wouldnt wanna pirate a substandard version.
Ok. Let me try this excuse:
"I pirated it because I couldn't buy it anywhere."
There. Done. I'm sure a number of people who pirated will end up buying a real copy once it's released so they can get the online content. But right now if you're itching to play the sims 3 or just see what it's like, you have no other options but to wait or pirate. Most people are quite impatient to say the least.
In Soviet Russia, the television watches YOU!
I'm downloading it so that EA feel compelled to put the DRM back in for the expansion packs. I will then start a campaign to boycott DRM laden games which will be so popular that no one will buy any of the $ims 3 expansion packs thereby killing the franchise once and for all.
Sadly, the only thing that will ever kill the Sims is somebody making a better Sims-type game. That or putting them in a swimming pool and removing the ladders.
It's an RPG without the geekyness.
There. Get it now?
You make a sim, you lvl up your skills, you progress in your job, you get quests, you group with others. In the end you die and make a new character. Repeat.
It's an RPG. You do understand why people like RPGs right?
A lot of people claim that sims is a "time managment" game. That's simply not true, managing your time is just the backdrop for the main goal of character advancment.
Oh and guess what, Sims 3 is an amazing RPG in that it's completley open ended. You make your own story, do your own thing. You can play the entire game without ever getting a job, looting other peoples trash for money and sleeping in their homes. Or you can play a typical recluse and never leave the house, chat online for all social interaction and hack for money.
If you don't see what the appeal is of a game that lets you do whatever you want, I'm not sure I can help you.
In Soviet Russia, the television watches YOU!
A few free downloadable content packs that would require online registration is all that's needed to make a number of customers out of pirates. It works for Stardock.
Actually, EA is doing exactly this with The Sims 3. When you register your game as legitly bought you get 1000 free points to download more stuff from their item store. So you get the free downloadable content there aswell.