This is also a big problem buying PC games, get a game with a used/supsended code? oh well you're SOL.

Great picture choice. His post name choice is pretty saddening though.

I buy everything I can, but once it's impossible to find anywhere but Ebay I feel no shame.

I thought about pirating CoD4, because I hated CoD3, but in the end I decided to do the right thing because my Internet is too slow and didn't want to wait.

>_> That said, it ended up being a great game and I'm glad I bought it.

I think everyone who has a descent computer steal a game on bit torrent here and there sometimes.

This is the only COD game I have ever bought and I'm glad I did. The multiplayer is awesome!

I don't understand where's the big deal with how many people play it illegaly.
much more important is how many people actually bought it, what are the sales figures of the PC version against the console version?

@saturnofthesega: Pirating FF8 as we speak.
Simultaneously gathering little piles of money for everything else.

Just wanna point out that piracy isn't stealing, that's why it's called piracy and not theft/stealing etc.
Don't like it when companies try to blur the line between the two.
There's an anti-piracy video here in Britain, it might be elsewhere too, and it says 'Piracy is Theft', which is absurd, they have different names for a reason.
It goes on to say 'You wouldn't steal a car'....no, but if I could copy one exactly off of a friend then I might do that.

i love pirating...only old films TV shows and SNES roms

Hence why the PC games market is a dead dog for most developers.

i thought must games couldn't be played online without a valid cd key??? I bought the game specifically so i could have multiplayer access. Oh well, the game turned out to be the BUSINESS!

I have some serious double-standards regarding piracy. I would never do it for games, but have no problem with pirating music or films. Wrong, I know, but that's just how I feel.

Sell it Cheaper, Make it Better.

Altho the "better" part doesn't apply to the fantastic GOTC that is CoD4.

@mrrobsa: Uhh... from dictionary.com:

pi·ra·cy /ˈpaɪrəsi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pahy-ruh-see] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun, plural -cies.
1. practice of a pirate; robbery or illegal violence at sea.
2. the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording, television program, patented invention, trademarked product, etc.: The record industry is beset with piracy.

Unauthorized still means illegal if I recall correctly.

@infi: probably weak as hell when compared to console sales.

But that's just my opinion... based on what I've read at Kotaku alone, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find out that my opinion is a complete understatement.

@NecronomiconUK: the PC game market is a dead dog because back in the day there would be shelves overcrowded with crap games. That combined with the fact that getting the right system requirements was a hassle for most lay-people and consoles started looking better and close to PC games with less hassle.

@mrrobsa: Piracy is robbery committed at sea. Not only is it stealing, it's a word that means stealing that stems from a profession entirely based upon stealing. Don't spread that propaganda anymore.

Normally the developers keep track if which keys the have generated this way no fake keys (from keygens etc.) work with online play. Wonder what the CoD4 developers choose to do instead.

He is also misusing the term stealing:
"In the criminal law, theft (also known as stealing) is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent."
[en.wikipedia.org]

@the-red-terror: Amen. >_>

Looks like they need a few ninja on their payroll.

@3bd:
Please re-read my post, I did not say that piracy was legal in any way.

And btw. Do the know that every one that has pirated CoD4 really would have bought it if the couldn't download it?

@anarfox: the should be they. Kotaku need edit function.

@mrrobsa: Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night after watching all your illegally copied movies?

@duckmouth: I agree with pirating Music, I really do, but movies and games I don't agree with, so we are basically almost the same on that account.

As for PC gaming and the problems with pirating, it is very real, and sad too. If I were PC developers I would stop releasing PC games alltogether unless it is through Steam and other similar services or like MMO where you pay a monthly fee or something. Just stop selling them in stores, it ain't worth it at all. Not to mention all the DRM/copy protection crap legitimate gamers have to put up with.

I did however consider pirating Kotor for PC awhile back, cause there was no copies to be found anywhere, and I allready played it for xbox but then I managed to find a copy of "best of star wars" collection box with the game in it in a bargain bin so I never did it. Which I'm glad I managed to find.

@the-red-terror:
Piracy is not stealing. That's why they have different names. If you were arrested for pirating copyrighted material, you would not be charged with stealing because they are two seperate things.

@Cappy:
Yes. I mean no.

@mrrobsa: Just because you want to live in a delusional world where it isn't harming the developers doesn't mean you should spread your lies to others.

@mrrobsa: Did you ever watch the IT Crowd? They had a hilarious bit at the beginning of one show, where they were watching a burned movie and an anti-piracy ad came on, good times.

On another note though, I don't even think it should be called piracy. It is a real term, but when its referring to downloading copyrighted material, its really a slang term for it that the industry coined. Last time I checked, downloading games or movies had nothing to do with pillaging and killing.

@mrrobsa: I think you're splitting hairs (or incredibly thin fibers) here. To say (or suggest) that piracy isn't stealing because they're two different words is almost like arguing that your car (or vehicle) doesn't run (or operate) on "fuel" because it runs (or functions) on "gasoline".

Oh and 3bd FTW! lol
Piracy: practice of a pirate i.e. ROBBERY!

Funny how thieves will often have to convince themselves first that what they're doing is ok because what they're doing isn't being called theft outright -it's Piiiiiiracy! Arrrrgh!

@3bd: Right, and how recent do you think that entry was made, and how much the recording industry paid to have that entered?

When I was broke I would download, now I buy because I'm getting paid. So pretty much my favourite game ever is Rome Total War, which I downloaded off a torrent and subsequently played for like 3 months straight. Now I buy all the Total War games (have retail copies of R:TW and Medieval 2:TW plus expansion packs)...and, crucially, recommend these to everyone as great games. So I don't consider myself a "pirate". Same for music and movies. Try before buy. Good creative products get remembered, and get recommendations...and that sells, too. Those people playing online with fake/"stolen" keys will probably be banned...and then what? Maybe they buy the game having played it and see how good the experience is. Maybe not. Better that they played it at all? Same for music and movies I say again. Too many games, movies and albums are crap to just buy on spec on launch day. Demos fill a gap, but not really for a $60 game. You need to know if it has annoying bugs late in the game, deep gameplay, etc. Same argument for used games at Gamestop, etc. Games are too expensive to just trust these sugarcoated 9.x/10 reviews and buy at launch. Been burned too many times to throw my money away.

@mrrobsa: You would be charged with copyright infringement.
Which is theft. Can we stop now?

@Quark:
I have never said that piracy does not harm developers, and what I have said is not lies, please stop your ad-hominem attacks, I have not resorted to name calling with anyone here.

I have a decent computer, and the fastest internets conection possible. (in my state) And I have never stolen a game. When you take a mob mentality of "Everyone else is doing it" , well may I suggest that you people find a friend and make like a lemming off a bridge. These theives are not just stealing a game and money from peoples pockets. There stealing innovation away from developers. The Market for PC may have to go to pay to play.

If its over ten years old and cant be found most places I think its ok *COUGHFALLOUTCOUGH*

@mrrobsa: That's fucking terrific logic. *sarcasm*

@the-red-terror: Yes, maybe if the sea is a sea of numbers and all the bytes (people) are being deleted (killed).

@wicko:
Classic, absolutely classic. Gotta love a bit of Graham Linehan!

Larceny isn't theft. It's a different word for a reason!

its not just PC games, please dont say that only PC games are being piratred

@wicko: Industry or pirate bay, I'm not to sure that it was the industry that coined the term tbh.

In any case, pirating games hurts gamers.

@mrrobsa: It is stealing, and dealing. It is also illegal in most countries. I think music ain't something worth money, or that musicians other then the ones doing conserts should get payed, so I don't care if people pirate music, but for my own piece of mind I just don't listen to music or download it, that way I ain't a thief :)

besides, im happy with my classics and LP.

whats wrong with a lil pie-ratting here n there? arrghhh

@wicko: Whaaa?
A better metaphor would be the internet is the sea, computers are ships, and bittorrent is my 64-pound carronade used for stealing spanish gold.

@The_Saint:
I was simply making it clear that piracy and theft are legally two different things, and we would do well to remember this. It's not just that the words are different, it is that they are two different crimes with different criteria and different sentences. It is piracy if you copy copyrighted material, it is theft if you take from someone else and they are left without.

@Spds: No, it's not. But since PC software is easily the most convenient to pirate, it's by far the most common. On consoles it's not nearly as relevant.

@Spds: Yes but console games aren't pirated anywhere near the extent of PC games. He has a point, why would you spend time and money developing a game for a system where 60% is pirated when you could develop for multiple systems where it's closer to 15% or even 10%?

@the-red-terror: On a serious note, I still wouldn't call it stealing.. sharing, yes. With stealing, someone has something to lose, and the other party has something to gain. Downloading, well, only half of that is satisfied. You might argue that developers are losing money that way, but this may not be entirely true. Believe it or not, not everyone downloads because they refuse to pay for it. I've downloaded plenty of games to see if they are worth paying for. Too many times have I been ripped off with games I purchased, and the latest trend is to punish the people actually paying for the game (Bioshock).

I pirate games. I also spend thousands of dollars a year on them. It doesn't make it right, but I have no choice. Some games have the DRM set up to give a legal consumer such a headache, it's better (user friendly) to steal a copy with a crack. I never understood DRM where you punish the people buying the game.

I am also not going to wait for Gametap, Virtual Console, PSN, Live marketplace, etc, to trickle out old school games. We want our games! We want them now! The industry had plenty of time to repackage X-Com and Goldeneye 64 and sell them on current platforms. They failed, so I took the initiative to get them myself.

The last time I bought a PC game it came with Starforce, which is basically a fucking virus. I don't condone stealing, but when shit like that is put on the disk that hinders lawful consumers its ridiculous.

Its like that damn piracy advert that's on damn near every Bluray now. If I pirated the film, I can be you money that that segment would be cut.

@mrrobsa: *sigh*
I'm taking their game and leaving them without money. Seriously, this was over like, 18 minutes ago.

@the-red-terror: lol its early, what do you want from me..

Now that everyone on Kotaku thinks I'm a dev-killing lousy pirate, I'll be off to do my exam. Sorry if anyone took offence, was just trying to explain why I don't like this blurring in recent times of these two seperate crimes. I still love you all.
Toodles.

@wicko: Not saying I don't do it, and I'm all for the reasoning behind it; I just firmly believe that it's stealing.

@mrrobsa: I agree with what you are saying, in fact I've said it quite a few times before and I always have people bashing me for it. But it is very true, they are different crimes and are punished for accordingly.

I believe I've heard in the states that the punishment is worse for piracy (whether its selling the copies or what, I don't know) is worse than for armed robbery.

@wicko: YOU MUST EXPEL EXCELLENCE FROM EVERY ORIFICE.
This goes for all of you. No crummy metaphors on my internets.

Oh yeah, it's totally cool that you pirate a game. I mean, who the hell cared about that stupid developer who spent millions of dollars and years of very difficult work to make a beautiful piece of art that is the game you are playing? I mean, why the hell should they get compensation for me playing and liking their game? They should be happy I like it, and live with that, they don't need my money to payback the costs of the development cycle, or to make a profit, because they don't deserve it. After all, it's just me downloading a game, it's not like $60 will make them go bankrupt. I mean sure I told my friend how to pirate it, and she probably told her friend, but I mean, that's like... a couple hundred dollars, pocket change to them, right? Besides, I need to fight the establishment, it's what the cool kids do.

(Major sarcasm if you are really dumb and didn't catch it.)

@the-red-terror: No copyright infring