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Denver, 9:04 AM
Sat Dec 5
48 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/07/08
I've downloaded my fair share of music, and I've seen a sizable amount of movies for which I did not pay (initially) but I genuinely care too much about the gaming industry to ever consider ripping them off in any way. It infuriates me, this piracy. It makes my blood boil that I know people who have softmodded 360s. I feel like it's harsh to say but the PC gaming industry is going to be killed by its own gamers. Everyone says "oh just one gamer stealing won't hurt," but look at those fucking numbers! They're bringing it down rapidly because they are greedy, and now no one wants to develop for the PC anymore.
I've only been up for 20 minutes, I'm going to stop now before I trail off anymore.
12/07/08
12/07/08
I only hope that the millions of people who pirated the above games find that they feel the same way, or we might as well throw capitalism and the rule of law onto the bonfire.
>_>
12/07/08
That's a very good point. To me, it's the same feeling as beating an RPG using cheats to get maxed out characters and the ultimate equipment from the get-go. There's just something missing, something that prevents you from really enjoying the game.
And the more I like a game, the crabbier I would feel if I'd pirated it.
Your point is also very relevant in regards to DRM. More and more gamers feel like they don't own the games they paid for. Worse, they feel like they're constantly under suspicion and supervision, which makes it hard to serenely enjoy the game.
It's similar to attending a concert or a sports event with an overwhelming police presence: you'll still have fun, but you won't feel as comfortable and carefree as you should.
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12/07/08
If so, it would be fair to say that the figures may be an order of magnitude higher than TorrentFreak's disclosure.
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12/07/08
Canadian ISPs ftl.
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12/07/08
As much as I hate piracy, I kind of wish I'd just torrented it. I haven't played the game since 2 days after release.
12/07/08
I wonder if this will help the 'No DRM' cause or send publishers into more of a panic. Here's hoping that on the back of Gabe Newell's recent comments it's the latter.
I'm sure it goes without saying that, although this is proof that games do get pirated, and to VERY large amounts (1.7 million!) it also shows that DRM isn't doing anything to hamper piracy and in Spore's case it gave a bunch of people with poor scruples enough to 'justify' piracy.
I wonder, how do you guys at Kotaku Towers feel about reporting on Torrent activity? Obviously it's a key issue to all core gamers, and as such is one that should be reported on at times. But are you loath to do so? Do you feel as though you could be promoting it at all, intention or no (and that's not supposed to come across as an accusation).
My assumption is that, realistically, people who are pirating these games or intend to are going to do it regardless and they're probably not relying on Kotaku to find out when that latest iso drops.
Anyway, don't mind me, just trying to comment with some content. Forgive me if this kind of discussion's been covered in a podcast or something.
12/07/08
They aren't telling you exactly how, when, and where to steal cars, but they're telling you that it's going on.
12/07/08
I own retail versions of 6 of them now.
12/07/08
I'm sure most of those numbers didn't pay for the game eventually, they don't have to. But that doesn't mean there isn't a contingent of people who do go out and buy a retail copy to collect dust.
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12/07/08
DRM is still an excuse to download. People were downloading insane amount MP3s back in 2000 on Napster and other services, and those tracks didn't have DRM back then.
To put it bluntly, people pirate shit for one reason only ... BECAUSE THEY CAN.
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I wouldn't. The outcome of said meeting will be "More DRM!"
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I don't condone piracy, but that comparison annoys me.
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12/07/08
I'm just saying be rational, don't go for the propaganda tagline all the time.
12/07/08
Piracy is illegal. You're getting a game without paying for it. When you steal it off the shelves, you're getting a game without paying for it.
So what if you're leaving the original copy with the company. That doesn't suddenly make it OK. I'm not saying that pirates deserve the death penalty. I'm saying that they're the same as thieves who take it off store shelves.
12/07/08
Every time the subject of piracy comes up, some people will inevitably bring up the usual comparisons: it's like shoplifting, it's like picking pockets, it's like stealing a car, it's like... But it isn't.
Piracy is not the same thing as stealing somebody else's property, thus depriving the original owner of their use or of the product of their sale.
This obviously doesn't make piracy OK, and I entirely agree that there is no truly valid justification for piracy, only flimsy ones at best.
However, as in all things, if you want to criticise something effectively, make sure your arguments aren't flawed.
There are plenty of perfectly legitimate arguments against piracy without resorting to ones that make you open to discredit. In the end, reducing the issue to "piracy is stealing" doesn't help the anti-piracy discourse at all, and certainly won't make pirates see the light.
12/07/08
12/07/08
(I agree particularly with the fact that "Pirates just don't understand that games are a privilege not a right." And pirates aren't the only ones who don't understand that: I've often tried to make that same argument to people who considered it "unacceptable" or "an injustice" that Game X was exclusive to System A, when it should be available to all... Come again?!)
12/07/08
12/07/08
This holier-than-thou standpoint is ridiculous. I've heard legitimate arguments against piracy in the past, but I'm sorry, the illegality doesn't cut it, unless you have a way of proving you really are for 100% abiding by the law for all human beings. And you know what? Even if you are, most people morally don't see it that way, so waving around that argument doesn't work anyway. Try again.
(Disclaimer: I do not condone piracy of course, I'm just tired of these ridiculous hypocritical statements)
12/07/08
I played for about an hour, and I'm so glad I did. I found it to be incredibly dull.
12/07/08
However, Piracy is still a crime. Way I figure, it's like going to the bookstore and photocopying all the pages. The original book is still there, and someone can buy it later, but the store, publisher, and Author don't get the money they should be getting from you reading the book.
While EA wouldn't have gotten everyone who pirated it to otherwise purchase it, at least ~20% might have. That means EA lost over TWENTY MILLION dollars in sales. That is a whole hell of a lot.
12/07/08
It's disappointing to see people still thinking that if someone pirates a game, they are automatically a bad person. Sorry, but a poor understanding of the situation does not grant one free license to damn anyone who decides to pirate a game.
But I guess to some, it's perfectly ok to pay $50 for a rental.