Games Piracy - What's your take on it?
- Thread starter BlackDragon
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but surely most PC game enthusiast's know that the games are easily bought online for £17-20 which is hardly breaking the bank, after all you probably spend £20+ for a night in the local.
the longevity of a product is also not a viable reason to steal software is it really? for the above outlay a games longevity of say 4-8hrs is also not that bad, it just depends on the product.
the longevity of a product is also not a viable reason to steal software is it really? for the above outlay a games longevity of say 4-8hrs is also not that bad, it just depends on the product.
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I freely admit I pirate games, software, films, music, etc but who is it hurting when after I play/watch it I go out and buy it. And if I have no intention on buying the thing, I don’t download it. Simple as.
I've gone to the cinema several times to watch the same film, and then got back home to download a copy of it. Why, because I also want to watch it in my own time and then the DVD comes out I'll go out and buy it.
Same with games. I'll download a copy, play the game and then when I can afford to purchase a copy, I'll go out and buy it.
Where is the harm in what I do? And @ the OP, your telling me, you've never recording something off the telly to watch at a future date or even to watch again? Or even still, you've never borrowed a copy of that DVD you always wanted to watch from your mates? Because in my eyes, your going the same as us pirates, just that your not using the Internet.
I've gone to the cinema several times to watch the same film, and then got back home to download a copy of it. Why, because I also want to watch it in my own time and then the DVD comes out I'll go out and buy it.
Same with games. I'll download a copy, play the game and then when I can afford to purchase a copy, I'll go out and buy it.
Where is the harm in what I do? And @ the OP, your telling me, you've never recording something off the telly to watch at a future date or even to watch again? Or even still, you've never borrowed a copy of that DVD you always wanted to watch from your mates? Because in my eyes, your going the same as us pirates, just that your not using the Internet.
I agree with that. It does NOT hurt the industry in any way if the person pirating the material would never have bought it in the first place. No excuse makes it right of course, but then no one is an angel. There are FAR more important things to worry about in this world than some people playing a game for free!
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I'm saying its ok in his circumstance because the game developers aren't losing out by HIM downloading the game.
What point are you trying to make about 'balls to admit it'? I've explained his circumstance, and how it isn't harming game developement in the slightest.
I'm not saying piracy doesn't harm game development, I'm saying his situation of piracy doesn't.
This sort of justification for downloading software has one simple flaw - it is just like walking into a shop and stealing something.
When you buy something you aren't paying for the cost to produce that one item, you are paying for the cost of research/invention/engineering/development/profit/etc.
I can't walk into a shop and pick up a £500 TV and take it home, leaving them
with a note saying 'here's £125, thanks for the TV - don't worry, you haven't lost out on anything, because it'll only cost you £125 to make a new one to replace it.'
Do you genuinely think that it would cost them £500 to build a new TV to replace the £500 TV that I stole? Just because I leave them the cost of replacing the stolen unit, doesn't mean they aren't losing out.
So just because it would cost a company 'nothing' to replace stolen software, doesn't justify stealing it.
Using the excuse of 'he cant't afford to buy it, so wouldn't have bought it anyway' is just another poor way of justifying getting something for nothing. The reason he downloads it is because he wants to have it, he can get away with it, it saves him money and his own morals don't prevent him from doing it. Nothing else.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not on a high horse and I'm not preaching as holier-than-thou. I'm not going to openly admit anything on these forums, but lets just say hypothetically that I have downloaded things in the past and probably will do in future. So I'm not posting this as a 'OMG you downloaded software, you're going to hell' - but more in annoyance at the very weak eaxcuses people use to try and justify their theft.
The simple fact is that people download software because they want to have it and they know they can get away with downloading it for free. Nothing else.
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I haven't paid more than £25 for a game in a very long time and most of the time I'll wait and buy it 6 to 8 months after it's come out by which time it can be had for roughly £10.
Look at it on the DVD scale, you'll pay £10 for a 2 hours film so £25 for a 6 to 8 hour interactive game seems very reasonable to me. At least we don't have console game prices.
Just because the manufacturer isn't losing out on the cost of that one item doesn't mean that it is different to any other theft.
Read my above post - it's the same as stealing a TV worth £500 and then leaving £125 or whatever it would 'cost' the manufacturer to replace that one TV. Just because the cost to replace is zero, doesn't make any difference.
In my example I could say...
The manufacturer doesn't lose out (I left him enough money to build a replacement), so its ok
I wouldn't have bought the TV in the first place, so its ok
These are the excuses that people use to try and justify stealing software, but it is completely irrelevant. People steal software because they want to have it and they know they will almost certainly get away with it without being caught.
The excuses people come up with are just lame - if you're going to steal it, then be man enough to admit that you're doing it because you just want to have something for free. Because no matter what you say, it's still theft and it's no different to stealing a tangible item and leaving behind a 'token payment' to pay for the 'cost' of replacing it.
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Which law? What country?
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Another Piracy thread 
Piracy is wrong, no two ways about. You can make excuses all you like there is no real justification. I have not pirated a PC game in a long time. But perhaps I can't say the same for music and films. Generally I download something I have not intentions of paying for but am still curious about it. If it turns out to be good I'll buy it. I am not defending myself here or trying to justify it, just stating my reasoning. I feel less guilty as generally I'm not spending any less on entertainment as I was before.
Also, I would be much more likely to pay for content online if it were more reasonably priced. Take music, I'm not spending £10 quid on an album when I go buy/order a physical copy complete with cover art, inlays and then rip it for the same price. That just does not computer. IMO the lables are saving money, so pass some of the savings on to me.
I am looking to get CoD 4 (no I have not pirated it) and went on to steam. It work out at £41!!!! Way overpriced and not going to happen.
The market for movies music and games is rapidly changing and companies need to adapt to it. At the moment the best they are doing is offering crippled download services that are overpriced. Not the way forward or how to help combat piracy.
Anyway as others have said piracy has been around for ever. I got an old AC/DC vinyl the other day and the inlay had a huge picture of a tape and it said "Home recording is killing the music industry" yeah right, it's still doing fine 25 years later...
Piracy is wrong, no two ways about. You can make excuses all you like there is no real justification. I have not pirated a PC game in a long time. But perhaps I can't say the same for music and films. Generally I download something I have not intentions of paying for but am still curious about it. If it turns out to be good I'll buy it. I am not defending myself here or trying to justify it, just stating my reasoning. I feel less guilty as generally I'm not spending any less on entertainment as I was before.
Also, I would be much more likely to pay for content online if it were more reasonably priced. Take music, I'm not spending £10 quid on an album when I go buy/order a physical copy complete with cover art, inlays and then rip it for the same price. That just does not computer. IMO the lables are saving money, so pass some of the savings on to me.
I am looking to get CoD 4 (no I have not pirated it) and went on to steam. It work out at £41!!!! Way overpriced and not going to happen.
The market for movies music and games is rapidly changing and companies need to adapt to it. At the moment the best they are doing is offering crippled download services that are overpriced. Not the way forward or how to help combat piracy.
Anyway as others have said piracy has been around for ever. I got an old AC/DC vinyl the other day and the inlay had a huge picture of a tape and it said "Home recording is killing the music industry" yeah right, it's still doing fine 25 years later...
I had a "look" at Crysis even though I had it on pre-order. I still bought the game...so to the op:
Get off your high horse
I have a box which I can take pictures of and do what ever you like with (be sensible)
Sometimes I like to test if the game is even worth buying...if it isn't then I don't play it usually.
Get off your high horse
I have a box which I can take pictures of and do what ever you like with (be sensible)
Sometimes I like to test if the game is even worth buying...if it isn't then I don't play it usually.
The difference between pc games and console games is that if you don't like a console game you can take it back or sell it for a small loss. As soon as you open a pc game it becomes almost worthless, that's why it's such a gamble to buy pc games and many people do download just to test the water with a new game.
I would agree with a lot of the above. Recenlty I will admit to downloading supreme commander and unreal tournement 3 BECAUSE they came out online a week before official release dates. I already had one preordered and one I brought when it arrived. Whos harmed? Its like films. I will download a film, yes, so if its good I will buy the dvd.
And all this stuff about "lost revenue" for the companies is complete BS. How do they calculate this? Assume every person that pirates (which is impossible to track) would have brought the game if they didnt download it? What a load of rubbish! Maybe out of 100 pirates, 15 would buy it, and another 20 do anyway.
And on another point. Who here doesnt have mp3s? That is exactly the same thing, weather you copied it freom your own cds or not, its still making a duplicate of music unlawfully.
And all this stuff about "lost revenue" for the companies is complete BS. How do they calculate this? Assume every person that pirates (which is impossible to track) would have brought the game if they didnt download it? What a load of rubbish! Maybe out of 100 pirates, 15 would buy it, and another 20 do anyway.
And on another point. Who here doesnt have mp3s? That is exactly the same thing, weather you copied it freom your own cds or not, its still making a duplicate of music unlawfully.
I disagree. Whether he does or doesn't download this game, the same thing happens. Nothing is taken, no one loses any money or gains anything.
So, how is the company losing out?
As said, nothing tangible is taken, he doesn't have the means to pay for the game, so if in a perfect world there was no piracy then he simply wouldn't buy it.
I'm playing devils advocate here, because I don't condone piracy (believe it or not) I just sympathise with his position, in that he isn't harming the industry, even if what he is doing is illegal.
Erm..UK Copyright law......Erm UK.......
Didnt realise this was a test
I know it seems like an asinine question to ask 'which law' and 'what country', but it matters.
What I'm getting at is - what is actually illegal? Is it cracking the game? Is it uploading the game? Is it downloading the game? Is it possession of the game without a license? All of the above? Also, does it matter who and where the host(s) is/are?
Fact is I don't know the law.
Games are always a must buy for me. I have downloaded them in the past as someone said above - when there IS no demo and I don't think I will like it.
Movies on the other hand - it sickens me how much money actors earn etc, so I have no problem with anyone pirating movies
Movies on the other hand - it sickens me how much money actors earn etc, so I have no problem with anyone pirating movies
He gains a copy of the game.
Read the post again. Just because no-one loses out, doesn't justify the theft. It's the same as taking a £500 TV out of a store and leaving a 'token payment' of £125 (or whatever) that it would cost them to 'replace' the TV.
The company are able to 'replace' the TV for FAR less than £500 - but that doesn't mean I can walk in and take it - so long as I leave them enough money to ensure they don't 'lose out'.
The fact that the company don't 'lose out' is not justification for theft.
Read my example and try and point out a difference if you like
I'll re-post from an earlier post of mine...
Just because the manufacturer isn't losing out on the cost of that one item doesn't mean that it is different to any other theft.
Read my above post - it's the same as stealing a TV worth £500 and then leaving £125 or whatever it would 'cost' the manufacturer to replace that one TV. Just because the cost to replace is zero, doesn't make any difference.
In my example I could say...
The manufacturer doesn't lose out (I left him enough money to build a replacement), so its ok
I wouldn't have bought the TV in the first place, so its ok
These are the excuses that people use to try and justify stealing software, but it is completely irrelevant. People steal software because they want to have it and they know they will almost certainly get away with it without being caught.
The excuses people come up with are just lame - if you're going to steal it, then be man enough to admit that you're doing it because you just want to have something for free. Because no matter what you say, it's still theft and it's no different to stealing a tangible item and leaving behind a 'token payment' to pay for the 'cost' of replacing it.
And to an extent I am playing devils advocate too - as I am not someone who can stand here and say I've never done the same thing as this guys brother.
BUT my point is simple - there is NO justification - you just have to be man enough to admit you want something for free.
i dont think you've quite got the point of this thread
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA come on we all know punkbuster stops very few cheaters and pirates
Ok heres my pretty much my opinion as told by and over caffeinated Lego man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOprxFvNq1o
when i was at college i did pirate a lot of games mainly because i wanted to play them, i know its probably quite amoral but i didnt loose any sleep over it. now i have a full time job i can afford to buy all the games i want but i still feel im being ripped off (i do buy them now tho). if games were priced around the £25 mark on release rather than the £35 mark it wouldn't stop pirates dead in there tracks but people may be more susceptible to going out to purchase them legally than getting copies of other peoples/ downloading them. i feel the same way about books more people would read books if they weren't £6-£8 a pop that was a lot of money to me as a kid and you can get DVD's cheaper than that.
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