Video game piracy

[Geneaux486]

My view is basically if someone creates something that one deems desireable, the creator of that product deserves to be compensated for it. A pirated game is a lost sale no matter what. If the pirated version did not exist a person would either not play it, or break down and buy it. If one obtains the work of another by means other than lawful transaction, it is a lost sale.

[Alyxx Thorne]

System Shock 1 & 2

Available on TPB...

I think you can also find some used copies on ebay.

[Bjossi]

I don't quite understand that post. He was going to preorder the game for PS3 at EB games when it became available but then he found out about torrenting so instead of using his money on the game he is just going to torrent it when it is released. Correct anything you think I've misunderstood because I'm not quite sure what your saying.

 

In that case he will pirate regardless of the quality of the product, so yes, he should not be counted as a lost sale.

[Alyxx Thorne]

In my opinion it should be illegal to make illegal copies of a game and make money off it yourself. That's true piracy.

[Axeldeath]

I don't quite understand that post. He was going to preorder the game for PS3 at EB games when it became available but then he found out about torrenting so instead of using his money on the game he is just going to torrent it when it is released. Correct anything you think I've misunderstood because I'm not quite sure what your saying.

 

In that case he will pirate regardless of the quality of the product, so yes, he should not be counted as a lost sale.

 

But if there was no such thing as torrenting... He would have bought the PS3 version and given the dev's the money they deserve.

[Alyxx Thorne]

If there was no torrenting I'm sure he'd find other ways of pirating it anyway.

[Axeldeath]

Well okay... No way to pirate it then.

[Alyxx Thorne]

If there was no way to pirate games he'd probably buy it yeah. But that's not a very realistic scenario, now is it?

[Axeldeath]

Not really my point. My point is if there was no way to pirate games then the developers would get the money they deserve.

 

*EDIT* Damn... I just realised one simple legal thing that destroys my whole arguement...

 

Developers get no money from people buying pre-owned games..

[Alyxx Thorne]

I think pirates will always exist and will always find ways to share games illegally. It's not something you can just take away.

[Axeldeath]

Yeah but my original point was: Piracy is bad. Piracy is bad because it's stealing from the dev's.

 

I'm not saying it wont continue.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I think it's more complicated than that really. There's always tons of what-if's...

[Axeldeath]

Here is my list of when it's okay to pirate a game-

1. To backup the copy you have already bought

2. If a game is no longer available for purchase

3. If you are definetly going to get the game

 

There's probably a few more I'd accept but pirating no matter what is BAD and pirating because you don't think it's worth the money is BAD.

[Mr. 13]

With the amount of work that goes into making a game, mod, etc... I think it's terrible to just take that hard work illegally. It doesn't matter if the company is big (unless it's EA). I think it's insulting to the game developer, and if I were a game developer I wouldn't want people stealing my hard work which pays my salary. If you're worried you won't like the game, watch some gameplay videos on Youtube or download an official demo if one is available.

[Kirkreng]

(unless it's EA)

Or activision

[BTGBullseye]

If you're worried you won't like the game, watch some gameplay videos on Youtube or download an official demo if one is available.

A lot of decent games look like crap gameplay in those videos, but are extremely fun when played. Most of the rest look like it's the best game ever, but when actually played, sucks...

 

Demos on the other hand have been known to run on entirely separate game engines, and in some rare cases, not have anything in the demo that is in the game apart from textures and credits.

 

Now if every demo was like the Quake 2 demo, where it was 3 levels straight out of the game, without any changes to the map/enemies/gameplay/etc, (additional weapons were placed) then I would agree with you on that point.

[Lord Sinister]

The Crysis demo was taken from the full game. So was Half-life 2's demo and Portal's, Doom 3's, Amnesia: The Dark Descent's, Starcraft 2's...

 

And obviously there may have to be minor changes, after all the game has to end when the demo level finishes regardless. There may be minor changes for gameplay purposes such as giving the player the weapons they should have by the time they've reached that part of the game in the full version. The idea is to provide a demonstration of the game you're considering buying. I myself have not seen any misleading demos recently.

[Geneaux486]

2. If a game is no longer available for purchase

 

In most cases like this the game would be in the public domain at that point, and it wouldn't be illegal to download it. If my sources are right, of course.

[BTGBullseye]

2. If a game is no longer available for purchase

 

In most cases like this the game would be in the public domain at that point, and it wouldn't be illegal to download it. If my sources are right, of course.

Your sources are correct. I love when laws make unsupported + no longer sold items free...

[Alyxx Thorne]

The main reason I buy games is to avoid having to deal with cracks that don't work, cracks that contain viruses, getting a CD key that is entirely my own and that gives me certain rights as a gamer and other reasons. Limited editions with unique extras are also good reasons I buy games.