Some personal thoughts on piracy (warning - long post)

[Frontcannon]

If pirates really did buy the games they 'play tested' with 'full retail demos', I don't think anyone would make a stink about it.

The industry loves its 'lost sales'-argument way too much to let go of it

[mattwestwick]

Theres more quotes than logical and reasonable arguments here. I think using quotes is a really nasty way of twisting people's words and turning the attention away from the topic and onto an individual.

If you want to be productive how about suggesting means of negating the methods of piracy. We're not getting anywhere by bickering over who has the moral high-ground. The guy stated his case and demonstrated his awarness of how others might feel about it. If nothing else at least he has given an insight into something most would find abhorant and avoid even thinking about.

I find it completely out of the ordinary that someone would post on the forums of a game they have not paid for or pirated. So perhaps we can take this rare case and actually learn something from it rather than resorting to a witch-hunt and terrible comparisons. A little clemency is in need I think.

Always think twice. The first time is reaction, the second, reflection.

So to refresh the topic heres the crux:

Frictional make game. Lots of people download it for free. How do we stop this without degrading the game?

[Frontcannon]

Piracy can't and never will be stopped. All what the internet offers comes with a price, the same means that allow Frictional Games to distribute their game online allow pirates to distribute it on torrent sites

[BeefJerky]

Piracy can't and never will be stopped. All what the internet offers comes with a price, the same means that allow Frictional Games to distribute their game online allow pirates to distribute it on torrent sites

They've been pretty successful with the closed architecture systems like the 360. Sure, there are plenty of mod videos on Youtube, but how many of them are just script kiddies that wind up getting banned the week following their leet hax0r skillz?

Far less people are willing to monkey with their consoles. That Frictional has stated a desire to move onto those platforms I think is a smart move provided that the quality is there from release.

Computer snobs will frown upon this, of course, and conjure stories of the mythical time when console games took less brain power than PC games.

[davva]

distribute their game online allows pirates to distribute it on torrent sites

they can still make it a torrent even if it isn't from a CD/DVD amirite?

[Spooder Wekd]

Wow, well theres been plenty of good arguments on both sides, but noone's mind will be changed no matter how long we fight. Pirates like free things and non-pirates like supporting those who make them. The fact that pirates must defend themselves says something. You don't see non-pirates going around looking for excuses to pay for something. Pirates know what they do is wrong. That is why they would not walk up to a cop and tell them they have $1000+ dollars of stolen software.

[mattwestwick]

I don't think it's as clear cut as that.

Looking for a simple answer won't solve anything when it is really a complex one that is right.

You can't end piracy but it can be significantly reduced. And trust me compared to just a few years ago it has been. But this was mainly because the potential for an online market place had not yet been fully explored. As the few remaining consumers who don't trust online stores come around to modern methods, the act of piracy will diminsh until it is too risky for pirates to operate without the cover of the masses who download their hacks.

It used to be the case that "Everybody does it", as there was little alternative without moving your fat arse down to a game store. With new online payments theres less excuse to pirate and so illegal downloads will become more taboo and come with higher risk and less anonymity. Remember direct file-sharing sites like limewire sending out bills to people for thousands of bucks? Torrents will eventually go the same way.

The problem with amnesia is that it was delivered with a model that would have been suitable say ten years ago, when all you had to do to pirate a game was get a no-cd crack. The fact that it doesn't even come with a cd just suckered them completely. It just made it too easy to steal. And was devoured by pirates who were shocked to see such an easy prey.

Sure you can still pirate almost any game or any console but it is becoming an increasingly niche "market" as counter-methods and public acceptances change. Pirating will be history soon but we still have an aging generation that accepts it. Soon the new kids won't even have a concept of owning a cd for software. Hopefully the media will blank out such a vast history of ripping games.

[davva]

too be honest with all of ya'll, i pirated Amesia first, i beated the whole game. 2 days later i bought Amnesia, all of the penumbra games + the soundtrack for penumbra.

can you guys forgive me ?

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btw they should do like a Amnesia soundtrack super_secret thing, you get all the soundtrack and how they made the creepy noises in the game (etc)

much like what they did with Penumbra OST

[Spooder Wekd]

too be honest with all of ya'll, i pirated Amesia first, i beated the whole game. 2 days later i bought Amnesia, all of the penumbra games + the soundtrack for penumbra.

can you guys forgive me ?

---

btw they should do like a Amnesia soundtrack super_secret thing, you get all the soundtrack and how they made the creepy noises in the game (etc)

much like what they did with Penumbra OST

Wow, well thats about as big a U turn as I have ever seen!

[Frontcannon]

they can still make it a torrent even if it isn't from a CD/DVD amirite?

?
You can make everything a torrent..