So how do I deal with that problem? EASY…
I DON’T FUCKING SCUBA DIVE.
It gives me something to work towards. If you can’t afford games then get a better job or find a hobby you CAN afford.
Activision is a huge company and they’re picking on the little guy.
Correction. Activision is an ENORMOUS company and they are prosecuting THIEVES.
All games should be free anyway.
I won’t even delve into the lunacy of that argument’s fictional impact on the development of the industry. But by the same measure, who decided this and how can I get that same principle applied to, say, Ferraris. I would love to have it deemed that Ferraris should be free, so that I can go snag one without the guilt and prison sentence that goes with the REAL Grand Theft Auto.
For some reason there are gamers out there who feel it is their god-given right to play anything and everything that is made, and you know what Sparky? I don’t care. Do it up. Have fun.
Be a thief.
But when the feds come knocking at your door, and you get fined 20-years-worth of your McDonald’s earnings, don’t try to turn yourself into the digital version of Nelson Mandella.
You’re not a martyr.
You’re a thief who got caught.
If I run a red light, chances are I know the risks both to my safety and to my checking account when I do it. I accept that there are potential consequences for my actions. So too should software pirates understand that they really are risking for their little reward.
Besides, why on God’s green Earth were these defendants all pirating CoD3?
Not only are they gonna lose their asses on fines, they’re also out a ton of street cred.
Halo or GTA I could understand…. but…
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Wow!
You really seem pissed about those pirates. (which is understandable, obviously)
..but what brought on such a random rant?
All of the news flying around with the Acitivision lawsuits.
Good question… I should have clarified… wait I still can.
Less money to the developer, and that means less good games. If all bought their games, they would make better games (hopefully).
If you want to play games for free, borrow them from friends, or play free games! Cave Story (google) is a FANTASTIC free game. go go go!
I agree Doc. I have never pirated a game or had or any real desire to. If I want a game, I will work for it.
You know why I love pirated games? Cuz they’re free!!! YIPPIE!
Im backing him too… with all the attention pirating receives these days… anyone who doesnt get it’s wrong… just hope they get it fast….
And if they dont care, they can kiss it.
Lono you couldn’t pirate your way out of a paper bag. We have to constantly teach you how to log in to wordpress.
i would like to play pokemon on my psp… thanks to piracy we can do it!!
but dont get confused comparing piracy and abandonware… in a few years nintendo 64 could be interpreted like abandonware
Abandon ware? Is that like if you own land in Montana but you don’t really go there, just hold the land… people could move onto that land and build a house?
Abandonware is the theory that if a game is no longer supported, produced, and otherwise, the company who owns it is making no attempt to make money on it (or no longer exists TO make money on it), it’s up for grabs.
This is the one place I kinda dont know what to say. On one side, it IS still owned, so I dont want to see it happen, but on the other, that also means some real classics (for the right or wrong reasons) disappear from the world if they dont.
Although I would also go easier on the abandonware crowd because if a company nudges them and says “knock it off” they usually do. (Sometimes hoping it means an official release is comming back.)
your argument makes no sence. if someone cant afford games they should switch hobbies? if they make little money then they are already not gonna buy the game in the first place. however this method is usually used in poorer countries where there is no minimum wage and the average salary is around 200$ a month.
@shawn…
Then how the hell did they get an Xbox, and how are they copying it and where ar they getting the money to upload it all over the world.
I think the starving children of thrid world countries would agree with me that you’re high. They have better things to do.
I have 2 things to say about this and they keep running in to each other, pirating and used games.
You pirate a game, devs/pub get no money from you (although you might buy that game later on). You buy a used game, the devs/pub get no money from you, they got money from it at one time, but just that once.
About older games, (I think) the law says that you have to own a game to download the rom; well that’s fine for a game I own like Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but for a game I don’t own, lets say Moonwalker, even if I go on ebay or somewhere else and buy it the devs and publisher aren’t getting any money so what is the point of buying it. Also, when I download the rom that means I can use things like save states, turbo buttons, and play the game on my PSP; I am in the car a lot so that is a good thing. I am playing through the first 6 Mega Man games (well the first one doesn’t work on my emulator) on the PSP right now, I will probably end up buying Mega Man 9 on the PSN but will not be able to take it with me or use save states (which will challenge me).
Also, I will try more PSP games by downloading them first and probably buy more, even if I beat the whole game I will still buy it. I also like that fact that my PSP is not just a PSP, but also a NES, SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, N64, and PS1.
when I was growing up in Dubai it was a fad of sorts to play pirated games, All the gamers I knew (myself included) played pirated games, the reason for this being that we could save money and get games not released yet.. Keep in mind that we used to get shafted on release dates which has changed nowadays….. However, after realizing the ethical wrong doing of supporting the pirating industry I’m proud to say all of my games I know currently own are 100% legitimately obtained.
Good point, and how can I tell if my digital download MP3 is an original or a copy and if the seller is legit? Can I sell my purchased MP3 on Ebay?
I don’t think piracy is the same thing as stealing a car off a lot; and I do think there can be legitimate reasons for some “piracy” tools (for instance, I have no moral qualms with using a no-CD crack for a game I own); however, I agree 100% with everything else.
I think the only two core reasons for piracy are “Because I can” or “to see if I can” (the original hackers/crackers seeing it as a challenge), or “Because I’m a cheap bastid and don’t want to pay for the game.” Every other excuse I’ve heard has either been a rationalization or could drill down to one of those.
I also think used games vs. pirated games are too totally different arguments. I also have no problem buying, selling, trading used games. Virtually every industry has a used market, singling used games out as some big danger to the market is a flawed argument. It’s no more harmful to the videogame industry than used bookstores, used car dealerships, or real estate agents selling new and used homes (maybe real estate isn’t the best example now, but it’s not because of the used market.)
I’d like to point out that game pirates aren’t walking into stores and stealing games off the shelf. They’re not removing product that could be sold. They’re simply not buying it. Or in the case of crackers and distributors, giving other people the choice to not buy it.
I’m sorry, but if you want to produce and sell a product, you should probably make sure there isn’t an easy way to get the same thing for free. It’s like trying to sell pinecones, when pinecones, except, even if there’s a huge demand, any ONE pinecone you sell can be digitally copied and beam all around the earth for free.
i remember being young, (4 months ago and thinking piracy was ok once or twice, i learned my F****ing lesson when my bud got busted, i also relized it was jackassery and its not worth it, i didnt download the games but i borrowed his disk and now i realize it was effed up.
“I Don’t F****ing Scuba Dive”
That’s a T-shirt waiting to happen.
lol Doc. I love your analogies. Rarely accurate but always entertaining
…
I agree with most of it, but seriously now, why take a shot at COD3? It was a good, fun game.
Rules 45 man
http://tinyurl.com/4uzkzn
Lol Importer that’s silliness. I also know what murder is, does that make me a killer?
Rule 45 is bogus. Makes me glad I didn’t read the other 44.
Lol Importer that’s silliness. I also know what murder is, does that make me a killer?
Rule 45 is bogus. Makes me glad I didn’t read the other 44.
Unless you let me scan your HDD, you are not allowed to speak against Rule 45
You put the games pirates in all the same boat, some of us pirate actually buy the worthwhile games to actually encourage the dev. You know, there’s no Wiiware demos, and if you download a game that turn out to be crap you’re stuck with it. 90%(and more) of the games on Wiiware are total crap, I’ve nearly tried them all.
Seriously in some cases game compagnies are totally stealing us, those shovelware, downloadable content (and some of them are ALREADY on the disk!) and those sports games that they come out with a new edition each year that’s just a tweat, some little features and a roster upgrade, that’s not worth a whole 50$.
Personally without the homebrew on the Wii I would have never discovered the awesomness of MaBoShi, I plan to buy it …. But it’s not released in NA …………..
And “because of those flithy pirates” I’ll be able to play my imported copy of Captain Rainbow for the Wii, at least until some updates makes me unable to play the game I freaking bought with my money because you just know that the game will never be released in NA.
And don’t come out with EA and their Securom BS, by doing that they’re punishing the customers and encouraging people to pirate. Lol, you can only install the game 3 times, after that you have to call to get another serial IF they want to give you one, I’ve heard so much horror story about that. The poor guy never got another serial number.
Seriously it’s funny how pirating is such a big deal nowaday when it started at the beginning of the digital media. People always pirated stuff and they will continue, and even there the industry continued to grow and they still makes millions of profits each years.
And to be on topic with that activision lawsuit, the guy will have to pay something like what? A million? It’s nothing for them, however, for that guy… Really, they’re just trying to destroy the guy’s life.
well thanks to the ESA I have no choice but to pirate classic ROMS. Give us a chance to purchase such goods and I wont have to balck Market anything.
But if the man comes knocking, what’s your defense?
Are you PIRATING the games yourself? Or are you downloading pirated games.
For the record, please state your name, address, gamertag, and phone number.
lol (Kidding)
But when the feds come knocking at your door
I stopped reading there. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen pirates of any media get taken down.
hahaha hahaha hahahha hahah
oops… someones at the door
Doc, normally you make a whole lot of sense, but honestly. Download Spore. No notices will be sent. However, upload and distribute hundreds of games, and someone will be interested. Just like with music pirates, the only people that are sought after are the chronic uploaders. Your average bittorrent user isn’t going to get a trip in the partyvan.
LOL at all the comments trying to justify pirating
I think we need to clear something up before this goes any further. Piracy is the act of copying AND distributing software without the consent of the owner. If you have downloaded a file you have only Infringed Copyright. After all you do not call someone who committed manslaughter a murderer, they are largely different as is Piracy and Copyright Infringement.
Also stealing is defined as the act of depriving one of an item so that they can no longer use or sell said item. Because of this your “Car Salesman” analogy does not hold up as if you steal a car the salesman can no longer drive or sell that. However if you download a game the publisher can still play and sell that game.
I also hate piracy, but those who trumpet misinformed speeches come off as the Jack Thompson of this situation, all you do is publicize an issue instead of causing damage to it. As rule 45 holds true I am not going to deny that I have Infringed Copyright before, but saying that all the games currently installed on my computer I have purchased, I also have over 50 games for my 360, all legit.
I will go out of my way to support developers such as CD Projekt and Stardock who condemn the use of DRM and sell their games without it. It is ironic that in creating these DRM methods that publishers themselves are encouraging Copyright Infringement as they are causing the Legit users to have such poor experiences such as limited installs, the use of a disk and cd keys while Pirates are cracking and distributing copies which remove all of these inconveniences.
what about the people who live in countries where the price is increased for no other reason than “they are perpared to pay that much”. i have done the research it is not massive tax and all they other exqueses which crumble under the wieght of examination.
If game companies would set there prices reasonably then i would buy. take for instance steam. i have 14 games from steam and i bought them all legally because they are reasonably priced. i also buy games which deserve it. if a game is dam good then you have got to have it. i have bought many games such as c&c tibirum wars and call of duty.
and lets not forget drm, recently this issue has been punishing people for buying games legally. i dont get it but every company to there own.
Pirates suck. Not just because they are annoying whiny little girls who rationalize their selfish and immoral behavior through idiotic arguments and pathetic fallacies, but also because they don’t have the balls to be thieves.
I’ll say it right now, I’m a thief. These days I use my skills for good (and mischief) but in years past, I used to pick pockets, grift, and generally swipe all kinds of goodies. And back in those days, if I wanted a game, I went to Best Buy, and I stole it.
Back then, if you were to confront me about it, and could prove that I had done it, I would have given you all the lines pirates use. Not because I really believed it, but because I was a liar! It’s all a steaming load to try and get out facing the consequences, including a guilty conscience.
You think that because it is not a physical object you are stealing that it is different? It’s not the disk you are paying for, it’s the software. And it isn’t the disk that costs the company all that money, it’s developing the software.
The problem here is that it is a much more abstract thing than simple shoplifting. It is much more intuitively wrong to grab a material thing than to simply reproduce data which can be copied infinitely. So, allow me to make it a little easier for you:
All goods in an economy come down to labor. That’s it. The Ferrari doesn’t cost the company money because it is made up of matter. It costs the company money because they have to pay people to put it together, and pay the people who refined the materials the parts are made of, who intern payed the people who acquired those raw materials from nature.
The difference between creating physical property and intellectual property is non-existent on a moral level. When you steal from them, you’re taking advantage of their labor without paying for it.
So tell me, why don’t you just do it the old fashioned way, and swipe a copy from the store? Because you pirates are all F***ing cowards.
@HHHOW
So, in other words, as long a you don’t get caught, it’s OK? I can name a dozen forms of petty theft that you could get away with every time, but it doesn’t make them acceptable, it makes them appealing. But if all someone cares about is whether or not he gets caught, he is an amoral scumbag, and unworthy of the basic respect given to your average dog.
@Cool Boy mew
The industry makes a big deal out of piracy because it must fight it to survive. If they jut ignore the situation it will spiral out of control, and we will all suffer, because the games we love won’t be profitable. If they don’t make a hell of a lot of money (the industry spends billions making games, and must have profits on the same scale) they will either cut corners, or get out of the game business. And even if we ignore the fact that you aren’t the only one stealing, even if it was just you, you are still stealing. If I steal your wallet, it probably won’t bankrupt you, but it is still wrong, isn’t it? You may not persoanally wipe out their profits, but you do have an impact.
And the need for profit is exactly what we as consumers must use to fix the kinds of things you are complaining about. If games with demos are more profitable, then more games will have demos. If people object to EA’s security measures, EA has very good reason to change the way it handles the situation, because they need your money.
Hell, what if instead of protesting and threatening to boycott battlefield bad company, we all just chose to pirate the gold edition to get the premium weapons? Do you think EA would have gotten the message? Hell no.
If you don’t like the way a company is doing business, don’t do business with them.If you don’t think a product is worth the price, then don’t buy it. Let the market do it’s thing. Don’t bypass morality, responsibility and the law to get around the inconvenience associated with sticking by your principles.
As for the penalties, well, let me just whip out my violin… Seriously, when you break the law, and get caught, you suffer the consequences. That’s the risk you take when you commit a crime. I’ve been caught before, and while I tried to get out of it at the time, I never whine and say it isn’t fair. I made my choices, and I live with them.
@ sonicjosh and others talking about used games:
When you sell a game to someone else, you are transferring not just a copy of the game, but the right to it’s use. You aren’t just letting someone else have it, you are giving it up. They are buying from you, everything you bought when you got the game.
@shawn
If they can afford the equipment to play games, they aren’t poor. And even if they are poor, so what? We cannot steal everything we want but cannot afford.
You wanna know what poor is, got to Zambia, and find a village built with garbage, where those who aren’t dying of maleria and aids make their living by making charcoal, slowly damaging their lungs in the process. Having seen it with my own eyes, I can tell you that they have many needs, but free video games are not among them.
sry pirate for life mabey not console games but will be doing other pirate stuff untill we stop getting charge so much for something that only keeps us busy for 6 hours or so.
You’re not sorry. You would stop if you were.
a copy is not a finished product. End of the story
I must say though it generally in most copyright in manuals it does say you can make a backup copy. But I do agree that it is wrong, though I may every now and then download a game to try it out if it doesn’t have a demo, but if I like it, I’ll do what I would have done if it had a demo, I would go out and buy a copy.
@aenima: Perhaps pointing out a demand for said demos via customer support would be a good phase 2? Just a thought.
@dirotem
Exactly. It is in a companies best interest to promote their games, which is why they spend time and money making demos and distributing them to potential customers. The more people demand demos and choose to pass up games that they can’t try out first, the more the developers will see the value in releasing demos.
Just downloading a pirate copy is counterproductive, because they don’t see it as someone taking it for a test drive, they see it as someone stealing, particularly if they then choose not to buy the game. If you make it clear that you demand a demo, they will keep that in mind.
And what ever happened to renting?! Reading reviews? Trading in the occasional stinker that get’s past your investigation?
I mean, do you sneak into a theater and only decide to buy a ticket on the way out?
Hey Doc, have you checked that out?
http://thepiratebay.org/legal
Sincerely,