Canadian Study: Piracy Created by Greedy Capitalists

[warprincenataku]

I am currently living in a third world country and I have to say I couldn't buy a legitimate copy of most games if I tried. I'd say almost 90% of stores here sell pirated materials.

I've always thought the price should be relative to the economy, but that might lead into a bunch of other problems.

 

[Canadish]

I live out in Malaysia at the moment (and did as a child), and as the article suggests, this has pretty much been the case for the last 10 years.
The country was only just pulling itself out of being 3rd world, and so this was pretty much the ONLY way to get games.

There was a large number of pirate video game store for YEARS at the capital's Mega Malls, only recently getting replaced with legit stores. The street markets still have hundreds of stalls selling this stuff, because its a good way to make a living.
The guys here really just don't care. It's not really a matter of morality. It's just how it's done, it's how you survive.

The "Piracy is STEALING!" argument is weak at the best of times.
It's cute for us in developed nations to sit on our high horse and call each other out on it (all the meanwhile getting a 2nd/3rd family car, perhaps a swimming pool if your in a particularly affluent area), but when you get to the reality in other parts of the world, it looks REALLY childish.

Anyway. The culture here still has not changed. Most folk in Malaysia are doing okay now, though the way companies still over charge games, NO one actually buys them. Nor has anyone spared a thought if its "immoral". Because no ones needed to. They've got a wonderful sensibility about them out here.

 

[El Gostro]

Videogames are not required for comfortable living. Lots of people live comfortably without playing video games. You know this.

Aaah yes,but do remember we are social animals,and apes at that,and what do apes love more than ape? (sex probably but bear with me)
Ever wondered why a good majority of people in third world countries would rather buy a sweet pair of the lastest Nikes or a next gen phone than say,food for their families?

 

[Radelaide]

You'll never be able to stop someone who wants to pirate something. Whether it be because the product is too expensive, out of syndication, not available in region x or because the pirate wants to stick it to the man. There isn't a proper, justified reason to pirate, but there are some good excuses. I've come to realise that while I try to things the right way (pay for products even if they are terrible [EG: Resident Evil 5]), sometimes pirating is necessary for the older products for even for legit reasons.

Will continue this post later on the "legit reason" I have.

Edit: Okay, customers are served.
Okay, so I bought a copy of Lego Star Wars legit from a GAME store for about $20. I got home and installed it, and when I went to run it, the .exe was corrupted and I couldn't play the game. So instead of taking the game back to store for a refund (I didn't have the means to get back to the store for a while) I went to a website and found a crack and made the game work. Legit reason, IMO.

 

[ShadowKirby]

Aren't all our problems caused by greedy capitalists?

Yeah, but this guy, and really the entire offices of The Escapist, hate pirates (and will often suspend you if you don't).

Do they, or do they just not condone stealing? I think they have to be against piracy. If games make no money, publishers stop making games, if publishers stop making games, Escapists have no job.

Also, I should mention that all our problems are created by greedy capitalists and ignorance. Capitalists don't get all the credit.

Stealing =/= Piracy. Here's a helpful guide to the differences:

Stealing starts out with the store having 1 copy and you having 0 copies. You then gain that one copy without paying.

Store - 0, You - 1

Piracy starts out with the store having 1 copy and you having 0 copies. You then make a a copy of the data.

Store - 1, You - 1.

Also, they are opposed to ALL piracy, not just games.

I seriously hate that logic. Try to see it this way:

In case of theft:

Store (and in turn devs) - -40$, You - X+40$ of worth.

In case of piracy:

Store (and in turn devs) - 0$, You - X+40$ of worth.

Sure, in one case money is lost and in the other money stays the same, but at the end of the day, you get what you want and the devs get nothing.

 

[zehydra]

"Well, my basic problem with the logic here is that these things are by no means a nessecity. Yes, the media industry is corrupt and greedy, but at the same time people in developing nations that can't afford things like this shouldn't feel justified in simply stealing them, or performing knock offs"

This this this this this.

People do NOT deserve entertainment they cannot afford.

Yes, corporations are always right. Bow down to our corporate overlords. Do not question them. Obey, OBEY, OBEY!!!

I guess I worded that wrong. What I meant is that people do not have the right to the creations of others for free. Does that make more sense?

What about freeware? Also, sure they do. If it is not reasonably priced, why should they be rewarded for ripping people off?

Freeware is given away with the consent. When a game is pirated for free, then a person gets someone's intellectual property without their consent. It's wrong for the same reason plagiarism's wrong.

If I make something, and it's desirable, and I put hard work into it, then I have the right to do with what I want, right? Is it so wrong that I demand monetary compensation for hard work that I've done, especially in this harsh Capitalist climate?

If you demand a reasonable monetary compensation, sure, go ahead. If you're a price gouging douchetard asswagon, you don't. Note: I'm not a fan of capitalism.

lol all aboard the asswagon!

Well then, fair enough. All we have to do then is create a system where people are only allowed to sell anything up to a certain price, depending on who can afford it.

The result of course, would be that "free" would be the maximum allowable price, because there are those who cannot afford anything at all.

Not saying everyone should be able to afford everything, but you should do the math to figure out what a good equivalent to $60 is in those countries.

96.4799 in Brazilian (one of the countries mentioned in the article).

83455 in Brazilian for a brand-new porsche.

Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

 

[zehydra]

Videogames are not required for comfortable living. Lots of people live comfortably without playing video games. You know this.

Aaah yes,but do remember we are social animals,and apes at that,and what do apes love more than ape? (sex probably but bear with me)
Ever wondered why a good majority of people in third world countries would rather buy a sweet pair of the lastest Nikes or a next gen phone than say,food for their families?

I always assumed it was because they had horribly misplaced priorities, but enlighten me.

 

[zehydra]

"Well, my basic problem with the logic here is that these things are by no means a nessecity. Yes, the media industry is corrupt and greedy, but at the same time people in developing nations that can't afford things like this shouldn't feel justified in simply stealing them, or performing knock offs"

This this this this this.

People do NOT deserve entertainment they cannot afford.

Yes, corporations are always right. Bow down to our corporate overlords. Do not question them. Obey, OBEY, OBEY!!!

I guess I worded that wrong. What I meant is that people do not have the right to the creations of others for free. Does that make more sense?

What about freeware? Also, sure they do. If it is not reasonably priced, why should they be rewarded for ripping people off?

Freeware is given away with the consent. When a game is pirated for free, then a person gets someone's intellectual property without their consent. It's wrong for the same reason plagiarism's wrong.

If I make something, and it's desirable, and I put hard work into it, then I have the right to do with what I want, right? Is it so wrong that I demand monetary compensation for hard work that I've done, especially in this harsh Capitalist climate?

If you demand a reasonable monetary compensation, sure, go ahead. If you're a price gouging douchetard asswagon, you don't. Note: I'm not a fan of capitalism.

lol all aboard the asswagon!

Well then, fair enough. All we have to do then is create a system where people are only allowed to sell anything up to a certain price, depending on who can afford it.

The result of course, would be that "free" would be the maximum allowable price, because there are those who cannot afford anything at all.

Not saying everyone should be able to afford everything, but you should do the math to figure out what a good equivalent to $60 is in those countries.

96.4799 in Brazilian (one of the countries mentioned in the article).

83455 in Brazilian for a brand-new porsche.

Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

Not in conversion rates alone, but also in what the average income is.

I'm afraid I'm not sure where to find that information (found something on Wikipedia, but I'm not sure that's what you're talking about). But I think your point is clear enough. However, what about the porsche? I'll reiterate the question: Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

 

[Misho-]

They should've conducted part of their study in Costa Rica. Their book would've been copied/pirated prior release. :S

 

[fakeangel]

"Well, my basic problem with the logic here is that these things are by no means a nessecity. Yes, the media industry is corrupt and greedy, but at the same time people in developing nations that can't afford things like this shouldn't feel justified in simply stealing them, or performing knock offs"

This this this this this.

People do NOT deserve entertainment they cannot afford.

Yes, corporations are always right. Bow down to our corporate overlords. Do not question them. Obey, OBEY, OBEY!!!

I guess I worded that wrong. What I meant is that people do not have the right to the creations of others for free. Does that make more sense?

What about freeware? Also, sure they do. If it is not reasonably priced, why should they be rewarded for ripping people off?

Freeware is given away with the consent. When a game is pirated for free, then a person gets someone's intellectual property without their consent. It's wrong for the same reason plagiarism's wrong.

If I make something, and it's desirable, and I put hard work into it, then I have the right to do with what I want, right? Is it so wrong that I demand monetary compensation for hard work that I've done, especially in this harsh Capitalist climate?

If you demand a reasonable monetary compensation, sure, go ahead. If you're a price gouging douchetard asswagon, you don't. Note: I'm not a fan of capitalism.

lol all aboard the asswagon!

Well then, fair enough. All we have to do then is create a system where people are only allowed to sell anything up to a certain price, depending on who can afford it.

The result of course, would be that "free" would be the maximum allowable price, because there are those who cannot afford anything at all.

Not saying everyone should be able to afford everything, but you should do the math to figure out what a good equivalent to $60 is in those countries.

96.4799 in Brazilian (one of the countries mentioned in the article).

83455 in Brazilian for a brand-new porsche.

Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

And since the annual income in Brasil is 9 times lower in the US, this would the equivalent of a 800 dollars for your culture

 

[ShadowKirby]

Aren't all our problems caused by greedy capitalists?

Yeah, but this guy, and really the entire offices of The Escapist, hate pirates (and will often suspend you if you don't).

Do they, or do they just not condone stealing? I think they have to be against piracy. If games make no money, publishers stop making games, if publishers stop making games, Escapists have no job.

Also, I should mention that all our problems are created by greedy capitalists and ignorance. Capitalists don't get all the credit.

Stealing =/= Piracy. Here's a helpful guide to the differences:

Stealing starts out with the store having 1 copy and you having 0 copies. You then gain that one copy without paying.

Store - 0, You - 1

Piracy starts out with the store having 1 copy and you having 0 copies. You then make a a copy of the data.

Store - 1, You - 1.

Also, they are opposed to ALL piracy, not just games.

I seriously hate that logic. Try to see it this way:

In case of theft:

Store (and in turn devs) - -40$, You - X+40$ of worth.

In case of piracy:

Store (and in turn devs) - 0$, You - X+40$ of worth.

Sure, in one case money is lost and in the other money stays the same, but at the end of the day, you get what you want and the devs get nothing.

But (and note: I don't even support game piracy, just the other things), look at it this way: They make millions off the other sales, they don't need yours.

That's kind of a weak argument. It's okay to steal/pirate people if they are rich? Where do you draw the line?

 

[fakeangel]

"Well, my basic problem with the logic here is that these things are by no means a nessecity. Yes, the media industry is corrupt and greedy, but at the same time people in developing nations that can't afford things like this shouldn't feel justified in simply stealing them, or performing knock offs"

This this this this this.

People do NOT deserve entertainment they cannot afford.

Yes, corporations are always right. Bow down to our corporate overlords. Do not question them. Obey, OBEY, OBEY!!!

I guess I worded that wrong. What I meant is that people do not have the right to the creations of others for free. Does that make more sense?

What about freeware? Also, sure they do. If it is not reasonably priced, why should they be rewarded for ripping people off?

Freeware is given away with the consent. When a game is pirated for free, then a person gets someone's intellectual property without their consent. It's wrong for the same reason plagiarism's wrong.

If I make something, and it's desirable, and I put hard work into it, then I have the right to do with what I want, right? Is it so wrong that I demand monetary compensation for hard work that I've done, especially in this harsh Capitalist climate?

If you demand a reasonable monetary compensation, sure, go ahead. If you're a price gouging douchetard asswagon, you don't. Note: I'm not a fan of capitalism.

lol all aboard the asswagon!

Well then, fair enough. All we have to do then is create a system where people are only allowed to sell anything up to a certain price, depending on who can afford it.

The result of course, would be that "free" would be the maximum allowable price, because there are those who cannot afford anything at all.

Not saying everyone should be able to afford everything, but you should do the math to figure out what a good equivalent to $60 is in those countries.

96.4799 in Brazilian (one of the countries mentioned in the article).

83455 in Brazilian for a brand-new porsche.

Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

Not in conversion rates alone, but also in what the average income is.

I'm afraid I'm not sure where to find that information (found something on Wikipedia, but I'm not sure that's what you're talking about). But I think your point is clear enough. However, what about the porsche? I'll reiterate the question: Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

No, since the products that they sell here in Brasil, this kind of product can be selled to a number up to each 300 factory defects

 

[zehydra]

"Well, my basic problem with the logic here is that these things are by no means a nessecity. Yes, the media industry is corrupt and greedy, but at the same time people in developing nations that can't afford things like this shouldn't feel justified in simply stealing them, or performing knock offs"

This this this this this.

People do NOT deserve entertainment they cannot afford.

Yes, corporations are always right. Bow down to our corporate overlords. Do not question them. Obey, OBEY, OBEY!!!

I guess I worded that wrong. What I meant is that people do not have the right to the creations of others for free. Does that make more sense?

What about freeware? Also, sure they do. If it is not reasonably priced, why should they be rewarded for ripping people off?

Freeware is given away with the consent. When a game is pirated for free, then a person gets someone's intellectual property without their consent. It's wrong for the same reason plagiarism's wrong.

If I make something, and it's desirable, and I put hard work into it, then I have the right to do with what I want, right? Is it so wrong that I demand monetary compensation for hard work that I've done, especially in this harsh Capitalist climate?

If you demand a reasonable monetary compensation, sure, go ahead. If you're a price gouging douchetard asswagon, you don't. Note: I'm not a fan of capitalism.

lol all aboard the asswagon!

Well then, fair enough. All we have to do then is create a system where people are only allowed to sell anything up to a certain price, depending on who can afford it.

The result of course, would be that "free" would be the maximum allowable price, because there are those who cannot afford anything at all.

Not saying everyone should be able to afford everything, but you should do the math to figure out what a good equivalent to $60 is in those countries.

96.4799 in Brazilian (one of the countries mentioned in the article).

83455 in Brazilian for a brand-new porsche.

Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

Not in conversion rates alone, but also in what the average income is.

I'm afraid I'm not sure where to find that information (found something on Wikipedia, but I'm not sure that's what you're talking about). But I think your point is clear enough. However, what about the porsche? I'll reiterate the question: Would you say that the makers of Porsche do not deserve to be allowed to sell their cars that high?

They should be allowed to only because it is intended as a luxury version of a needed item.

and how are not the AAA $60 titles not a luxury item? You seem to arbitrarily ascribe the term "luxury".

 

[Canadish]

Aren't all our problems caused by greedy capitalists?

Yeah, but this guy, and really the entire offices of The Escapist, hate pirates (and will often suspend you if you don't).

Do they, or do they just not condone stealing? I think they have to be against piracy. If games make no money, publishers stop making games, if publishers stop making games, Escapists have no job.

Also, I should mention that all our problems are created by greedy capitalists and ignorance. Capitalists don't get all the credit.

Stealing =/= Piracy. Here's a helpful guide to the differences:

Stealing starts out with the store having 1 copy and you having 0 copies. You then gain that one copy without paying.

Store - 0, You - 1

Piracy starts out with the store having 1 copy and you having 0 copies. You then make a a copy of the data.

Store - 1, You - 1.

Also, they are opposed to ALL piracy, not just games.

I seriously hate that logic. Try to see it this way:

In case of theft:

Store (and in turn devs) - -40$, You - X+40$ of worth.

In case of piracy:

Store (and in turn devs) - 0$, You - X+40$ of worth.

Sure, in one case money is lost and in the other money stays the same, but at the end of the day, you get what you want and the devs get nothing.

Also try keep in mind that they've only lost a potential sale, not a definite one.
EG;
I wont buy Dragon Age 2 on principle of being an awful, dumbed down game.
But I might pirate it, sure.
After all...

But this is just a hypothetical situation. Obviously.