If a company doesn't provide a demo for a game is it ok to pirate it?

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MuttyGrims1321

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Jun 20, 2011
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So I had this come up in a debate with my friend, if a gaming company doesn't provide a demo for a game is it ok to pirate it, to try it out for yourself?
 

GrandmaFunk

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Oct 19, 2009
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nope.

there are no valid reasons for piracy.

it's always up to you whether or not you think you're comfortable with doing it, but there aren't any excuses that make it "ok".
 

weker

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May 27, 2009
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Agreed there is no excuse EVER for piracy, unless it's something complete outrageous, but lets not involve that as it will make this post too silly.

It's "better" if you wouldn't have bought it unless you had tried it, but you still should never do it.
 

kortin

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Mar 18, 2011
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There are only two reasons one can pirate a game, in my mind:

1. There is no possible way for you to get it legally where you live (because lets face it, most game devs would prefer it if more people played the game, rather than worrying about profits).
2. The company doesn't make money off it anymore (in which case, it really wouldn't be piracy).

Any other "reasons" are just veiled attempts at making yourself feel better for stealing.
 

Fayathon

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Nov 18, 2009
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Nope, go and rent it if you're curious as to whether or not it's any good. The only times that piracy is even partially justifiable is when the item in question isn't available for purchase any more or you're getting a backup for a copy that you bought that has suffered an accident of some sort.
 

IrisEver

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Sep 8, 2011
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SecretNegative said:
GrandmaFunk said:
nope.

there are no valid reasons for piracy.

it's always up to you whether or not you think you're comfortable with doing it, but there aren't any excuses that make it "ok".
If you've bought a CD, then your idiot brother comes and breaks it before I get to play it, do I have to buy it again? I've already given my money to the developers.
Once you buy the game, you are legally allowed to download it - even torrent. The same goes for DVDs and music you buy. The money you pay is for the right to play that game, movie, or music. So you'd be fine downloading a game in the situation you mentioned.

When it comes to proving it, you'll have to have kept the receipt of course. But you're legally allowed to do it and there's nothing wrong with it.

OT: No, it's not okay to pirate a game just because a demo isn't provided. That's absolutely ridiculous.
 
Dec 14, 2009
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Prismatic Baron said:
If a grocery store does not give you a free sample of their sausage, is it alright to steal it? NO!
I'd give a free sample of my sausage to all who ask for it...

*cough*

Well, anyway, I agree. Wanna try it out? Rent it, not pirate.
 

GrandmaFunk

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IrisEver said:
Once you buy the game, you are legally allowed to download it - even torrent. The same goes for DVDs and music you buy. The money you pay is for the right to play that game, movie, or music. So you'd be fine downloading a game in the situation you mentioned.

When it comes to proving it, you'll have to have kept the receipt of course. But you're legally allowed to do it and there's nothing wrong with it.
This is actually not true at all. At least, not in most countries, where do you live?

most media nowadays is sold under the concept that you are purchasing a license to view/use that media in a specific format for a specific device.

---

As to what happens when your "idiot brother comes and breaks it": your idiot brother buys you a new copy.
 

blizzaradragon

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MuttyGrims1321 said:
So I had this come up in a debate with my friend, if a gaming company doesn't provide a demo for a game is it ok to pirate it, to try it out for yourself?
Nope, not a valid reason to pirate it at all. If you want to try it that bad, you can A) rent it, B) borrow from a friend, or C) see if a store has a playable version set up. If none of those options are available then you're out of luck and better hope that the game is worth your money.
 

Zaeseled

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May 17, 2011
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Of course not. BUT if a company produces a game all finishes up and stuff but doesn't release it? Pirate the game away :3
 

Retardinator

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Nov 2, 2009
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I wonder if you say yes, do you get banned?

Why is everyone always so lawful good when it comes to piracy? Nothing is ever black and white.
I like to think it's OK to pirate a game if you're just saving up money for it and already decided on the purchase. It's just delaying payment, but the money still goes to the devs and nobody gets hurt.
Aside from you, if the FBI kicks your door in... But that's another story.
 

DavidTanis

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Aug 20, 2008
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No. Of course not. If the people behind the game don't feel they need to release a demo, that's the chosen route they've taken with their product, it's called a business model. This doesn't justify stealing, if you don't want to buy a game without trying it get GameFly or some other renting service.
What a sense of entitlement, sheesh.
"Oh! They didn't release a demo, that means I as the costumer have the right to take ignore property rights. I am the 99%."
It might be mitigated if you bought a copy of the game afterward but since that's unlikely as you have a copy of the game and you haven't had to trade your money (gotten by trading time for service with an employer) for their game (made with their time in exchange for your money).
Would you buy a game if you didn't get to play it? No? Then don't ask them to make a game without getting paid for it. Seriously.
 

kortin

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Mar 18, 2011
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Retardinator said:
I wonder if you say yes, do you get banned?

Why is everyone always so lawful good when it comes to piracy? Nothing is ever black and white.
I like to think it's OK to pirate a game if you're just saving up money for it and already decided on the purchase. It's just delaying payment, but the money still goes to the devs and nobody gets hurt.
Aside from you, if the FBI kicks your door in... But that's another story.
It is not a game company's job to provide you with a demo for their game. Making a demo takes resources out of the dev team, and slows production. You should consider yourself lucky to get a demo for any game at all.
 

Indignator

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Oct 26, 2011
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Prismatic Baron said:
If a grocery store does not give you a free sample of their sausage, is it alright to steal it? NO!
This is not a good analogy. There is a difference between stealing intellectual property and a physical object. In the case of a physical object like a sausage (or a physical copy of a game for that matter) stealing effectively and irrevocably diminishes the owner's assets. Stealing intellectual property does not impact the owner's assets directly but rather indirectly through a lost sale. One might argue how important the difference is, but the fact remains that there IS a difference.

OP: Depends on what you mean by "OK". From a legal standpoint no it's not OK. From a moral standpoint ... you came to the wrong place to ask this question. Anyone who expresses support for piracy on these forums will get flagged and probably banned. As for my opinion, I don't condone this type of piracy simply because I think it is a slippery slope. You say you will only "try" it, and before you know it you finished the game and come up with some other excuse as to why it was "OK" for you to pirate it.

EDIT:

DavidTanis said:
It might be mitigated if you bought a copy of the game afterward but since that's unlikely as you have a copy of the game and you haven't had to trade your money (gotten by trading time for service with an employer) for their game (made with their time in exchange for your money). Would you buy a game if you didn't get to play it? No? Then don't ask them to make a game without getting paid for it. Seriously.
You are missing the point. Of course if you download the game, play it in its entirety and then don't buy a legit copy then it is wrong. The question is if it is OK to download a game to try it, stop playing after getting a taste, delete the pirated copy and then decide if you want to buy the full version. As to my answer to that question, see above.
 

Soviet Steve

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May 23, 2009
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It's always illegal to pirate a game. As my business law teacher often says however:
Don't confuse law with justice.
 

Retardinator

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Nov 2, 2009
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kortin said:
It is not a game company's job to provide you with a demo for their game. Making a demo takes resources out of the dev team, and slows production. You should consider yourself lucky to get a demo for any game at all.
Of course. Aside from that, there are certain types of games that just can't be turned into proper game demos. How the hell would you make a demo for Skyrim? You're just not showing off the full potential, and this is especially true for sandbox games.

I'm not saying there should be a demo for every game out there. In fact, developers should think less about making a spectacle out of a game trailer or a demo and just state what the hell you're in for when you spend your hard-earned money on their games.

I'm talking less:
-HUGE OPEN WORLDS
-A VAST ARRAY OF WEAPONS
-OVER Xh OF GAMEPLAY
and more:
-The game is about this, and it's of this genre
-It's of this scale
-It's got this much content
-It'll take this much of your time to finish it

But hey, not being sensationalistic doesn't push sales, right? No need to be honest with your audience if they won't give you any dosh for it.