let's debate piracy and the hypocrisy behind it

[Crops]

So ummm.. If I'm getting this right..

All people who download games are children who have no money for food but can afford a console/pc + internet.
School is giving them a massive workload, yet they have the time to play games over and over again, and time to pleasure themselves and not tell anyone.
They can't get a job, yet they earn 30 dollars a month. Moreover, in what poor country are adult employees preferred over children? I believe younger employees are quite a lot cheaper.
They think people who make games are 'idiots', yet games rock.

...

As for the simplest response to anyone claiming to be right in pirating anything because its too expensive;

Capitalism vs. Communism, Capitalism won. Get over it.

 

[MBergman]

@atomictoast:my fictional character has an download speed of about 300kb/s and he got it thanks to his mother which "convinced" some staff people to throw some internet his way.
the computer is a 3 year model mostly comprised of gifts/thrash from friends for which jack will be forever thankful.
@sober thal: pirates aren't stealing from you and piracy doesn't affect sales in the least. If people can buy a game they really want they will because they know it will be better having all the features and stuff except some rune down broken pirated copy. if people won't buy a game they MIGHT buy it after really enjoying it after pirating it and probably buy it afterward.

Ok. So let's say you open sports store. I come in and steal a football, when caught I defend myself by saying it's too expensive for me since I'm poor, or that I'm gonna try it out, and MIGHT come by and pay for it someday if I like it.

Does this seem reasonable to you?

 

[Sirch.Cajnos]

I believe "Jack" just got owned.

 

[lacktheknack]

People like Jack don't exist, unless they're insane enough to live in these (rare) conditions with a good computer (required for gaming) and good connection. Stop trying to make yourself feel better about pirating, it's called "piracy" for a reason.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

"Hypocriticism" is not a word. You meant to say "hypocrisy".

Piracy should at all times be legal for products that aren't available in retail or otherwise anymore. Music, games and movies alike. Besides, it's free advertisement and the more you fight piracy, the more profit you lose (because of corporate ignorance concerning DRM's)

 

[CloakedOne]

what is hypocritism? do you mean hypocrisy? and yes, piracy is stealing, end of discussion.

 

[lacktheknack]

Hmm, let me introduce you to another character named Ian.
1. Ian works for a game development company.
2. Ian has worked for 4 years on a game, with long working hours.
3. Ian, as a gamer himself, works hard to make the best game possible.
4. During crunch time, Ian works 7 days a week for upwards of 16 hours a day, and is not paid overtime.
5. Ian has an average salary during this time, but knows that once the game is published, it needs to sell well, or his company will not be contracted to produce another title.
6. Due widespread piracy, sales for the game Ian and his company created plummet.
7.When looking online at people's reaction for the game, Ian finds several self-righteous pirates like Jack bragging that they were in the right for stealing because of the publisher-mandated DRM.
8. Due to low sales, the company Ian works for is forced to shut down, and he is left without a job.

I like you.

Sure, the above scenario isn't common, but neither is Jack's.

 

[geddydisciple]

@atomictoast:my fictional character has an download speed of about 300kb/s and he got it thanks to his mother which "convinced" some staff people to throw some internet his way.
the computer is a 3 year model mostly comprised of gifts/thrash from friends for which jack will be forever thankful.
@sober thal: pirates aren't stealing from you and piracy doesn't affect sales in the least. If people can buy a game they really want they will because they know it will be better having all the features and stuff except some rune down broken pirated copy. if people won't buy a game they MIGHT buy it after really enjoying it after pirating it and probably buy it afterward.

when people pirate they might not be stealing from me directly but it damages the industry that i rely on for most of my entertainment and it also drives complanies to use DRM and all sorts of nonesense to try and stop people like jack. Oh and i hate to break it to you buddy but nobody is going to buy a game after playing through a pirated version so yes it does effect sales.

 

[numaiomul]

everyone says that piracy hurts sales A LOT. that is complete and utter c***. THINK LOGICAL. NO ONE in their right mind would download a broken down copy with no multiplayer, most features being unusable, try to find a proper crack, serial and all the rest security features instead of just buying a full featured, multiplayer active game. NO ONE. at least 80% who pirate don't have money for games but when they will turn out money and they liked a pirated game and want more they WILL BUY it.
and sober thal your showing your inability to argue when you intentionally misinterpret my words. i NEVER said that stealing is good or that pirates don't steal. they ALL do and that's why their called pirates but some might buy the game. stealing a DIGITAL property has no money loss for a company but wanting to buy the game for more features is a money gain.

 

[bleh002]

In my line of work, we are always nervous about fraud. We have what we call a fraud triangle. All three points need to be present for fraud to occur. One is Pressure, which is usually financial (lack of funds, lost job, etc) Another is Opportunity, which is the ability to commit a crime without being caugh. In this case would be the easy availability of cracked games. The third and most important one is Rationalization. This is the ability to make something that is wrong (theft) seem acceptable and even have it be compatible with what most of us consider decent and trustworthy.

Your argument on "Jack's" behalf is a poor attempt to rationalize something this is wrong. Whether it's taking kickbacks from suppliers, stealing cash from a register or pirating games and robbing their creators of revenue, you are attempting to justify theft.

So yes, let's talk more about piracy. An honest discussion explaining both the short and long term consequences of piracy, and compare that to the benefits that come about from it.

 

[Gxas]

Jack

Ian

Spoiler: This is Scott. He's a dick.

Scott. A dick.

Scott sees this thread, and, being the dick that he is, decides that Ian and Jack should meet each other. He introduces them and reads what each of you posted about them. Then, he throws a knife at their feet, takes a few steps back, and waits.

Piracy takes another life. Whose? You decide.

My money is on Ian.

 

[lacktheknack]

<sad, sad snip>

At this point, You may want to get a mod to lock the thread, seeing how most everyone here thinks your OP was a pretty badly thought out one. If you get the thread locked, they'll probably leave you alone.

 

[MR T3D]

jack should seek employment rather than play games he cannot afford.
and TRY HARDER to get the job, before BAWWW ECONOMIC SITUATION

 

[Dr. Doctor]

If Jack is so poor, why doesn't he get a fucking job instead of playing video games all day?

I'm essentially homeless, and I'm still buying Red Dead Redemption with my hard-earned money.

What it boils down to is that whatever the reasons are, they're all just excuses made by children to validate getting free shit. If you have to make excuses, then you know what you're doing is wrong.

 

[DrHoboPHD]

Yet again you fail to make any real point.

You're trying to argue that the majority of people who pirate games just don't have the money for them (which is still wrong even if it were true which it's not) yet they DO have good computers and connections and consoles.

 

[Flour]

A man works for his new car, he's proud that he's been able to save up and afford it. A poor man sees the car and steals it, he can never afford this car so it's okay that he stole it.

This would be an alright arguement if you where entitled to games, but your not, they are a nessessity. Someone stealing drugs to save his daughters life is wrong even if his reasons are right, it's a tragedy but it's life. Someone being poor therefore stealing games is just a crime, and jacks a douche because of it.

Ah, but in the case of Jack, nothing was ever lost.(taking the extreme example here, Jack couldn't even afford the game even if he wanted to buy it) You can't compare digital piracy to the theft of physical objects. The guy that got his car stolen, no longer has a car while a downloaded copy never existed(if you're going to argue that it's a potential sale lost, you're making me lose money by not buying my MS-paint stick figure art).

 

[numaiomul]

okay i had enough. i am speaking with 2 year old. i NEVER said that piracy is not stealing. i AGREE that piracy means STEALING. can we please now stop with that freaking argument? no one here is a saint so just shut up with the anti-piracy bravado. your are companies fanboys.
i am not making piracy propaganda but if companies don't start to adress the problem like an integral part of sales they won't advance. NOTHING EVER evolved if it was not constantly challenged.
oh and next time some says something about DRM and stuff just to something about it and stop blaming other people. if you have money for games you have money for internet so the DRM should be no problem to you all.

 

[Ushandur]

all the statistics and numbers around piracy is mostly bullshit.
couldnt care less about music or game companies. if i like their shit ill buy them, if i dont i wont.
ubisoft is shooting themselves in the foot with the online drm.
before they had crappy games, now they have crappy games that need constant internet connection to even play.
:3

 

[Dr. Doctor]

everyone says that piracy hurts sales A LOT. that is complete and utter c***. THINK LOGICAL. NO ONE in their right mind would download a broken down copy with no multiplayer, most features being unusable, try to find a proper crack, serial and all the rest security features instead of just buying a full featured, multiplayer active game. NO ONE. at least 80% who pirate don't have money for games but when they will turn out money and they liked a pirated game and want more they WILL BUY it.
and sober thal your showing your inability to argue when you intentionally misinterpret my words. i NEVER said that stealing is good or that pirates don't steal. they ALL do and that's why their called pirates but some might buy the game. stealing a DIGITAL property has no money loss for a company but wanting to buy the game for more features is a money gain.

You greatly underestimate how much people like free shit, and how easy it is to get it. Also, saying that pirating digital information isn't theft is naive, and I think you're too young to understand the mechanics of pirating. By this logic, stealing someone's S.S. number wouldn't be stealing their identity, because you can't actually hold an identity. And using that S.S. number to buy things in their name wouldn't be stealing their money, since you're using the credit card company's money.