Philippines: Heaven for Gamers

[shengzingping]

Philippines is a true Heaven for videogamers like me.

Ever since the dawn of videogames, we've already enjoyed the simple joys of playing games without spending more for them.
Our country has one of the hottest digital pirate products in the world.
This is possible of course with the help of our "central source", the country already known for producing "cheap imitations" at an exponential rate.
The result: Pure cheap digital entertainment.

Why would you ask?

First of all, we play PIRATED games that costs less than $10.

Sure they get busted if you intend to play for 7 days straight without turning off the console.
But who cares?
We can always have them replaced or better yet go buy a new copy since it's cheap.
Malls and videogame stores openly display their goods and we can just walk in and get what we want.
Talk about huge savings.
Imagine: $60-70 is worth 1 game in US, Europe and the rest of the world while here you can get 5-8 games!

Secondly, we have modified consoles.

Even before Nintendo announced the SD memory stick for the Wii, we've been playing Wii games and Gamecube games on modified Wiis that run on custom hard drives that don't need CDs.
Our PS2 consoles here run on hard drives too.
The Xbox360 has also been modified to run on both hard drive and CDs that plays all Xbox games.
PSP runs on emulators and memory card games with no UMD required.
DS runs on RD4 which is openly sold here.
PS3 is the only console that hasn't been cracked yet but "they're" keen to unlocking it.

Thirdly, there are no RESTRICTIONS on whatsoever with digital piracy here.

That means we get to play new titles a week before they can even come out in the market on both consoles and PC.
The same is true for music and movies.
Somehow our "central supplier" managed to get their hands of a copy then have it mass produced.
Even those in the government enjoy their share of the products of piracy.

If you're planning to go "legitimate" here, don't expect to get a lot of savings.
Piracy will always be piracy and no one can stop it.
Just like the bamboo trees that sway along the strong winds of a typhoon.
You can bend us but never break us.
Not even if you nuke my country.
They'll always come back and gives us what we need.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

 

[shengzingping]

Tsk tsk.
You're just jealous because you're spending more for your games than the rest of us people here.
Piracy will always live as long as creativity lingers in the minds of men.

 

[Emilie Diabolica]

my boyfriend is filo. last time he was in the phils he scored a modded PS2 and a haul of games for next to nothing. yum.

Piracy will always live as long as creativity lingers in the minds of men.

very true. although i'm fine with music piracy, as artists get most of their profits from gigs, i'm not so sure about game piracy. i dont know so much about game piracy though, so cant exactly say much...
*shrugs*

 

[Zacharine]

Reported.

Piracy is wrong and you're stealing. If everyone just pirates the games, no-one will make any games. While there are some gray areas regarding music, there is none for games. And while piracy might be impossible to stamp out (a good thing in fact), it should never be encouraged. You like the game? Then buy it.

 

[shengzingping]

No one will make games?
Are you kidding me?

If piracy killed the gaming industry then why are we having 7th generation consoles already?
If it weren't for piracy major consoles like the PS2 and DS wouldn't reach their status now.
Lately Xbox360 and Wii are receiving a lot of number since they've been cracked already.
PS3 is on the losing streak because its hard to crack.
Only diehard fanboys and impractical people buy those big bulky black consoles.

You see.
Sometimes you have to choose ECONOMY over QUALITY.
But from the years I've been a gamer here, I've received both.
Economical gains with quality.
That means piracy has already reached a point where they can mimic the quality of the original.
In this case videogames.

Piracy has always been integrated on all media platforms.
PC has it's own share as well.
For all you know the person you're playing with online only used a copy of an original game.
Yet he still benefits from what you people legitimately buy.
Even the OS that most people use here in majority are just copies of the original.
And do you hear my country men complain about it?
Hell no!
They'll gladly spend $5 on a OS rather than spend $70 on it.

Face it.
You can't stop piracy no matter what you do.
Laws are written letters and without strong actions they'll only remain letters.
For first world countries, legitimacy is your cup of tea.
But for third world countries, piracy is the key.