Pirates provide a better service

[goodman528]

The legit way:

1) Buy a game from steam
2) Download it at 250KB/s average speed,
3) Run it and it crashes at launch (Ubisoft error 1),
4) Install more DRM from Ubisoft,
5) Wait for launcher to update itself,
6) Register an account on Ubisoft DRM.
7) Then wait for launcher to update the game,
8) Then if I want to play LAN, everyone has to have bought a copy of the game and be connected to the internet!

Time taken: ~ 1 day

The pirate way:

1) Find game on torrent site
2) Download it at 500KB/s average speed,
3) Unpack it and run it
4) Copy files to other computers and play LAN

Time taken: ~ 4 hours

I was under the impression that paying customers should get a better service, apparently not.

*Edit:*

It's not just Ubisoft I have a problem with either. I bought Dawn of War and it installed in German, despite my account being English. It also crashes every time I change the graphics settings. The pirate version works perfectly though.

Some games want to install a patch every time I want to play it, and others release a DLC every few weeks, that costs like £5 each. It feels really greedy. The only exception is Wargame: EE, which is a brilliant game with free DLCs, and for that reason I will happily buy the upcoming Wargame: Airland battles, and I recommend people to buy this game every chance I get.

 

[Zoe Castillo]

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[Johnny Novgorod]

Yes, the legit way is far from perfect but... I suppose I'm here to tell you that with torrents you run the risk of bringing on viruses, and not all of them games work properly anyway what with compatibility, keygen and patch issues. You can take as long if not more as the legit way. It's not that simple.

 

[Savagezion]

Well, with many titles you buy it on Steam, install it, and are playing in 2 hours. Ubisoft sucks, everyone knows their DRM is more consumer harassment than piracy protection... except them, anyway. Comparing pirated software service and Ubisoft isn't even fair.

 

[Zeckt]

I agree that its kind of unfair to blame the failure of ubisoft on the entire industry. Kind of like if a member of a minority did some wrong to you it would be wrong to hate the entire minority and use it to justify stealing from them. And also your still stealing no matter how you try to justify it

 

[Christopher Fisher]

Did you really expect anything else from Ubisoft?

 

[Sp3ratus]

Here's what happens when I buy a game from Steam:
1) Buy a game from steam
2) Download it at 3,4MB/s average speed,
3) Run it and it crashes at launch (Ubisoft error 1)
4) Install more DRM from Ubisoft
5) Wait for launcher to update itself
6) Register an account on Ubisoft DRM.
7) Then wait for launcher to update the game
8) Play game

Time taken: <1 hour, depending on the size of the game.

Moral of the story: If you don't like Ubisoft DRM, don't buy Ubisoft games. Pirating their games doesn't help you make your point in any way. This is nothing but a terrible attempt at justifying piracy.

 

[TheSteeleStrap]

Pirates may offer a better service than SOME companies, which is ridiculous to think about. I'll just play my Ubisoft games on console, where I don't have to deal with that shit. Most companies aren't as stupid at Ubisoft though.

 

[Colt47]

Ubisofts DRM has prevented me from purchasing their games over the last couple of years and from what I've heard even the cracked versions of their games are a little weird to run (Anno 2070 being one of them). Honestly, I'm a supporter of Steam and Good Old Games, as they represent the best options for PC gaming as far as DRM goes. I bend more towards GoG, as it just doesn't make sense that two people living in the same household should have to pay 2x the money so both can play a game one purchases. I can buy a board game and enjoy it with friends and family, but if we all want to enjoy a video game we all have to buy a copy and at $60 a pop?

And people wonder why F2P games like Planetside 2 and Tribes Ascend are popular...

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well that is always the problem with established systems, people stop considering they might just be horribly dysfunctional.

Even if it's just Steam you still need to download third party DRM software, install separately, wait for it to run millions of updates, then create an account and link it to the game and only then do you even get to the relevant part of setting up your bloody game, but don't expect the basic functionality of choosing an install folder because that is beyond their technical talent.
And even if all that went smooth there is still big old fat lazy Steam loading up before every game, figuring out it's updates and patches, frequently freezing without feedback so you can't tell if there is a problem with the game or just Steam messing up again, and let's add the mandatory ad popup after closing each game even if you didn't get to play it because the client fucked up.
Then for kicks they might decide to tell you the game is unavailable to play from your local bloody hard drive, and past all this your entire game collection will always hang on their good graces to grant you access.

In comparison, none of the above issues come with pirated games.

 

[Coffeejack]

Mmm. Depends. My mucker uses torrent sites to get things from the internet, but that seems to take about the same amount of time as downloading a game from Steam. 500KBS max. download speed when the gods are willing, by the way. I guess it's a geographical thing. GTA 4 took over a day to download.

Since it doesn't make sense for companies to spend time making proper demos for their games nowadays, I try to find out what I can via pirate means. If a game is good, I go out and buy it, but I never waste money getting something that might be complete crap on day 1.

Pirates not only provide a better service at times, they often provide a vital service as well.

 

[MysticToast]

Things I've learned from this thread: your mileage may vary no matter what method you use to get your games. Whodathunkit?

 

[The Lunatic]

If you have no intention of playing a game online, you may as well crack it.

You've already paid money for the game, you have nothing to prove by abiding by their service.


Of course, if you want online services, you're screwed.

But, you have no reason to subject yourself to these things just for their benefit when you know you've not done anything wrong.

 

[Laluune]

Developers are the guys that are most affected by piracy. Not the publishers, not the people. Game studios close down because of poor sales. And preowned game sales, but that's another story. Buy ya games ya basterds.

 

[teebeeohh]

Things I've learned from this thread: your mileage may vary no matter what method you use to get your games. Whodathunkit?

but you expect a big company like ubisoft to be able to provide a better service for all their customers, compared a bunch of eye-patch-wearing-parrot-owning scoundrels.

and a lot of things developers do are so stupid, ME2 had a minute long, unskippable developer credits at the beginning. why? i already bought the game, i know who made it, just let me play the damn game

 

[Yopaz]

Here's what happens when I buy a game from Steam:
1) Buy a game from steam
2) Download it at 3,4MB/s average speed,
3) Run it and it crashes at launch (Ubisoft error 1)
4) Install more DRM from Ubisoft
5) Wait for launcher to update itself
6) Register an account on Ubisoft DRM.
7) Then wait for launcher to update the game
8) Play game

Time taken: <1 hour, depending on the size of the game.

Moral of the story: If you don't like Ubisoft DRM, don't buy Ubisoft games. Pirating their games doesn't help you make your point in any way. This is nothing but a terrible attempt at justifying piracy.

Replace 3,4 mb/s with 1,2mb/s and this is how it is for me too. The only thing I have to do before I run the game is the first time setup which takes maybe 5 minutes.

I rarely have problems with DRM, but I do see your point when it comes to always on DRM. It's inconvenient for the user, however I don't have your negative experiences with Steam. Games are installed and downloaded with ease, I run no risk of getting malware (unless you count Ubisoft's DRM that is) so I use Steam because it offer a service that's easier than piracy.

 

[thethird0611]

How about we look at it this way...

Publisher offers games.
A new form of stealing is created, pirating.
Publisher invents a device to limit the stealing (just like pad locks or iron bars)
Pirates now say that its DRM why they are stealing.

The pirates dont provide a 'service', they steal from the publisher and give away to other pirates.

If you dont like DRM, -dont buy or pirate the game-. If you dont agree with a service/product provider, dont use it. If you -really- want to play the game, youll put up with the DRM.

The more you pirate, the more DRM is made. The more DRM is made, the more PIRATES hurt consumers.

Why do you think people want gun laws? To stop the -criminals- from using the guns in the wrong way, not the normal citizens. No pirating, no use for DRM.

 

[Zipa]

As a side note as well I advise anyone who has installed Uplay (ubisofts shitty DRM) to disable the browser plugin/add on it installs, its well known to cause massive security issues with said browser.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Here-s-How-to-Disable-the-Uplay-Browser-Plug-In-284008.shtml



Ubi claim to of ''fixed'' any security loopholes but yeah I don't trust them further than I can throw them.

Also as a side note I have both Anno 2070 and Farcry 3 from steam/uplay and I have no technical issues getting either to run, nor have I had any issue with a steam game running.

Though it does annoy me greatly that everyone is trying to have their own clients for stuff nowadays. They just don't seem to get that Steam was around first so more people gravitate towards it as a lot of their other games and friends are already there on the system so they want to stay there where they can interact with said friends while in other games and such.
Plus Steam actually provide a service for the inconvenience with things like voice chat and the friends system and such.

 

[lechat]

pros and cons of piracy

pros
free (durr)
less risk of cd check/serial failure
might get it earlier
might not have to install third (second?) party programs
might be a faster download

cons
might get caught (unlikely)
crack may be bugged or infected (chance very low on respected pirate sources)
might have to wait for crack or patch
might have to install third party program and all the stuff legit copies need
might be a slower download (very likely on early releases)
odds are you can forget about multiplayer

i think the smartest thing game devs have done these days is add multiplayer to basically any game they make
crackers either put multiplayer in the too hard bin or flat out refuse to hack it leaving pirated copies as nothing more than an extended demo
sure i could prolly download portal 2 in a couple of hours with no risk and have a perfect working copy but whats the point when the best part is arguably the multiplayer?