Pirating a game, because it is art? What?

[Khallios]

Basically I was watching the new trailer for Crysis 2 and in the comment section bellow the video there was an argument raging about how wrong it was for people to download pirated games and how big of an impact it has on the market. Someone posted this:

"Well said! Art is meant to be admired by everyone! Art is inspiration, passion, and human beauty. Art should never have a price tag, because art is not money, it is so much more than that. Being restricted in your exposure to art, only suffocates a person, and traps their mind, instead of allowing it to imagine, create, and make a difference.
The form of media is not important. It could be music, video games or books. Everyone should have access to these things. Everyone! Because whether you like it or not, we are all the same on the genetic level. We are all human and we should all have the freedom of expression, and the admiration of others art. A person's idea shouldn't have a ticket entry, but instead should be free, open source if you will, in order to allow the rest of us to experience it and grow from it.
I see where everyone here is coming from. Honestly, I'm happy you are all paying for your games, and more power to you. Yet, imagine how much greater your exposure would be if there were no 60$ price tags. How that would affect your life. You would see so much more, experience so much more, in essence you would be more "full" that you are now. "

I read this and I couldn't help but feel angered by it. I can understand where he is coming from, sometimes people honestly can't afford games, and there is still a debate about whether games can be classified as art or not, but this comment really got under my skin. The way the commenters point was put across made it out like games should be free because they are art, and that hundreds of hours of work, from hundreds of people should come free just so that it could be, "experienced" by the masses. I get the concept that gaming is art and therefore it should be able to be veiwed by everybody but movies can be seen as art and you still have to pay to see them!


The amount of effort that goes into designing, animating, balancing, testing, ect. is diffent to any other medium and I think people who feel they should get video games for free have serious entitlement issues because the fact is that money makes the market go round and people who make games livelihoods depend on how well a game sells. That's capitalism. Piracy is still a crime no matter how much you try and portray yourself as a freedom fighter trying to give art to the masses.

Maybe I'm over-reacting?

 

[AetherWolf]

Everyone regrets reading Youtube comments, don't worry.

 

[The Blue Mongoose]

Hey, if that guy is saying that all art should be free I'll walk into my local gallery and wander out with a few pieces for myself.

Entry to an art gallery is free, this is analogous to a game demo. You don't pay for it and you don't get to keep it/see the whole of it.

Owning art is very freaking expensive, this is analogous to a gaming console + game.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Yes, that kind of approach would be great. The game industry would die, but we'd be happy for a year! Seriously, pay for the games you play. If you can't pay for a game, you don't get to play it. Quite simple, really.

 

[brodie21]

you have to pay to buy a song, and you pay when you listen to a radio, commercials that get you to spend money somewhere, so why not games?

 

[ultrachicken]

This is nothing special amidst the sea of idiocy that fills YouTube's comment section. Ignore and move on.

 

[Ice Car]

If you think pirating games is bad, give this comment a thumbs up.

 

[Chemical Alia]

Lol, because artists don't need to make a living off what they do. If art had no price tag, then there would be a lot less of it. Idealistic bullshit.

 

[Normandyfoxtrot]

It's just another example of the mental calisthenics to justify theft.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

Hey, if that guy is saying that all art should be free I'll walk into my local gallery and wander out with a few pieces for myself.

Entry to an art gallery is free, this is analogous to a game demo. You don't pay for it and you don't get to keep it/see the whole of it.

Owning art is very freaking expensive, this is analogous to a gaming console + game.

That was an awesome analogy. You win dinner for two at Chris-chan's House of Pickles and three free Internets.

 

[Katana314]

If everyone did what he suggets, there would be no art. Period.

There is no argument here, he is simply wrong. End of discussion.

 

[Zhukov]

Suggested response:

"Go tell a painter that you expect them to give you a painting for free because it's art. I suggest you do it froma distance."

 

[wammnebu]

if artists genuinely believed that why would Michaelangelo put up with dicks like pope julie 2, and why do street musicians leave their hat for coins?

artists need to eat too, and paying for art shows your appreciation for it. another reason to pay for art, so the artist doesnt have to abandon his work to make a paycheck.

 

[Jim Grim]

So he thinks the whole industry should be turned into a charity that gives self entitled arseholes free entertainment? What a self entitled arsehole.

 

[Haydyn]

Why is it that if some games can be art, then all games must be art? I've hugged my share of trees, but this sounds like hippie bulcrap.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

While I do think that an argument like that could be made in a more perfect world, in this case it's just a blatant attempt by someone who pirated the game to make himself feel better about it. Just like someone who commits fraud will tell himself that he's justified in taking the money, that it's owed to him, pirates will make up stories in which not only is it okay for them to pirate, it's morally just for them to pirate. Hence arguments like this that art should be free, or arguments where pirates cast themselves as lone warriors standing up against various unpleasant aspects of the gaming industry, DRM or DLC for example.

If you're not committing the crime yourself, arguments like this seem as ridiculous as they are. But humans are masters at self-deciet, and if telling yourself things like this is how you can do bad things and still feel like a good person, then it's exactly what people will do.

 

[qazmatoz]

you have to pay to buy a song, and you pay when you listen to a radio, commercials that get you to spend money somewhere, so why not games?

I can see it now. Mass Effect 3, brought to you by McDonalds and Coca Cola.

Garrus: "Hey Shepherd! Have you tried this new double cheese super mega kiloton McMammoth burger? Goes great with the smooth, crisp taste of brand new space Coke!"

Meh, I'd rather just buy the game than tolerate bullshit.

 

[Zakarath]

Yeah, that argument is bullshit and it is just a very thin justification for pirates trying to feel less bad about themselves and have no idea how many millions of dollars it costs to make a game.