Pirating a game, because it is art? What?

[Altorin]

If a game is being sold by its producer in your country, then there is NO moral highground when it comes to piracy. Does that mean I never pirate games? No, I do occasionally, but I'll never try and say "I pirate because X makes it the right thing to do."

No, it's the wrong thing to do, always. People, myself included, aren't perfect though.

 

[IvoryTowerGamer]

The guy is just trying to justify stealing.

BUT there is something to the argument that art should be free to the masses. What he forgot to mention, though, is that this is usually achieved by sponsorship (either from a wealthy patron or advertising). The reason you can see great works of art in museums is thanks to donations.

Incidentally, some indie devs [http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/downloads/] are using a special sponsorship model to ensure that their game can be released for free. They offer special bonuses (a signed copy of the game, original concept art, a version of the game with personalized avatars) to people that donate money, and then offer vanilla versions of the game to download for free.

 

[Something Amyss]

I love how for this to work, the artist has to have no rights.

 

[Wintermoot]

that,s a terrible argument! traditional art like Vivaldi,s four seasons and the Mona Lisa arent copyrighted most games are

 

[Deadman Walkin]

I don't support companies and their huge anti-piracy ragings, but this is the worst and most pathetic excuse I have ever heard. We could take it as far as saying "Oh, as humans we are messy, and someone needs to clean it up. No one likes a mess so we shouldn't pay janitors, they should do it for free!"

 

[Erana]

URGH. YOU NO UNDERSTAND ART. ME EAT GOOEY BRAINZ.
[/zombie artist]

If you're gonna look at games as art, you first should acknowledge that you are a contemporary of video games. They are created now, to be experienced as a paid-for entertainment product. Circumventing a huge part of what the creator's intentions were in the experience is a great disservice to games if they are to be held as art.

The only time someone could even begin to apply this idea to games (As a concept, not as a damn piracy excuse) is with very very old video games that would be viewed as one would the great works of past artists: with an appreciation for the work in the context of society at that time. That, or indie games created to be art, with the price tag a necessary part of enabling the artists to make it in the first place.
And then its about damn civility- I have to pay to go to the MOMA. Why shouldn't I pay for the experience to support the people to make it possible with digital media, too?

At this time in human history, its pretty much impossible to make things on a large scale without money. Therefore, the closest thing we can do to make art accessable to all is by pitching in to the artistic causes we believe in.

 

[PlasmaFrog]

Terrible argument, indeed.

If everyone's mentality was to this standard, then the video game market would cease to exist. Developers need to eat and pay for expenses as well. All of those fancy engines that help display that eye candy that you love and cherish so much isn't exactly free either.

This industry isn't composed of starving artist. Sadly, jerk-offs that care to express their need to indulge in their thieving desires to be cheapskates with broken logic is beyond me.

 

[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?

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.

thats not what i meant, i meant that you pay for a song why shouldnt you pay for a game?

 

[conzan]

art costs to fuel it nothing in life is free to make good art/ good games you need money if you want good games to carry on being made you need to pay for them or it will die out your choice