Poll: Ever bought a game because of drm?

[TehCookie]

Just to let you know, if anyone admits piracy on here they get a warning so the results will be skewed. Though I will answer an honest no. I do the reverse when the game I bought refuses to run.

To be fair, it's technically admitting "attempted internet piracy" which I suppose isn't piracy. I mean, if you have zeroes and ones that are the basis for intellectual property, but don't resemble that intellectual property in any meaningful way (by not running), is it still theft?

I'm not a lawyer, though sometimes morally grey areas are overlooked. I don't think there is a law saying you can't crack the DRM, but there is in the ToS. So if you don't agree to the ToS you're not bound by their rules. Of course agreeing means you can't use their service, but if the ToS is for a client to run the games (like Steam) but not the game itself then wouldn't it be legal? But I'm not really into the legal stuff. I'm a simple person, if I pay for a game I'm going to get it.

 

[Unia]

Title be broken methinks. I have NOT bought games I would otherwise have been interested in because of DRM. After Securom screwed up my registry to the point where I had to reinstall OS I've avoided it like the plague. To this day I have some older games I cannot play, not because they're not Windows 7 compatible, but because the DRM isn't compatible. Why must you make honesty so difficult, devs/producers/publishers/whoever thought DRM solved anything?

DRM is the main reason I don't bother with physical copies for PC games anymore, as there is no requirement to mention them on the box but on digital distributors the information is easy enough to come by, from fellow consumers if not otherwise.

 

[MetalMagpie]

Just to let you know, if anyone admits piracy on here they get a warning so the results will be skewed. Though I will answer an honest no. I do the reverse when the game I bought refuses to run.

To be fair, it's technically admitting "attempted internet piracy" which I suppose isn't piracy. I mean, if you have zeroes and ones that are the basis for intellectual property, but don't resemble that intellectual property in any meaningful way (by not running), is it still theft?

Interesting question, really. If I swing a baseball bat at your head and miss, it's that a lesser crime than if I'd successfully cracked your skull open? The intention is the same, but the outcome is different.

 

[MetalMagpie]

Just to let you know, if anyone admits piracy on here they get a warning so the results will be skewed. Though I will answer an honest no. I do the reverse when the game I bought refuses to run.

To be fair, it's technically admitting "attempted internet piracy" which I suppose isn't piracy. I mean, if you have zeroes and ones that are the basis for intellectual property, but don't resemble that intellectual property in any meaningful way (by not running), is it still theft?

I'm not a lawyer, though sometimes morally grey areas are overlooked. I don't think there is a law saying you can't crack the DRM, but there is in the ToS. So if you don't agree to the ToS you're not bound by their rules. Of course agreeing means you can't use their service, but if the ToS is for a client to run the games (like Steam) but not the game itself then wouldn't it be legal? But I'm not really into the legal stuff. I'm a simple person, if I pay for a game I'm going to get it.

If you haven't agreed to the ToS (or if you agree to it, then breach it), then you don't have a license to use the software. If you use a piece of licensed software that you do not possess a license for, you're in breach of copyright law.

Of course "technically illegal" is not the same thing as "easily enforceable". My father is a lawyer, and that's exactly the advice he has given plenty of corporate clients!

 

[SlamDunc]

I dont pirate games unless there is no other way to get them (ie. Out of print games or when the company who made the game dont exist anymore.). That being said I have cracked a few Steam games because Offline mod is broken for me.

Captcha: 'I Like Humans' Well we dont like you.

 

[DanielBrown]

No, I buy all my games.
Mm...

 

[josemlopes]

Title be broken methinks. I have NOT bought games I would otherwise have been interested in because of DRM. After Securom screwed up my registry to the point where I had to reinstall OS I've avoided it like the plague. To this day I have some older games I cannot play, not because they're not Windows 7 compatible, but because the DRM isn't compatible. Why must you make honesty so difficult, devs/producers/publishers/whoever thought DRM solved anything?

DRM is the main reason I don't bother with physical copies for PC games anymore, as there is no requirement to mention them on the box but on digital distributors the information is easy enough to come by, from fellow consumers if not otherwise.

Its a question for pirates, if they have ever bought a game because the DRM wouldnt let them play the pirated version.

 

[Creator002]

A few days ago actually, but I wasn't the one who pirated it and didn't know it was pirated until much later.

When I was last at my friend's place, he had Mirror's Edge on a disc in his drawer. I'd played the game at another friend's place on Xbox a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, so I asked if I could borrow the disc and he said yes.
I brought the disc home, popped it into my PC, but it didn't work. Something about a corrupted file. I texted my friend to ask if he had the same problem, he said no, but he also said the disc was a pirated copy.
I then bought the game on Steam and threw the disc away. Been having fun with it ever since.

 

[Naeras]

In short? Nope. If games have DRM that truly goes on my nerves, I don't acquire them, period.

The one exception to that is Steam, and I generally only get Steam games on sales.

 

[jklinders]

My answer is not in the poll. I don't pirate games and if I did I am sure that DRM would factor vary little in the issue.

DRM is a barrier to paying customers not pirates. It's just one of those things I have learned to live with as a paying customer.

Anyone that still uses Securom or Starforce can just piss off though. I will not play, buy or even steal a game that uses that shit as a punishment to publishers that use systems that prevent the game from working at all.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Just to let you know, if anyone admits piracy on here they get a warning so the results will be skewed.

That's pretty extreme.

Extreme or not, it's in:

And we all agreed to follow them when we signed up.

I signed up before The Escapist existed, so technically we didn't all agree when we signed up... xD

 

[madster11]

No, but i pirate games BECAUSE of DRM.

I downloaded spore and never bothered to install it, just to add on that 'downloaded' number to fuck EA over.

 

[lionsprey]

no but i have regretted buying a game because of DRM (spore)

 

[mindlesspuppet]

No, but i pirate games BECAUSE of DRM.

I downloaded spore and never bothered to install it, just to add on that 'downloaded' number to fuck EA over.

It doesn't really fuck EA over if you never intended to buy it in the first place...

 

[AdamRhodes]

Title be broken methinks. I have NOT bought games I would otherwise have been interested in because of DRM. After Securom screwed up my registry to the point where I had to reinstall OS I've avoided it like the plague. To this day I have some older games I cannot play, not because they're not Windows 7 compatible, but because the DRM isn't compatible. Why must you make honesty so difficult, devs/producers/publishers/whoever thought DRM solved anything?

DRM is the main reason I don't bother with physical copies for PC games anymore, as there is no requirement to mention them on the box but on digital distributors the information is easy enough to come by, from fellow consumers if not otherwise.

Its a question for pirates, if they have ever bought a game because the DRM wouldnt let them play the pirated version.

Your question is flawed because the premise is nonexistent: Pirates don't have to contend with DRM at all. It's been said many times before that DRM doesn't hurt pirates at all; it only hurts people who buy the game legally. Cracked versions are incredibly easy to come by.

 

[Risingblade]

Nope I don't pirate games, and drm has never bothered me so meh.

 

[TehCookie]

Just to let you know, if anyone admits piracy on here they get a warning so the results will be skewed. Though I will answer an honest no. I do the reverse when the game I bought refuses to run.

To be fair, it's technically admitting "attempted internet piracy" which I suppose isn't piracy. I mean, if you have zeroes and ones that are the basis for intellectual property, but don't resemble that intellectual property in any meaningful way (by not running), is it still theft?

I'm not a lawyer, though sometimes morally grey areas are overlooked. I don't think there is a law saying you can't crack the DRM, but there is in the ToS. So if you don't agree to the ToS you're not bound by their rules. Of course agreeing means you can't use their service, but if the ToS is for a client to run the games (like Steam) but not the game itself then wouldn't it be legal? But I'm not really into the legal stuff. I'm a simple person, if I pay for a game I'm going to get it.

If you haven't agreed to the ToS (or if you agree to it, then breach it), then you don't have a license to use the software. If you use a piece of licensed software that you do not possess a license for, you're in breach of copyright law.

Of course "technically illegal" is not the same thing as "easily enforceable". My father is a lawyer, and that's exactly the advice he has given plenty of corporate clients!

That's why I said if it's for the client to run the game and not for the game itself. That's also why I pointed out Steam as an example.

 

[Judgement101]

I'm extremely opposed to DRM because I believe that pirates aren't going to by the game regardless because they are all greedy jerks. Personally, I buy more from GoG than Steam due to the DRM. Yes, I'd rather player 10 year old games without DRM than new games with DRM.

 

[stranamente]

For me there are a lot of game that I have NOT bought beacuse of the DRM, and I didn't even bothered pirating them. If they put a draconion DRM in they make me lose all my interest.

 

[MetalMagpie]

Just to let you know, if anyone admits piracy on here they get a warning so the results will be skewed. Though I will answer an honest no. I do the reverse when the game I bought refuses to run.

To be fair, it's technically admitting "attempted internet piracy" which I suppose isn't piracy. I mean, if you have zeroes and ones that are the basis for intellectual property, but don't resemble that intellectual property in any meaningful way (by not running), is it still theft?

I'm not a lawyer, though sometimes morally grey areas are overlooked. I don't think there is a law saying you can't crack the DRM, but there is in the ToS. So if you don't agree to the ToS you're not bound by their rules. Of course agreeing means you can't use their service, but if the ToS is for a client to run the games (like Steam) but not the game itself then wouldn't it be legal? But I'm not really into the legal stuff. I'm a simple person, if I pay for a game I'm going to get it.

If you haven't agreed to the ToS (or if you agree to it, then breach it), then you don't have a license to use the software. If you use a piece of licensed software that you do not possess a license for, you're in breach of copyright law.

Of course "technically illegal" is not the same thing as "easily enforceable". My father is a lawyer, and that's exactly the advice he has given plenty of corporate clients!

That's why I said if it's for the client to run the game and not for the game itself. That's also why I pointed out Steam as an example.

*rereads TehCookie's comment*

Ah ha. My apologies.

I really shouldn't write forum comments whilst waiting for Eclipse to refresh.