@Lampringles - That's only because they're free
Despite lawmakers efforts, I may add.
This anti-piracy argument has been doing the rounds for a lot longer than most gamers give it credit for. I remember the same discussions on the old BBS systems back in the days where floppy disk copies were killing the Amiga and Atari ST platforms.
Single CD keys don't work. Pirates make lists of them available over the web easily.
CD key on the box doesn't work. Pirates provide scans.
Online registration doesn't work. This kills second-user gaming and is prone to registration theft.
Online activation doesn't work. Not every gamer has a web connection and gamers should NOT be forced to have an internet connection just so they can buy a game.
Direct Download is not the answer - see the above. Besides, not all consoles are web aware and have you tried to use the Playstation Store??
Using input codes from the manual or other included media doesn't work - pirates provide scans, patches and this kills Direct Download as a delivery mechanism.
People always want stuff early and they always want something for nothing. The real way to defeat the pirates lies in approach to retail and release rather than on crackable methods of anti-piracy software. Start with worldwide release dates rather than this hodgepodge regional variation and end with providing a quality product at a price people will simply pay for. Use retailer incentives if you have to - encourage people to actually go and buy a legit copy rather than punishing them because some gamers won't pay the price of admission.
Fact: Piracy will always be present in some form. The first step to killing it's effect on the industry is to accept that it will always be there.
By the way, torrents aren't neccessarily evil and are not always about stealing copyrighted music, video or game data. I have used torrents to legitimately share user generated content for games, music demos, articles and so on. Torrents are a tool, not the problem.
Oh, one last thing, I despise Ubi's approach to the anti-piracy thing but I understand their frustration. I hope they come to their senses soon - I would hate to have to drop their products because of any rediculous demands they may make in the name of beating piracy.
