Sharing gaming and games

[King of the Sandbox]

If borrowing and trading games with friends wasn't allowed there would be NO VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY.

Back in the day, that's how games were advertised. You traded with friends. Then, when they wanted it back, you had to go buy a copy if you wanted to keep playing.

I can't tell you how many NES/Atari games I've traded as a kid. Though if there were a law against it, you can bet I'd be in for life.

 

[Lilani]

Tough question. But I do support this sort of thing because it saves me money and it's not illegal! (yet ) I borrow games alot. Heck, I'm currently playing through LA Noire and Batman AC that my friend kindly gave to me to play when he found out how much I wanted to play them and that I didn't go back to work for a while.

It's just a nice way to try a game out quickly and painlessly, or play it and finish it without killing your wallet. May I also add that damn your point about "Game borrowing and sharing" got me to thinking. It's killing my brain!

My advice is don't worry about it. Sharing has existed as long as games have. This dilemma only proves there is a paradox within the arguments of developers who feel used games are hurt sales and have no place in the market. People trade and share movies all the time too, and you don't hear Hollywood hollering so loudly about used DVD sales and rentals.

 

[skywolfblue]

Sharing has one big limitation:

You can only play it for as long as they lend it to you. You don't get to keep it forever (unless they let you keep it) and play it whenever you want. It's Legitimate trading, the copy is bought and paid for and can only be in the hands of one person at a time. It's not like piracy at all.

 

[Lilani]

That is a smart way to go about it.
You're not getting ripped off by a fat corporate middleman when you deal with other gamers directly. More gamers should trade and borrow the old fashioned way.
Consider it as a form of legitimate file sharing: still doesn't help or harm anything and it's the smart thing to do. Just never claim you're a fan of anything.

I think JET1971 put it best, that sharing like that is no better than piracy. So, why would it be more legitimate? A game is being given to someone without that someone paying the pub for it. I'm not against this, I'm just pointing out a flaw in the idea.

Apologies for the double post, but I believe my argument just above is applicable here as well.

Jim Sterling [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/4568-Online-Passes-Are-Bad-For-Everybody] talked about [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/4720-Used-Games-Have-A-Right-To-Exist] this recently [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/4745-Fighting-The-Problem-Of-Used-Games] and I think he had it down pretty good. He stated that where pirated games barely have to be purchased once to hit the Internet and multiply exponentially, generating thousands of free games, used and physically shared games all represent one sale for the developer and can only exist in the hands of one user at a time. A pirated game can trade more hands and get to more users within a few seconds than a used game could in its entire lifetime.

And for used games with multiplayer capabilities, it's really not any other money lost from the developer because it is ONE online space which was given to an individual, and after it's been sold as used it's still just ONE space. The only difference is it belongs to another person now.

EDIT: Hm, maybe not a double post after all.

 

[Durgiun]

Well. Now I know. And knowing is half the cyber battle. Thanks.

 

[Soxafloppin]

Probably because It'l never stop happening, Gaming is more fun with friends! I bring friends round to play games all the time and I lend my games to friends and get some in return, its not all ways a bad thing. I brought a friend round to play Mortal Kombat last month, he loved it so much he bought a new copy the next week.

Plus after you've bought the game it's yours to do whatever you like with, I own my car and I'm going to give my friends lifts every now and again!

 

[Vault101]

Sharing has one big limitation:

You can only play it for as long as they lend it to you. You don't get to keep it forever (unless they let you keep it) and play it whenever you want. It's Legitimate trading, the copy is bought and paid for and can only be in the hands of one person at a time. It's not like piracy at all.

Im pretty sure anyone whos ever lent somthing to a frend...and hasnt seen it again would disagree

but no I see your point

 

[AdmiralMemo]

All I know is that I rarely ever buy a game more than $30. And while I can't say that I have never "pirated" a game, I don't do it out of practice. I play many, many demos and free stuff on Kongregate and Armor Games. All games that I have "pirated" that I could legitimately own in some way have since either been bought or deleted (bought if I liked it and deleted if not). All I have left that is "pirated" are old games I can't get, which is well within my rights, according to Extra Credits: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/piracy