So what if I pirate games, why should you care?

[Radeonx]

and while it still does hurt the game industry

So you are saying that it does hurt the industry but because it doesn't take money from them, it only stops them from making money, it becomes ok?

I never said it was okay, I said that too many people ***** constantly about pirates and they need to shut up because it isn't as bad as people think it is.

 

[AceAngel]

I'm in the game industry, you're pirating my stuff in which I put work in, you don't even have the decency to buy the game on Steam sales...

You see where this is going right?

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

Hmmm, something Mr. Carlin said way back when came to mind when I read the OP...

"Property IS theft. Nobody owns anything. When you die, it all stays here."

 

[Android2137]

I care because I might be working in this field sometime in the near future. I don't just need money for food, clothes, bills, and shelter. I need it for video games and dvds and stuff (and me pirating would just be counter-intuitive).

As Extra Credits pointed out, even if you claim you wouldn't have bought it anyway, the fact that you pirated the game means that it IS worth playing. So either buy the game you think you will dislike but want to play anyway out of morbid curiosity (or whatever) or save your time, money, and mental health and just don't play it.

You may not like the company or the game, but the fact is that all those programmers, animators, etc. worked as best they could on it under the circumstances. Even if they agree with your opinion of the game, the fact is that they're working on it because they need the paycheck and experience, and it might even be their ticket to working on a better game. Putting your all into a project you think is stupid or like is a good job quality in this field. When people hire, they look at the work, not the storyline. (Unless you're the writer, in which case, yeah they will look at the storyline.)

 

[rokkolpo]

it's like when people take drugs.
And drugs are illegal .

Drugs are very much legal.
Never had alcohol or a cigarette?
Those are legal and drugs.

+many kinds of drugs are good for you, if you use them with restraint.
Especially Marijuana.(which is legal in The Netherlands, where I live)

 

[OutforEC]

Because it increases the overwhelming sense of entitlement that is already running rampant in our society.

 

[Raikov]

Sure, pirating games is wrong. I have no qualms about downloading and trying a game before I decide to buy it or not though. After all, it's the same as trying a beta or a demo (with more functionality). And not even the most rabid anti-piracy person will say that betas are illegal...

And then what about used games? It's apparently ok that companies can sell the same copy more than one time...

 

[ReinofFire]

I care about pirated games. Not so much about the lost sales for developers because sometimes (when they are big enough) a few pirated games are not going to hurt them all that much.
Unfortunately the developers don't care about that, and instead of devoting all their attention to finding pirates (you know because then they would lose money, you know cause they were not before) they would rather punish everyone with updates, DLC, and even other devious plots to maximise their profits.

The point is, I don't want people messing with my stuff, the developers don't like this either. When you mess with their stuff, they mess with my stuff, so thats why I care.

Besides, who wants to be a pirate? Everyone know's robots are better.

 

[Jamessince00]

My rule for pirating is if its a small company making decent games that aren't just re-copies of the last game in the series (like most FPS[COD]) then buy it to give them support to continue making good games. If its the other large companies that are raking in tons from fans re-buying the next version of the same game I really doubt it would matter if half the people already buying games from them started to pirate their games; they don't put much work into the games (usually) and they already have massive amounts of income from the repeat sales.

 

[Karilas]

Not really wanting to step into this oft retreaded debate, especially on any moral grounds, but I thought I'd toss this little nugget in for y'all to masticate on. Some of the longest enduring and popular systems were rife with piracy throughout their respective tenures, for example the Amiga, or the PlayStation. Who doesn't know someone that had a chipped PSX?

Or, indeed, the PC. As long as there has been a PC game there's been someone to copy it.

 

[Android2137]

Could somebody please explain this scenario:
You borrow a friend's physical copy of Dragon Age 2 (or whatever) that has been legitimately bought. You play it through without having payed a penny for it.
You pirate a cracked digital copy of the same game. The uploader has payed for a legitimate physical copy. You play it through without having payed a penny for it.

Now I know that a torrent distributes it to thousands, whilst a friend may lend his copy once or twice.
But for you personally, what's the difference? Why is borrowing from a friend OK and 'borrowing' from an uploader wrong?

I consider that closer to rental, unless your friend is tired of the game and is giving it to you. In either case, the start number of products is 1 and the end number of products is 1. The company gets money for the one product sold and since only one person can have that product at a time, they are not losing money.

In piracy, the start number of products is 1, but the end number of products is limitless. The company gets money for the one product sold, but multiple people can have that product at the same time.

 

[Socks and Shoes]

Truth be told, I have pirated exactly 2 games in my entire life.

However:
-There were no stores within two hours drive that sold disc copies of them. Ditto with digital downloads.
-They were relatively old.
-I had bought copies of them years earlier, but one had broke and one was lost in a move.


Yeah, so sue me.

 

[DustyDrB]

Three reasons:

1.

They can, will, and have tightened DRM belts before.

I can't even play most of my XBLA titles with my Xbox offline. The only ones I can play are the recently played ones, too. Thankfully, all of my PS3 titles are playable offline, even Trine. Which I got and last played the same week I bought it, 8 months ago. And the Wii? I can only play games on my memory stick, on the Wii I bought it on. And I see no way to transfer ownership rights to a new system.

2.

It DOES hurt the industry. Just because they are making a lot of money already, doesn't mean that they deserve to lose potential profits. Those potential profits could fund a riskier less-main stream title, too.

3.

Because hacking makes me update my shit pointlessly. PS3 isn't the only offender in anti-piracy updating. Just the biggest. >_>

OP: Here are your right answers.

Piracy affects all of us.

 

[Popido]

As Extra Credits pointed out, even if you claim you wouldn't have bought it anyway, the fact that you pirated the game means that it IS worth playing.

Err..how do you know if the game is worth playing, even if you pirate it?

OffTopic:
People need to stop referring to Extra Credits...

So either buy the game you think you will dislike but want to play anyway out of morbid curiosity (or whatever) or save your time, money, and mental health and just don't play it.

Thats pretty bad mentality. Just saying.

I know someone who pirated VVVVVV.

Haven't talked to them since.

Now thats pathetic.

 

[skywing]

Not condoning piracy, but what about older games only available in used game form from retail stores such as gamestop? None of your money is going to the developer in that case.

 

[Xaio30]

Developers should first worry about making their game good enough to pirate.

 

[Lance Arrow]

They love it when they think they have moral high ground. You should see their stand on hacking.

Also,

LOL Extra Credits.

I'm inclinded to agree with you here, except that Extra Credits is an awesome show.

 

[linwolf]

I have no problem with pirates they don't affect my enjoyment of a game and I don't see them as a problem for the industry as all the pirates I know buy a lot more games that the non pirates I know, so if they don't hurt me or the industry why should I care. On the other hand I hate people that buy DLC since they directly interfere with my gaming, making parts of games being rip out and sold separate.

 

[TehCookie]

Could somebody please explain this scenario:
You borrow a friend's physical copy of Dragon Age 2 (or whatever) that has been legitimately bought. You play it through without having payed a penny for it.
You pirate a cracked digital copy of the same game. The uploader has payed for a legitimate physical copy. You play it through without having payed a penny for it.

Now I know that a torrent distributes it to thousands, whilst a friend may lend his copy once or twice.
But for you personally, what's the difference? Why is borrowing from a friend OK and 'borrowing' from an uploader wrong?

You're not borrowing from an uploader, you are stealing a copy. You can show a movie to your friends or lend them the DVD but it's illegal to make a copy of it and give it to someone else. Games aren't any different.