To all the people who think piracy is cool, fine, etc do any of you get paid for creative content?

[Giftfromme]

Ok so I thought I would create another thread about this, but if the mods think this is inappropriate and merge it, then whatever

But I've seen a lot of arguments like:
The game isn't worth the money so I might as well get it for free
Things shouldn't be priced so high
pricing models should change
etc

But do any of these people create content, either movies, tv shows, games, apps?

I can't imagine someone who works for a gaming company thinks its cool to pirate things (unless he doesn't mind his product being pirated). Imagine slaving over a game and then at the end being told "your game wasn't worth $100 so I simply pirated it". You're not likely to say "Cool! Hopefully everyone holds the same opinion! Thanks for pirating it and showing us that our pricing models are all wrong and that we should have priced our game at $10 so you would buy it!"

At least I don't imagine that kind of response coming out.

But are there any content producers here that work full time (and not just create videos on youtube out of their spare time) and what are your views on piracy?

I've seen one study published in the Netherlands (I believe) that said that the net effects of piracy were neutral as the money people weren't spending on the things they were pirating they were spending in other areas of the economy.

So yeah what do you guys think?

 

[SomeLameStuff]

Well I know Notch doesn't mind piracy and sees it as some form of free advertising. And also CD Projekt don't bother to stop piracy because sticking DRM in games just hurts the folks who buy the game legit.

 

[DoPo]

I've seen one study published in the Netherlands (I believe) that said that the net effects of piracy were neutral as the money people weren't spending on the things they were pirating they were spending in other areas of the economy.

This would be a no-brainer. People spend money all the time. If they don't spend it on one thing, they'll spend it on another. But how does this make it a neutral effect? If instead of spending, say, 100$ on video games, one spends them on a new sofa, I don't see this as a neutral balance. The same argument can be had about robbers - sure they can steal money, but the money gets back into the economy, so it seems that robbery has a neutral effect.

I'd like to see this study.

 

[Keoul]

But I've seen a lot of arguments like:
The game isn't worth the money so I might as well get it for free
Things shouldn't be priced so high
pricing models should change
etc

I don't think I've ever seen someone one the forums using those arguments, then again I don't exactly lurk that much.

I've mostly seen people with more valid reasons such as getting an actual copy being impossible. Like the game not actually shipping to their country and there isn't a digital version available. Or that it's an older game and there's literally no where else to purchase it (cue emulators and ROMS).
Another reason was that since they already owned a copy, they should be able to pirate it to play it on another platform.

They seem more reasonable than just being cheap.

 

[exessmirror]

i dont get paid for creative content, why? because i distribute my work for free, i only get money from ads

 

[Shadowstar38]

I don't understand why you'd ask that question in the title. It doesnt matter what the pirate's job is. Downloading something off the internet you can't get a legal copy of or avoiding a company's bullshit distribution sound like a legit reason to do it. Doesnt matter that they're not in the same situation as those who make the game.

 

[DoPo]

But I've seen a lot of arguments like:
The game isn't worth the money so I might as well get it for free
Things shouldn't be priced so high
pricing models should change
etc

I don't think I've ever seen someone one the forums using those arguments, then again I don't exactly lurk that much.

Also, forum policy isn't exactly benign to people who would say that.

Another reason was that since they already owned a copy, they should be able to pirate it to play it on another platform.

They seem more reasonable than just being cheap.

That one is really up in the air about "being reasonable". Would somebody mind quoting an EULA where it says this is totally OK or something along those lines?

 

[dumbseizure]

I don't understand why you'd ask that question in the title. It doesnt matter what the pirate's job is. Downloading something off the internet you can't get a legal copy of or avoiding a company's bullshit distribution sound like a legit reason to do it. Doesnt matter that they're not in the same situation as those who make the game.

I am curious, what do you mean by "can't get a legal copy"? When or how does this happen? This is the first time I am hearing of something along the lines of not being able to get a copy legally, because even in Australia, games unavailable here because of rating issues or the like, I order from overseas.

On the other hand, I don't think it is right to pirate something just to "avoid a company's bullshit distribution". Just buy it somewhere else? A game is never sold from 1 single output, and to say "This distribution is bullshit", and then you go and pirate it makes no sense as there is many other ways to buy the game.

 

[Shadowstar38]

I don't understand why you'd ask that question in the title. It doesnt matter what the pirate's job is. Downloading something off the internet you can't get a legal copy of or avoiding a company's bullshit distribution sound like a legit reason to do it. Doesnt matter that they're not in the same situation as those who make the game.

I am curious, what do you mean by "can't get a legal copy"? When or how does this happen? This is the first time I am hearing of something along the lines of not being able to get a copy legally, because even in Australia, games unavailable here because of rating issues or the like, I order from overseas.

On the other hand, I don't think it is right to pirate something just to "avoid a company's bullshit distribution". Just buy it somewhere else? A game is never sold from 1 single output, and to say "This distribution is bullshit", and then you go and pirate it makes no sense as there is many other ways to buy the game.

I meant like older games that you cant find on GOG.com and aren't sold anywhere else.

 

[geK0]

I am curious, what do you mean by "can't get a legal copy"? When or how does this happen?

Either the game was never distributed in your region (common for a lot of Japanese titles), or the game is old and hard to get(although that argument has become somewhat invalid because a lot of companies are redistributing their old IP online).

There's also the case where one simply can't afford the game and would never have bought it anyway, but that one seems like sort of a lame excuse for anyone who pays for an internet connection and owns a computer.

 

[dumbseizure]

I am curious, what do you mean by "can't get a legal copy"? When or how does this happen?

Either the game was never distributed in your region (common for a lot of Japanese titles), or the game is old and hard to get(although that argument has become somewhat invalid because a lot of companies are redistributing their old IP online).

There's also the case where one simply can't afford the game and would never have bought it anyway, but that one seems like sort of a lame excuse for anyone who pays for an internet connection and owns a computer.

Yeah, the whole "game is old and hard to get" argument is becoming less of an excuse. I know here in Australia (sorry, don't know where your from so I said where I'm from for reference) we have Game Traders, where you can buy pretty much any old game for any older console, right up to Dreamcast, Super Nintendo, and other I don't remember at the moment.

Edit: Forgot to mention, if it was never released outside Japan, wouldn't that mean it was never translated to english, also meaning there may be very little reason to actually acquire the game by any means?

 

[MrTub]

I've seen one study published in the Netherlands (I believe) that said that the net effects of piracy were neutral as the money people weren't spending on the things they were pirating they were spending in other areas of the economy.

This would be a no-brainer. People spend money all the time. If they don't spend it on one thing, they'll spend it on another. But how does this make it a neutral effect? If instead of spending, say, 100$ on video games, one spends them on a new sofa, I don't see this as a neutral balance. The same argument can be had about robbers - sure they can steal money, but the money gets back into the economy, so it seems that robbery has a neutral effect.

I'd like to see this study.

Except if I recall correctly that study said that it was neutral since people were still spending that money on games, not on a sofa.

So they bought perhaps games for 50$ a month and then pirated (just an example)


heres a Swiss study that says its actually increase the amount of sales

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/12/05/swiss-government-study-finds-internet-downloads-increase-sales/

Heres the study [http://www.ejpd.admin.ch/content/ejpd/de/home/dokumentation/mi/2011/2011-11-30.html]

 

[MrTub]

And also CD Projekt don't bother to stop piracy because sticking DRM in games just hurts the folks who buy the game legit.

Yeah, they don't bother to try to stop it since they're not fucking dumbasses like half the publishers out there, but they do sue any pirates they catch.

They stopped doing that after their fans got mad about it.

 

[mad825]

My university is allowed to claim ideas/designs from me without any profit for me

 

[geK0]

I am curious, what do you mean by "can't get a legal copy"? When or how does this happen?

Either the game was never distributed in your region (common for a lot of Japanese titles), or the game is old and hard to get(although that argument has become somewhat invalid because a lot of companies are redistributing their old IP online).

There's also the case where one simply can't afford the game and would never have bought it anyway, but that one seems like sort of a lame excuse for anyone who pays for an internet connection and owns a computer.

Yeah, the whole "game is old and hard to get" argument is becoming less of an excuse. I know here in Australia (sorry, don't know where your from so I said where I'm from for reference) we have Game Traders, where you can buy pretty much any old game for any older console, right up to Dreamcast, Super Nintendo, and other I don't remember at the moment.

Edit: Forgot to mention, if it was never released outside Japan, wouldn't that mean it was never translated to english, also meaning there may be very little reason to actually acquire the game by any means?

I was referring more to the E-stores that a lot of companies have. Nintendo E-shop on wii and 3ds, Sony store, XBLA, Good Old Games, and the like.

For the japanese games, there's usually fan translation guides online; I've actually been playing one of the Monster Hunter titles that was only released in Japan and haven't been having that much of an issue figuring out what to do. I bought it from a imported game booth at a convention though, didn't pirate.

 

[DoPo]

My university is allowed to claim ideas/designs from me without any profit for me

That's quite common and they aren't infringing your copyright, rather all work that you produce as part of your course belongs to the university. It's usually something more or less along those lines. But also, ask if you can get sole ownership of your work. I doubt they'll say outright "no", there may be a few extra steps, though.

I've seen one study published in the Netherlands (I believe) that said that the net effects of piracy were neutral as the money people weren't spending on the things they were pirating they were spending in other areas of the economy.

This would be a no-brainer. People spend money all the time. If they don't spend it on one thing, they'll spend it on another. But how does this make it a neutral effect? If instead of spending, say, 100$ on video games, one spends them on a new sofa, I don't see this as a neutral balance. The same argument can be had about robbers - sure they can steal money, but the money gets back into the economy, so it seems that robbery has a neutral effect.

I'd like to see this study.

Except if I recall correctly that study said that it was neutral since people were still spending that money on games, not on a sofa.

So they bought perhaps games for 50$ a month and then pirated (just an example)

And here is why I wanted to see the study - that's not what the OP said at all - it said "other parts of the economy" which includes sofas. People should learn not to throw facts blindly without support and at least double check before saying stuff.

heres a Swiss study that says its actually increase the amount of sales

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/12/05/swiss-government-study-finds-internet-downloads-increase-sales/

Heres the study [http://www.ejpd.admin.ch/content/ejpd/de/home/dokumentation/mi/2011/2011-11-30.html]

Thanks for those, I'll have a look at them now.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I have a friend from school who's a technical artist at another studio, and he's like the world's biggest champion of pirating games, music, movies, etc. Like, weirdly vocally supportive of the practice.

 

[Playful Pony]

I don't agree with pirating, even if a product is shit... DRM is still generally a stupid and annoying idea 'cause pirates win every time, as we know. I still think it's only fair to pay someone their asking price if you wish to use their stuff. If you don't think the price is fair you should look elsewhere for similar products, or wait for a sale/special offer or whatever. Maybe you'll go to your friends house and check it out there if (s)he bought it.

I don't sell any "creative content", I'm not anywhere near good enough in anything like that to do so... I know I'd still be PISSED if people started masturbating to my drawings without paying me a prostitutes wage first! ... No wait... That would be quite flattering Oo.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

No I don't get paid for creative content, I wish I did. Of course I don't endorse piracy either.