What are people's views on piracy (of games)?

[Biosophilogical]

What I want to know is, do the wonderful people here on the escapist consider the downloading and playing of games from the internet (console games (ps3, wii, DS etc.)) morally wrong if it is only on a trial basis and you have every intention of buying the game if you like it???

Please no Flaming or simple answers, I want people's opinions and the reasoning behind it.

EDIT: Oh and please no '^^this' -ing

 

[megapenguinx]

It's bad, don't do it. It hurts developers (just take a look at the World of Goo guys).

 

[silasbufu]

If that's the case , then I don't consider it morally wrong..but let's be serious..how many people do you think will download them only on a trial basis? Also instead of taking the risk of downloading it for trial purposes, I'll just get the demo. That's the whole point of the demo right?

 

[Biosophilogical]

If that's the case , then I don't consider it morally wrong..but let's be serious..how many people do you think will download them only on a trial basis?

Me. But IYO what about games like from GBA and stuff that you cannot seem to find anywhere anymore so you wouldn't actually buy it either way?

 

[Akai Shizuku]

My friend, I hate to be a search bar Nazi, but I made this thread a while back.

OT, because I don't like being a dick: torrents are your friend. Downloading can get you games that are no longer being made, are really freaking rare, or too damn expensive. I do not believe that it is theft because you are not taking something off the shelf and leaving with it; you are only taking a copy you made of it. As for the "it hurts developers" position: this is due to capitalism, something I as an outspoken communist am strongly opposed to.

 

[Beatrix]

With the current prices of games these days it is not feasible for me to buy everything that "looks nice."
I want a lot of information on my games before I make a purchase. Demos in particular, but also videos, message board posts and FAQs are enough some of the time, but when that's still inconclusive and piracy would be an option then I would try it that way.

I wouldn't call it wrong to try a game through less legal means if you end up buying it.

The problem, however, is with the games that don't make the cut. That you try and are then not good enough to warrant purchase, technically you'd be in the wrong there, but it's a slippery slope.

I also find that I have less problems trying out games in this manner that have been made/distributed by large companies than ones produced independently, but that's probably just me.

 

[silasbufu]

If that's the case , then I don't consider it morally wrong..but let's be serious..how many people do you think will download them only on a trial basis?

Me. But IYO what about games like from GBA and stuff that you cannot seem to find anywhere anymore so you wouldn't actually buy it either way?

I think that would be ok..in my opinion. How else are we supposed to find old games..Go to all you local stores and turn every old game bin upside-down?
I think piracy hits the hardest when the game is released. Afterwards , when the game is on sale more people buy it.

 

[Biosophilogical]

My friend, I hate to be a search bar Nazi, but I made this thread a while back.

My bad I didn't see it but thank you for the information and the fact that you weren't an arse about it

Spoiler: for being so nice about it

have a cookie...or 4

EDIT: 600 posts!!!

 

[Akai Shizuku]

My friend, I hate to be a search bar Nazi, but I made this thread a while back.

My bad I didn't see it but thank you for the information and the fact that you weren't an arse about it

Spoiler: for being so nice about it

have a cookie...or 4

Why thank you. ^_^
-noms cookies-

 

[StercusCaput]

There is no possible excuse FOR piracy of games that can still be purchased in stores. While it has been said that piracy helped Microsoft get Windows on a lot of machines early on, games have a much shorter life cycle than operating systems. Microsoft and other application vendors were able to still make money by selling other software applications to OS thieves. In case of games, a stolen copy is a lost opportunity to make any money on that game. The "I am just going to demo it and buy a copy later" argument doesn't hold a lot of water. I don't have any numbers, but I doubt many people go back and buy the game after stealing it.

 

[zoomin]

hmm.. I condone pirating Gears of War 2 only because the online is more or less unplayable in Australia. Kind of offended, not really something I would pay full price for.

 

[Thaius]

Well it depends. To download a game that is still being produced would be stealing, yes, and I'm not a big fan of it, especially considering the cost of developing a good game.

However, I do not support the illegality of downloading/emulating older games that are no longer in production. Consider this: say you want to get the SNES RPG Terranigma. You could try to find it and buy it, but the only places you could do so are Ebay, yard sales, and possibly some random pawn shops. However you get it, however, you are paying the previous owner of the game: the creator gets nothing. If you were to buy the original Terranigma SNES cartridge, Enix (now Square Enix) would not benefit in the least: all money goes to the person who sold it, not to the original creator. So why does it matter if you download it? It would allow more people to play it and make the actual cartridge a collector's item.

In my opinion, once a game is no longer being produced, it should become public domain.

 

[Korolev]

I used to pirate and the temptation is pretty strong. There really isn't any justification for it, other than..... it's really easy to do and...... I don't like paying money.

It's theft. Straight up. Which is why I don't do it anymore, although I still do it with, uh, other media - like music.... and films.... and TV shows, and well. You know. I am a hypocrite. In the case of TV shows, usually I justify it because, well, it costs nothing to see it on TV and I do pay for Foxtel. For films, if it's a film I like, I WILL buy the DVD/Blu-Ray or go see it in the Cinema. As for music.... eh you got me there, I'm a thief.

I stopped pirating video games mainly because 1) It got a bit difficult, and 2) I like multiplayer and 3) Because piracy can hurt a game badly enough to prevent a sequel.

I used to justify piracy to myself in a number of ways;

1) If I like it, I'll buy it. For games I REALLY liked, yes, I did do this. But I'll admit that I never really went back to buy most of them. Besides, there are such things as demos
2) Games are too EXPENSIVE: Well, it's not like I needed games to live now did I? The people who make the game get the right to do whatever they want with the game, and that includes charging XYZ amount. Games are a LUXURY item. Not a necessity. We don't cry over Porche overpricing their cars, or Diamond sellers doing the same.
3) I'm not actually taking anything: Well, yes I WAS taking things. This argument was destroyed when I was forced to take an Intellectual Property course when doing my Biotech degree. For example, say you make a really cool new medicine. Then someone takes your formula and produces it a rock-bottom prices because they didn't have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and 10-20 years testing and developing it. Same thing with games - they are selling you the GAME, a collection of software. That might not be a physical object, but it still cost a hell of a lot to make and in a way it is physical and does exist as information in the real world.
4) I wouldn't have bought it anyway: This argument was my last defence, and it is true in some ways. There are some games that I pirated that I would not have bought. But there are quite a few which I would have.

 

[CyberGenesis]

I pirate games to play them for the same reasons i used to rent console games. If they're WORTH the pricetag, i'll buy a copy. If not they don't deserve to be paid for a shit game.

I bought World of Goo because by CONCEPT it's worth it...


EDIT: Not all games have demos. And piracy is about the only way to get most older games these days. Screw Ebay, i'm not buying someone else's poorly cared for CDs full of dings and scratches

 

[Eisenfaust]

if you're only downloading it as a trial run, i don't really see any problem with it... drop the "with full intentions of buying it" from your question and you start to run into the sticky "harming developers" thing... though i think this arguement works better with music, since it seems unlikely that anyone would go to the trouble to download the entire game, only to play it for 5 minutes, go "yeah, this is alright" then go spend the money on it, whereas with muci you can just sample someone... though granted, for every person who knows how to pirate it, there's probably at least one person out there who has no idea how to and will buy it no matter the cost... i wouldn't know...

 

[Animated Rope]

If the product isn't actually bought, it's bad as the developers doesn't earn anything on it. Like someone mentioned earlier, get a demo if you want a trial. Or read reviews.

I do not condone to ruthlessly policing the net just to catch violators though. If anything, they should be considered a "natural hazard" that you ward against.

 

[AvsJoe]

Hmm... I'm only against piracy if you don't purchase the game after illegally downloading it. Although I guess this is everybody's opinion, isn't it?

 

[leet_chris]

i dont like it i cnat stand when you buy a game with your oown money and some fuker tells you that he got it for free, it really pisses me off

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Piracy is good when you have some justification for it.

I'm looking at you, Activision.

BUT! It's bad. Look at the World of Goo guys.