Why Is Pirating Games Bad But Pirating Anime and Manga Is Ok?

[Legion IV]

This always bugged me. Am not even a hardcore fan and yet I've spent like over 500$ on manga alone over the years (extremely cheap compared to pricing of games). Yet I've noticed something whenever i talk to a hardcore fan or someone who calls themselves an otaku (sigh) Half of the time when i ask them what there collection is like they tell me they just watch and read online.

Even on this site a site I've noticed that is very harsh on pirating does the same thing. It kind of pisses me off i buy all my manga and anime, since when has it become okay to do this?

The main argument i hear is a lot of the sites give back to the original creators and give some money to them from donations they get and that makes it okay. From what I've learned though this still isn't really cool. My buddy is from japan and comes back and fourth from japan to Canada because of family, he tells me that a lot of the time they don't like those sites but because of a lot of confusing stuff and that his English still isn't great he just summed with "they don't like it, but its some time to much trouble to bother".

So Escapists i ask you, why is pirating Manga and Anime okay? Yet pirating games is a scummy practice. I buy all my stuff am a fan, i dont know how you can steal and call yourself a fan i honestly think you arnt if you do.

 

[Mallefunction]

Probably because it takes SO much more money to make a game than print a manga.

I'm not an otaku anymore, but even when I was younger, games were a no go for me. Partially because my poor computer wouldn't be able to handle it...but mostly because I knew games took a lot more work and money.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Since most people don't pay for the manga and anime they watch, they just YouTube it or something similar, they are arguably 'pirating' it themselves.. They aren't paying for it, so I guess they're going to defend or not speak of acts they and so many others do.

 

[Kapol]

Well, I think a lot of people don't think of it as 'pirating' the material since they don't actually download it to their computer. That's complete BS in my opinion, as you're still getting content that you should have paid for for free. Others think that because they are fan translations for the most part, it's somehow better. I don't think it's bad if the series isn't released in the country in question, as otherwise there's really no way to get a hold of it (at least in the native language).

There's also the fact that it isn't really that cheap to buy manga or anime. Most anime series are priced to the point of stupidity, and a single book of a series is $10 in the US. A book will last me about 20 minutes at most, not counting the times I go back to reread it. Considering I can buy a new DVD for about twice as much and get more then twice the entertainment time from it, it makes it a bad deal. The raise in price from $8 to $10 is the main reason I stopped buying any of my old series (mostly Shonen Jump series, and the one in question had 20 books come out in 4 months. Couldn't afford it, so I stopped buying them).

That said, I do agree with you completely. I think it's stupid that getting a hold of these materials for free is somehow alright while other forms of media are horrible for someone to illegally get a hold of. "Oh, you read the entire *insert manga series here* online? How did you like it? You also downloaded a game? YOU A**HOLE! DON'T YOU KNOW THOSE PEOPLE NEED MONIES?!" That's how it seems like people treat it. I feel the same way about people and music as well, but that's another argument entirely. That's why I just buy everything I want if I can, and go without if I can't afford it.

*Edit* As for the arguement saying that it takes a lot more money for a game to be made, that's true. But that still doesn't make it better (at least in my opinion) to download something that quite a few people put a lot of work into. There's the artist and their assistants or, for anime, the production team, the people who publish it, and the people who translate it for graphic novels from other countries. Them not getting money for the work they put in is somehow alright?

 

[Arehexes]

A lot of people are made over pirating anime and manga just as much as games. Although I could care less since tokyo pop went out a lot of the books I was reading are not avalible unless I pay 40+ USD for a used copy.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

I think BOTH are piracy, and thus, wrong. But that's a point for another time

I also love it when some people (that I know online, I am not saying all otaku are like this) complain that something didn't get an NA release, when they
1) Say the Japanese one is always better
2) Will just pirate it anyway.

 

[Worgen]

technicly it is still bad but for much of anime and manga's existance the only way to get it outside japan was by piracy, in fact most of the anime distributors here are actualy huge fans that formed businesses for it plus for the longest time it was also really expensive, so those download places for anime kept existing because of it, now we have better anime and manga prices but since the dl sites are still well known and trusted, not to mention they tend to get anime and manga out much faster and more reliably then actual distributors so its no wonder it still happens

 

[Kevonovitch]

to pirate games and movies is "bad" because it's the beurocratic and shortsighted opinion. fact-unless it's some miraculously mass pirated game that ACTUALLY CAUSES HARM (yet to see that STILL btw) then not really. but, you do run more risk of being caught these days, besides, people need money to live, and whats a job for, if not worth atleast the cash?

but anime and manga, it's not much of a diff really, but, most of the stuff, you won't see untill either years down the road, or at all, because it takes time and money to aquire licences, aswell as translate and/or dub them. mostly all i ever see at the shops is the stuff from 80's-90's, and only the popular stuff in both asia and america from 2000 onward.

but yeah, anime and manga, really just a matter of accessability, and not waiting an average of 4 years to see/read something that was made, this week hell, some of the best things are still "on hold" to be officially translated, from the 90's. but games, eh, do w/e you see fit.

 

[Legolum]

I read allot of Manga and watch anime that is not in english, It is impossible to get it without getting the fan translations of them, they do not appear on TV or are in the American stores to buy because we just can't get them, So, if we can't get them then they aren't losing money by us pirating them/watching them, because we aren't the market they where selling to.

Also, streaming video online isn't really illegal for the person watching, it is for the person hosting. I am fine with watching/reading manga and anime for free, as long as it is not possible to get it in my language (which most of the good stuff isn't).

 

[Phoenixlight]

It's not ok, I don't think there's many people who feel that's ok about pirating it and not ok about pirating games.

 

[Lord Devius]

I watch anime. A lot of the time it's not available in English, so I have to get fansubs. If you consider fansubs piracy, then yes, I pirate anime, because I can't understand Japanese yet, and I don't have the money to import DVDs anyway.

As for manga, when I want to read one, I try to find an official translation, but a lot of times that doesn't exist either. Scanlations are getting cracked down on, but they're still easier to find than officially translated things.

I do use Netflix and other legal methods to watch dubbed anime, when available. And if they're not, I just deal with it.

 

[Pyramid Head]

There is a very simple explanation for that.
Less involvement from the American copyright authorities who subscribe to the American practice of making outrageous lawsuits a career.

 

[Legion IV]

Alright guys i agree with you there, its okay when you cant get it here if its gonna take years. But am talking people who've read all of bleach or death note online like the really easily accessible anime and manga is what bugs me.

I will say this though, we wait a year somtimes for a game to get a translation.

 

[VanTesla]

It's not ok to pirate anything... I would buy all the translated manga, if Viz didn't censor the hell out of the ones I like... I feel bad and I admit to doing it on, if I had the money (big excuse...) I would buy them and support them. If it appears on t.v. I DVR it constantly, so they get their points out of it. I do/did buy more when I was with my parents, but on your own it may take me a bit...

I know trying to make up later does not help in keeping series going, but I just can't right now and I need a fix like a drug addict... Atleast I feel bad about it and will pay sooner or later...

 

[VanTesla]

I watch anime. A lot of the time it's not available in English, so I have to get fansubs. If you consider fansubs piracy, then yes, I pirate anime, because I can't understand Japanese yet, and I don't have the money to import DVDs anyway.

As for manga, when I want to read one, I try to find an official translation, but a lot of times that doesn't exist either. Scanlations are getting cracked down on, but they're still easier to find than officially translated things.

I do use Netflix and other legal methods to watch dubbed anime, when available. And if they're not, I just deal with it.

The fans that take their time to translate, should just be paid a small amount for a service they are doing for that company... They can hire them as a part time gig and then sell it here.

 

[Neuromaster]

Alright guys i agree with you there, its okay when you cant get it here if its gonna take years. But am talking people who've read all of bleach or death note online like the really easily accessible anime and manga is what bugs me.

I will say this though, we wait a year somtimes for a game to get a translation.

In North America, the vast majority of video games are easily available for purchase at release, in a language we understand.

The same is not true of anime/manga. Some is, some isn't.

I think you'll find significantly fewer people willing to defend the piracy of english-translated manga/anime that's easily available from amazon.com.

 

[GestaltEsper]

Question: If I, say, watched all of Death Note on Adult Swim's website or Bacanno or Sengoku Basara on Funimation's YouTube channel is that pirating?

 

[Kapol]

Also, streaming video online isn't really illegal for the person watching, it is for the person hosting. I am fine with watching/reading manga and anime for free, as long as it is not possible to get it in my language (which most of the good stuff isn't).

Well, while that may be true for now, it might not be for long. You can find more information in this article: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111133-New-Bill-Makes-Illegal-Streaming-A-Felony

Also, just because it isn't illegal doesn't make it right. You're still getting content that you should have paid for for free, and that, at least in my opinion, is still 'piracy.' I do understand the 'not in my language' issue though, as I said in my other post.

 

[VanTesla]

Alright guys i agree with you there, its okay when you cant get it here if its gonna take years. But am talking people who've read all of bleach or death note online like the really easily accessible anime and manga is what bugs me.

I will say this though, we wait a year somtimes for a game to get a translation.

Funny thing is, the Death Note Manga was in my old High school library and my county library...

 

[Legolum]

Alright guys i agree with you there, its okay when you cant get it here if its gonna take years. But am talking people who've read all of bleach or death note online like the really easily accessible anime and manga is what bugs me.

I will say this though, we wait a year somtimes for a game to get a translation.

That stuff I think is even more ok to pirate (or at least the animes), Websites like Hulu have deathnote and Naruto perfectly legal in english- so if I prefer it in Japanese then watching a fansub on another site should be fine.

as for the manga, well, Unfortunately I can't say if its ok or not.