Home Gaming Gaming is increasingly expensive. Is piracy a solution?

Gaming is increasingly expensive. Is piracy a solution?

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At first I was going to make this editorial only about gaming being an expensive hobby, but something I’ve noticed is how much of this discussion is also related to piracy as a solution.

Piracy is a funny crime, many people do it because it’s totally passive and easy. Anyone with any knowledge of torrents can go to The Pirate Bay or a similar site and download recently released or unintentionally leaked video games. Many times I’ve heard people using torrents to ‘try out’ a game. The honour system associated with torrents as a’ try before you buy’ is fundamentally flawed.

demo

It’s even worse nowadays because demos don’t really happen anymore. Demos used to be how you’d gauge if you were going to buy a game or not, but they quickly became obsolete with the advent of P2P file sharing. Some digital distribution outlets allow for a try before you buy system, which I think is very important to win people over. It’s one thing to actually try out a portion of a game, instead of just pirating it under the guise of false equivalence.

So what’s the problem? Is there not enough trust between publisher and consumer to not steal their product? Or is DRM really the way to go? This industry is plagued with a problem of a lack of physicality. People think that ones and zeroes aren’t worth paying for, which is a toxic way of thinking in an industry worth billions of dollars with people to pay.

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People wonder why Rockstar didn’t release GTA V on PC right at release. Other than optimisation for PC systems, a large reason is rampant piracy on PC. It’s much more labourious to run pirated games on a console. You need to have modded software and sometimes hardware, and even then, you miss out on online because you need the official updated firmware to play online.

People didn’t want to miss out on GTA: Online, and Rockstar only released GTA V on consoles. As a result, Rockstar made a billion dollars in console sales. It ended up being the biggest and fastest selling entertainment product in history, and that says something rather damning about PC gaming.

I consider Steam to be the saviour of PC gaming. As a distribution system, it deters piracy through convenience, sales, and bundles for cheap. Sure, Valve gets a slice of the sales pie, but the developers get their share without the overheads of physical distribution, which only results in someone ripping the CD and chucking it up online to share with everyone.



Remember this advertisement? You wouldn’t steal a car? Yeah, sure, but if my friend said he could burn me a copy, I’d be interested! I think the laws surrounding DRM have to be defined way better. As someone who buys the bulk of their games from Steam, Steam allows me to use my games on whatever PC I want, which is good enough for me if I want to play at a friend’s house or something. But there’s debate over whether copying a game is the same as stealing it.

I think of it like fine art. Sure, you can reproduce the Mona Lisa legally, but having that reproduction is still considered a forgery; a fake. Not exactly the most water tight comparison, but hopefully you know what I mean.

So if you’re the kind of person that pirates the majority of their games on the premise that you’ll buy it if you like it, at the very least stick by that. Support the developers, especially indie starters if you enjoy their game. Remember, it’s easy to pretend that they’re all faceless companies willing to squeeze any money out of you, but many dedicated people deserve compensation for their efforts. Respect the industry, so that it can continue to grow and change for the better.

Last Updated: March 25, 2014

93 Comments

  1. This is the Admiral Chief, and it has been many moons since I last pirated a game

    Reply

  2. Admiral Chief of Auraxis

    March 25, 2014 at 12:35

    • Unavengedavo(aka. Bilbo)

      March 25, 2014 at 12:39

      Spending way too much time on 9gag O_o

      Reply

      • Jaded_Reprobate

        March 25, 2014 at 12:43

        There is no such thing as time when on 9gag

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

          March 25, 2014 at 12:44

          Amen

          Reply

      • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

        March 25, 2014 at 12:45

        See JR’s response below 😛

        Reply

        • Unavengedavo(aka. Bilbo)

          March 25, 2014 at 12:45

          Noted, and agree O_o

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

            March 25, 2014 at 12:47

            🙂

  3. Unavengedavo(aka. Bilbo)

    March 25, 2014 at 12:39

    Personally I prefer this anti-piracy ad…

    Reply

    • Jaded_Reprobate

      March 25, 2014 at 12:48

      if i could download a full movie that quick…. i might also consider piracy

      Reply

  4. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    March 25, 2014 at 12:51

    If I am not sure about a game then I download it and play give it a play and then if I enjoy it then I buy it. Mostly on specials since it is rare that a game is worth the R600 price tag.

    I do however buy all the games I play through or even enjoyed, but didn’t finish.

    Proud owner of 250 games in my Steam library.

    Reply

    • El Capitan del Blade

      March 25, 2014 at 13:26

      “…and proud completer of like…4” 😛

      Reply

      • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

        March 25, 2014 at 13:33

        If I had to guess I would say 20 complete. LOTS of bundles.

        Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      March 25, 2014 at 13:27

      112 on mine. Don’t ask the Emperor about his though…

      Reply

    • Johan Pretorius

      November 3, 2015 at 10:05

      Exactly, prices are now R699 for a base game, that is stupid. I also wait for prices to go down. Developers should have different prices for different regions to combat piracy. Then there is also the gamble. Imagine paying the premium for Watchdogs Pre-Order

      Reply

  5. Kromas

    March 25, 2014 at 12:51

    I don’t pirate unless I have a original and the pirate works better (read SimCity). I mean I bought and own the game. Screw them! Ill play it the way I want to.

    Reply

  6. ToshZA

    March 25, 2014 at 12:54

    I’ve not pirated a game since I was in school, 12 years ago. Since I’ve been working I feel supporting the guys who worked their asses off is the way to go. I don’t buy as many games now, for sure, but I think the devs deserve their profits for the work they put into creating those few hours of entertainment for us.

    I think Piracy is BS, from start to end. I buy my movies. Buy my CD’s. Buy my games. That’s the only way to go.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

      March 25, 2014 at 12:54

      Series?

      Reply

      • ToshZA

        March 25, 2014 at 12:55

        Watch on TV, or rent, or buy.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

          March 25, 2014 at 13:03

          Impressive

          Reply

          • ToshZA

            March 25, 2014 at 13:04

            *Expensive.

            Fixed it for you.

      • Ultimo_Cleric N7

        March 25, 2014 at 13:24

        no comment…….

        Reply

  7. Rudi

    March 25, 2014 at 12:59

    Recently, the wife and I bought a DVD boxset of a series, and have been watching it. But damn, what really pisses me off is the parts in the beginning you cannot skip, the disclaimers for every single country on this earth and beyond. Sometimes piracy isn’t about stealing something, it’s about convenience. I almost feel like downloading the series anyway, just so that I don’t have to bother with discs and the parts you cannot skip 🙁

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

      March 25, 2014 at 13:03

      You said it!

      Reply

    • ToshZA

      March 25, 2014 at 13:11

      See this for me is a grey area. Legally as well, I believe there’s grey in this regard. If you own the originals, it should be 100% ok to rip them or download cracked or whatever versions of the movie, series, game, music etc. As long as you don’t redistribute or sell those pirated copies. I do this with all my CD’s. Buy them, get home, rip to mp3 and add to my music library. CD’s are all stashed away, never used. But I legally own the music. So, why not?

      Reply

      • HvR

        March 25, 2014 at 13:13

        Same with series, pay DSTV (an exorbitant amount). But then download it to have 1080p, proper sound and no ads.

        Reply

        • ToshZA

          March 25, 2014 at 13:20

          Ah but DSTV is a service, not a product. You’re essentially renting the rights to view that series. You don’t ever own the series or movies they show. It’s still wrong to do that, because you’ve actually not paid the creators of that content. You’ve helped some corporate fat guy get fatter.

          If you own the series disks, in a box set or whatever. Then download it all you want. That’s what I’m saying here.

          Reply

          • HvR

            March 25, 2014 at 13:30

            Well the creator decided to provide the corporate fat the monopoly rights for more cash and prevent me from having options to viewing it through another service. Your boxset is sold via retailer via an distributor from a production company. The creators and actors will not get paid more due to a box set being sold.

            I watch series as they are shown on DSTV (a week early at most) because get pissed off mainly due to the downgraded audio channel they broadcast, recording service that doesn’t work or crappy signal strength/limited bandwidth. Then remove the episodes after watching it once or twice since HD space is expensive.

            If it is series I truly like I will buy the bosxet for the extras.

            On the music front I’m in the same camp as you, buy (well import mostly) special edition CD with the nice booklets and covers, rip it to mp3 and display the original.

      • Rudi

        March 25, 2014 at 13:16

        I agree 100%. I once had a really annoying instance where a game DVD didn’t work (the 2nd disc of Mass Effect 2) – it seemed to be a common problem, and contacting Corrupt EA didn’t yield any results. In the end, I downloaded a pirated version, but installed it with my legal key. The only people the hectic DRM systems are bothering is us who buy the legal copies. Thank goodness for Steam, 99% of the time the games work without a hassle, and at least it’s legal. DRM is not gonna stop people from pirating, but it really annoys us who buy legal software.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          March 25, 2014 at 15:06

          I had 2 games, I’m looking at you Far Cry & Vampire Bloodlines, that wouldn’t run on my PC because I had my original disk in a DVD-writer. That pissed me off so much. Luckily it’s so easy to bypass, 5 minutes & 1 no-cd patch later… so much for DRM.

          Reply

    • CAE9872

      March 25, 2014 at 14:03

      Rudi you have a fan right here. It annoys the F**K out of me – I bought the F’ing thing legit! Don’t now waste my time telling me its illegal to download, blah, blah, blah! And let me skip to where I want to be instead of “Sorry this operation cannot be performed now”

      Reply

  8. Craig "Crios" Boonzaier

    March 25, 2014 at 13:04

    I have not pirated a game since Iron Lore died taking Titan Quest with it. I was actually a super sad panda, because that game was awesome. I realized that if I wanted to keep playing good games, I needed to support the various developers. Along came Steam and other platforms making it easier for everyone. That’s why I support indie developers. To date I have an extensive steam library, that I will most likely never complete and 3 legal copies of TQ, due to various bundles, digital and disc.
    I am pirate free since 2008.
    My credit card doesn’t like me though…..

    Reply

    • ToshZA

      March 25, 2014 at 13:05

      Yeah, that hit on the wallet is the hardest part about being legit. As Angelina Jolie said in Gone in 60 seconds – “You have to work twice as hard when it’s legal.”

      Reply

      • tranqstar

        March 25, 2014 at 16:13

        toshZA you’ve just inspired me to start using meaningless quotes from shitty movies

        Reply

        • ToshZA

          March 25, 2014 at 16:50

          Wow, you’re a ray of sunshine aren’t you?

          Reply

  9. Brenz

    March 25, 2014 at 13:08

    I havent pirated a game in a long time. I used to, when I was younger, had less money, didnt know any better etc.
    These days I pay for games as how can we expect to keep playing if we dont? The studios and people who make our games need the money to keep operating, its their job and they need to get paid, as do we in our respective jobs.
    As games get more expensive I will just be more selective on what I buy on release, and the rest I will wait for bargain bins or 2nd hand trades. But if you have PS+ then you really dont need to buy every new release that catches your eye, just buy your favourites and wait for a few months as the big titles will be free eventually.
    Games being expensive is a poor excuse for pirating, you just have to be smart and you dont have to spend a fortune.

    Reply

  10. HvR

    March 25, 2014 at 13:13

    Would like to see the comparison between console and PC piracy estimation since Steam sales and console software and STB hacks (no more special disks and warranty voids).

    Reply

  11. Mighty Meh

    March 25, 2014 at 13:19

    You guys wanna hear something funny?

    The music used in that anti piracy video was pirated! Dead serious, you can check it out!

    I made the decision to stop pirating games because I realized I was part of the reason PC games were going to hell. If everyone supported the good games and steered clear of the crappy (read EA) games things will slowly come right.

    Reply

  12. Ultimo_Cleric N7

    March 25, 2014 at 13:24

    I used to LIVE off pirated games back in the day. But for the past 5 years or so I have bought all my games, even when offered good copies. I realised after varsity that the reason for PC gaming’s declines were coming from Piracy, and by extension me.
    I want PC gaming to offer more titles and if I really support that, I will buy games and not copy.
    Call me old fashioned, but thats how I see it.

    Reply

  13. El Capitan del Blade

    March 25, 2014 at 13:24

    As an experiment, I went onto the Piratebay recently, and to me at least, it seems that Piracy (with regard to PC games) is on the decrease.

    “AAA” games have a lot fewer “seeders” than they used to… a week after Modern Warfare 3 came out, there were close to 20,000 seeders (if memory serves)

    The Game with the most seeders currently on that site has only just over 6700….

    If it’s not declining, it’s at least getting harder. With torrent download speeds what they are, it’s much less hassle to just buy the game, and get fast downloads through steam….

    Reply

  14. CypherGate

    March 25, 2014 at 13:24

    I used to pirate games on PC to test out and I basically deleted all the horrible ones that didnt impress me. Once like Mass Effect i downloaded and kept the pirated version of the game, but bought the original. My original is nicely sealed so that cant be too bad can it? I just do originals now, but i first do research on the games i buy cause hell… I dont want to waste R700 on a game that sucks ass balls.

    Reply

  15. Jedi JJ

    March 25, 2014 at 13:24

    Steam has made piracy pretty much obsolete in all my circles.

    Reply

  16. Jedi JJ

    March 25, 2014 at 13:27

    I used to download a lot of fixes just so I wouldn’t have to worry about putting in a new dvd each time but, once again, Steam has made that unnecessary.

    Reply

  17. MakeItLegal

    March 25, 2014 at 13:28

    I don’t support piracy per say , but gaming is too expensive sometimes , I am that gamer that will be playing AC 1 and 2 this weekend cause it’s r100 for two games , and I need not put my Adsl line under pressure cause I am sure Telkom is just looking for an excuse to throttle me

    I have made consessions when it comes to games now , I play older titles for cheaper instead of straight up piracy … Fair trade I think

    Reply

  18. Johan du Preez

    March 25, 2014 at 13:30

    I have over 200 games on steam but I pirate all the games and try them before I buy.

    Reply

    • EasyBee

      November 22, 2014 at 22:17

      how many of those 200 are $2-$5 steam sales

      Reply

  19. Sk3tz0

    March 25, 2014 at 13:35

    Console User here with PS+.. No need for Pirating games..

    Reply

    • Norm the Horrible

      March 25, 2014 at 13:40

      Agreed.
      And if I had broadband at home, I’d use the Xbox Live feature.

      Reply

      • Skyblue

        March 25, 2014 at 14:01

        Live is a waste of time really. I used to have 3 accounts but only have 1 now for my kid who plays “wrassling” games.

        Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        March 25, 2014 at 16:37

        The Xbox “free” offerings are mostly crap.

        Reply

        • Norm the Horrible

          March 25, 2014 at 18:32

          I heard about that. But at least I can play multiplayer games. 😀

          Reply

  20. Alien Emperor Trevor

    March 25, 2014 at 13:39

    No, it’s not a solution, and that fact that it’s so easy doesn’t change that. If you don’t want to pay for it, then you don’t get to play it or else yes you are stealing, and if you can’t afford it, you can wait until it comes down in price, although odds are you wouldn’t buy it anyway when it does. People who pirate tons of games deserve all the malware they get. All those “I’m trying before I’m buying” types can piss off, they’re not fooling anyone.

    Big companies stopped releasing demos because a) it cost money to make one & b) they found people were less likely to buy a game after playing a demo than if they didn’t release one at all. It had nothing to do with downloading. Quite a few games on Steam still offer demos, although they tend to be mostly indies.

    At the same time, piracy is also used as an easy excuse for all kinds of consumer-unfriendly practices like the 101 types of DRM, always-online, etc. I’ve had games I legally own that refuse to run on my system because of DRM. It’s piss easy to bypass that though, so why waste time with it other than to annoy someone who paid you good money for the game? There’s more than enough INDEPENDENT research that says piracy has a negligible affect on actual sales & that industry reports of harm are grossly exaggerated. They want to control every facet of what you do with the game you bought. Yes, bought. You’re not renting it, leasing it, it’s not a service, and all the other things they call it these days (excluding MMOs) – those are just legal semantic arguments to get away with their bullshit.

    Reply

    • John Gardner

      March 25, 2014 at 13:53

      It may be morally gray, but downloading games certainly is not stealing.

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 25, 2014 at 13:59

        Well not in the physical sense no, but in essence they’ve “taken” a copy of a product without paying for it. I wouldn’t call it morally grey though, in that particular scenario it’s pretty clear cut.

        Reply

      • Weanerdog

        March 25, 2014 at 15:08

        It is more like someone else copying your work and you not getting paid for it. Imagine going to work but only getting paid for that which someone else didn’t copy, Oh yes and the copies are readily available. Bet your job would suck.

        Reply

        • John Gardner

          March 25, 2014 at 15:15

          The used-game market is full of exactly what you describe. Publishers don’t get another bite at the apple in that market. Does that mean any fewer games are created as a result?

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 25, 2014 at 15:22

            That’s not the same thing. A new copy has not been created when selling a used game, it’s the same copy. If however you make a copy, keep that, then sell your original second hand, you’re in the wrong.

          • John Gardner

            March 25, 2014 at 15:25

            But it’s my copy. Aren’t you trying to tell me what I can and cannot do with my property? And what if I don’t sell it, but instead I give it away? Does that change anything?

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 25, 2014 at 15:32

            No, I think you should be able to do whatever you want with your copy – keep it, sell it, give it away, burn it, even make a backup for yourself, whatever.

            What you can’t do is take your copy, make more copies of it, and start handing those out or selling them while retaining your original copy.

          • John Gardner

            March 25, 2014 at 15:43

            You’re trying to put physical restrictions on goods that are not subject to scarcity. And you say I should be able to do whatever I want with my copy, except you put a limitation on it that I can’t duplicate the good if I intend on distributing any copies of it. If I give/sell someone a picture and they make a copy of it and distribute it further, how am I harmed?

          • Weanerdog

            March 25, 2014 at 15:45

            Is your livelihood dependent on you selling your pictures?

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 25, 2014 at 15:46

            The fact that it’s not physical doesn’t give you the right to dispose of it however you choose & ignoring the rights of the creator.

            If you take a photo & choose to give it away, you can. If you’re a paid photographer & you make your living selling your photos, you’d be very unhappy if people were copying that work without you being reimbursed.

          • John Gardner

            March 25, 2014 at 18:49

            What rights of the creator? The creator wrote a book / coded a game / took a photo. I purchase a copy of that work. That copy of that work is my property. The original creator has no right to tell me how I can and cannot use my property. That includes burning, defacing, modifying, etc… If I want to make copies of that book to give out at my local book club, the author has no right to tell me otherwise. His happiness with how I use my property isn’t remotely relevant. Perhaps an architect would be unhappy that I modified my copy of the blueprints he created when building my house. Everyone’s answer to that circumstance would be “so what?”

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            March 25, 2014 at 19:24

            You don’t seem to understand the difference between you doing whatever you want with your single copy that you purchased from someone else, and you making more copies of that copy & passing them out to other people for them to use as they please.

            If it’s your creation, you can do whatever the hell you want.

          • John Gardner

            March 25, 2014 at 19:48

            What is the difference? It’s either my property to use as I desire or it’s not.

          • tx3000

            July 5, 2014 at 16:54

            And you don’t seem to understand that VALVE has no legal authorization to interfere with a consumer rights by IP blocking them. The US federal Laws dictate Valve is not allowed to be doing this. So Valve Subscriber agreement doesn’t matter when it comes to violations.

            It amazes me how gamers seriously thing Valve is exempt from Federal laws and think the Subscriber agreement is all that matters. Even after saying the Subscriber agreement is null and void by US federal laws, the retarded gamers still try bringing up the subscriber agreement.

            There is no subscriber agreement if the US federal laws state what the company did is illegal

          • tx3000

            July 5, 2014 at 16:49

            The creator needs to smarten the fuck up and quit using a service like Steam that IP blocks people and prevents them from buy/registering their games.

            I’ve been IP blocked by Valve, so any game a developer attaches a Steam registration to it without any other way to get the game, FUCK that developer they deserve to have their game pirated for pulling that bullshit. I’ve been left with no choice but to pirate a game if that”s what developers do.

            Also FUCK valve for deciding I cannot play something that hasn’t even been made yet. Anyone who thinks that’s ok for Valve to stop people from playing games Valve doesn’t own nor did Valve make, is a fucking idiot.

            As a consumer an entity wants to screw with my consumer rights, can go fuck themselves, and they deserve to have their games pirated.

          • tx3000

            July 5, 2014 at 16:44

            Sorry but if game developers quit using Steam as the only way to play their game knowing Valve IP blocks people preventing them from using games they buy, then piracy wouldn’t be going on to the extent it is. Steam doesn’t belong in every fucking game.

            If games were relased with and without Steam, then the people that don’t want Steam would buy it, but developers want to continue being retarded and using Steam then they will continue having their games pirated.. Simple concept. Quit fucking with consumers and they won’t fuck with you back

            GAMES NEED TO BE LEFT THE FUCK ALONE.

          • Weanerdog

            March 25, 2014 at 15:38

            Not your copy you have not bought the game or the rights to it. You have bought a licence to play it. You can sell, give away or take a dump on that license, but the game remains the property of the person who put in the time to make it.

          • John Gardner

            March 25, 2014 at 15:50

            (effectively) Nobody looks at the purchase of a game as buying a license to play it. Obviously it depends on the laws in each country, but in the US even the courts don’t look at it that way, despite the pleadings of game publishers.

          • Weanerdog

            March 25, 2014 at 15:59

            They can call it what they like but you do not own the rights to the game otherwise sharing would not be an issue.

          • Weanerdog

            March 25, 2014 at 15:35

            The publishers have sold licences not the game. By selling your license to play the game you have not increased the number of licenses in circulation. By pirating you are effectively increasing that number.

    • PestControl

      March 25, 2014 at 14:25

      I don’t agree.. If I knew CoD:Ghosts was going to be such an epic fail I would not have bought it, i.e. had they released a demo a month in advance. And there are a few other games I most likely won’t buy seeing as I’m unfamiliar with the IP/genre etc. such as Dark Souls 2. In the latter scenario I would prefer “trying” the game before I buy it. No use in buying a game, only play it for 30 mins and then uninstalling it. A good example of this was FTL; I “tried” the game for a day or two and was so hooked I felt like I really had to own this game, so I went ahead and bought it.

      The contrary to this also exists though (unfortunately, even though it’s by far the minority). A personal example would be Far Cry 3; I borrowed it from a friend and I’m probably on the second to last mission, however I lost my progress after a rogue format (only realized after a couple of months and subsequently the physical hdd sectors were overwritten and made recovery impossible). Now I haven’t yet (take note I probably will at some point in time) bought it, however I most definitely will buy Far Cry 4 (even if it turns out to be a huge disappointment). And so the cycle will probably continue…. You could almost say that should developers disappoint, they will have to work harder on subsequent releases in order to impress and “win back” some customers.

      Lastly in the same way that copying down answers in a test differs from stealing someone’s car, the same applies to software piracy. Technically you can’t steal something without removing the original. Oh and I almost forgot… I basically legally own 2 copies of all the PC versions of the GTA games from 3 onwards. All of my physical copies were stolen (except for IV), however thanks to Steam sales I now own them yet again! 😀

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 25, 2014 at 15:02

        I think we all know making/downloading a copy of a game we don’t own so that we can use it without paying for it is wrong. Arguing whether it’s theft or not is just semantics, and besides the point because it doesn’t change the fact that you have it in your possession unpaid, digitally or otherwise. I actually don’t have a problem with it if someone does do that just to try for an hour or 2 to see if they like it & then gets rid of it, but in most cases that’s not how it works out. I’m also perfectly happy with people lending games.

        When it comes to small indie games though I don’t see much of a reason to pirate, they’re invariably much cheaper & if you’re prepared to wait there’s always specials, humble bundles, etc. If you throw a couple of dollars at one & don’t like it you’ve lost less than the price of going to watch a movie or a Steers burger. All depends on how many you want though.

        Regarding Ghosts, that’s exactly why I said they don’t release demos any more. So you buy it without trying it = more sales. 😉

        Reply

    • yebo

      March 25, 2014 at 15:33

      *effect

      technically when you *buy* a game, you’re renting the game on the long term (except if they decide to shut down the servers)

      yes, I try before I buy, otherwise I would have had A:CM and DN:Forever.. That being said, if within 45 min the game does not grab me, then I delete the game and mark it as a Malema Game..

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 25, 2014 at 15:41

        When they say you’re renting the game it’s purely to avoid the legal benefits/implications that come with you owning a game. You used to pay R300 to buy a game, then suddenly the terminology changed & you were “renting” it, now they’re trying to tell you it’s a service. Funny, you still paid R300 up front – that didn’t change. Sure, it’s different with online games, but with SP games? Not a damn.

        Reply

    • tx3000

      July 5, 2014 at 16:37

      @Alien Emperor Trevor
      Sorry but you only have a fraction of the reason people pirate PC games. Let me fill you in on what you clearly do not get and hopefully this will change your perception because there is such a thing as justified PC gaming piracy.

      I’m not getting into an opinion debate on this either so I’m going to lay out the facts.
      NOTE: The situation applies IF THE GAME IS ONLY ATTACHED TO A STEAM ACCOUNT such as Skyrim which requires a Steam account no matter where you get the game from.

      HERE IS THE SITUATION:
      Valve IP blocks people which locks them out of the store and registering games that require a Steam account, And they do it out of revenge. Valve then tries to use the Subscriber agreement to justify that action. What people fail to understand and get is that the Subscriber agreement has nothing to do with the Store. Valve is not legally allowed to prevent/stop ANYONE from buying/registering/playing games Valve does not own nor did Valve make.

      I’ll put this in simple terms
      An IP block not only prevents the gamer from using what they currently have, it also now prevents the person blocked from being able to install/launch/play ANY GAME ANY DEVELOPER whom decides to ONLY use Steam for their game in the future.

      WHO THE HELL IS VALVE to decide a gamer cannot use something that isn’t even made yet?

      So as you can clearly see, the people that are IP blocked by Valve, have been forced to pirate the game if they want to play Them. It doesn’t matter if they buy it, they cannot USE it. So piracy is the only option if they want to play it. So knock off the company is the victim crap when they’re just as much of the cause.

      And Valve is not alone in this either, A game developer that only uses Steam is just as guilty as Valve. A game developer full well knows Valve pulls this is and yet uses Steam anyway.

      What all you gamers posting comments protecting game developers and
      So when it comes to the IP block, both Valve and the Game developer are 100% fully responsible for 1/4 of the PC Gaming Piracy for forcing gamers into that situation. And have no right or business complaining when their games get pirated under these conditions.

      And don’t bother with the if you behaved crap either because this nullifies any subscriber agreement/contract or anything:
      UNDER US FEDERAL CONSUMER RIGHTS & PROTECTION LAWS, NO ENTITY IS ALLOWED TO PREVENT ANY CONSUMER FROM BUYING/REGISTERING GAMES THEY DO NOT OWN.

      Reply

  21. Rags

    March 25, 2014 at 13:42

    Yes, yes it is 😛

    But seriously I admit to pirate games, mostly to try new genres or games I would never even consider playing. If I enjoy it I always buy the game. I’ve not completed a pirated game in the last 10 years. I have either used it as a demo, or got the full game to complete it.
    I ‘demo’ maybe 2-3 games a year this way. I normally know what I would like.

    Reply

  22. Charleskinson

    March 25, 2014 at 13:55

    It’s piss easy to bypass that though, so why waste time with it other than to annoy someone who paid you good money for the game? There’s more than enough INDEPENDENT research that says piracy has a negligible affect on actual sales & that industry reports of harm are grossly exaggerated. http://dr.tl/771

    Reply

  23. Lardus-Resident Perve

    March 25, 2014 at 14:02

    Since I could actually afford games, I have pirated less and less. I think the only game installed on my PC at the moment that I do not own, is Dawn of War Soulstorm (I own the rest of the game but could not find the DVD for that at the time). It helps that PC games have this online craze and I do not buy those games that force me to play single player online anymore. My console was modded, but I even removed that after a while as I only played my legal games in any case.

    Reply

  24. lion

    March 25, 2014 at 14:39

    Law is not a solution

    Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      March 25, 2014 at 14:47

      Death?
      Action?
      Bio weapons?
      Wait wait. I’ve got it.
      Terminators!

      Reply

  25. Flexo

    March 25, 2014 at 15:01

    Most of people don’t finish the games, like me, i have downloaded to much games but the most of them are garbage, i played the first level and deleted example Resident Evil Revelation, what a shit. Also the argument about GTA V is false, because XBOX 360 and PS3 have piracy to.

    Reply

  26. OSiR!S

    March 25, 2014 at 15:16

    The reason people pirate games is because its easy and hassle free. Imagine the scenario where you buy a game but the single player is online only and needs a 3 gig patch on the day of release.The patch is finally finished but the servers are overloaded and has high pings and just logging in is an issue. Meanwhile your friend sitting right next to you has downloaded from piratebay, installed and is already lv 20, no hassles. How would you feel knowing you did the honest thing and fork out your hard earned cash just to sit with issue after issue where your buddy who got it for nothing is jamming and having a good time?

    Another reason,since there are almost no demos for games you get amped for footage on youtube and preorder a game only to find out it is NOTHING like what was shown or you get plagued with the above mentioned scenario. Yes im talking aliens:colonial Marines and simcity.

    Life is hard enough for people to pay good cash to be fucked around by something that is supposed to bring them pleasure.

    If I get hassled by something and know I can get it easier and less trouble, theb I am definately going that route.

    Publishers want to bitch about piracy? Then stop with the day 1 patches, stop the microtransactions milking players dry, stop the online single player only bullshit and actually deliver what was advertised…..otherwise arrrrrg me matey.

    You fuck me around, I fuck you around

    Reply

    • oVg deprived

      March 25, 2014 at 15:37

      Hear hear. But us older gamers all know how the frog gets boiled slowly. I bet an entire supply of Muffins that the Golden Horse Armour DLC would not get a penny considering how stupid the concept was of taking away what should be free in game rewards .

      But alas, the gamers voted with their wallets and thanks to its success, on disc DLC became the norm, then DLC, then unfinished products that needed day 1 patches. Then they realised that thanks to their lazy rushed out products that could be fixed later, they can use the patch as a way to DATA FARM, then DRM, now on-line only games…

      It will continue as the internet speeds increase. Gaming was doing just fine for 3 decades then the gamers allowed the internet to fudge it all up.

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        March 25, 2014 at 15:43

        Shut up, you’re old & hate progress. Get with the times grandpa!

        Reply

  27. tranqstar

    March 25, 2014 at 16:14

    I would pirate games until the convenience of steam persuaded me to stop. It’s just too easy, with the sales and all, to acquire a great game.

    Reply

  28. Acornbread

    March 25, 2014 at 21:21

    Like many here I used to pirate games until I realised how cancerous to the industry it is. Hell I bought a 2nd copy of The Witcher 2 when they released the enhanced edition upgrade FOR FREE. However I have no qualms about downloading something I’m uncertain about, in which case I’ll try it out and delete it. If I liked it I’ll buy it, if not then I’ve saved my money for a more deserving game.

    I used to despise the notion of digital goods but Steam has come so far that my mind has changed completely. I sincerely hope their business model puts a dent in piracy since there is really no excuse anymore when you look at their prices and the service as a whole. Sure you need to wait a while for new releases to be affordable but do you really need one more game on day 1 when your backlog is literally falling off your hard drive?

    As a PC gamer with a console I’m a little worried about console game prices, especially new gen. I’d love to get a PS4 one day but if PSN can’t compete with Steam then I won’t bother. It’s cool getting free games every month but I’d rather pay for the games I’ve chosen myself.

    I guess my point is that the solution to gaming getting more expensive is MORE STEAM. 😛

    Reply

  29. Ryanza

    March 25, 2014 at 23:01

    How to explain this. This is South Africa, so let me make a racial segregation example of DRM because online DRM is segregation, “You people” with no internet can not fuck with this DRM. And Piracy = the long walk to freedom, because the internet speeds in this country sucks.

    So lets take a country and fill it up with black people. The black people will represent people with computers.
    And now lets segregated a piece of land and lets call it the Orange Free State, and lets fill it up with white people. The white people will represent people with internet.
    The Food source, lets make it unlimited apples. The apples will represent video games.
    People selling apples will represent publishes.
    Lets make P. W. Botha represent DRM.

    There was a time when apples were sold to all the people in South Africa and those selling apples were making lots of money.

    Then P. W. Botha comes along and says white people must go to the Orange Free State where no black people are allowed and apples can only be sold to white people.
    ok, just make what I said clear. Online DRM states that only people with internet can buy video games and those without internet can not buy video games.

    People selling apples were not making lots of money anymore because much less people are buying apples now. So now the price of apples has to increase and increase and increase.

    Then a man stood up and fought against DRM (before people get crazy) wanting apples to be sold to every man and women. But P. W. Botha said no and sent him to jail.

    A few white people took the seeds of the apples and gave them to the black people (piracy) so that they could grow their own apples (video game mods). But P. W. Botha didn’t like this, so we got Diablo 3 and Simcity 5.

    I hope I explained the bad effects of DRM. Piracy is not responsible for the loss in sales of video games. DRM and online activation of video games are the soul reason why sales have dropped on the PC and picked up on the consoles because you don’t need internet to play games on consoles.

    Piracy actually helps to promote video games and the sale of video games. When people pirate video games, they don’t feel like they own what they have pirated. When you buy a video game, you feel like you own it, it’s yours.
    The thing with DRM is that you still get that feeling of not owning the video games you buy. Piracy bad, DRM good, but they make me feel the same. Why would you pay for something that you don’t own, when you can get what you don’t own for free.

    Ps. my racial comments were not intended to be racial so please be a grown up and do not make it into a racial thing. Just using the past to explain the video game industry.
    Do you think people living in the locations are buying PC games.

    Do not support DRM.

    Reply

  30. JustAnotherGamer

    March 26, 2014 at 09:42

    I’d definitely “steal” a car if you could create carbon copies of them. Those advertisements were so brain dead it actually made me want to pirate.

    Reply

  31. JustAnotherGamer

    March 26, 2014 at 09:45

    I don’t pirate movies or games, but I see no problem with downloading tv series. I don’t believe in giving DSTV any of my money.

    Reply

  32. Matthew Holliday

    March 26, 2014 at 11:23

    pirating full games every week would totally wreck my bandwidth thresholds.
    keeping my steam and origin library updated uses up enough bandwidth as it is.
    I go through 3gb of data a day without opening utorrent.

    Reply

  33. Michal Mašek

    September 28, 2014 at 02:42

    I spent great amount of money on steam on games with great trailers and awesome feature lists just to find out it is horrible crap. One day I said stop! With complete lack of any quality control on Steam and given the fact the most games today are from indie developers I beleive it is necessary to try the game first from pirated source. Otherwise there is absolutely no protection for buyers.

    Reply

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