I think a lot of piracy works like this - this is from anecdotal experience.
Tom wishes to play games. Sometimes he has money, more often than not he doesn't. If he really budgeted himself, he could purchase the games he really wanted, but not all of them and certainly not when it mattered, a week or two when it is first released.
Tom also likes to be well versed/experience a lot of games. Sometimes this is the case for pirates, most of the time not, but I think it's interesting.
Tom downloads games. The real blockbusters are played till the end, but most of the time he never finishes a game. He has a binder of 200 cds, but has played each one for 4-5 hours.
That's what I tend to see around me. If they didn't have a a mod chip or some sort of device to do this, then they wouldn't buy the games at all and would probably wait till they dropped in price, aside from the blockbusters.
Sounds like you nailed the issue on the head.
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Oh wait, I am an utter fuckwit, its for uploaders rather than downloaders.
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MEPS have just passed a series of amendments to the telecom laws, including a 'three strikes' ruling for anyone uploading copywrighted materials on file sharing networks. Anyone caught for a third time would be effectively banned from using the internet.
You can return them if the disk is scratched or the game literally refuses to function, just like anything else. As a consumer, every time you buy something you take the risk that it is going to suck ass. Accept it.
If only the "informed consumer" libertarians like to talk about wasn't a myth.
An interesting thing to note is that in the EU at least, if you get done for pirating and they find out that you've pirated more than three things then legislation is coming into effect where the punishment is that if you are caught using the internet ever again, you go to prison.
Which I feel is a bloody good incentive to to pay for the things I want to own.
Certainly not where I live
where did you hear this
France is doing their best to make it EU legislation.
Bullcrap it is. Starforce takes over ring 0 access of drivers, this in itself is a very bad thing.
To give you an idea of just how bad a thing it is, windows Vista will not allow Starforce to run. I know, I tried.
Starforce games run fine in Vista. Install it, but don't reboot. Update the Starforce drivers from the Starforce website, and then reboot. Play game as usual. Slightly off topic, but cracking good online protection has other adverse effects. GT Legends was one of the best PC racing sims until it was finally cracked after two years. Now people can edit the stats of their cars and win races by cheating and it has all but killed what was left of the community.
If you pirate instaed of buying a game. Aren't you, in most cases, taking a sale of a dealer or shop rather than a developer?
The developer has already shipped their games to a shop which has bought them. Of course potentially downloading could cause a drop in demand meaning the developer would lose out on some money, although I doubt this would happen to any significant effect in the real world.
Bullcrap it is. Starforce takes over ring 0 access of drivers, this in itself is a very bad thing.
To give you an idea of just how bad a thing it is, windows Vista will not allow Starforce to run. I know, I tried.
Starforce games run fine in Vista. Install it, but don't reboot. Update the Starforce drivers from the Starforce website, and then reboot. Play game as usual. Slightly off topic, but cracking good online protection has other adverse effects. GT Legends was one of the best PC racing sims until it was finally cracked after two years. Now people can edit the stats of their cars and win races by cheating and it has all but killed what was left of the community.
copy protection and online cheating protection aren't even close to the same thing.
I just realised, all these pages and not one single person here has answered Cliffski's question. Although I suspect that's more a problem with the sample audience, it doesn't seem to be the case that most of the regulars here are pirates, or if they are, pirate the more indie stuff.
I used to pirate games back in the old days of PC gaming(back when games still came on floppies. Remember those? I think you can see them in museums now). It was just the thing to do. Your friends would say "Check out this game.", and hand you a copy and then you would both play it at the same time. Then I got into console gaming, and my first Playstation was able to do the swap trick, so I had some copies of games for a bit. Until using the swap trick made the CD laser go wonky. After I got a replacement console, I just decided that it was easier to buy the games and not have to worry about borking my console, and I've been buying games ever since.
I have occasionally pirated European adventure games for the PC, although that's more because there's a big chance that it will never be released in North America, or I want to try it to see if it's worth waiting for the North American release. If something is already out here then I'll just buy it to try it.
If you pirate instaed of buying a game. Aren't you, in most cases, taking a sale of a dealer or shop rather than a developer?
The developer has already shipped their games to a shop which has bought them. Of course potentially downloading could cause a drop in demand meaning the developer would lose out on some money, although I doubt this would happen to any significant effect in the real world.
I'm not saying pirating games is good by the way.
Yes but the more sales a gamestores or dealer or whatever pushes the more copies they will buy from the producer which in turn means more money for the developer.
It's the twenty-first century, people; the publisher knows exactly how many copies sold at each store, pretty much, and that information will be used to figure out how much money to spend on later games in that series, other games from that studio, and so forth.
I just realised, all these pages and not one single person here has answered Cliffski's question. Although I suspect that's more a problem with the sample audience, it doesn't seem to be the case that most of the regulars here are pirates, or if they are, pirate the more indie stuff.
It's the twenty-first century, people; the publisher knows exactly how many copies sold at each store, pretty much, and that information will be used to figure out how much money to spend on later games in that series, other games from that studio, and so forth.
Also that factors into how much money the producer is willing to give the developer to start up their next game project.
I just realised, all these pages and not one single person here has answered Cliffski's question. Although I suspect that's more a problem with the sample audience, it doesn't seem to be the case that most of the regulars here are pirates, or if they are, pirate the more indie stuff.
Unless I missed it, he also never posted again in his own thread.
As for Doyle's works...yeah, I'm pretty sure those have fallen into the public domain.
Really? Do tell. So if this truly is like theft, why is that not wrong? Why shouldn't I have to go down to the bookstore and BUY a copy from whoever is currently publishing those books? Isn't that the right and just way?
But it isn't theft. In Doyle's case it isn't even copyright infringement as his works are in the public domain. I can freely go to sites such as Project Gutenberg and grab copies of Doyle's work or some Shakespeare or what have you. Yes, you can buy books of these works but what you're really paying for there is the act of someone bothering to collect, print, bind and package those works for your reading pleasure. As a side note, I'm fairly certain these collections and such you find are themselves copyrighted. Likewise, a modern performance of some Mozart falls under copyright but an older (recorded) performance may in fact be in the public domain.
Why is it that copyright expires? I can pass a chair on to my descendants, nobody can TAKE it and call that "just", the ownership of the chair doesn't "expire", why so different here?
The short answer is because it's in the U.S. Constitution. The long answer is that copyright (and patents for that matter) exist for the purpose of promoting creativity an invention. They serve as guarantees that you, as a content creator/inventor, will be able to use and (hopefully assuming you play your cards right) profit off your creations.
Neither patents nor copyright was ever intended to guarantee 1) that you will actually be successful and make mountains of cash or 2) that you (or your family) will get to milk your product for all eternity. They're supposed to simply give you the opportunity to recoup your investment before competitors are able to swoop in and copy/steal your ideas. In the U.S. at least corporations such as Disney have perverted and corrupted copyright laws to serve their own ends, effectively locking up their intellectual property forever. We're seeing that trend continue in other countries, too, sadly. I'm starting to veer off topic though so I'll stop here for now.
Bullcrap it is. Starforce takes over ring 0 access of drivers, this in itself is a very bad thing.
To give you an idea of just how bad a thing it is, windows Vista will not allow Starforce to run. I know, I tried.
Starforce games run fine in Vista. Install it, but don't reboot. Update the Starforce drivers from the Starforce website, and then reboot. Play game as usual. Slightly off topic, but cracking good online protection has other adverse effects. GT Legends was one of the best PC racing sims until it was finally cracked after two years. Now people can edit the stats of their cars and win races by cheating and it has all but killed what was left of the community.
copy protection and online cheating protection aren't even close to the same thing.
The online cheating protection for GT Legends was Starforce. There were two keys - the starforce key and the starforce online key.
Bullcrap it is. Starforce takes over ring 0 access of drivers, this in itself is a very bad thing.
To give you an idea of just how bad a thing it is, windows Vista will not allow Starforce to run. I know, I tried.
Starforce games run fine in Vista. Install it, but don't reboot. Update the Starforce drivers from the Starforce website, and then reboot. Play game as usual. Slightly off topic, but cracking good online protection has other adverse effects. GT Legends was one of the best PC racing sims until it was finally cracked after two years. Now people can edit the stats of their cars and win races by cheating and it has all but killed what was left of the community.
copy protection and online cheating protection aren't even close to the same thing.
The online cheating protection for GT Legends was Starforce. There were two keys - the starforce key and the starforce online key.
Then the GT legends developers were fucking lazy. You never see a competitive FPS try and pull that shit; they'll use Punkbuster and SecuROM at the same time, so if one breaks they don't lose the other.
I just realised, all these pages and not one single person here has answered Cliffski's question. Although I suspect that's more a problem with the sample audience, it doesn't seem to be the case that most of the regulars here are pirates, or if they are, pirate the more indie stuff.
Unless I missed it, he also never posted again in his own thread.
Well he was asking for responses from people who specifically pirated his game. I'm guessing even outside the PA forums that number is low.
The concept of intellectual property was created as a means of recompensing people for creative endeavours and encouraging them to continue by allowing them to derive benefit from those endeavours, for a limited time, by allowing them a temporary right which prevents others from making unauthorised reproductions and instead leaving that right exclusively with the copyright owner. After this period has passed, such property becomes Public Domain.
This is completely different from how physical property is treated.
Actually, no, that's simply what intellectual property eventually came to mean. It was originally brought into law shortly after the introduction of the printing press purely to protect printers and publishers, with no thought of the authors at all.
It's funny how nobody really understands the economics behind the porn industry, and what it actually funds. I guarantee that many of you have purchased or support certain products or media that have been directly funded and supported by the porn industry. It's really quite sickening, but also necessary.
I'm kinda digging the faux nobility of giving up on game pirating...but when was the last time anyone here actually purchased pornography?
That's what I thought you filthy fucking hypocrites.
I'm the filthiest fucking hypocrite.
A primary difference being that no one really cares if the pornography industry folds because it is disgusting.
They make most of their profit off toys and such anyway, you can't download dildos and use them.
I play Rom Hacks (Don't worry I own original carts and vc downloads too :P). And old abandonware that'll never see the light of day again but that's it.
edit
ToTP for a pirating thread is about dildos, lovely.
Man, that picture is going to haunt him forever on these boards.
Not really. its my blog image, and my avatar picture on most forums
Cheers for the replies everyone, reading through now...
I think the best advice is to try to get some advertisements, both online and on TV. If it's just online then you're mostly advertising to just the pirates.
I'm kinda digging the faux nobility of giving up on game pirating...but when was the last time anyone here actually purchased pornography?
That's what I thought you filthy fucking hypocrites.
I'm the filthiest fucking hypocrite.
A primary difference being that no one really cares if the pornography industry folds because it is disgusting.
They make most of their profit off toys and such anyway, you can't download dildos and use them.
I play Rom Hacks (Don't worry I own original carts and vc downloads too :P). And old abandonware that'll never see the light of day again but that's it.
edit
ToTP for a pirating thread is about dildos, lovely.
A) The porn I enjoy is elegant regarding characterization and subtle in it's portrayal of sensuality.
Rom Hacks is a great name for a porn actor.
C) I've never enjoyed roms because I think I need the tactile sensation of the original controller in my hand to complete the experience.
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Hey guys there's a TV that I want to get but I don't know if it'll work well with my 360 and stuff, think I should just take it?
treating piracy as the same thing as physical theft just makes pirates laugh at you.
It's a different thing, despicable for different reasons.
"You wouldn't steal a car!"
No, cars are kinda heavy to fit in my pocket. Now, using a Star Trek replicator to make a perfect replica, leaving the original car where I found it? That's different.
I wouldn't steal a car but I might if I could download it with little chance of being caught.
Posts
I'm going to guess at hyperbole.
In this day and age, if your game doesn't sell, it's not because it's being pirated.
It's because the game either sucked, or the marketing sucked.
Blaming pirates is just the easy way out of admitting you fucked up.
I mean, what kind of job could you get that doesn't require the internet nowadays? Construction?
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If only the "informed consumer" libertarians like to talk about wasn't a myth.
France is doing their best to make it EU legislation.
Meaning they shove it up our asses.
Starforce games run fine in Vista. Install it, but don't reboot. Update the Starforce drivers from the Starforce website, and then reboot. Play game as usual. Slightly off topic, but cracking good online protection has other adverse effects. GT Legends was one of the best PC racing sims until it was finally cracked after two years. Now people can edit the stats of their cars and win races by cheating and it has all but killed what was left of the community.
Hey they're not like that! You just wait until Mickey Mouse enters public domain, then you'll see!
The developer has already shipped their games to a shop which has bought them. Of course potentially downloading could cause a drop in demand meaning the developer would lose out on some money, although I doubt this would happen to any significant effect in the real world.
I'm not saying pirating games is good by the way.
copy protection and online cheating protection aren't even close to the same thing.
I have occasionally pirated European adventure games for the PC, although that's more because there's a big chance that it will never be released in North America, or I want to try it to see if it's worth waiting for the North American release. If something is already out here then I'll just buy it to try it.
Yes but the more sales a gamestores or dealer or whatever pushes the more copies they will buy from the producer which in turn means more money for the developer.
3ds friend code: 2981-6032-4118
Also that factors into how much money the producer is willing to give the developer to start up their next game project.
Unless I missed it, he also never posted again in his own thread.
You're funny.
But it isn't theft. In Doyle's case it isn't even copyright infringement as his works are in the public domain. I can freely go to sites such as Project Gutenberg and grab copies of Doyle's work or some Shakespeare or what have you. Yes, you can buy books of these works but what you're really paying for there is the act of someone bothering to collect, print, bind and package those works for your reading pleasure. As a side note, I'm fairly certain these collections and such you find are themselves copyrighted. Likewise, a modern performance of some Mozart falls under copyright but an older (recorded) performance may in fact be in the public domain.
The short answer is because it's in the U.S. Constitution. The long answer is that copyright (and patents for that matter) exist for the purpose of promoting creativity an invention. They serve as guarantees that you, as a content creator/inventor, will be able to use and (hopefully assuming you play your cards right) profit off your creations.
Neither patents nor copyright was ever intended to guarantee 1) that you will actually be successful and make mountains of cash or 2) that you (or your family) will get to milk your product for all eternity. They're supposed to simply give you the opportunity to recoup your investment before competitors are able to swoop in and copy/steal your ideas. In the U.S. at least corporations such as Disney have perverted and corrupted copyright laws to serve their own ends, effectively locking up their intellectual property forever. We're seeing that trend continue in other countries, too, sadly. I'm starting to veer off topic though so I'll stop here for now.
That's what I thought you filthy fucking hypocrites.
The online cheating protection for GT Legends was Starforce. There were two keys - the starforce key and the starforce online key.
Well he was asking for responses from people who specifically pirated his game. I'm guessing even outside the PA forums that number is low.
Actually, no, that's simply what intellectual property eventually came to mean. It was originally brought into law shortly after the introduction of the printing press purely to protect printers and publishers, with no thought of the authors at all.
A primary difference being that no one really cares if the pornography industry folds because it is disgusting.
To play devil's advocate there are people who say the same about the gaming industry.
They make most of their profit off toys and such anyway, you can't download dildos and use them.
I play Rom Hacks (Don't worry I own original carts and vc downloads too :P). And old abandonware that'll never see the light of day again but that's it.
edit
ToTP for a pirating thread is about dildos, lovely.
Handmade Jewelry by me on EtsyGames for sale
Me on Twitch!
Not really. its my blog image, and my avatar picture on most forums
Cheers for the replies everyone, reading through now...
I think the best advice is to try to get some advertisements, both online and on TV. If it's just online then you're mostly advertising to just the pirates.
Handmade Jewelry by me on EtsyGames for sale
Me on Twitch!
A) The porn I enjoy is elegant regarding characterization and subtle in it's portrayal of sensuality.
Rom Hacks is a great name for a porn actor.
C) I've never enjoyed roms because I think I need the tactile sensation of the original controller in my hand to complete the experience.
I wouldn't steal a car but I might if I could download it with little chance of being caught.