With the constant "potentially confirmed" rumors regarding next-generation and the debacle of the always-on mechanic, I thought I'd take a look at a large part of the incentive for such a feature; piracy. Piracy has been around almost as long as gaming with even the earliest consoles having hacked counter-parts that allowed gamers to download games and roms. It's apparent in both PC and console gaming, although it's more openly available to PC users as it's as simple as loading up a website and clicking a simple link.
With so many games fighting for players' attention and interest losing out over time, time sink games are at risk of eventually losing steam.
It was worrisome to begin with.
It's a niche genre with only a handful of hits that can stand the test of time.
Nameer from eXputer: "Some exceptions aside, I don't think the battle pass is a net positive for gaming with how they're implemented in most live service titles."
I like the way Helldivers 2 does battle passes. It allows you to make purchases on each level of the battle pass and gives you the option of choosing which item to unlock first. The more purchases you make using medals the further you progress. There is no timer and you can earn medals towards purchasing stuff via personal orders and Major orders.
I haven't played much live service games that have battle passes but I remember some games that have battle passes where you progress through it linearly using an exp system. What makes it really bad is that the battle pass will have like 50 or more levels with the cooler stuff being closer to the end. They also have an in-game shop that sells exp boosters so you can reach the end of the pass before it refreshes. Everyone ilse will have to grind their way through.
battle pass in fortnite is perfect; buy one and it buys the rest for every other season as it gives you more money than the first cost. so 8.50 and season ends with you getting 13.00, it pays for the next and you have some pocket change to save up for cash shop. All of which is optional
Sony is taking actions as video by Moore’s Law is Dead, has been issued with a copyright claim.
And people say it's all fake because Sony haven't said anything 😂 conveniently forget the PS4 Pro was only announced 2 months before release.
Just announce it already! I want to preorder one asap. But in reality they don’t want to lessen PS5 sales until Pro is ready to launch so I understand the business part of it. September is probably when they announce it with an early November launch like the PS4 Pro
I would take that video and upload a torrent of it, fuck that copyright bullshit. If your going to do something that has a chance of being taken down, make a torrent first share it. Then Sony or any other company is helpless and you can laugh in their faces, taunting them to try to take it down 🤣
As much as the PS4 Pro didn't represent a major % in the playerbase, announcing a 'better' model will hinder sales from the 'base' model. They are right, business-wise.
It's a weird subject. I know people who are all up for piracy and some who despise it.
I guess it also falls down the developer, I think not many feel guilty pirating EA games. If your game is good enough and you respect your customers Piracy is not that big of an issue than for others.
AND this DRM bullshit just makes things worse when pirated can enjoy games right away without a single problem when people who bought it have to suffer all the pains of DRM
I would pirate every game from EA and Crytek after an experience i had with a purchased pc game from them -.-
I wouldn't pirate a naughty dog game or projket red game -.-
Exclude bioware >.> i would purchase from them
As a hard core gamer, I don't condone piracy, but it will always be there. And I am more than sure everyone has done it in some fashion.
One thing that I know hurts PC -- as for consoles its a lot harder to pirate games -- sales, is the simple fact that developers/publishers don't release demos anymore.
If we look at Steam hardware checks, most people don't have the latest hardware by any means. That is understandable, but this is the problem.
The percentage of these people that can't but the latest hardware don't want to take the risk of buying a PC -- that they can't return -- just to sadly learn their PC can't handle it.
I actually know a European person who does this constantly. He is still young and can't afford new hardware, let alone buying a $50-60 game 2-4 times a month. He pirates it, if his PC can handle it, he buys it on a sale, what he can afford.
Also piracy will always be there no matter what, I just hope to god companies realize this and stop with the DRM.
Look at how well The Witcher 2 did without DRM, yes 5,000,000 plus downloaded it illegally, but over 1 million copies were sold, also RPGs isn't everyone's cup of tea.
Thank you for reading.
I believe that theft is occurring on both sides. The pirates are stealing from the companies while the companies are stealing from the honest consumer.
While it may seem unlikely that a company would do such a thing, a reasonable investigation reveals such truths. Though they are better hidden from those that are not educated in these matters.
Most people know what piracy is. What they don't know is some of the reasons why. The generalized consensus revolves around the idea that they are just around to cause damage to a company. My take is that they have become victims of predatory business practices while trying to play by the rules. They have gotten to the point where they felt enough was enough and decided to just take back what they considered stolen from them.
On the flip side the companies have to sit back and watch the legal system enforce a loophole of not recognizing used games as a form of piracy. Not talking about consumers buying used games but rather those companies that sell them. For some reason the legal system doesn't require used game sellers to pay the creators a portion of the profits even though the used game reduces the chance of a potential new game sale.
Now these developers have no choice but to demand a platform that will police (or service) their products. So instead of licensing the game to the consumer direct from the store they just sell the license to the platform holder instead. This platform holder in turn creates a completely controllable format and never sells this format to you.
Instead they sublicense the game to you and write up a nice long set of rules, including how you'll never keep it. They attach the game to an account, which is attached to their service, and run around trying to maintain the illusion that digital software is a format superior over the physical and that these two are comparable products. What they neglect to say is that their form of digital software is not a possessible item even though they maintain the illusion that you can buy, receive and play it the same way going the physical route.
The truth is that digital software is superior and on comparable grounds with the physical format if a service wasn't standing in the middle. Note that the choice to not use the service exists when the physical disc is used...limited only by it's online mode. By buying a digital title you are allowing them to service your single player game making them a requirement in order to access the title.
This illusion is the theft that is occurring right now and most people don't even know it yet. It is these events that create the vicious cycle back and forth...with one entity fighting the other and creating a bigger opposition in the process. More predatory business practices lead to more consumers who steal back...until the industry is ruined for everyone. Next gen will be a rude awakening the masses will experience and those that don't steal may just leave the market altogether...realizing they are paying ownership prices for rental property.
GameStop selling used games, or any person selling used game, is not a form of piracy.
No other form of used product on the market requires part of the purchase to go back to the original company. If I sell a used car, I don't owe Chrysler a chunk of the profit.
That would be double-dipping by the companies that make the game, which is anti-consumer.