150°

Piracy is Never Justified

Gamnesia: "We've seen some interesting, if not wholly distasteful, trends in the industry the last 5 years. We have seen day one DLC (which most agree is silly), on disc DLC (again, locking out content you technically already paid for), DRM (attempting to prevent pirate players from playing), and naturally some always-online talk (which most agree is a silly concept). All of this is done mostly because of one simple factor: People pirate games... and they pirate a lot of them. While it's most rampant on PC's, consoles themselves are not inherently left out of the equation.

Personally, I can't deny that I have never pirated a game. I have, just once, and at the time I felt my reasoning was justified. It was a game lacking a demo, and I felt entitled to "try before I buy". To many pirates, this is a logical excuse we use to reason with our own self morals. Of course, this is but one of the reasons pirates have for stealing games. The problem with every excuse out there becomes the fact that none of them actually truly morally justify stealing a game."

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kirbyu4004d ago

I'm glad to finally see someone agree with me on this instead of actually TELLING ME I SHOULD DO IT, but it bugs me how he didn't give any reasons to why you shouldn't pirate OLD games.

DarkBlood4004d ago

well i sort of see it like this if a particular title is not for sale on any device or available in any stores *not counting used or not i dont know* then do as you please

but if it is then well do it the right way i guess but it would be pointless telling them that we all know what we are already choosing to do

iamtehpwn4004d ago

"Piracy is Never Justified"

Fun fact: If you buy a used game, *NONE* of that money goes to the developers. It goes back to the vendor, in example, Gamestop. This is why Gamestop will always try to convince you to buy a used game instead of a new one. This is also why there was talks of trying to limit used games and stuff.

Used games aren't significantly different than Piracy to the developer.

kirbyu4004d ago

Interesting thoughts. I never realized that. But I don't usually buy games used anyway.

MikeMyers4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

The difference is you legally obtained it. Your game system will not recognize it as an illegal copy. Gamestop is also legally allowed to sell used games. Publishers know this and accept it. They can try and get laws made to prevent it but until that happens you are legally able to purchase and obtain that content. Can you name one torrent site that is legally allowed to offer you those games for free?

The problem really stems from people thinking it is their right. They have somehow convinced themselves it's ok.

edit,
DragonKnight is right, used games still have money flowing. A person buys it new, sells it and perhaps uses that revenue to buy more new games. The used game owner may also purchase DLC. A person who pirates never invested in the first place. You have no money trail, therefore nobody has made an investment. Juts a bunch of people playing for free. Some may go and buy the game after but chances are most of them won't.

DragonKnight4004d ago

@iamtehpwn: For one, used games have a finite limit. Two, used games were at one point purchased NEW games. Piracy is limitless so long as it's hosted and it doesn't always require a purchased new game to be the uploaded file.

MestreRothN4G4004d ago

If a game isn't resellable, it is worth less. A lot of people wouldn't buy a 60 USD game it if wasn't resellable.

Devs got money for any resold game.

dark-hollow4004d ago

Fun fact: used copies are once new copies so the their worth already went to the developer.

pirated copies are not. sure you could argue that the origins of the pirated copy is once a new bought copy that has been uploaded to torrent sites but the thing is, used copies usually go from couple persons maximum. from the store/ your friend and etc. while ONE pirated copy goes to THOUSANDS of people.

Kratoscar20084004d ago

Someone already paid for the used game when it was new,the developer got the money.

Thats a stupid logic.

thebudgetgamer4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

That's wrong, a used copy was purchased at one point so the company got their money for that product. A pirated games brings money to no one. Just like buying a used Ford is not the same as grand theft auto.

hazelamy4004d ago

100% wrong pwn, no, 1000% wrong.

you buy preowned, you know the developer got paid for it.
you know the developer got what they were legally entitled to.
with piracy, the copy you buy/download, you know they never got paid.

only mindless sheep fall for the industry propaganda that preowned is anything at all like piracy.

none of the money i spend on a preowned title goes to the developer true, but they have no right to any of that money, legally, their rights end once i've bought the game, unless i'm actually breaking the law, and selling on my games is still 100% legal, so they have zero say in the matter.

you say it goes to gamestop, or any other retailer, well, not all of it.
what about the original buyer?
they get money back for their game, or more likely they get credit used to buy new games.

and what about when it's a private sale, most of my preowned buys have been older games from private sellers, at car boot sales usually.
no store.

the publishers think they deserve a cut there?

the publishers are allowed to recoup some money on their investment, but the buyers aren't?

and people say gamers are overly entitled?

i just don't get this Stockholm syndrome that some people suffer from when it comes to publishers going after something they legally have no right to.

they actually compare preowned buyer to criminals when it's the publishers that are ignoring the law.

lizard812884003d ago

One time, GS was going to sell me a used game without even telling me it was used.

They said, "we're sorry, but we are out of used copies, would you like to buy it new?"

I was a bit mad, but I wanted it new, rather than used, so I wonder how many games they sold used, without telling people it was used?...

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 4003d ago
SilentNegotiator4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

That's because there aren't very good reasons why you should feel bad for downloading really old games. Unless the (original) developer has it on GoG or some other means to purchase it.

ApolloTheBoss4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

That's like telling me It's never justified to steal from the rich in order to give to the poor. Personally I'll only pirate a game that is YEARS old, from a previous generation that I never had a chance to play. They've made their money from it so there's no harm being done, but I never pirate brand new games. Also this: Companies like EA deserve to be pirated. Simply because they are already being unfair to their customers and squeezing them for every penny they've got via Online passes and sh*tloads of DLC, so how is what EA's doing justified and not piracy?

kirbyu4004d ago

True, the developers have made their money, but has the retro game store where you could buy one. And no, this is nothing like stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. No one but you is benefiting from you playing a pirated game. And yeah sure, EA is a terrible company, but their employees deserve their jobs don't they?

ApolloTheBoss4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

I would rather download one retro game on the internet for free than waste my time and money looking for this rare game I'll probably never find at my local pawn shop. I'm a good guy, I really am, but one person who decides to stop pirating out of the millions who will continue to do so won't make a difference unfortunately. When it comes to an EA employee who depends on a games success for the security of their job, what the real problem would be is ridiculously high expectations of sales, which is a very troublesome mindset too many publishers share in the industry today. When said game fails to meet these expectations, that's when the layoffs start, a loss of a job just because a game didn't meet it's desired mark. A game that didn't sell well didn't do so because of piracy, it didn't sell well because of lack of advertising.

Like I said before I don't pirate from those who I believe deserve my money for an innovative, story-driven experience, or any game of this generation or the one before that. You don't have to like it, that's just how I see things.

@Unicron
@MikeMyers

You both are right. I don't have to buy their games and I haven't done it for a while. But that doesn't mean I can't despise their business practices.

Unicron4004d ago

Don't like ea's practices? Don't buy their games. No one is forcing you to buy the games or dlc they publish. Doesn't mean piracy is thus okay, because its not ea you hurt, it's the developer who will really suffer.

No one "deserves" to be pirated. You want to stand up to their practices, do it the way that matters. All piracy leads to is more bs drm methods.

MikeMyers4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

That doesn't make any sense. You are treating EA as an entity with no soul. They have thousands of employees that work there. If they get let go because software sales decline you'll just excuse yourself by saying the games aren't that good even if part of the problem is people like you who think it's ok to not support them but still play their games.

Nobody is forcing you to buy EA games. If you don't like supporting online passes or DLC then don't play them. It really is that simple. Gaming is a hobby, not a right.

1OddWorld4004d ago

EA is an entity and has a soul, but it doesn't care about its customers, employees or morality, only profits. By law that is all it can care about.

MikeMyers4004d ago

If you feel they don't care about its customers then stop being one. That's the best way to try and get them to change their ways. Either that or address them directly through the forums or whatever. If they still don't listen then support the developers who do. Either way doesn't justify piracy.

This entitlement attitude is really getting out of hand. Gaming is a hobby, not a right. EA can do as they please and if they continue to mess up they will see their sales decline. Piracy does not dictate anything. It does not tell them what games are good or bad, what games came with a demo or not, which games were milked with DLC, which games were priced too high and so on. All it is is anonymous people wanting to play it for free while trying to justify why they don't think they should pay for it.

calis4004d ago

" Also this: Companies like EA deserve to be pirated. Simply because they are already being unfair to their customers and squeezing them for every penny they've got via Online passes and sh*tloads of DLC, so how is what EA's doing justified and not piracy?"

You sir, are a moron.

Don't like it, don't buy it.

jeffgoldwin4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

@Yoemite

"EA is an entity and has a soul"

Newsflash: companies and other such inanimate objects do not have souls. Only people do (maybe animals, but prolly not so much).

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4004d ago
ifritAlkhemyst4004d ago

These sort of articles never compute with me. The only people that will agree with you are the people who already agree with you. The pirates don't need to morally justify anything they do and nothing you say is going to correct that.

Qrphe4004d ago

Exactly, pirates aren't going to change their ways just because you tell them it's "wrong."

calis4004d ago

"Exactly, pirates aren't going to change their ways just because you tell them it's "wrong."

Then I guess there is no point in articles on cancer, it won't go away. Or delving into the psyche of murderers since murderers will always murder.

rainslacker4004d ago

If they don't have to morally justify it, then why do so many of them often do so?

I do agree with your assessment though. peoples minds are pretty much made up on the subject. However that doesn't mean that people can't change their perceptions. I used to be a heavy pirater, even installed lots of mod chips back in the day, then one day just stopped because I realized all those moral justifications to myself were just wrong.

These kinds of articles are either for hits, or to bring the discussion about again. Possibly in the interest of swaying common consensus. Nothing wrong with reopening a debate of this nature.

THamm4004d ago (Edited 4004d ago )

The interesting thing of course is being burned for 65 on a game that's not worth 5 after all the paid reviews out there. The market has been dirty on both sides and yes a demo of all games should be made.

Jirachi4004d ago

bull games like radiant historia cost too much to buy(300 last i checked) plus pirated games give me save states retail games don't.
why should i pay more for an inferior version?

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