70°

The problem of video game piracy

WASDuk examines a few key issues surrounding video game piracy.

ATiElite3810d ago

Lower the prices in some third world countries and the Piracy would go down even further.

When a game cost $85 USD in a country were people only make $300 USD a week then your gonna get some piracy.

Brazil and Australia have outrageous game prices.

Game makers need to do something to balance that out for them.

Also who the HECK is gonna enforce Anti-piracy laws in countries that have ZERO relations with the United States?

Yes Piracy occurs in the United States but it's declining as the economy goes up.

Arkworthy3809d ago

You make a good point! Prices of games in Eastern Europe and South America are apparently very steep, and don't match up with what people earn at all.

It's staggering that instead of doing anything about it, they just spend that money sharpening the anti-piracy stick instead.

MestreRothN4G3808d ago

If you try to think about it, you'll realize there's not much to do to decrease prices. Just think about how it is done and probably you'll figure out yourself.

It's not the same absurd it is with the brazilian PS4K. Check the prices for games around the world and you'll see that only US and UK have the original prices (usually). Brasil and Australia have average prices, only a little higher that 60 USD.

Finally, do you really think that making the game 70 USD instead of 80 USD will keep the HUEHUAHUEHUA from playing the games without paying for it?

Oh man...

Arkworthy3808d ago

Perhaps then, we should defer to the argument that's been raging for a little over 20 years? Games are just way too expensive as they are. Of course, they never bothered to cut costs because people were always willing to pay the absurdly high costs. A lot of work goes into games, which would account for why they are more expensive than a DVD, but the expenses given over to nonsense like publicity and cheap media stunts has become, to quote the oft used phrase, "too damn high".

A price of 70 USD instead of 80 USD would have some effect, even if it doesn't force every HUEHUE to rush out and buy it, but the point stands that this isn't even a suggestion as far as these companies are concerned. They instead spend MORE money on 'fighting piracy', which, like the 'war on drugs' is never going to be won.

But it's not about winning the war, or stopping piracy. It's about spending money on the DRM and anti-piracy business, which receives government funding in many countries, and has millions poured into it each year. Why stop crime when you can make a multi-million dollar industry to 'combat' it?

GentlemenRUs3809d ago (Edited 3809d ago )

Piracy was a crime till everyone took a dump on it... The LAW should be more strict on such actions...

Zero-Tolerance 10-years minimum prison sentence.

Arkworthy3809d ago

10 years? Many countries don't have that for murder.

Besides, big business doesn't make enough money from prison sentences like they do from lawsuits and fines.

Dante813809d ago

You should get 10 years just for that stupid statement of yours.

Arkworthy3808d ago

Giving little Billy 10 years in jail for downloading episodes of Naruto is going to make the problem a lot, lot worse..

Hicken3808d ago

You've lost all rights to speak on the subject.

Good day.

FlyingFoxy3809d ago

I think Steam sales prove enough that piracy isn't as bad as people make out, if someone wants to pirate a good game shame on them, because half the time i find the multiplayer keeps it going for a long time. And having an illegal copy of a game = no online multiplayer.

So they might think they are getting free games, but they also miss out on a lot as well.

Linwelin3809d ago

you can still play online, with hamachi (spelling) i think it's called.

Scatpants3808d ago

Pirated console games can be played online.

JohnnyTower3809d ago

Dude, over the years I have bought super Mario 3 at least 5 times on different platforms. At what point or dollar amount do I get the rights to own that material? I think piracy evens the playing field a bit. If you truly enjoy what a developer makes then feel free to buy the product.

Perjoss3809d ago

The way things are now is ridiculous, If I buy lets say NFS Rivals for my 360 or PS4 I should own 1 license of that game, allowing me to play it on any platform I want, If I feel like playing it on PC why should I be expected to buy another copy of the game if I already own it on another platform.

kevnb3809d ago

sellers just have to compete with the pirates, valve sure as heck does.

Show all comments (18)
260°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

Read Full Story >>
theverge.com
darthv7223h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle10h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic18818h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio7h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning773h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga10h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

shinoff21839h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga8h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan4h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

romulus233h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv723h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3h ago
purple10113h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos12h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-2h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac12h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10111h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos10h ago(Edited 10h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic9h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead2h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2h ago
Show all comments (35)
140°

Why Monopolies In Gaming Must Not Be Allowed

As of right now, there are no monopolies in the games industry, and for the sake of the medium as a whole, they never should either.

thorstein22h ago

Shouldn't be allowed in any field.

Inverno18h ago

And yet the biggest tech companies in America are essentially that. They buy up all the small comps only to kill them off and steal what they have, and if they can't buy em they bleed them to death.

jwillj2k417h ago

Eventually they’ll realize the value is with the employee not the company. Buying an IP means nothing if the people who contributed are let go. They’ll get it one day.

MrCrimson16h ago

tech is different because they buy threats and then kill them. Twitter bought Vine and did nothing with it. Despite people seemingly liking it. Could've had tiktok a decade before bytedance. go figure.

Zenzuu17h ago

Monopolies shouldn't be allowed regardless. Not just for gaming.

MrCrimson16h ago

They buy IPs not talent. That's why these buyouts never work and the IPs die. Right now it's too expensive to develop games - but I expect that to shift maybe as AI tools can make it easier. The best games have been indie games for awhile as big developers fuck their ips to death with "games as a service" -

70°

5 Of The Best Narrative Twists In Video Games

GL compiles a list of some of the most mind-blowing video game narrative twists in recent memory, from The Last of Us to Outer Wilds

Read Full Story >>
gameluster.com
Rebel_Scum21h ago

With articles like these cant you tag the games mentioned so that we can know ahead of time if there’s a spoiler to avoid?

Not clicking on your article otherwise.