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Pc Game Piracy Examined


Supreme Cmdr
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This is by far one of the most comprehensive and well written articles on video game piracy that I have ever seen. The author deserves a Pulitzer.

I have touched on all his key points ranging from the much maligned Starforce, to the nonsense being written about SecuROM and of course the [artificial] popularity of Steam.

http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_1.html

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  • 2 weeks later...
This is by far one of the most comprehensive and well written articles on video game piracy that I have ever seen. The author deserves a Pulitzer.

I have touched on all his key points ranging from the much maligned Starforce, to the nonsense being written about SecuROM and of course the [artificial] popularity of Steam.

http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_1.html

Got nothing against Securom myself, i buy games with it fine. it's just the install limits that are a turnoff. i am more then happy to buy games that have fair DRM such as Command And Conquer 3 or Oblivion Game Of The Year Edition. I just can't stand having to deal with customer support when my install limits for Spore or Mass Effect run out ( i did not pirate either btw)

We just need to keep what works (Securom) and get rid of shit that simply does nothing and is more likely to offend consumers rather then keep them (Install Limits)

I also didn't buy Spore because it's a worthless time wasting toy and not much else...

I would also like to point out that developers like Stardock who don't really use DRM are doing fine business with no problems.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Got nothing against Securom myself, i buy games with it fine. it's just the install limits that are a turnoff. i am more then happy to buy games that have fair DRM such as Command And Conquer 3 or Oblivion Game Of The Year Edition. I just can't stand having to deal with customer support when my install limits for Spore or Mass Effect run out ( i did not pirate either btw)

The only problem that I have, with this kind of DRM, is that in three or five years from now that I am going to re-play a game (or even play for the first time. I have yet to play, Mass Effect or Bioshock), I may not be able to activate it. So something must be done by the publisher and/or the developer, to ensure that the game is still activated after some time has passed. (Remove the DRM or keep the activation servers online or even do what Derek and some other developers do, when they release their games for free, after some time has passed.)

I also didn't buy Spore because it's a worthless time wasting toy and not much else...

May be that's why I am going to buy it. :) But I thing that I will wait for the collector's edition (which it will contain all the inevitable add on packs :D:D:D)

I would also like to point out that developers like Stardock who don't really use DRM are doing fine business with no problems.

This may have a lot to do with the kind of games they make and the age group they target. Although they use a kind of DRM. (Impulse or their way of patching the games).

All in all an excellent article. Especially the part about the economics of the torrent search engines.

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  • 1 month later...

Woah, took me 4hours to read it all, was well worth it.

I was one of those "casual thief" and never thought piracy could be one (if not the main) reason of quality and depht decrease in PC gaming nowadays ...

I'll never do it again, even to "try" a game!

Well thx for the link, Mr commander -

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Woah, took me 4hours to read it all, was well worth it.

I was one of those "casual thief" and never thought piracy could be one (if not the main) reason of quality and depht decrease in PC gaming nowadays ...

I'll never do it again, even to "try" a game!

Well thx for the link, Mr commander

A casual theif is still a theif. Somebody warm up the airlock. :)

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Yeah, i deserve to be launched via the airlock i admit it :)

... wait I'll just sign up 1 decade to the GalCom foreign legion, to earn my amnisty.

seriously, the article point it right : easy free access (it is often easiest to pirate a game than to buy it), misinformation etc, the temptation is really huge.

I won't lie, i did it more often than not - really this article made me take the firm decision to never, ever do it again - pirating also loves to hide behind false reasons and being something anecdotic is one of them.

Now, the article speaks of 4/5 copies being pirated that's a plague.

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hypothetically, i could go get a torrent, but i wont. you guys deserve the money from the games.... and i like multiplayer.

sadly though i have no way of buying anything from you. :)

i rarley ever pirate, but i never EVER steal from indie devs. EVER. if its some giant company, sure, no loss to them.

plus pirated downloads tend to be saturated with viruses.

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