Game Piracy • Gaming • PC • Eurogamer.net

hula-hoops 20 Jan 2005 15:42:12 319 posts
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Do you think software manufacturers achieve much by imposing certain restriction, such as the requirement to run valve's steam in HL2, to limit software piracy and more importantly increase sale.

I for one do not think so. In contrary, I believe many people who genuinely buy games are put off with this restriction. But if you asked me, I do not have statistical figure to back it up.

It is hard to be PC game developers nowadays, as broadband becomes more and more widely adopted by the masses. Either they lose out to piracy or risk aleniating genuine customers. I hope we don't see them flocking to console market for their bussiness.

Freek 20 Jan 2005 15:45:45 7,682 posts
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I bought the game, why does the publisher have to give my an anal probe?
It's pointless, all it does is torture the loyal customer, the person who already buys his games legally.
The warez scene hacks the security anyway or gets it from a different source then the stores, so I ask again: why am I being tortured?

Dirtbox 20 Jan 2005 15:46:07 92,595 posts
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Freek 20 Jan 2005 15:47:55 7,682 posts
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Dirtbox wrote:
I'm all for the idea. HL2 with Steam works imho as it intergrates the game with the net. You'll be playing multiplayer long after you've stopped playing the single player, so having everything slotted together via the net makes a lot more sense.

As a content delivery system, sure it's the future (if they ever get it to work properly), but as a security control device it is nothing more then a pain in the ass.

MikeD 20 Jan 2005 15:49:15 10,063 posts
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Steam I didn't mind, but if there is something I hate it's cd-checks.

Dirtbox 20 Jan 2005 15:50:43 92,595 posts
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Dirtbox 20 Jan 2005 15:51:27 92,595 posts
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Xensor 20 Jan 2005 15:53:10 1,054 posts
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Personally i think anything that slows down the hardcore pirates and makes the causal pirate actually part with their hard earned cash is a good thing. What gets me riled tho is parting with my hard earned readies for a PC game that either turns out to be a steaming pile, is bugged to hell or plain simply doesn't work. With EG's new policy of "you bought it so tough" you're fucked and mail order returns are fraught with issues.

MikeD 20 Jan 2005 15:53:14 10,063 posts
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Dirtbox wrote:
Megagames.com or gamecopyworld.com. Just get some nocd cracks fer chrissakes.

I know.

But I would prefer it if they weren't included in the first place. Everyone knows about these sites. (well, everyone I know). So why bother include the cd check, I bet it doesn't stop 1 person from pirating!

Freek 20 Jan 2005 15:53:36 7,682 posts
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Dirtbox wrote:

MikeD wrote:
Steam I didn't mind, but if there is something I hate it's cd-checks.

Megagames.com or gamecopyworld.com. Just get some nocd cracks fer chrissakes.

And thne game gets pached and they don't work anymore,so you got to get a new one again, just more pain in the ass. They shoulden't exist in the first place.

Edited by Freek at 15:54:20 20-01-2005

UncleLou Moderator 20 Jan 2005 15:54:18 40,723 posts
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Copy protection at least keeps Joe Public from just buying a game and copying it for 5 of his mates without any hassle, who copy it for their mates, too, etc. etc.

Don't overestimate the number of people who know where to find cracks, download torrents, etc.

Freek 20 Jan 2005 15:55:42 7,682 posts
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UncleLou wrote:
Copy protection at least keeps Joe Public from just buying a game and copying it for 5 of his mates without any hassle, who copy it for their mates, too, etc. etc.

Don't overestimate the number of people who know where to find cracks, download torrents, etc.

Doesn't stop him at all, all Joe needs to know is where Gamecopyworld is and of he goes.

MikeD 20 Jan 2005 15:56:21 10,063 posts
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UncleLou wrote:
Don't overestimate the number of people who know where to find cracks, download torrents, etc.

Alright, but then set up a steam like service for each game (aaargh, can you imagine having one installed for eac publisher) and remove the no-cd checks.

games are still supposed to eb fun, and listening to a tornado ro searching around for a no-cd crack and having problems with patches is not fun.

Spanky 20 Jan 2005 16:23:58 15,037 posts
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Steam stopped me getting HalfLife2, i got the demo, great, installed, fine, played, fine. Restart machine, wtf is this? i have to log into steam when i restart my machine? and oh it's running in the background all the time? oh and it's not in my startup folder so it must be in the registry or sommat? Control Panel> add remove bollocks> fuck off steam and hl2, yes, yes, all please, yes, yes. Bye steam.

Salaman 20 Jan 2005 16:34:06 24,162 posts
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Well you can call me Joe then.

I play PC games and mainly PC games. I'm far from a hardcore gamer. I buy my stuff in the shop, install it and play it.
Just these past two days I though .. let's redo a bit of Doom3. So I clicked the doom3 icon. It asked to insert the CD and so I did.

Someone here pointed me towards gamecopyworld the other day for something and although I foud it interesting and it fixed my issue I was having, I even forgot to bookmark it.

I haven't used Kazaa in over a year or so but when I did use it to have a look for some rare songs unavailable in the regular music store, I'd sometimes see games come up in the search results.
I think I downloaded 1 once. Didn't know what to do with it when it was on my hard disk and deleted it again.

I currently have about 15-20 games istalled on my system and I think most ofthem require the disc to be in the drive to play.
I never even thought about installing nocd cracks for them all as the whole process is alien to me.

Now I like to think that I differ from Joe public, as I do buy games very frequently and I don't like to buy just any game based on the in store posters or some banner add.
I usually check out reviews prior and since a good while EG has become my port of call for this.

I'm sure there's tons and tons and tons of users out there that are far less tech savvy, buy far less games and would be even more baffled by the process of how to deal with a nocd crack and all that.

So some of these (annoying) measures probably do have the benefit of funneling revenue from legit copies to the developers rather than into the pcokets of pirates.

ave 20 Jan 2005 16:41:28 526 posts
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Every year I buy less games, despite the fact I've had broadband, and the technical knowledge to warez for 4 years(so there really isnt a reason for the amount of games I buy to change).

Why am I buying less games?

Because there are far fewer games worth buying.

The most apt euphemism for warez I've heard is "full version demo", as most people I know who do warez, will buy a game if its sufficiently good.

If the publishers didnt put out more steaming piles of shite each year, I think less people would warez, or at least it wouldnt grow.

MikeD 20 Jan 2005 18:23:14 10,063 posts
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Would you guys feel it's evil/immoral if someone plays downloaded games on their console, but has purchased that game on pc? So it costs less, and all the money actually goes to publisher/developer instead of 20 euros to MS/Sony.

Destria 20 Jan 2005 19:53:01 2,901 posts
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The problem with the "try before you buy" excuse for PC games is that, all too often, the user (whether consciously or not) 'raises their standards' as to what makes a game worth buying once they gain access to pirate software. So they may claim that they would 'buy a game if it's good', but it becomes more of a moral justification for what they are doing to themselves or others than a genuine reason. A "Oh, I wouldn't have bought the game anyway" excuse makes it easier to justify their actions. Whereas really, they probably would have bought the game had the full game not been available freely to them.

I've downloaded games in the past, I must admit. I have yet to actually finish such a game. Why? I just don't feel the... incentive to put the time in, as I didn't pay anything for it.

For the same reason, I've got a pile of games from the "3 for �10/�20" sections that need playing, let alone completing. If I'd paid �30 for them on release, chances are I'd have at least gotten most of the way through 'em

ave 20 Jan 2005 23:14:57 526 posts
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Destria wrote:
The problem with the "try before you buy" excuse for PC games is that, all too often, the user (whether consciously or not) 'raises their standards' as to what makes a game worth buying once they gain access to pirate software. So they may claim that they would 'buy a game if it's good', but it becomes more of a moral justification for what they are doing to themselves or others than a genuine reason. A "Oh, I wouldn't have bought the game anyway" excuse makes it easier to justify their actions. Whereas really, they probably would have bought the game had the full game not been available freely to them.

That may have been true in the past, but these days, I dont think any gaming enthusiast can afford to raise their standards with the lack of good titles.

MikeD 20 Jan 2005 23:30:48 10,063 posts
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Destria wrote:
I've downloaded games in the past, I must admit. I have yet to actually finish such a game. Why? I just don't feel the... incentive to put the time in, as I didn't pay anything for it.

I find this a bit cynical. I can fully understand what you are saying: With a game bought by your hard-earned money you have a greater need to get value for that money. But that you don't have a drive at all with games you didn't pay for is a bit strange. The fun of the game and to progress the story should be drives as well.

Though it would explain why nobody I gave a copy of anachronox (bought copies I might add, it was going for dirt cheap) has finished/played it yet. Or maybe I am just deluding myself, thinking that it was a great game. :-)

Edited by MikeD at 23:31:51 20-01-2005

Menace 21 Jan 2005 00:12:46 5,887 posts
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There's no excuses really.. Here's a common analogy; you can't afford a Ferrari, so its ok to steal one? No, its still theft. If we we're talking food or something to survive by it would be a different talk. This is entertainment. This is a product.

The only right way to get better games, that's worth shelling out hard-earned cash for, is only buying the good games, and supporting the developer/publisher that put them in the market. The bad guys are on both sides though. One group is big game capitalists that are only in the business for the money and milk the consumers - we know who they are.. EA etc? The other group is the software pirates. Both parties undermine good games being produced and bought - and finally we have Joe Average who needs to get educated and stop judging a book by its cover (nice packaging with celebrites/brands), and read the independent reviews..

I hope this makes sense to somebody?

archonsod 21 Jan 2005 05:07:21 208 posts
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Menace wrote:

The only right way to get better games, that's worth shelling out hard-earned cash for, is only buying the good games, and supporting the developer/publisher that put them in the market.

Unfortunately I've found that 80% of the decent games I have 'purchased' recently were freeware.

I'm surprised no ones brought up the issue of cost yet. I know a few people who will download a game when it comes out, then go out and buy a game when it drops in price or comes out on budget.
I don't mind forking out 20 quid on a game from Play, but I'm damned if I'll spend twice that amount on something which may well be a big pile of shite (or knowing my luck be in the sale two days after). Ever since the 'no returns' policy became common practice I've found I'm buying less games. Ironic really since I've never copied a game in my life. I suspect part of the reason a lot of people turn to piracy is because they are unwilling to risk 40 quid on something that may or may not be worth it. The PC market is similar to the music market in that sense, the games and albums people buy more of tend to be those which are older and either well known or cheaper.

Clive_Dunn 21 Jan 2005 09:10:16 4,862 posts
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For me there is no justification for piracy, don't want to risk �35 on a new game ? Well play the demo then. Or read the plethora of print and online reviews. Or ask your friends what it's like. It seems to me that games are much more transparent than other forms of media, since when did Hollywood give you the first 15 minutes of a film to see if you liked it ?

Whizzo 21 Jan 2005 09:17:55 44,810 posts
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Clive Dunn wrote:since when did Hollywood give you the first 15 minutes of a film to see if you liked it ?

Well that's a tactic that's been used quite successfully recently with the Dawn Of The Dead remake...

DiscoMike 21 Jan 2005 09:27:30 570 posts
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Those old enough to remember, think back to the 80's when we were knee deep in C64's and Spectrums, C90 tapes, and tape-to-tape Midi systems.

Did anyone from that time not participate in playgrand game swapping?

While I bought a good few games, I swapped and tape-to-taped a hell of a lot more with my school friends. Didn't think twice about it, like you would think twice about copying LP's to tape back then.

Didn't feel wrong at the time. Was even encouraged to do it by my parents.

Edited by DiscoMike at 09:28:35 21-01-2005

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