|
|
| Page 1 of 2 |
Leftos
Posts: 1159
Location: Patras, Greece
|
 Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 00:40 Post subject: Independent developer asks pirates, "Why?" |
|
 |
| Quote: | ...
Cliff Harris, an independent game developer with Positech Games, has put out a call to pirates asking for an explanation. Not seeking to turn around and refute the pirates' reasons or to simply oust the pirates and turn them over to the authorities, Harris is earnestly sincere about learning what drives pirates to steal his games. Harris is asking for pirates to send him e-mails detailing the reasons why they are pirating games.
"What I don't know is why people pirate my games," Harris wrote on his website, where he made the open call for e-mails. "I might be able to get a general idea as to why people pirate stuff *in general* from reading warez forums, and every other story on digg, but I'm not interested in the general case. I want to improve my business, and ensure I stay afloat, and to do that, it would be mad to sit in the corner and ignore the opinions of that section of the public who pirate my games."
...
Responses for piracy have been wildly varied. Some responders parrot popular reasons for piracy. Some pirate so that they can try the game before they buy, as though a pirated copy of the game were a free demo. Some do it to spit in the face of publishers who use copy-protection methods. And for others, it's as simple as "because I can."
...
"The ones that bug me are the people who are just trying to save money but could afford it, or the ones with some 'intellectual' justification for believing it's their human rights to get free stuff."
In spite of Harris' continued interest in developing for the PC, though, he does concede that he's being pushed towards closed console development. "I have considered console gaming, and also online gaming," said Harris. "The thing is, I personally prefer single-player games, so that's the style of game I design. I do think a lot about the best way to set up my game demos, the website, and what after sales support, content and patches to provide in order to reduce the extent of piracy for my games."
...
"The problem is, devs need to be really honest about the topic. Blaming piracy for a move to the consoles is fine if it's really true, but if it's just an excuse to cover up a really badly made game, or one that nobody had machines that ran, that's just silly. It's easy to discount everything [pirates] say as justifications for theft, but if someone tells you your game's over-priced, buggy and the DRM is a nightmare, then it's madness not to listen to them." |
Source
 Spoiler: | I know I might just be feeding NPiracy's hunger to post, but please, let us all put him/her on ignore and discuss the story about this developer that decided to go public with this without the usual "pirates are killing us, fuck you PC gamers" bullshit. |
[ i5 2500K (@4.2GHz) / GIGABYTE Z77MX-D3H / 8GB Corsair XMS / GIGABYTE GTX460 1GB OC / 640+750 GB WD Caviar Black ]
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 01:14 Post subject: |
|
|
Nice with a developer that actually wants to listen.
For me it's pretty simple really. I usually pirate games, but I'll buy the game if the following conditions are true:
1. It's a good/great game( not many of today's games are, in my opinion, though ). Obviously to find this out I have to try the game first, so if there's no demo then I'll pirate the game and buy it afterwards.
2. It's not from a developer/publisher company that I strongly dislike for whatever reason( i.e. Bethesda, EA, etc. ).
3. I can afford it.
The *only* reason I would buy a game would be to support the developers.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 01:21 Post subject: |
|
|
my answer would be, if its a good game and i can afford it, i will buy it.
ffs though, lower the price of the digital download copies so a lot more ppl can afford to buy more games.
Ryzen 5 5600, ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING WIFI II, Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32GB 3600MHz C16, Zotac RTX 3060 Ti, Corsair RMx Series RM750x. AOC AGON AG324UX - 4K 144Hz 1ms GTG IPS FreeSync KVM
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ispep
VIP Member
Posts: 4117
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 01:26 Post subject: |
|
|
Cliffski (as he is known) is a cool guy but he's also extremely anti-piracy in the sense that he has more in common with the pirates' attitudes he despises. Personally as I've grown up I've grown out of pirating games just for the hell of it, but I don't like pissing in the wind either so I don't really contend with those who do it for shits and giggles. I suppose if you're a developer of these games then you're going to have a different view but I feel his argumentative stance does more damage than good. Just stick to making good games people want to buy.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MannyK
Posts: 1405
Location: Brazil
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 01:55 Post subject: |
|
|
50 bucks vs 0 bucks for something that MIGHT work on your computer?
Geeez, rocket science..
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 02:11 Post subject: |
|
|
Personally I prefer to buy games over pirating them. Sometimes though I just don't have the money. If it's a good game though I usually do go back and buy it later. Such as STALKER, The Witcher, Call of Duty 4 to name just a few. Some other factors apply, for example how easy it is to buy them. If a game is on Steam I am many times more likely to buy it. Simply because it's where I have so many games already. It's a simple system to use I know will work and I won't have to worry about losing the CD, or for digital games, my login info or the download link for the game. Long story short I buy games I can't afford.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MannyK
Posts: 1405
Location: Brazil
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Big_Gun
Posts: 3017
Location: My mother's womb originally. . .
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 02:27 Post subject: |
|
|
I do buy games. . . tons of them in fact.
Buying games that I really like has many advantages: Manuals, I like the box art sitting on my shelves, and patches (for copy protected games of course).
The real problem is, there just haven't been many games as of late that were worth buying.
I just plunked down the cash for Fate's new incarnation. before that, Age Of Conan and Call of Duty 4 were the last games I purchased. but I have a TON of games that have been bought. They have to be really special for me to buy them though. if I don't end up buying it, it doesn't get played. Nothing seems to hold my interest for more than a day lately. It has to do more for me than that.
I really do look at it as a chance to really see how the game plays and runs on my hardware, and also to see if it truly is worth the cash. A demo usually doesn't provide enough for some games (especially RPG type games that some times dont get good till later in the game).
EDIT: Oh, I also bought the entire Galactic Civilizations pack thingie and Sins Of A Solar Empire recently.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sin317
Banned
Posts: 24322
Location: Geneva
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 08:01 Post subject: |
|
|
i do buy games,
the good ones.
I refuse to spend a cent on shitty games ... hell, if i had more money, i may buy a less good one sometimes, but right now, cant afford.
And yeah, make DD games cheaper... its totally stupid to have DD games the same price as boxed ones. And companies like EA who charge you the same price for their EA link games AND want you to pay more to be able to dl the game after 6 months again ... i mean seriously ... fuck you EA lol (anti publisher is a reason too sometimes. ... i sure think twice again before buying a game from EA, DD or Box ...).
Anyway, "pirates" (i still cant understand, why its called piracy) aren't bad people. Its like the Punk movement (at first), by de-commercialising the gaming industry (instead of music). Devs should go back to take time and make a solid game instead of selling their soul to the big publishers ....
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 09:37 Post subject: |
|
|
YARR! We be stealin' yer games an plundrin' yer gold!
No seriously, the reason why i pirate some games is just that i don't know just yet if a game's good or not. Also, the days of the demo's are as good as over, so the only way to try it is to download it. If i really like it and want it for multiplayer or something, i'll buy it. But i'm not gonna pay 50-60 euro's for a piece of crap that i'm not gonna play anymore after 2 weeks.
I'll be honest, i pirated STALKER, Shadow of Chernobyl. BUT! Because i liked that game, i've preordered Clear Sky! And maybe i'll get Shadow of Chernobyl too from the budget box.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 09:48 Post subject: |
|
|
because game are too fucking short for the money 60 Euros for 8 hours of fucking gameplay AT BEST gotta be fucking kidding me and NO shiny graphics DON'T cut it ! I want a game I enjoy PLAYING not LOOKING AT besides graphics take most of the the work and the attention from gameplay and story line
ONE game is worth buying : the witcher
now THAT'S a awesome game with a great playing time , storyline and atmosphere. and yeah Valve games too.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 10:01 Post subject: |
|
|
| FireMaster wrote: | ONE game is worth buying : the witcher
now THAT'S a awesome game with a great playing time , storyline and atmosphere. and yeah Valve games too. |
So true! ^^
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 10:12 Post subject: |
|
|
The market's not always what you want it to be, so if people are gonna pirate your game instead of paying for it, then think something up. I think steam's a step in the right direction.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 10:32 Post subject: |
|
|
Because i leech games faster than getting dressed, going out and purchasing a game at a store or paying for it online and downloading a copy you can install x-ammount of times before it expires.
If devs wanna compete with piracy they have to offer something thats equal or better. Stop with box-art and printed manuals, cut the prices of games, gta4 for ps3 was like 399 swedish kronor which is like $65 that game i bought cause it was cheap and fun to play.
Dont understand devs whos bitchin and moanin about piracy and how its ruining the gaming industry. As a business the game companies like all other businesses need to get with the times, constantly change and offer the consumer attractive options otherwise they wont survive. Thats basic economics.
So offer me cheap, downloadable games without any kind of limit on how often it can be installed or downloaded and ill stop pirating. And also stop with the console ports or tech demos ala Crysis. Games not even worth downloading for free.
Dont mess with God, he can impregnate your girlfriend/wife without taking his pants off!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Under
Posts: 667
Location: Scotland
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 10:49 Post subject: |
|
|
Why the pirates are cracking the games ? Simply because they CAN ...
Is a kind of revolution against the system simple as that ...
Best PICKUP LINE :
"Hey, does this rag smell like chloroform to you?"
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sin317
Banned
Posts: 24322
Location: Geneva
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 11:23 Post subject: |
|
|
| Under wrote: | Why the pirates are cracking the games ? Simply because they CAN ...
Is a kind of revolution against the system simple as that ... |
why the groups crack the games isn't the question, but why "you" download it. For the groups, releasing games (movies, music, games, apps, whatever) is pure and simple ... competition ...
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sin317
Banned
Posts: 24322
Location: Geneva
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 11:48 Post subject: |
|
|
just opened steam to see if there are any new (or old) games to buy and guess what is on their store front page (next to CoH) ...
Quake 3 Arena .... (not the id opack, JUST q3a) for 20$ ....
20 fucking dollars for a 9 year old game ... i mean COME ON.
and you wonder why we pirate (and thats the freaking DD version).
And COD4 is STILL 70$ here (europe). You get the box for half now .... (and i know its not valve/steam who makes the prices, but the original publishers. Valve are actually one of the few publishers who sell their game to a really good price (guess thats why i have CS, CSS , hl +expansions, hl2 + episodes , the orange box ... hell, i really do buy games lol).
btw i do own CoD4 on steam, it is still a great game, but thats really a once in a lifetime purchase. Never again i pay 70$ (US) for a DD game (or boxed for that matter).
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 11:56 Post subject: |
|
|
My reason is I enjoy games, and have a limitted budget, so I find it hard to justify spending a chunk of the family budget on games.
But I still want to play so I download.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 12:47 Post subject: |
|
|
Because it's too easy and free!
Let's compare the efforts:
Buying a game:
Earing the money to buy the game ~8 hours
| Spoiler: |
12 h X €5,- = €60,-
yeah, i know, €5,- aint much, but hey i am a 17 year old student!] |
Going to a shop to buy the game - 1 hour
installing the game 20 mins.
Total: 9h and 20 min.
Downloading a Game:
Downloading 1 DVD: 4,7 GB ~2,5 Hours.
repairing / extracting ~20 mins
Installing 30 mins.
Total 3 hours and 20 mins
There you have it, and i didn´t even include the option "Finding out the game sucks - 15 minutes "
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Karmeck
Posts: 3341
Location: Sweden
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 12:51 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 13:08 Post subject: |
|
|
Why do I pirate? Because I can't afford to buy the games I want. It's a lame excuse, I know, but at least it's truthful. I simply cannot afford, nor even justify, paying £40 on a videogame that I may end up hating and uninstalling anyway.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sin317
Banned
Posts: 24322
Location: Geneva
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 13:17 Post subject: |
|
|
just got a job for 1-2 weeks in some office helping them archive stuff lol, maybe i can afford to buy a game this month after all ^^
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Epsilon
Dr. Strangelove
Posts: 9240
Location: War Room
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 13:34 Post subject: |
|
|
Why I'm a pirate? Because of error in definition of "pirate".
Why do I download games? because some distributors haven't found this thing called "Internet" and think we still live in medieval ages where it's down to a monolithical distribution system and data can't be distributed without clogging up the tubes.
Thus we get different release dates different places of a so called "global" economy and "global" world.
Then theres DRM, I do not want to pay for a product I can only use x amount of times or within a specific time period, laws of trade dictates that currency is exchanged in return for goods or services, when I buy a game I buy 'goods' and not a 'service', same thing as if I went to an electronics store and bought a cd or a stereo.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 13:51 Post subject: |
|
|
I already wrote on a similar topic no point in doing so again, I found a response that I agree with a 100% from the website mentioned above, I hope this guy e-mailed it to Cliff:
"I really feel that developers use the minority of piraters (those who steal it, even though they could afford it and those who pirate it just because they can) as a scapegoat.
When was the last time you heard a developer say, "We are losing millions of dollars in sales to piraters, because our game was a crappy port." Do you know when this was EVER said? I'd guess NEVER. They aren't fooling anyone! Scapegoats, that's all they are looking for.
There's too much money behind console gaming. This is where it's coming from. PC games receive very little marketing and attention. MS and Sony want to push their hardware. MS makes no royalties from Windows games. That Zetterburg character who works for MS in Europe said point blank that they want to push German gamers away from the PC. God bless them for sticking to their guns. I only wish we (Americans) would do the same.
Why pay more for less? That's you do when you buy a console game. Makes no sense to me. Again, it's all about marketing. Those who know the difference choose the PC.
Developers need to come to the realization the PC gamers will not succumb to all the hype and glam of the inferior consoles. They must think we are idiots.
MY TIPS for any developers reading this:
1) Quit putting out POS ports! When will you realize our expectations are higher?
2) Quit delaying PC launches! Good example is Grand Theft Auto IV. Now the plot is destroyed for a lot of gamers due to lamebrain console players. Thanks for "preserving the experience" Rockstar! What a joke.
3) Quit having your idiotic execs and leaders saying the most moronic things regarding PC gaming. Do you think this bashing promotes brand loyal or respect. I'm talking about statements coming from Zetterburg or Carmack or any others who say that "A PC couldn't handle this console game." Give me a break!
4) Quit trying to con PC gamers into paying for multiplayer access (I'm talking about you MS. Yes, I know they've made Live free now for PC gaming, but the fact remains they tried to shaft PC gamers. Greedy bastards.).
5) Quit with the DRM b.s. It does you no good to piss off your customers with schemes that create so many headaches.
Now, imagine for a second if the tables were turned. Imagine if consoles had to put up with this crap. The industry would be crushed OVERNIGHT. PC gaming continues to thrive IN SPITE OF less than inconspicuous tactic!
Oh, and I love how Xbox 360 piracy was swept under the rug. The worst kind of piracy took place with the launch of GTA IV. The game was pirated BEFORE it even hit the shelves. Several days. This would not happen on Steam. R*'s comment was that it wasn't a big deal. Oh really? You sure about that? Or, is that what MS told you say?
Until game developer get a clue or admit to these other VERY IMPORTANT factors, they aren't going to change diddly squat.
I'm all buying games and fully condemn piracy, but developers need to realize this is a two-way street. PC gamers DO NOT look favorably on your dubious tactics and it certainly doesn't discourage those who are looking to pirate. You just give them fodder for their cannons.
We all know it's about preserving the console market, because that is your cash cow. You fool NO ONE!"
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 13:54 Post subject: |
|
|
*applauds*
Bra-fucking-vo! That was magnificent!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 14:04 Post subject: |
|
|
Amen brotha! Word! R E S T E C P! RESTECPA!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 14:30 Post subject: |
|
|
I think I'm gonna puke. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks that the whole "PC gamers is der supperior race" neo-nazi bullshit is beyond pathetic? It's only a peice of hardware FFS! 
Oh, and:
Hello, my name is Liansk and I pirate games... arr.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tiedie
Posts: 680
Location: Florida
|
| Posted: Tue, 12th Aug 2008 14:50 Post subject: |
|
|
i buy lots of games but i agree with what Max said, shitty ports, BS 360/PS3 exclusive's and the protection (even though i bought Mass Effect)
on a side note, i will buy IV
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Page 1 of 2 |
All times are GMT + 1 Hour |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB 2.0.8 © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
|
 |
|
