How Bad Is PC Piracy Really?

[J T]

This is an interesting article about piracy and DRM, not that those topics haven't been beaten to death, but I liked hearing what some people inside the industry think about this.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011- ... ly-article

[ZenErik]

I've illegally downloaded about 80 doujin games. Just to try before I buy. My intentions do not make what I do right, but I am okay with that. I like to spend my money wisely when possible.

[Inazuma]

I've technically pirated thousands of games. All it takes is a few batch torrents of 8 and 16 bit roms to do so. How much money did that cost game makers? Hmm, about $0.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me, my piracy does no harm. I actually really care about video games and want to help things improve. If there is a game I want and I am able to own it (for example, modern Nintendo games), I will try to buy it new. If I think the price is too high, I will wait and buy a used copy.

I never pirate something that I would have bought normally. I support the companies I like and don't support the ones that are evil and trying to fuck over their customers.

What bothers me is when people assume that all or most of the people who pirate things would have bought them normally if piracy didn't exist. That's bullshit. If you want more people to buy your game, how bout you make a great game and don't try to rape your customers with bullshit like DRM and DLC. If you wanna do digital distribution, take a look at GoG. They are the only ones doing it right.

[DinnerX]

PC piracy is right up there between tripping old ladies and not washing your hands.

On a serious note I don't see how DRM helps. The downloaders get around it and you end up with paying customers avoiding you product. It really makes you feel like a company's enemy when they start making crazy DRM threats.

[MrPopo]

PC piracy is right up there between tripping old ladies and not washing your hands.

Either you really hate unwashed hands or you really dislike old ladies.

[DinnerX]

PC piracy is right up there between tripping old ladies and not washing your hands.

Either you really hate unwashed hands or you really dislike old ladies.

Clearly it's more of a half n' half thing.

[Zing]

I believe that DRM and other forms of copy protection are intended to be like the locks on our doors. They are not able to keep out determined thieves, but they do present a "barrier of entry" for the everyday person.

The difference may lie in the social stigma associated with software piracy. There seems to be very little, if any. In fact, there tends to be the opposite. People often brag about getting movies or games for free. People actively promote downloading of pirated software to their friends and relatives. These same people would never advocate entering a stranger's house.

However, I do believe that piracy affects sales very little. Clearly, not everyone who downloads software would buy it if they were unable to obtain it for free. Clearly, some people who download a pirated version later go on to buy the legit version. It's difficult to get exact numbers on any of this.

It is easy to see there are alternative incentives to copy protection. Lower the retail prices. Improve the user experience, especially in regards to DVD/BRD movies, with their un-skippable intros and HDCP glitches.

[Opa Opa]

PC piracy is right up there between tripping old ladies and not washing your hands.

Either you really hate unwashed hands or you really dislike old ladies.

made me laugh. thanks.

[isiolia]

However, I do believe that piracy affects sales very little. Clearly, not everyone who downloads software would buy it if they were unable to obtain it for free. Clearly, some people who download a pirated version later go on to buy the legit version. It's difficult to get exact numbers on any of this.

I think it depends on the person, and it depends on the piece of software. I've seen plenty of people outright laugh at the idea of actually paying for Windows or Photoshop. Same as I've seen teenagers in stores wonder who would actually buy CDs when they could download MP3s.

People pirate the Humble Indie Bundle. Something they could pay a few cents for if they chose.

It certainly is a hard thing to really nail down, but it's also not something you can really dismiss due to that.

[YoshiEgg25]

However, I do believe that piracy affects sales very little. Clearly, not everyone who downloads software would buy it if they were unable to obtain it for free. Clearly, some people who download a pirated version later go on to buy the legit version. It's difficult to get exact numbers on any of this.

I think it depends on the person, and it depends on the piece of software. I've seen plenty of people outright laugh at the idea of actually paying for Windows or Photoshop. Same as I've seen teenagers in stores wonder who would actually buy CDs when they could download MP3s.

People pirate the Humble Indie Bundle. Something they could pay a few cents for if they chose.

It certainly is a hard thing to really nail down, but it's also not something you can really dismiss due to that.

For me, it depends on the price and the quality of the software if it's being pirated or not. I'll buy CDs, games, and the like because I'm okay with paying X amount of dollars for that because I know the quality of what I'm getting and want to support the creator. I'd also buy Windows because I know it will work better than a pirated copy of Windows.

However, I'd be okay with pirating Photoshop because:
1. It's the best image-editor on the market.
2. It costs more than a Neo-Geo.
3. Even though it's the best, it's still not worth near as much as it costs.

If Adobe priced it around $100, okay. But seriously? $700? It takes me three months to make that much money.

Adobe would just be making way too much off of it otherwise. I'd feel worse if this level of pirating was happening if it was at $100, but I completely understand why the majority of the internet does not give two fucks about pirating this software.