If you have had the unfortunate chance to read this article, then you will understand why my blood may be boiling.
Let’s premise here, I’ve been a pirate – you could argue I still am. I am not taking this stance from a moral “high horse” – but neither do I take this stance with real smoke and mirrors covering my eyes. I am aware of my actions and consequences, and am fully prepared to acknowledge them. I’m a beardier, wooden leggier, cutlass weildier, gun toting, ship boarding, pillaging pirate then anyone ever will be! However, I don’t feel just exploring action/reaction to be a good sport. I’m going to take this a step further, and counter argue. Let’s tango, I’ll be the captain of the high seas before this is over.
What The Video Game Industry Wants You To Think
They want you to think it kills the industry. You know what? It does. To claim otherwise would either be heartless, ignorant, or simply foolish. One simple example: You will torrent a game that has no demo, and try it out. You might not think that’s a problem, but it is. It breaks the expected dynamic between PC developers, and nickel and dime gamers. Rather then picking up your e-pen, and getting 1 to 1 time with a PR guy, you are stripping them of very important feedback. As a loud and proud man once said “How is the waiter going to know If I am upset with the service, unless I tell em? They are gonna think all is fine and dandy and no problems were had!” It’s great advice, and this man got a second free steak because of this ethos. How is BioWare going to know you hated Mass Effect 3′s ending? They knew because you shouted. How does DICE know I don’t like their repeated transgression against the Abakan AN-94′s firing pattern and it’s subsequent violation of superior Russian Engineering? They know because I shouted. Next time your about to torrent a game because it doesn’t have a demo – email them instead. If you still don’t like the game, send them a constructive mature email. You’ll be surprised how far this actually gets you.
Stating ‘Crying “Game Piracy Hurt Sales” is all smoke and mirrors’ is the real smoke and mirror
Boom, statistic. Boom, statistic. Boom, statistic. I am disappointed that I have to share webspace with white belts of google-fu. I will concede that the statistic for Piracy-Sale is an impossible one to find, but that is not due to some massive conspiracy. It is due to privacy rights and potential violations. For me to plant a keylogger into a torrent, that then displays if there are any purchases for the game from ANY site that sells it, would have me landed in jail faster then the Admin of this site when he has a stroll around his local park – binoculars in hand. If it doesn’t hurt sales, then why are only 3/100 connections to ArmA2 online legitimate? By your logic, each person should be trying to play a plethora of simultaneous copies of each game. I’ll happily admit if I torrent a game and I like it I will buy it, even a copy or two for my friends if it’s payday. It was not always this way, I think with over 10 unique game purchases I have not half way made up my bad karma for my torrents. Not even close.
Oh, and this piracy destroyed World Of Goo. While I did my bit and bought a few copies, I’m sure we would’ve all played World Of Goo 18 if only 25% of installations were pirated copies.
WHY PIRACY IS GOOD?
F*** me that was hard to write, there is no way I could even being to comprehend how mindnumbing of a logical fallacy that is. It takes a certain caliber of empty headspace to actually try to claim that. The original statement was (summarized) “Because I pirated and played it, I went out and bought it. No harm done. DRM and prices are harmful to us, though.” If you want no DRM, don’t pirate. You cannot do burnouts in your car then blame the tire manufacturer for them popping so early. You cannot rob a bank, then have an outcry when your local branch won’t let you withdraw without ID. It’s hypocritical and well – plain retarded. I pirate, I don’t argue against DRM. I am the cause of it, I accept that consequence. Toting long words with lots of syllables that seem synonymous with responsibility does not immediately free you of onus. If you want to play the game free of charge before you make up your mind, play the goddamn demo. If there isn’t one, call them. If they say wait a couple of weeks while we slap one together – don’t be a f***ing child about it, and learn some damn patience.
Second of all, if you are a man of business, and your statisticians are telling you that you 97% of your consumer base is trying to play the game online with stolen copies, you have to try to make up that loss. It’s common sense. It’s not even Sun Tzu’s business law, it’s, just, common, sense.
A WORKING EXAMPLE. SOMETHING EVERY GOOD ARGUMENT SHOULD HAVE.
Let me depict something to you, to help this cement in your head. I know some of you are saying piracy ISN’T stealing because it’s not at the point of sale, they still keep the stock, etc. I’ll lay this one out for you.
You are a shoe shop owner, the only one in the village. There are 365 people in the village including yourself, and every day only one person buys one pair of shoes. You are fair to yourself and you do the same. Let’s say you have to pay rent for the building, upkeep for your shelves, your till, no staff it’s just you, purchasing costs, shipping, handling (storage, warehousing, etc) and electricity. It costs you $25 per day to be open for business, and this covers all your costs (and personal costs too) so you can break even. No one ever buys any more shoes, and this is exactly how the system works. You might set the price at $30 per shoe, which gives you a net profit of $1825 per year. Perfect, comfortable, easy.
One year, someone invents a machine that allows one person with the shoes, to instantly make a brand new fresh off the shelf copy any time anyone needs it. You lose half of your customers, you have to double the price of your shoes just to keep everything at the same status quo. Then you realize your shelves are still half full at the end of the year, your handling costs go up to hold on to all this extra stock. Next year, you start charging $70 a shoe to cover this. You lose even more customers due to price…. and you see where this is going.
You might then argue that for digital distribution you don’t have to pay handling, shipping, storage etc. But you still have to pay wages, rent an office, pay electricity, buy tea, coffee, milk, computers, software, pay for training, OH&S stuff like first aid, fire wardens, parking garage rental for your company, the costs are all still there.
It behooves you to contact your developers and your publishers. Stop breaking the industry you love so much, and become it’s driving force.
