All the businesses of the world are not using 'beyond divinity' or any other game to run their computers. They're using Windows.
That simply isn't true. UNIX has made an absolute fortune, not to mention that a lot of small businesses can't afford the licences for Windows NT server, and all the work stations.
A computer company faces serious problems if caught, and they can be caught quite easily, if they use unlicensed op systems.
Neither is this. Many companies have been prosicuted for using illegal software, but many are still out there, using it. The OS is only part of the software used by companies, and home users account for more sales of Windows I would suspect.
That's why MS aren't poor...and they are effected by piracy of course...but it's only a small dint in their financial armour. They own the business computer market.
Whether they can afford to lose money or not isn't the point. Microsoft, like any company, stives to attain maximum profits. Absolutely, under no circumstances, would Microsoft say "We can afford to lose this amount" lets no bother doing anything about it.
Smaller companys (like small game developers) aren't so financially secure as Microsoft that the loss of sales from a unprotected CD does no seeable damage.
Who is as financially secure as Microsoft? And besides, even if these smaller companies made as much, they would still issue protections on the disc. Let's not forget that microsoft have a wide range of products either. These "small" developers aren't as poor as you think. If you can produce a game of sufficient quality, you can make tonnes of money. Take Half-Life 2 for example, this has been leaked out, it will get cracked (no doubt) and copied, but I bet it makes £££££££ for the developers!
