A few hours ago Swen tweeted:
I wonder about the argument pro cracking a game under development - probably too complex for me
I assumed this to mean that the Divinity: Original Sin alpha had been pirated and distributed to the wider Internet, but I don't know for certain. I do know, however, that the Wasteland 2 beta was cracked. And while I agree that this is certainly a complicated subject, I do think it warrants some conversation.
So here we are.
What do you think of games in development--in testing stages, alpha or beta or what have you--being cracked, pirated, and/or freely dispersed to the more unsavory corners of the Internet? Is it a net positive or negative? Does it have an immediate risk or benefit, and/or a long-term risk or benefit?
I think we're all familiar with the myriad arguments for and against game piracy in general, but those are applied to games that are, well,
finished. Alphas and betas present a very different dynamic, I think.
