Originally Posted by Stargazer
Originally Posted by Creslin321
But what happens is that one person buys the game, and then posts it on a popular site where everyone else downloads it for free. Everyone is playing Jim's game, but Jim is still destitute...despite having worked so hard to make his game.
Er no, that's not how things play out in Real Life. Instead:
  1. A portion of those who download, play the game, don't like it and decide not to buy. Theoretically a lost sale, but without the download they likely would not have bought due to reviews.
  2. Another portion like the game and buy it - a sale won and without advertising cost for Jim.
  3. Some will download and never get round to playing it - so neither a gain nor loss.
  4. Finally we have those who would have bought, but decided to download - whether to save money, avoid the hassle of purchase or because they were put off by registration/DRM.
It is only the last category that can be described as a genuine loss for Jim, and could easily be matched or exceeded by the sales won from category 2.

And to hear how a real-life Jim (or rather Jeff) deals with piracy, see:

The Final Answer For What To Do To Prevent Piracy
Sometimes It's OK To Steal My Games


Actually, the scenario I gave is more or less how piracy would play out IF it were completely accepted by everyone. No games would be sold, everything would just be distributed for free. Sounds great, until you realize no one would ever develop a game again because it would be worthless.

But that aside...let me ask another question.

If I, honest consumer, have to pay for a game, then why is it okay for you or someone else to take it for free? What right do you have to not pay for things like the rest of us?

Because you know what? I realize how the system works. If enough people steal stuff, do you know who winds up paying for it? ME.

Prices will raise to deal with lost revenues due to piracy. And in the end, the CONSUMER pays. Oh but maybe prices don't raise, maybe they just come out with things like Day 1 DLC, or charging $20 for added skins!

Anyway, I'm not going to say that companies aren't greedy and some of them wouldn't do this anyway. But I do think that at least SOME revenue is lost to piracy, and I know that I am the one who will wind up subsidizing said pirates experience.

I don't think that piracy is the great Satan that some companies would make it out to be, but it's also STILL (morally) stealing. And it's not a victimless crime.

Last edited by Creslin321; 16/07/14 10:59 PM.