Video game piracy

[Radioactive Foot]

I'm interested to hear what gamers think of video game piracy. Do you think it is damaging the video game industry? Do you think it's morally acceptable or should it be treated the same as theft of any thing else? Do you do it? What are your reasons for doing it? If you don't, why not? Limited know how or scared of viruses etc etc.

Let's talk.

[Dee]

I think the debate is far too much black and white.

Piracy could be both good and bad for the gaming industry.

I remember the good old Commodore C-64.. Everyone I knew had like 100+ games, but only maybe 2 of them were bought. The rest were copies.

If there had been no piracy at all at that time very few people would have bothered to even buy the C-64 machine at all. And I am sure, we would not have the game industry we have now if that would have been the case. As so many started their gaming and gaming careers in those days.

[Dee]

Personally I stay within the law nowadays. I download alot of demos and betas.. But always buy any full versions.

[Radioactive Foot]

Nowadays? What changed?

[Dee]

Originally Posted by Radioactive Foot

Nowadays? What changed?

Don't know really.. Don't remember. Been buying my games for many years now.

Maybe it is the whole process.. Finding out about a good game, reading about it, trying to figure out if I would love it. And then looking around on the local stores and on the Net to see where it is cheapest.
And also the actual owning.. I am a bit of an collector.

How about you? Why do/don't you buy?

[TheOneOmega]

It's theft in my country, and since there is no good reason not to adhere to the law in this case, it's morally wrong.

[Futurama]

For me, a man who likes to try out a lot of stuff (although not a nolifer or something like that, i still have RL ) and at my current situation (student w/o a job) i simply cannot afford to buy all that stuff. Hell, i`m happy if i`m able to keep up those 50 USD/euros to buy a game. Not that i don`t have that much money, but usually i need it for other stuff so i don`t have spare 40-60 USD/euros.



Also this story of mine brings me to a another argument - maybe like half (or less) of the games are actually something worth buying. Either its too expensive and way to boring, or just very medicore - ok it wasn`t bad, but i woudn`t spend money for it.

[Radioactive Foot]

Originally Posted by Dee

How about you? Why do/don't you buy?

I do and I don't. If it's something I really, really, really want I'll buy just so that I have the official support and/or options for patches etc.

If it's something I think I might like but I'm not sure I'll pirate games.

Originally Posted by TheOneOmega

It's theft in my country, and since there is no good reason not to adhere to the law in this case, it's morally wrong.

It's theft in all countries yet piracy runs into billions of dollars because people do not perceive it as being immoral.

Originally Posted by Futurama

Also this story of mine brings me to a another argument - maybe like half (or less) of the games are actually something worth buying. Either its too expensive and way to boring, or just very medicore - ok it wasn`t bad, but i woudn`t spend money for it.

Yep. This is another reason for piracy. Why buy something which you may be dissatisfied with when you can get it for free?