The blame of PC-pirating doesnt make any sense.

[dimmy32]

I'm getting fed up with big game companies always blaming pirating as the reason PC games are going extinct.
I read an article today that Fallout 3 is leaked on the internet already..and is being pirated .
Fallout3 for Xbox 360 !!
The PC version has not been leaked and is not being pirated yet.

I think here's a big double-standard in the gaming industry right now, and I'm sick and tired of being punished for having a PC.

********!

[Freddy part deux]

Fallout3 for Xbox 360 !!
The PC version has not been leaked and is not being pirated yet.

I think here's a big double-standard in the gaming industry right now, and I'm sick and tired of being punished for having a PC.

********!

DAMN RIGHT!!!! They leak Xbox because they know I cant' pirate it.. at least that's what I think.

But I will share 10x over once the PC version is out... just to piss them off

It was out yesterday.

[Timman_24]

To be honest it is easier to pirate the PC version.

[dyne]

It still fascinates me that people still claim "PC gaming is dead or dying because of pirating", yet a game from an unknown (Sins of a Solar Empire) recently sold 500k units with NO DRM or CD check. Why? because the game is good enough that people WANT to buy it.

[dimmy32]

exactly. "PC gaming is dead" they say...yet Crysis sold millions of PC games.
I dont mind the lies, but I dont like them delaying the PC version, because of pirating...retarded.

[dyne]

I don't doubt the same companies aren't getting as much revenue as they should. Yes pirating is rampant but if you make a good enough game, people WILL support you.

[xclite]

I agree. I never pirate games with the intent to keep. I demod Spore, hated it, and saved $50. Sins is a great game, and a purchase I don't regret. I'd spend that money again and again for games of that quality. I'll likely buy Fallout 3 too, if it turns out to be awesome, although I am sick of anti-piracy issues ruining my experience because I have Daemon Tools (Bioshock, I'm looking at you!). I really wish more games went the route of Steam, to be honest. Makes things easier, installs are easier, and the only DRM I have to worry about is an internet connection.

[dyne]

This is exactly why I hope Good Old Games really takes off. Steam has it's place, but doesn't offer up the oldies like GoG seems like it will. Also I absolutely love how GoG's has soundtrack downloads, manual downloads and artwork downloads with their games included with the $4.99/$9.99 price tags. Plus their stuff is DRM free.

[PointlesS]

This is exactly why I hope Good Old Games really takes off. Steam has it's place, but doesn't offer up the oldies like GoG seems like it will. Also I absolutely love how GoG's has soundtrack downloads, manual downloads and artwork downloads with their games included with the $4.99/$9.99 price tags. Plus their stuff is DRM free.

yep...I already bought conquest of the new world on it...I love that game

[BuggyLoop]

I'm getting fed up with big game companies always blaming pirating as the reason PC games are going extinct.
I read an article today that Fallout 3 is leaked on the internet already..and is being pirated .
Fallout3 for Xbox 360 !!
The PC version has not been leaked and is not being pirated yet.

I think here's a big double-standard in the gaming industry right now, and I'm sick and tired of being punished for having a PC.

********!

Pirates on consoles are a very very small minority compared to general consumers, you dont have to mod your PC nor run the risk of being banned from the internet because you pirate PC games, on 360, you get caught, its too bad, no more Live and i even wonder if your 360 continues working?

You dont even need to search for **** analogies that its a double standard or something because of fallout 3 leaked on 360, just check the sales in a few months and then we'll talk, i guarantee you that PC sales will be much much lower than consoles.

[fluffmonster]

They'd have higher revenues and marginally less piracy if new games weren't so damn expensive. Games' pricing is so clumsy its ridiculous.

[Mindwarper]

Most of the anti piracy is more about reducing the used game market. The whole spore drm securerom debacle didn't stop pirates. It was leaked before the retail versions hit the stores. It also garnered a lot of bad press. It is mentioned in the amazon review. Hopefully, Ea and others look at the bottom line and realize that it is not helping. I do not pirate. I buy my games. I did try to pirate spore, but alas, I'm not a good pirate. So I will just do without.

[dyne]

you get caught, its too bad, no more Live and i even wonder if your 360 continues working?

Console still works.

[Kamakazie]

This is a very shaky subject, but I definitely think its worth discussing.

Software piracy has been around for as long as software has existed and while it definitely is a problem, I believe companies have begun using it as a scapegoat for poor sales numbers, ignoring many other influential factors. In the case of Spore, you had a draconian and even offensive protection system in place, with Crysis it was extremely steep system requirements. Both of these games had a very high budget that the publishers hoped to make back in sales - surprise, the game doesn't do too well and you don't want to blame this expensive copy protection scheme or that nobody wants to play your game if it doesn't look as intended or if your game is simply crap. Nope, its time to point fingers and make excuses.

So the big companies are complaining and blaming PCs, saying consoles are the answer, but even consoles aren't safe either, piracy is rampant on all systems except the PS3 currently. I'm sure its not as bad as on PC, but its not as if this is some haven from illegal activities. So why consoles? When developing for a console there is less overhead; no need to worry about different configurations, no need to implement copy protection. You know that if the game is running on one system, its going to be running exactly the same on the next system. And then there's the big factor that more people around the world game on consoles than PC, and that these console gamers are willing to spend $60 on their games instead of $50 as is the case with PC.

So I truly think that all of this talk about piracy lately is just mass-scale QQs. Valve, Stardock, Relic and several others have proven that developing for the PC is not a risky maneuver as long as your game is awesome enough for people to buy and that the budget is reasonable enough to warrant a profit. Hell, Sins of a Solar Empire probably made back its cost in profit within the first month of release (and hey, no copy protection).

So stop whining, companies. Either admit that you want to go develop for consoles because its easier and more profitable or start making games that people want to buy.

[Timman_24]

Great post Kama. I agree 100%. Everytime I hear of another company whining about pirates killing their mediocre game I just laugh. I will always buy a good game. Such as Sins. I bet everyone on this board bought Sins when it came out, I didn't even consider pirating it. If a game is worth the purchase I would feel horrible taking it for free. Some games that I am on the fence about, I may download and try out. I never keep a full pirated game on my computer for long. I either enjoy it, go out, and purchase the game or I dislike it and never play again.

Valve has a good thing going with steam. A few more years and I can see starting to make the switch. We need a unified system though. A one stop shop "steam" style center.