Modern Warfare 2 Was 2009's Most Pirated Game

[John Funk]

Modern Warfare 2 Was 2009's Most Pirated Game

More people bought CoD MewTwo on opening day than any other game in history - and more people pirated it than any other game this year, too.

In case you've been living under a rock for the past two months, Modern Warfare 2 is a pretty popular game. How popular, you ask? Popular enough to PC version [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96206-11-Million-Modern-Warfare-Achievements-Unlocked-in-One-Day] - and it is far and away the best-selling game of the year.

But with its popularity comes a more dubious award: More people may have bought MW2 than any other game this year, but more people also downloaded it illegally, too. According to TorrentFreak [http://torrentfreak.com/the-most-pirated-games-of-2009-091227/], more than 4.1 million people downloaded the torrent of the PC version alone - more than double that of last year's "champion," Spore - while a comparatively meager 970,000 downloaded it for the Xbox 360 (still enough to top the list, of course).

Following in its heels were the extremely pirated Sims 3 on PC with 3,200,000, and Street Fighter IV on Xbox 360 with 840,000 - and on Wii, New Super Mario Bros. Wii K.O.'d Punch-Out!!, 1,150,000 to 950,000.

This, of course, is unsurprising, given A.) how popular MW2 is and B.) how irritated the PC market seemed to be at Infinity Ward. While Infinity Ward's move to a proprietary gaming service, IWNet, probably dissuaded some pirates from playing online, its effect seems to be negligible.

Of course, it doesn't make piracy any more justifiable, either. It's perfectly fine to be disappointed in a game - even angry at the makers - especially with very legitimate reasons, but if you don't pay, you shouldn't get to play.

(MTV Multiplayer [http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/12/29/modern-warfare-2-wins-most-pirated-game-of-2009-honors/])

Permalink

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

PFAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. Hahahaha. Ha.
I don't find this funny at all.

 

[Capachinola]

I didn't pirate it, and I didn't buy it.

I played it over at a friends house, and realised I wasn't missing much.

I dont have any friends who own the game, so I assumed I wasn't missing much either.

Looks like somebody needs to call the coast guard.

 

[Flour]

I do wonder what percentage of that 4,1 million actually installed the game and played it.

 

[Lord_Panzer]

...but if you don't pay, you shouldn't get to play.

I have 5.07 million people that may take disagree, Funk.

Now, in related news: [HEADING=1]HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA![/HEADING]

 

[Ekonk]

I waved at it as it passed by.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Colour me not surprised.

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

Colour me not surprised.

So a kind of pale greeny-blue colour?

 

[Bob Saget]

I have no idea why the people who are mad about the dedicated server thing would pirate it, since you can't play online if you do. Personally, I like the idea of IW sanctioned servers. Just my opinion though.

 

[appleblush]

Haven't played it yet. Not really at my top list. I was honestly more excited for Saboteur.

I'm of the belief that maybe if a game weren't 1/3 the cost of the console itself, there would be less piracy. Because it isn't that people just have the inherent desire to steal. It's that they can't afford it. And when you hype something that much then sell it at a price that shames the running price of most illegal drugs, then you're bound to get a bunch of people not wanting to be left out.

Not to say it's okay. But to talk so much about how piracy is bad and not do anything retroactive to stop it, you're pretty much asking for it.

 

[John Funk]

...but if you don't pay, you shouldn't get to play.

I have 5.07 million people that may take disagree, Funk.

Now, in related news: [HEADING=1]HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA![/HEADING]

Well... yes, that would be the point. I would be disagreeing with them.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Hehehe...Man, that is a whomp of cash that Infinity Ward didn't get for those 4.1M copies. 245,959,000 in bills, by my calculations, but that's assuming a 59.99USD price on each copy, so it's gonna be more than that, not to mention that that's only the PC version. *Whistles* Hell, with that many players on pirated games, they could come up with their own damn server system.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

Pirating that game never even crossed my mind, anymore than paying actual money for it did. The day when it stops being considered newsworthy will be a grand day indeed.

 

[Flap Jack452]

Did that shock anyone?

 

[Enigmers]

I realized that IW's retarded decision in regards to the PC version has, in retrospect, saved me about 70$ because of how little the gameplay appeals to me now. (I had a blast with CoD4 until I hit 55, then it all seemed like a pointless excersize in frustration and immaturity.)

 

[Lord_Panzer]

Well... yes, that would be the point. I would be disagreeing with them.

Ahh yes, makes sense. My last point stands, though.

 

[Woodsey]

Well would you look at that - they alienate a significant (just because it has the least sales of the 3 DOESN'T make it insignificant) section of their audience and then they go and pirate the f*ck out of it.

Not particularly surprising.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I'm glad this happened. Infinity Ward deserves nothing for that piece of shit that is the PC version of MW2.