"mercutio22, I recomend you read my article more carefully. It's not just foreign publishers and developers that lose out as a consequence of piracy (and 'corrupt foreign goverments'), but the whole of the Brazilian society. Maybe gamers, who enjoy the benefits of piracy, end up with a postive bargain in short run..."
I wholeheartedly agree. Thats why I think Brazilians should download from p2p networks when the title is overpriced. Totally pro-Brazilian community.
"No translations into portguese, which means that people who can't speak english, i.e., the poor brazilians, can't enjoy most games."
There's one good reason for them to learn. Most the english I learned came from the top quality pirated Lucas Arts games, which where for the most part not even published in Brazil in the 90s(e.g. Maniac Mansion, Sam and Max). I did buy from them when they published Grim Fandango =].
"...And it seems impossible not to buy at least some things through the 'grey market' and help organized crime."
Come on, you can't speak for everyone. I beg to differ.
"- Almost zero game development."
Sad but true. I would not be a game developer in Brazil under these circumstances.
"So you're saying that gamers, who probably have better incomes than most brazilians, should have the benefits of cheap games, whilest the rest of Brazil pays for the consequences?"
No, I am saying we should P2P and refrain from buying from places like Santa Ifigênia.
"I do agree with you that downloading from p2p sites helps avoid some of these issues, but I can't imagine why on earth you think that just because a person is from another country, that allows you to what to steal from them."
I don't think it allows stealing, I do think stealing is *necessary* in the context of the lack of reasonably priced games available in the brazilian market. I don't know how to emphasize this enough - People should buy, when the option is available: for instance, you can buy UT3 for USD 19.99 from steam while it would cost 89,90 reais in americanas.com. Thats is ABSURD! Its twice the true value. YES! I exhort all Brazilians: in the case of steal or be stolen: STEAL! MuHUHAHAHAHA!!!! (performing Mr. Evil's little finger impression)
"Nor do I expect people to stop pirating simply on moral grounds."
Then quit calling the civil disobedient "unscrupulous"as if it was demeaning to pirate in the given circumstances. Some of us do piracy while being principled. In fact, some piracy is definitely benign, specially in the case of proprietary software tools (as opposed to leisure software, gamez) . It furthers opensourceness. Is that even a word? =]
"As an economist, I reconize that the incetives to pirate are immense. Quite simple, the benefits of pirating consists of a large private gain, while the costs, which are larger than the benefits, are shared (and thus hidden to the pirate gamer) by brazilian society as whole.
I agree with you that it will take a concerted effort by both the goverment, by reducing taxes on games, and companies, by adopting other pricing policies, to help end piracy in Brazil. But don't expect that to happen anytime soon."
Me neither, so lets get practical. Teach your friends some bittorrent.
Cheers.
By the way, good essay. Otherwise excellent without the reckless admonishing.