An instance of piracy being okay?
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I know it's your first post, but admitting to piracy'll get you a ban, so I wouldn't. Just use google shopping.
Steam sells Morrowind, that money does go to the developers. As does Amazon (assuming you buy a new copy).\
The only time I've ever personally justified piracy was when Microsoft screwed me over, I bought a Windows 7 key during the whole student sale various sites had online, the problem was that I just put off using the key, and when I finally decided to instal it the site no longer allowed me to download the files, borrowed a friend's dvd copy. Entered the key and everything was peachy for like 3 months, then I get the "your windows key is not genuine" I call up Microsoft, apparently I had used the key for the wrong version of windows 7 or some nonsense and they said they had banned my key and that my only option was buying a new key. Sorry but I paid for my first key, you aren't going to cheat me out of another $100 Microsoft.
The only time I've ever personally justified piracy was when Microsoft screwed me over, I bought a Windows 7 key during the whole student sale various sites had online, the problem was that I just put off using the key, and when I finally decided to instal it the site no longer allowed me to download the files, borrowed a friend's dvd copy. Entered the key and everything was peachy for like 3 months, then I get the "your windows key is not genuine" I call up Microsoft, apparently I had used the key for the wrong version of windows 7 or some nonsense and they said they had banned my key and that my only option was buying a new key. Sorry but I paid for my first key, you aren't going to cheat me out of another $100 Microsoft.
And thank you for that. I appreciate when a player makes an effort to make sure the money gets into the hands of the developer, one way or another. Points for integrity, Puppythief.Puppythief said:
Steam is where it can be found, as well as all other Bethesda goodness.
Except for Daggerfall. But that's abandonware now, so no one really cares how you get your hands on it.
Except for Daggerfall. But that's abandonware now, so no one really cares how you get your hands on it.
Not just developers who need butter on their bread, they're not the sole persons whose livelihood is worth legal protection when there's still reasonably something which could be called a market position for the game.
While it will never be fully "okay" to break a legitimately and democratically passed law, there's considerable ethical difference in someone downloading a game commonly sold on their home market (or otherwise easily available through digital distribution), or some Chinese dude downloading a French independent film that will never ever see release in China, and thus never gain any sort of market position there for the law to reasonably protect (i.e. fulfil the purpose it had in the first place).
The former can be condemned for hurting the interests of developers and retailers, while the latter can only be "condemned" based on an abstract notion of compliance with even inane and pointless parts of laws being part of the social contract. Both are illegal, and both are to some degree wrong, but they're not equally wrong. Much like a pedestrian crossing for red light isn't the same situation in a busy city at noon, where all kinds of chaos can result from it, or in the middle of nowhere at 2 a.m, with plenty of light sources and no cars in sight anywhere. This despite it being regulated by the same law.
So laws are laws, but violations are not simply violations.
Laws and ethics do not always match up.Hader said:
While it will never be fully "okay" to break a legitimately and democratically passed law, there's considerable ethical difference in someone downloading a game commonly sold on their home market (or otherwise easily available through digital distribution), or some Chinese dude downloading a French independent film that will never ever see release in China, and thus never gain any sort of market position there for the law to reasonably protect (i.e. fulfil the purpose it had in the first place).
The former can be condemned for hurting the interests of developers and retailers, while the latter can only be "condemned" based on an abstract notion of compliance with even inane and pointless parts of laws being part of the social contract. Both are illegal, and both are to some degree wrong, but they're not equally wrong. Much like a pedestrian crossing for red light isn't the same situation in a busy city at noon, where all kinds of chaos can result from it, or in the middle of nowhere at 2 a.m, with plenty of light sources and no cars in sight anywhere. This despite it being regulated by the same law.
So laws are laws, but violations are not simply violations.
"Okay"?
Morally, I think Piracy is okay when nothing is lost, no purchase would have been made anyway, so, who's actually losing money here?
Legally, it's always wrong, but, I mean, if nothing is lost and nothing would be gained, what's the big deal?
Morally, I think Piracy is okay when nothing is lost, no purchase would have been made anyway, so, who's actually losing money here?
Legally, it's always wrong, but, I mean, if nothing is lost and nothing would be gained, what's the big deal?
Actually, just as a "Did you know?" fact I'll share this with you, and anyone who will read this post.Hader said:
Did you know that there are countries where downloading anything from the internet for 48h of personal use is legal? Poland is one of those places.
In my opinion, though I never do it, piracy is ok under one of two circumstances
1)Its ok to pirate a game currently still being sold new by retailers if you previously purchased the game and lost it/it got destroyed
2)Its ok to pirate a game if nobody but Gamestop/whatever company you're buying it from is the only person that gets the money anymore because the game was discontinued
1)Its ok to pirate a game currently still being sold new by retailers if you previously purchased the game and lost it/it got destroyed
2)Its ok to pirate a game if nobody but Gamestop/whatever company you're buying it from is the only person that gets the money anymore because the game was discontinued
no argument there. but:Hader said:
not being legal doesn't mean not being legitimate.
and something that is legitimate usually is morally good, or at the very least not bad. that's why it's legitimate.
also, what Giantpanda602 and The Lunatic said
some time ago friends and i talked about piracy. most of us came to the conclusion that it is legitimate to get a game (movie, music, whatever) via "unofficial channels", try it for some time, and if one like it, he buys it, and if not, deletes it. of course demos were mentioned too, as method of choice to try a new game, but most of us thought that demos don't show enough. especially in times when you cannot bring a game back to a store for a refund in case you didn't like it, i understand why some people go back to pirating (at first)
illegal? yes? ok? decide for yourself.
my method of choice, if i am not >90% sure whether i should get a game or not (after reading reviews, watching vids, looking at what people whine about), is waiting for a friend of mine to get it, then i'll take a look at it, listen to what he's got to say about the game, and then i make a decision.
the biggest problem with old(er) games in my oppinion is getting the money where it should be - the devs. buying a game second hand only makes it cheaper for the first buyer. or, in the case of gamestop and the like, feeds a parasite, as they even make profit with that
would it not be possible to somehow establish a system where you could "donate" money to the devs and then get green lights to get a specific game in whatever way you find? (if you cannot get a "real" copy of the game, be it digital or physical on a disc; not all devs/publishers have their own stores (thanks steam for bringing back some awesome games! and for all those awesome indie-games!))