Silvanus said:
Well, on that I must entirely disagree. What one does with the sole copy of property they legally own should be their own choice (since they legally own it).
Quite. It's the choice of the end user what to do with their copy. But I meant that as a practical statement in regards to the retail exploitation of the used market to line the pockets of retailers rather than creators.
If the copies weren't limited, there would be no second hand market. Well, aside from the economical factor, given the deprecation of value in used copies. Which seems to happen almost instantly at times, strangely enough (Played 1 day, traded in the next - Suddenly $10 cheaper).
Neither really has any bearing on the topic of piracy. A digital market doesn't need resale though, because there isn't a finite amount of copies nor any real depreciation of value of any given copy.
But signing the right to resale away (Which we already do with digital purchases) assumes that every other term that benefits the consumer from it is also granted (Like lower prices - Retail copies cost a ton of money to produce and ship). Because really, not being able to resell is a massive detriment for end users.
We can't resell a single digital item (Except those specifically made for the micro-economy - That being essentially money for nothing for Valve).
We can sell the account and... Well, that's it really. All or nothing.
My point, if I had one, is that the concept of resale does not apply the same way to digital. And without the physical distribution factor, there shouldn't be any obstacle to make everything available for all, in their own marketplace at adjusted prices.
But there is, because it still needs to compete with retail and it's used market. The digital market is limited by the pricing and terms of the retail market.
Silvanus said:
Earlier, you argued in favour of the greater accessibility of art for those less financially capable (which I agree with entirely on principle). That principle should also apply here. Publishers are requesting exceedingly high amounts of money for games at this point; second-hand purchases are many peoples' only viable method of getting them.
I mostly just argue for the availability at all. Being able to buy everything is to me far more important than being able to own all of it.
Mind, I think that the matter of poverty needs to be addressed at a societal level, to ensure that people shouldn't "need" to pirate their entertainment. That justification should simply not hold any water in a first world country. It's really sad that it does.
I don't like retailers re-selling the same copies over and over again though. It makes perfect sense from a practical point of view, it's perfectly legal, but the creators of the product get nothing past the first copies they shipped. That's just a skewered distribution to me.
Do bear in mind that I rate the experience of the game, rather than the quality of the disc (Which again, not a factor in digital), when determining value. The only deprecation that should apply is that of fading novelty and to get sales from people that would never buy it at a higher price.
The way I go on about the digital market makes it sound like I'm all for it. Not really. But from a practical point of view, it's the solution to the issues of region restriction, convenience, regional price adjustment and reasonable end user prices (You might not buy it when it hits Steam, but pretty much everything sells when it's on sale).
Silvanus said:
I do not pirate. I'm playing Devil's Advocate, because I think legitimate consumers would also benefit from a better understanding of the reasons behind piracy.
Yes, I know. I have a bad habit of phrasing my posts in an accusational manner. I apologize for that, for what that's worth and will try to stop doing so.
Silvanus said:
I agree. I just contend that simply not experiencing the art at all isn't benefiting anybody, either.
I think it's important to consider that you do not have a right to have it, at all times. To ask yourself - Could I really not pay for this?
I'm all for everyone playing as many games as possible, but I'm also against the notion of people getting things for nothing (Which might sound ironic, considering that I have an ideology which leans towards socialism).
I don't want people to make excuses for why they pirate, period.
If you think you have a good reason, keep it to yourself. Because trying to paint piracy as the solution to problems is insanity.