Poll: Does pirating a game to test it make it okay?

[BoogieManFL]

I can see both sides. I'm sure it sucks to lose money to pirates who download your game and enjoy it, and replay it without you seeing a penny. But it also sucks to pay 50-60 bucks for a game that was shit, and you would have known it was shit if there were a demo for it.

A game without a demo is like making a movie and your trailer is simply the name and nothing of it's content. It seems most developers only release movies, or specially arranged screenshots that don't tell you crap about what it's actually like to play the game. If you don't release a demo and/or good detailed information about your game you're basically asking to get it pirated. People don't need specific reasons to do it in the first place, so giving them one is just a dumb idea.

I wonder how many people voted in the polls without reading the OP. The OP is talking about testing in the sense of seeing if your computer can run it, not a demo.

I didn't vote at all.

Also, the exact question is "So I ask you this escapists, is pirating okay if you're planning to test a game and then later on, buy it? Is pirating ever okay, under any condition?"

It doesn't directly specify that the intent is to only pirate it to test it's stability or performance. As written, it's simply the circumstance that prompted the post. Also, the last sentence of particular importance. "Is pirating ever okay, under any condition?".

Personally I think while laws are required for a good stable civilization, some laws are crap, and can't stand up upon their own merit and are often supported for only the simple fact that they are a law. Not because it's good or well defined and effective. There are so many laws about what one cannot do, when there needs to be more about what one MUST do.

Like not having a garbage product, or exaggerating it's content/capabilities. I think it should be against the law to above a certain percentage of profit on products that are clearly of poor quality. Like selling a game in an alpha/beta state without making such a state public. Or Walmart and their shitty furniture that is so often not even cut right so you at least have a symmetrical bookself. Or those Free Credit Report commercials. They make it sound like you can simply visit their website and get a free credit report. Yeah, you can get a free credit report. AFTER you give them money and sign up with them. It's misleading and misrepresenting the product. There aren't enough things in place to protect consumers from being cheated.

Tiny fine print in commercials and documents, or the turbo gibberish speaking disclaimer asstards on the radios shouldn't be a way to get away with blatantly misleading advertising.

It's all very similar to me and I generally place ethics firmly above laws.

 

[Twilight_guy]

According to the law, no. According to ethics, It's as muddled and subjective as every other argument about piracy.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

It is if you want it to be.

Morality is the most varied thing in the world. There is no set in stone way to interpret moral questions. We all make our own brand.

I would say yes.

Many agree, many disagree (like the law).

You are the only one who can decide for you.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

I didn't vote at all.

Also, the exact question is "So I ask you this escapists, is pirating okay if you're planning to test a game and then later on, buy it? Is pirating ever okay, under any condition?"

It doesn't directly specify that the intent is to only pirate it to test it's stability or performance. As written, it's simply the circumstance that prompted the post. Also, the last sentence of particular importance. "Is pirating ever okay, under any condition?".

Fair enough, given the amount of people who have been using the word test as a synonym for demo, which isn't how the OP was using it, I assumed you made the same mistake

 

[GameMaNiAC]

Yes. It does. We all did it, stop seeking our approval and feeling bad for yourself.

Next question?

 

[veloper]

A friend of mine once came up with the phrase:
"The fact that you're trying to justify it means it's wrong."

Playing videogames is also wrong then.

 

[EtherealBeaver]

A friend of mine once came up with the phrase:
"The fact that you're trying to justify it means it's wrong."

Damn I better settle for a C- then because trying to justify that I would actually qualify for A+ clearly means Im wrong here. And I better stop complaining to companies about horrid treatment as well because me trying to justify that they did wrong means Im the one who is wrong. And making myself donate to charity even though I am a rather poor student has to go as well - if I try and justify sharing the little I´ve got, I am also clearly wrong and must thus keep it all for myself.

It would be nice if it was that black and white, but like all other aspects of life it isnt. If an argument doesnt hold up to casual scrutiny it is hardly very convincing.

 

[Oly J]

here's my point of view

example of acceptable pirating: "I pirated a game simply to see if my computer could run it, it it could so I bought it, (or it couldn't so I didn't bother)

example of unacceptable piracy: I pirated a game to see if it was worth paying for...after playing through every facet of the entire game, I decided that it wasn't

so yeah, I think pirating a game to test it is fine as long as you buy it if it does work

 

[mavkiel]

My answer is no.

Reason being, you can do due diligence before buying the software, or try downloading a demo. If neither of those options work, you dont buy it. Idea being, that in the future companies will make demos/etc available.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

So long as you're sincere when you say you'll delete it, then yes. I'll even admit to doing this in the past (though it's been several years since the last time). This is kind of the only real choice you have when the system requirements seem muddy.

 

[lordmardok]

If you count in all the game reviewers that take pay-offs and gifts to color their opinions of the games that they're reviewing and the corrupt game review websites, like Gamespot, who abuse the trust the gaming community put in them to give them honest reviews? Then Yes, utterly and completely. Commercial media has shown us time and again that they cannot be trust with something as simple as telling us how decent a god damn game is. So what else is left? What are we going to do? Leave it to the people that WE ALREADY KNOW LIE TO US?

Abridged version: Yeah, it's fine, media liars have spoiled the pot for everyone, making pirating our only logical solution for an honest review of a game.

 

[Genocidicles]

God the amount of corporate apologists on here is ridiculous.

It is always ok, as long once you see that it works you delete it, and go buy a legit copy.

Demos are not always available, and what's more they are becoming rarer and rarer. A greedy publisher won't want to risk turning people away from their crap product with a free demo, so why would they bother making one? Along with that, most reviews nowadays are bought and paid for, so who the hell can you trust? You could try looking at the user reviews and try and find a legit review amongst all the trolls and fanboys, but good luck with that.

The fact of the matter is that publishers brought this upon themselves with their own greed. If they don't want people to pirate their products for a test then they should release a demo. It might be expensive, but I'm sure they can take some money away from the ridiculous amount marketing gets.

Every other product either lets you have a free trial or will give you a refund if said product doesn't work. Why the hell should games be any different?

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Only if you uninstall the game if you dont like it or it doesnt work. If you play it through and enjoy it anyway thats wrong. In this hypothetical its perfectly fine. However in general id say dont do it because you cant expect everyone to be such a saint. Having a product in your hands that you love already and THEN being asked to pay for it pretty please out of charity is hard for some people. Some would justify taking the product forever and never paying at all. In the OPs question though he says to use it like a demo. Yes. That IS ok. Assuming the person doing it is a strictly moral person who will opt to do whats right.

The BEST scenario is to have ALL games have demos. I hate the culture of "pre ordering". Seriously. A culture where the salesman gets to sell you a mystery box based on teasers and trailers to rake in money is a silly one. Know whats in the box first. At least kick starter is upfront about the fact youre never gonna be sure EXACTLY whats in the box.

 

[cloudwolf616]

Ok so downloading the game for free apart for the legal stuff is not right but if you buy the game and find out it doesnt work will Steam give you a refund or turn you away?

Ive never had to ask for a refund for a game online so i dont know but i imagine under law they have to refund you if it doesnt work right?

oh and sorry if someone already answered this question there are alot of comments on this thread lol

 

[unstabLized]

Ok so downloading the game for free apart for the legal stuff is not right but if you buy the game and find out it doesnt work will Steam give you a refund or turn you away?

Ive never had to ask for a refund for a game online so i dont know but i imagine under law they have to refund you if it doesnt work right?

oh and sorry if someone already answered this question there are alot of comments on this thread lol

Steam barely ever refunds. It's in their policy that they do not do refunds. Sometimes they're nice though. My friend got a refund when his GTA IV files were corrupted or something. So no, Steam does not do refunds.

 

[Eggsnham]

The way I see things:

Pirating an indie game is pretty much inexcusable considering that the average indie game costs less than $20.

Pirating a game to see if it's worth your time and money before buying is okay for the most part.

Pirating a game from a company that still makes billions annually is pretty much okay, if you ask me. In fact, when it gets to the point that a company is complaining about not making a few extra million while they're already practically rolling around in money, then they're pretty much just asking for people to pirate the shit out of their games out of spite.

 

[unstabLized]

The way I see things:

Pirating an indie game is pretty much inexcusable considering that the average indie game costs less than $20.

Pirating a game to see if it's worth your time and money before buying is okay for the most part.

Pirating a game from a company that still makes billions annually is pretty much okay, if you ask me. In fact, when it gets to the point that a company is complaining about not making a few extra million while they're already practically rolling around in money, then they're pretty much just asking for people to pirate the shit out of their games out of spite.

*Cough Ubisoft Cough*

But yes I do agree with your points in most cases. I still think it's somewhat wrong to pirate, despite the company being rich and all. However, when they make an asshole move, then I just think they're asking for it.