Poll: In what instance(s) would you buy a game rather than pirate it?

[Tohuvabohu]

I wouldn't pirate a game, I won't even buy preowned.
If I'm buying a game it's because:
1) I want to play it
2) I want to support the studio so they can continue to make the games I want to play

Exactly my reasons.

If I want a game, I'll buy it. If I don't want it, I won't buy it. The end.

I never understood the people who use pirating as some kind of "Fuck you" protest to dev/pubs they dislike. If you want to do that and think you're justified for doing it, fine. But the moment you begin pirating a game is when you forfeit any validity to your bellyaching.

There's been more than a few games out there released in circumstances that I do not like. Always-on DRM for example. Whenever this happens, I'll pass up the game entirely and do without. Or a game that I'm curious about, but am not willing to pay full price for. I'll simply wait until a deal, or a price drop. (Still won't buy preowned even in this regard. If I'm willing to spend money on a game, I want the devs/pubs to be the ones to have it.)

 

[Bostur]

Uh... all instances?

I don't pirate games, although I often feel like a sucker for not doing so.

Same here. If don't intend to buy a game I don't play it.

Although some publishers seems to do their utmost to drive me to piracy. :-/ (EA and Ubisoft)

 

[TehCookie]

Half is I like physical goods and the other half is supporting the game. I hate when people complain games are too expensive (in America), I get most my games for $20 and get even more for less than that. I have no idea why when people think buying games mean buying new games full price, they aren't a necessity you can wait. The only time I do pirate is if it's not available in my area or games my friends give me. Fuck modern games that don't allow sharing, if my friend legitimately bought it and hands it over to me I should be able to play it.

 

[therandombear]

I always buy my games...I don't pirate. So I guess that's the "other" option.

 

[RuralGamer]

I buy games I want to play and they are few and far between (e.g. Last year, I bought Skyrim, Dawn of War 2: Retribution and Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity). This year, its Mass Effect 2, Shogun 2: Total War: Fall of the Samurai and maybe, just maybe, Far Cry 3...

A publisher makes their game have stupid DLC? I just don't bother getting it. Its no loss in the end.

Most games I buy are because I've played their predecessors or because I've played them at a friend's and been convinced.

I have little expenditure on games, allowing the money to be redirected to Warhammer 40k (yay... in all seriousness though, the rate I buy, built and paint is deathly slow, so its no major expenditure either...)

 

[Iori Branford]

All the time, except when it's out of print AND (out of stock everywhere OR priced higher than MSRP everywhere).

 

[albinoterrorist]

When it doesn't have DRM making it COMPLETELY UNPLAYABLE when bought second-hand.
Seriously, EA, what the fuck.

 

[MysticToast]

All of the instances?
I kind of find most pirates to be cunts.

I was gonna make a boring "In every instance" post, but this guy said it a lot better than I would have.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

In every instance. I just have a thing for legitimately and legally owning my stuff.

 

[Random Fella]

Uh... I would never pirate, it's like, bad... *Hides under table*
But I voted other, I would buy a game if it was at cheap price, or just not overpriced by greedy companies.

 

[ascorbius]

The poll is heavily skewed towards justifying piracy.. not cool.

If a game is on sale and I want it.. I buy it.
If a game is no longer on sale (retail or online) and I want it, if it's not hurting anyone and I can't play it any other way - I may acquire it if I find it on my travels. But More often than not, Good Old Games has it so I buy it.
If a game has crippling DRM or is from a company I don't like - they don't get my money and I don't get the product. Hopefully, they learn something from the lost sale and clean up their act or remove DRM and regain my custom.

But no matter what, I cannot justify stealing a game when there are legal options available which benefit everyone.

 

[Qitz]

You're not going to hear anyone say "Oh yeah, I pirate the shit out of games all the time." simply because The Escapist tends to ban people for that (God forbid we have an actual discussion about Game Piracy without ban hammers being wrought.)

Every game I've got I've gotten legally. Why? Because Video Games are a Luxury not a right. I don't have the right to play Mass Effect 3, if I want it, I have to pay for it.

Not that any of this matters, most people who pirate tend to do mental gymnastics to justify why they did and why it's 100% legal and justified.

I do wish more companies would come out with game demos though.

 

[DoPo]

The poll is heavily skewed towards justifying piracy.. not cool.

No, it's not. Well, the "skewed" part, I mean, not the "cool" one.

It's a simple calculation. You have two ways to achieve the same thing - one of them involves you spending money, the other doesn't. Also, there isn't a greater amount of effort in either of them. The question is why would you choose to spend money?

That is not "justifying", it is really a good question to ask yourself "why am I doing that?"

However, given the problem of announcing "I pirate games", I don't see any good discussion forming. And just the better, I suppose. The people who justify piracy, seem to be largely composed of morons, with a some idiots and dimwits thrown in. I haven't seen one "justification", And I'm talking about the highest quality ones, which couldn't cause facepalm related injuries. There are others that could break monitors computers and walls with their sheer stupidity (which would power your fists and feet).

I suppose smart people don't do it.

 

[redisforever]

I do pirate. In a way. I really only pirate games I own somewhere, like Red Alert 2, because I use a netbook now with no CD drive. I own the game, but I can only play it by pirating it. Another reason is the game not being available legally anymore. The Last Express is one of those. I had pirated it, but when it was put up online at DotEmu, I paid my money immediately, especially because it came with the soundtrack. Basically, if there is a reason for me to buy a game, I will. A reason being something that I can't get from pirating. Online, updates, bonuses, support, and so on. Usually, Steam helps, because it is so efficient, and easy. Much easier than pirating, and I also like the feeling of supporting devs. Another reason is it is no longer beneficial to pirate for me. On Steam, I can re-download whenever I need, and keep my saves online. Much easier when my computer dies, which happens a lot.

 

[Sansha]

Every instance, including downloads and physical copies.

Why? Because I shouldn't own something or get to get the service of something I'm not willing to fucking pay for.
Games especially are a luxury, not a right. There's no excuse for pirating games, there really really isn't.

'i wouldnt have paid for it anyway' and 'its not stealing because they havent lost anything' and bullshit like that don't make sense. Ludicrous justification made by people who don't even have the balls to admit to themselves that they're stealing.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Being poor isn't a good excuse to pirate. As many have said before: nobody needs entertainment products. Hell, there's still a moral grey area when it comes to porting games that weren't released in your home region. It seems like certain companies would rather punish paying customers with online passes and, draconian DRM but it's just as wrong for we the consumer to outright steal shit.

I'm one of the three people that prefer a physical copy of a game.

Also this. I guess that makes me number 4 unless someone on the next page already claimed that number. I pay for my physical games and, have something to show for it.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I don't like to purchase and download games online, let alone pirate them. If a physical copy of a game that I want exists, then I will go after that copy (because I'm a physical copy owner kind of guy).

I'm not at all against downloading purchased games and I have from time to time, purchased digital copies of games.

 

[Piorn]

I like to be payed for my work, and I assume other people do, too.
Also, usually the trouble that comes with piracy outweighs the trouble of legally buying it, at least if you're not EA.
As for the poll, I take all answers.

 

[Android2137]

Other due to there being no "more than one reason" option. Support favorites, indies, cheap deals on Steam and moral reasons. I'll only use emulators for games so old it's nearly impossible to obtain and play a working copy otherwise.