Sims 3 Pirated 180,000 Times

[Logan Westbrook]

Sims 3 Pirated 180,000 Times

The Sims 3 has made a big splash on torrent sites, with nearly 200,000 downloads in a very short space of time.

If popularity was based solely on how much a game was pirated, The Sims 3 is a certified, chart-topping hit. It was downloaded 180,000 times between May 18th - 21st, an average of 45,000 downloads a day, says BigChampagne, a company that monitors file-sharing.

If the numbers are accurate, it means that the The Sims 3 has overtaken Spore as the fastest downloaded in recent history, although Spore's high piracy rate was, at least in part, to EA's draconian SecuROM DRM software, something that The Sims 3 lacks.

But according to EA, there's still plenty of incentive for people who downloaded it to pick up a legitimate copy, "The pirated version is a buggy, pre-final build of the game," said EA's Director of Corporate Communications Holly Rockwood. "It's not the full game. Half the world - an entire city - is missing from the pirated copy."

The Sims 3 is released on June 2nd in North America, June 4th in Australia and June 5th in Europe.

Source: 1up [http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174436]


Permalink

 

[Lord George]

Well I guess this is a good indicator that it will sell well. If so many tech savy people people will go and download it then just think of the amount of causal gamers and honest gamers who will go out in droves to buy it.

 

[scotth266]

...Why are people pirating a buggy, unfinished copy? It doesn't make sense: even the "I want to try it out before I buy it" argument is pointless in that situation.

It doesn't really matter though. Once the game comes out, a cracked version will be up in minutes. THAT version is the one whose piracy numbers I'd like to see.

 

[Taawus]

...Why are people pirating a buggy, unfinished copy? It doesn't make sense: even the "I want to try it out before I buy it" argument is pointless in that situation.

Would you pirate a halfdone copy of Duke Nukem Forever or pirate it later when its ''fully done'' ? Yeah, thats what I thought.

 

[unacomn]

Let me think, half the world missing, buggy copy, this sounds a lot like the speech Ubisoft made about Assassin's Creed(which apart from the Jerusalem bit was the finished game), and what Fox said about the new Wolverine Movie.

 

[TheBlobThing]

Let me think, half the world missing, buggy copy, this sounds a lot like the speech Ubisoft made about Assassin's Creed(which apart from the Jerusalem bit was the finished game), and what Fox said about the new Wolverine Movie.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

Well I guess this is a good indicator that it will sell well. If so many tech savy people people will go and download it then just think of the amount of causal gamers and honest gamers who will go out in droves to buy it.

Indeed so, though I hate the game. My friend should be flocking out to buy it...

 

[mikecoulter]

I think that they released it. It's such a good hype builder. I downloaded it, because I don't think pirates should get things before legitimate customers.

 

[scotth266]

...Why are people pirating a buggy, unfinished copy? It doesn't make sense: even the "I want to try it out before I buy it" argument is pointless in that situation.

Would you pirate a halfdone copy of Duke Nukem Forever or pirate it later when its ''fully done'' ? Yeah, thats what I thought.

Actually, I'd wait until the full game came out if I were gonna pirate it. Which I wouldn't, being anti-piracy and all. After all, if I were willing to wait all this time for just HALF the game, might as well stick in for the long haul, right?

 

[Skrapt]

Let me think, half the world missing, buggy copy, this sounds a lot like the speech Ubisoft made about Assassin's Creed(which apart from the Jerusalem bit was the finished game), and what Fox said about the new Wolverine Movie.

And both Assasins Creed and the Wolverine movie made a lot of money when released. It seems that pre-released half done products (well the wolverine movie was basically finished and still crap) can actually increase revenue due to the increased publicity they get rather then be detrimental.

 

[scarbunny]

...Why are people pirating a buggy, unfinished copy? It doesn't make sense: even the "I want to try it out before I buy it" argument is pointless in that situation.

It doesn't really matter though. Once the game comes out, a cracked version will be up in minutes. THAT version is the one whose piracy numbers I'd like to see.

It makes quite a good demo version for the people who want to try it and have been waiting for months for them to realse a game that was already finished.

I wouldnt be suprised if this was leaked intentionaly as a way a sort of demo, you can play it properly but you dont get the full city, and it will crash and bug out alot. Although this is pure speculation as I am far too honest to have downloaded it, not even for my girlfriend.

However I would argue that 180,000 is a bit on the low side, especially if they only took torrents into account. What about all the people who downloaded from file hosting sites like Rapidshare?

 

[Sixties Spidey]

I confess. I might have downloaded that game too. I'm sorry. BUUUUT.... I am going to pay for a real copy once it's released. I'm surprised how good it is.

 

[Taawus]

...Why are people pirating a buggy, unfinished copy? It doesn't make sense: even the "I want to try it out before I buy it" argument is pointless in that situation.

Would you pirate a halfdone copy of Duke Nukem Forever or pirate it later when its ''fully done'' ? Yeah, thats what I thought.

Actually, I'd wait until the full game came out if I were gonna pirate it. Which I wouldn't, being anti-piracy and all. After all, if I were willing to wait all this time for just HALF the game, might as well stick in for the long haul, right?

I'm just impatient i guess.

 

[scarbunny]

I have actually just preordered this on the strength of the "unfinshed" version and the fact it is only half the game. If that turns out to be a big steaming pile of horse shit like I expect then I will be ripping off every expansion pack and EA will never see another of my shiny pounds.

 

[scotth266]

Snip?

The "this was leaked as a unofficial demo on purpose" thing doesn't make any sense either: they could just make a REAL demo then.

Granted, if there weren't any plans for a demo at all, this might be some dev memeber's attempt to release one... but I doubt that there wouldn't be a demo.

EDIT: Also, there's probably a better way to go about it: one that wouldn't carry the risk of being tracked down, prosecuted, and fired.

 

[rawlsku]

How is it a pre-released buggy version if the game has been ripped off a CD from a store that started selling the game early? Steaming pile of bull if you ask me. And why have they released a patch for a game that hasn't been released yet? :S

 

[DamienHell]

How many who downloaded it have pre-orders on it though. I know a few people so obsessed with the sims that they would take any opportunity to play it earlier.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Wait so there's only half a game and about a week til release?

Talk about releasing unfinished games...

 

[seule]

They can release a patch for it, because they send a version of the game off to be printed to CD, boxed up, sent out to stores etc, and that takes time.

Between the date when they send a game off to be physically packaged and sent out, until release date, they still work on the game, find bugs etc, so that when the game is fully released, they can already have a patch ready for the inevitable bugs that they already know are there.

 

[oliveira8]

Wait so there's only half a game and about a week til release?

Talk about releasing unfinished games...

Corporate talk to make people not download the game.

In the end the big difference will be bugs and some chair models.