Stolen Pixels #114: So You Want to be an Indie Developer?

[Mullahgrrl]

But they deserve it, I doubt people would go out of their way so much to pirate bwoop!

I....ho....What? A company makes a game, so it deserves to be ripped off and stolen? Call me an idiot, but I can't bridge the logic here.

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

 

[Birras]

I thought the game was gonna be Edgy Edgerton.... Did you get scared of Mr. Langdell?

Of course not, Travis is just busy getting the pre-alpha ready for Edgy Edgerton on the Edge of Edgyness 2:Edge-lectric Bwoop-aloo.

 

[nikomas1]

But they deserve it, I doubt people would go out of their way so much to pirate bwoop!

I....ho....What? A company makes a game, so it deserves to be ripped off and stolen? Call me an idiot, but I can't bridge the logic here.

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

I played it, and what the hell do you thing is wrong with it, No offense, but I think thats a damned good game, and you cant be mad they released a couple of units as DLC, I mean, you don't have to buy it.

 

[Mullahgrrl]

But they deserve it, I doubt people would go out of their way so much to pirate bwoop!

I....ho....What? A company makes a game, so it deserves to be ripped off and stolen? Call me an idiot, but I can't bridge the logic here.

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

I played it, and what the hell do you thing is wrong with it, No offense, but I think thats a damned good game, and you cant be mad they released a couple of units as DLC, I mean, you don't have to buy it.

Its the principle of the thing, if I buy a game I want the whole thing. Besides, fans have been making entire conversions and given them for free and now we have to pay for a dosen units? Do you remember the sims?

 

[Mistwraithe]

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

I played it, and what the hell do you thing is wrong with it, No offense, but I think thats a damned good game, and you cant be mad they released a couple of units as DLC, I mean, you don't have to buy it.

Empire Total War doesn't deserve to be pirated, very few, if any, games deserve to be pirated.

Having said that Empire Total War was a poorly tested, poorly designed, buggy mess on release and is still pretty poor now.

- Random crashes to desktop.

- Random corruption while playing which isn't apparent but silently corrupts all saves you make (so when you come to play next you realise you lost most of your last gaming session, whether that be 2 hours or 8 hours).

- Completely broken diplomacy - making peace is near impossible, between you and the computers and even between the computers. Try offering half your empire to an enemy you are completely owning and they still say no. By the end of the game everyone is at war with virtually everyone else.

- Naval battles that were near impossible to control if you had more than 3 or 4 ships.

The game has huge potential but someone high up dropped the ball on releasing it in that state (or they just got greedy).

 

[nikomas1]

-

I remember a lot of console shooters to...

-

Yeah, but its total war, with those games, bugs are like features, you kinda expect it, not an excuse thou.

 

[The Extremist]

Anyway a lot of other games (Goo, Braid, Psychonauts, Zeno Clash) that were only released on steam (right?) were heavily pirated as well..

Actually World of Goo and Braid are available on Greenhouse and Impulse as well. I can vouch for the fact that Braid is completely DRM free on Impulse (YES!). I bought a boxed copy of Psychonauts, so it's not Steam-only, though the retail version does have some sort of CD check.

But regardless of your incorrect examples your point is true. Steam's DRM scheme has been cracked over and over (Dawn of War 2, F.E.A.R. 2). On top of that it's incredibly invasive.

 

[headshotcatcher]

Anyway a lot of other games (Goo, Braid, Psychonauts, Zeno Clash) that were only released on steam (right?) were heavily pirated as well..

Actually World of Goo and Braid are available on Greenhouse and Impulse as well. I can vouch for the fact that Braid is completely DRM free on Impulse (YES!). I bought a boxed copy of Psychonauts, so it's not Steam-only, though the retail version does have some sort of CD check.

But regardless of your incorrect examples your point is true. Steam's DRM scheme has been cracked over and over (Dawn of War 2, F.E.A.R. 2). On top of that it's incredibly invasive.

I like how you disregarded Zeno Clash and then called my examples incorrect.. *Not entirely bitter but not jolly either*

 

[Abedeus]

Anyway a lot of other games (Goo, Braid, Psychonauts, Zeno Clash) that were only released on steam (right?) were heavily pirated as well..

Actually World of Goo and Braid are available on Greenhouse and Impulse as well. I can vouch for the fact that Braid is completely DRM free on Impulse (YES!). I bought a boxed copy of Psychonauts, so it's not Steam-only, though the retail version does have some sort of CD check.

But regardless of your incorrect examples your point is true. Steam's DRM scheme has been cracked over and over (Dawn of War 2, F.E.A.R. 2). On top of that it's incredibly invasive.

I like how you disregarded Zeno Clash and then called my examples incorrect.. *Not entirely bitter but not jolly either*

Fine, Zeno Clash is the only game from your list on Steam.

I've seen a box of World of Goo, Braid and Psychonauts. In fact, Psychonauts was out before Steam was created.

 

[headshotcatcher]

Anyway a lot of other games (Goo, Braid, Psychonauts, Zeno Clash) that were only released on steam (right?) were heavily pirated as well..

Actually World of Goo and Braid are available on Greenhouse and Impulse as well. I can vouch for the fact that Braid is completely DRM free on Impulse (YES!). I bought a boxed copy of Psychonauts, so it's not Steam-only, though the retail version does have some sort of CD check.

But regardless of your incorrect examples your point is true. Steam's DRM scheme has been cracked over and over (Dawn of War 2, F.E.A.R. 2). On top of that it's incredibly invasive.

I like how you disregarded Zeno Clash and then called my examples incorrect.. *Not entirely bitter but not jolly either*

Fine, Zeno Clash is the only game from your list on Steam.

I've seen a box of World of Goo, Braid and Psychonauts. In fact, Psychonauts was out before Steam was created.

Hehe sorry

 

[XSA37]

Oh so true.... Oh so true.

 

[Birras]

But they deserve it, I doubt people would go out of their way so much to pirate bwoop!

I....ho....What? A company makes a game, so it deserves to be ripped off and stolen? Call me an idiot, but I can't bridge the logic here.

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

I'm sorry, I'm no PhD in Economics, but I was under the impression that the way a capitalist system works was to exchange currency for goods and/or services. I fail to see how this remains a capitalist system if you eliminate the 'currency' aspect. In fact, in most, if not all, capitalist societies, the taking of goods and/or services without providing an agreed amount of currency is considered 'theft', and is frowned upon in most societies. Which isn't to say things like DRM and SecuRom aren't dick moves, but perhaps not playing the games at all as a mass protest would convicnce the companies to tone it down a bit in an effort to win back the pissed off public. Think about it like this. Say you're a pirate circa 1660 in the area of what is today the Carribean. Pirate hunters have grown in numbers in your favorite plundering areas. Do you A.Get an honest job so you can get riches you would normally get, but you will still be dogged by pirate hunters just in case? B.Lay low for a while, not getting any plunder for a while in an attempt to dissuade the pirate hunters? C.Keep pirating the same area, hoping the pirate hunters will magically go away somehow? or D.Go plunder a ship full of artisans and painters that has no way of defending itself, steal masterpieces of art in an attempt to seem 'edgy'?

 

[Mullahgrrl]

But they deserve it, I doubt people would go out of their way so much to pirate bwoop!

I....ho....What? A company makes a game, so it deserves to be ripped off and stolen? Call me an idiot, but I can't bridge the logic here.

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

I'm sorry, I'm no PhD in Economics, but I was under the impression that the way a capitalist system works was to exchange currency for goods and/or services. I fail to see how this remains a capitalist system if you eliminate the 'currency' aspect. In fact, in most, if not all, capitalist societies, the taking of goods and/or services without providing an agreed amount of currency is considered 'theft', and is frowned upon in most societies. Which isn't to say things like DRM and SecuRom aren't dick moves, but perhaps not playing the games at all as a mass protest would convicnce the companies to tone it down a bit in an effort to win back the pissed off public. Think about it like this. Say you're a pirate circa 1660 in the area of what is today the Carribean. Pirate hunters have grown in numbers in your favorite plundering areas. Do you A.Get an honest job so you can get riches you would normally get, but you will still be dogged by pirate hunters just in case? B.Lay low for a while, not getting any plunder for a while in an attempt to dissuade the pirate hunters? C.Keep pirating the same area, hoping the pirate hunters will magically go away somehow? or D.Go plunder a ship full of artisans and painters that has no way of defending itself, steal masterpieces of art in an attempt to seem 'edgy'?

Capitalism sucks and there is no intrinsic value in not eliminating any currency system.
and to compare the situation with 17th century piracy is ludicrous.

Sure it is frowned upon not to pay for stuff in many societies but most societys are appalingly unegelitarian. And mostly not because of actual shortages but of artificial shortages, created on purpouse. there hasn't been a starvation the last 100 years that couldnt have been avoided if it werent for money.

 

[samsonguy920]

But they deserve it, I doubt people would go out of their way so much to pirate bwoop!

I....ho....What? A company makes a game, so it deserves to be ripped off and stolen? Call me an idiot, but I can't bridge the logic here.

Clearly you haven't played Empire:total war.

They are playing the EA game of ripping off their fans.

I'm sorry, I'm no PhD in Economics, but I was under the impression that the way a capitalist system works was to exchange currency for goods and/or services. I fail to see how this remains a capitalist system if you eliminate the 'currency' aspect. In fact, in most, if not all, capitalist societies, the taking of goods and/or services without providing an agreed amount of currency is considered 'theft', and is frowned upon in most societies. Which isn't to say things like DRM and SecuRom aren't dick moves, but perhaps not playing the games at all as a mass protest would convicnce the companies to tone it down a bit in an effort to win back the pissed off public. Think about it like this. Say you're a pirate circa 1660 in the area of what is today the Carribean. Pirate hunters have grown in numbers in your favorite plundering areas. Do you A.Get an honest job so you can get riches you would normally get, but you will still be dogged by pirate hunters just in case? B.Lay low for a while, not getting any plunder for a while in an attempt to dissuade the pirate hunters? C.Keep pirating the same area, hoping the pirate hunters will magically go away somehow? or D.Go plunder a ship full of artisans and painters that has no way of defending itself, steal masterpieces of art in an attempt to seem 'edgy'?

Capitalism sucks and there is no intrinsic value in not eliminating any currency system.
and to compare the situation with 17th century piracy is ludicrous.

Sure it is frowned upon not to pay for stuff in many societies but most societys are appalingly unegelitarian. And mostly not because of actual shortages but of artificial shortages, created on purpouse. there hasn't been a starvation the last 100 years that couldnt have been avoided if it werent for money.

...and Bwoop fades into obscurity behind the raging debate....

 

[Shamus Young]

Capitalism sucks and there is no intrinsic value in not eliminating any currency system. and to compare the situation with 17th century piracy is ludicrous.

Sure it is frowned upon not to pay for stuff in many societies but most societys are appalingly unegelitarian. And mostly not because of actual shortages but of artificial shortages, created on purpouse. there hasn't been a starvation the last 100 years that couldnt have been avoided if it werent for money.

You mean starvation like, say, Stalin's purge?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Purge

6-11 million starved. Or how about Mao's Great Leap Forward:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward

"tens of millions" starved. Nobody even knows how many for sure.

Or maybe you're talking about the millions that perished in African famines over the last few decades?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine#Famine_in_Africa

...in third-world countries where they live under a dictatorship, tribalism, or they haven't even established a system of currency yet?

So what are we up to now? twenty five million? Thirty million dead? None of those people lived under capitalism. In fact, in many cases those people were sent relief from those evil greedy capitalists who typically have too much too eat and have to go on diets.

Or maybe we can go back to talking about videogames instead of you thinking up new ways to "fix" life for the rest of us? That would be cool with me. I actually play videogames to get away from this stuff.

 

[Darth Trethon]

No hard feelings Shamus but Travis makes strips that are a lot funnier than your strips. This was really epic.

 

[supahhbad200]

this guy couldn't be any more right i mean i see so much random indie games on xbox live and i know nobody who plays them or even bother downloading the trial game of it.

 

[Kollega]

Unfortunately,it's all sad truth. Innovative indie games get mass-pirated on PC because most torrent users are greedy jerks without any shame,on Xbox they get overlooked because it's pseudo-masculinity festival,and Iphone/Wii/DS are all too crowded with such games.

You mean starvation like, say, Stalin's purge?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Purge

6-11 million starved. Or how about Mao's Great Leap Forward:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward

"tens of millions" starved. Nobody even knows how many for sure.

Or maybe you're talking about the millions that perished in African famines over the last few decades?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine#Famine_in_Africa

...in third-world countries where they live under a dictatorship, tribalism, or they haven't even established a system of currency yet?

So what are we up to now? twenty five million? Thirty million dead? None of those people lived under capitalism. In fact, in many cases those people were sent relief from those evil greedy capitalists who typically have too much too eat and have to go on diets.

Or maybe we can go back to talking about videogames instead of you thinking up new ways to "fix" life for the rest of us? That would be cool with me. I actually play videogames to get away from this stuff.

Thank you for bringing this all up. So very much. Now he'll know what's what.

 

[Mullahgrrl]

I actually play videogames to get away from this stuff.

That is what they want you to think!