THQ Impressed by 3DS Anti-Piracy Tech

[Mr. Grey]

I don't think there really is a justification with piracy, but I know there are points that actually convince me it isn't that bad.

My favorite is that there are people downloading the game and then purchasing it if they like it or deleting it if they don't, its like a Code of Honor for some pirates. In fact I've seen pirates actually tell people to go out and purchase a copy of the game if they like it to support the company.

I haven't seen it all that often though, I never - and I mean never - illegally download anything. I'm even hesitant to download a game when I've already paid for it elsewhere, but that's more concerning the paranoia of viruses then my sense of morality. I just remembered having a conversation regarding this with someone on a different forum once and he linked me the download to prove it. Hell, an old online buddy of mine asked once what I thought of a game I owned and asked if he should go out and purchase it. When I couldn't give him a clear answer of praise he told me that he'd just go pirate it and if he liked it he would go out and purchase it to support the company.

In those cases, I can't honestly say what I think of piracy. In one case they don't want to support a game they found out they hate and I can relate to that. Then there are the people who just download because they don't give a damn.

Fuck it, from now on I will answer all anti-piracy questions with something I found on the forum a little while ago:

"How about this justification:

Libraries are places that host other people's intellectual property that you can view for free while the creator makes no money off of it, whether you enjoy it or not.

Torrent sites are places that host other people's intellectual property that you can view for free while the creator makes no money off of it, whether you enjoy it or not.

There are only three real differences; amount of content, ease of access, social acceptance."

Not really considering the fact that libraries ask publishing companies for permission to be given free copies of the books or pay for the books themselves. Then there are the people who donate books and money to libraries to keep them going and also the fact that public libraries are state funded.

What's the difference between the two is the law of ownership regarding digital media and books -- or physical counterparts. E-books are getting the same problem recently, since there appears to be - or has been - a bit of controversy with libraries renting them out.

Don't really understand why... then again I prefer the real thing.

 

[Odjin]

Sales didn't drop by 50% because of piracy... they dropped because of the massive amount of shovel-ware hitting the platform. And besides there exists no piracy protection which has not been broken. The one of the 3DS is just a matter of time. Unless you can prevent a blue-pill you can't prevent piracy... and the 3DS can for sure not prevent a blue-pill... nothing can unless your hardware is locked in a safe and unaccessible to anybody.

 

[Outamyhead]

I reckon the first hacked game will be out within the month of release, and there piracy figures are skewed, who's to say that the sales didn't drop because of piracy, but people moved onto a bigger and better platform, like an X-Box, or PS3?

 

[ark123]

I like how it's always "Piracy is killing us! ITS KILLING UUUUSSSSS!" instead of reality, which is "Right now we have a ridiculous amount of money pouring in, but it could be a money tsunami, and we feel that being billionaires just isn't enough"

This amuses me. Your argument is, in a nutshell "Nintendo is already making bucketloads of money, so why should they care about a potential loss of revenue". If I ever get accused of shoplifting from a major retail chain, I hope to have you on my jury since you seem to freely disregard the notion of expecting payment in return for a service.

Btw, what are the easiest platforms to pirate games for? The Wii, the PS2 and the PC. Yeah, those are all huge commercial failures.

Hardware sales mean little without the software, and piracy certainly drives developers away from platforms. Why would anyone actually expend any effort or resources to make a game for the PSP in this day and age for example? Companies have already thrown about stern language with regard to the piracy issues on a number of platforms, and on at least one, routinely implement the geek equivalent of a goon squad.

1) Please don't "nutshell" my argument if you're too stupid to understand it. My argument is that they always say piracy is making a console inviable or nuking their profits, instead of saying what piracy actually does, which is cut about 10% of their profits
2) Who's talking about hardware sales? The three I mentioned made shitloads of money for their companies, software and hardware. Unless you think wii/ps2/pc games don't make money? Cause if so, I fear I'd have to make this post again with shorter words.
The reason people don't make psp games is that the console sells badly. In any given console, a ridiculous minority of the people who buy it will understand enough to use torrents to pirate games. If you think over 50% of people pirate anything, you're just out of touch. Most people have trouble viewing .avi files or changing facebook preferences.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I like how it's always "Piracy is killing us! ITS KILLING UUUUSSSSS!" instead of reality, which is "Right now we have a ridiculous amount of money pouring in, but it could be a money tsunami, and we feel that being billionaires just isn't enough"

This amuses me. Your argument is, in a nutshell "Nintendo is already making bucketloads of money, so why should they care about a potential loss of revenue". If I ever get accused of shoplifting from a major retail chain, I hope to have you on my jury since you seem to freely disregard the notion of expecting payment in return for a service.

Btw, what are the easiest platforms to pirate games for? The Wii, the PS2 and the PC. Yeah, those are all huge commercial failures.

Hardware sales mean little without the software, and piracy certainly drives developers away from platforms. Why would anyone actually expend any effort or resources to make a game for the PSP in this day and age for example? Companies have already thrown about stern language with regard to the piracy issues on a number of platforms, and on at least one, routinely implement the geek equivalent of a goon squad.

1) Please don't "nutshell" my argument if you're too stupid to understand it. My argument is that they always say piracy is making a console inviable or nuking their profits, instead of saying what piracy actually does, which is cut about 10% of their profits
2) Who's talking about hardware sales? The three I mentioned made shitloads of money for their companies, software and hardware. Unless you think wii/ps2/pc games don't make money? Cause if so, I fear I'd have to make this post again with shorter words.
The reason people don't make psp games is that the console sells badly. In any given console, a ridiculous minority of the people who buy it will understand enough to use torrents to pirate games. If you think over 50% of people pirate anything, you're just out of touch. Most people have trouble viewing .avi files or changing facebook preferences.

I like how your first point does nothing to detract from my satirical point and indeed only serves to reinforce what I said. To your second, hardware sales are what drive software production. Software production in turn moves more units of hardware. It's a neat little cycle. So, what does this mean? Simply this: if developers (or the publishers funding them) believe that one cannot make an acceptable return when developing for a given platform, they will not. It's not like <a href=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-admits-extent-of-psp-piracy-problem>Sony is unware of the <a href=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CCgQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fplay.tm%2Fwire%2F2450937%2Fpsp-piracy-levels-frankly-sickening-says-dille%2F&ei=TCM8TPjHFsXflgftrsz8BQ&usg=AFQjCNFffs3b9j2W2yae0z8KkYfMsAW4xg>piracy <a href=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CDQQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siliconera.com%2F2010%2F06%2F09%2Fdissidia-final-fantasy-downloaded-illegally-over-5-million-times%2F&ei=TCM8TPjHFsXflgftrsz8BQ&usg=AFQjCNHatB_42uSVGHLY-fUDpq5ZpFoOdw>problem on the <a href=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psp-hacks.com%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Fsony-on-psp-piracy-and-big-big-titles-this-year%2F&ei=TCM8TPjHFsXflgftrsz8BQ&usg=AFQjCNFk4PXAo3lqiqxqpEG-Ir6eIn6MtA>PSP. Nor is <a href = http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siliconera.com%2F2010%2F06%2F09%2Fpokemon-platinum-tops-nintendo-ds-piracy-list%2F&ei=JyQ8TPv6NMWblgfnyZX9BQ&usg=AFQjCNGBn_HrVWYynsYKBatGqOW8IdI3RQ>Nintendo unaware of the <a href=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CCsQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kotaku.com.au%2F2010%2F06%2Fthe-most-pirated-nintendo-ds-games-are%2F&ei=JyQ8TPv6NMWblgfnyZX9BQ&usg=AFQjCNFgSdN8oKS791qIV46bXSfL-HFoOg>problem the DS faces. Nor is the <a href=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CCgQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamasutra.com%2Fview%2Fnews%2F28848%2FCESA_Portable_Piracy_Cost_Game_Industry_415_Billion.php&ei=JyQ8TPv6NMWblgfnyZX9BQ&usg=AFQjCNGBVe6SnFXImbBhDYcxBuDlReOZLQ>development community at large ignorant of the problem.

The problem I have with your post here is, quite frankly, your tone. Yes, Nintendo makes piles of money. Your argument, once the hyperbole is removed, is nothing more than "they make lots of money and complain that they don't make more". The implication made is that you personally don't believe they deserve the potential loss in revenue caused by piracy. It is entirely possible this was not what you intended to say, in which case a correction is in order because this is precisely the message you communicate. You follow up post simply reinforced this assertion and was backed up with speculation on the extent of the piracy problem. I would point out that any attempt to define the actual damage done by piracy is a lost cause beyond simply assuming that it represents a loss in potential revenue and nothing more.

 

[Vhite]

I like Blizzards and Valves anti-piracy.
"Yes you can download our game but dont expect the best parts if you will even run it."