Make games cheaper, won't get rid of the problem entirely but it will cut down the amount of people downloading pirated games by a huge percentage.
What can Developers & Publishers do to combat Piracy?
- Thread starter D0WNT0WN
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I know! It would be intrusive, but it might work if the developers are honest.
Imput a complex code into the game that nobody would notice, that transmits to a certified team of people who can determine of the copy of the game was paid for. If not, they can upload a virus to the pirates computer that deletes all of their files and fills up their ENTIRE HARD DRIVE with pictures of Bill Cosby.
Imput a complex code into the game that nobody would notice, that transmits to a certified team of people who can determine of the copy of the game was paid for. If not, they can upload a virus to the pirates computer that deletes all of their files and fills up their ENTIRE HARD DRIVE with pictures of Bill Cosby.
Best way I can think of to combat pirates is to release a bunch of the games free online over major pirating sites. Then load the games full of trojans and viruses, enough to disable the person's computer and then some. Seriously, put the viruses directly in the code of the game so it literally comes with the package. And, if the pirates manage to disable the viruses, you have the game be unplayable at some point. If you have enough bunk copies of the game out, especially released to the pirate sites a day or two before the official game is out there, it will really rattle some pirate cages.
Yeah, except it hasn't stopped anyone before.Quaidis said:
Intrusive, and of course, illegal.Dfskelleton said:
Verification would be a real bear anyway.
You wouldn't like their answers. If they said they pirate to demo a game, they are assholes. If they said they pirate to protest the DRM and they only wanted to up the download count and didn't even install it, they are assholes.Coldster said:
This is an industry that wants to sell buggy products with no return policy and many times, without a demo. What recourse do you think consumers should have?
People are looking at this from the wrong angle. Its obvious that:
1) DRM doesn't stop piracy.
2) Selling games for 1 cent doesn't stop piracy.
3) Making a good game doesn't stop piracy.
The logical step is to do the exact opposite of it, namely:
Remove DRM, give it out for free, and make it as crappy as possible. After all, you don't hear Zynga complaining about piracy, do you?
Just gotta get that out of my system. I'll stop trolling now.
The real reason which makes piracy so rampant is:
1) The law (and the law enforcers) is practically useless and their effort is pretty much negligible in the face of it, so people do not fear the repercussions.
2) It is so damn easy to do and anyone with a computer and an internet connection can do it. Did I mention how convenient it is to get something for free without leaving your house?
Only the government can solve (1), so we'll leave that bit to them. But for (2), there is a solution to it. Make the game files so large that it'll take them days and weeks (and months, hopefully years) to finish their download that its just not worth downloading in the first place. Ideally the total file size should be so large that your hard drive couldn't possibly store the entire file on the computer/laptop.
The right way to fight it is to make piracy extremely inconvenient to the pirateers. Imagine if the pirate's connection runs at 16kb/sec and the game file is 2 Terrabytes. It'll turn the pirates away from a life of crime.
1) DRM doesn't stop piracy.
2) Selling games for 1 cent doesn't stop piracy.
3) Making a good game doesn't stop piracy.
The logical step is to do the exact opposite of it, namely:
Remove DRM, give it out for free, and make it as crappy as possible. After all, you don't hear Zynga complaining about piracy, do you?
Just gotta get that out of my system. I'll stop trolling now.
The real reason which makes piracy so rampant is:
1) The law (and the law enforcers) is practically useless and their effort is pretty much negligible in the face of it, so people do not fear the repercussions.
2) It is so damn easy to do and anyone with a computer and an internet connection can do it. Did I mention how convenient it is to get something for free without leaving your house?
Only the government can solve (1), so we'll leave that bit to them. But for (2), there is a solution to it. Make the game files so large that it'll take them days and weeks (and months, hopefully years) to finish their download that its just not worth downloading in the first place. Ideally the total file size should be so large that your hard drive couldn't possibly store the entire file on the computer/laptop.
The right way to fight it is to make piracy extremely inconvenient to the pirateers. Imagine if the pirate's connection runs at 16kb/sec and the game file is 2 Terrabytes. It'll turn the pirates away from a life of crime.
Also, make people excited for the game itself.Vault101 said:
It's a novel approach, but I think they might find it to work.
Games will still be pirated, but with the sales Skyrim and MW3 are doing, who freakin' cares?
I am very amused you think this is a viable model. How exactly will they sell it to the consumer, then? Even BDs cap at 50 gigs and people pirate them, and if they want to sell their product digitally (and they do), they need it to be a viable size.WaruTaru said:
This. Back in the 80's, computer game companies did everything they could to try to limit piracy. This ranged from code wheels to unreadable books of numbers; one company even had a physical device you had to plug into your computer. None of it worked and all it did wasCrono1973 said:
a. Drive up the cost of the product
b. Make life more difficult for the legal purchaser
The solution is to not bother. Accept that piracy will happen that regardless of price or anything else, pirates will crack it and steal it in no time flat. It's life in the modern age and nothing can be done to fix it.
So just don't bother. The people who are going to buy it legally will, the people who are going to steal it are going to no matter what and they might as well quit throwing money and resources at a problem that is insoluble and only hassles the legal purchasers anyhow.
Lyle
Charge less money.
For quite a few people $60 is unreasonable risk for a game that they might not enjoy.
I have a friend who only ever pays for indie titles because $10-15 is a much more reasonable risk for him.
Now I'm not saying all games should only cost $10-15, because then companies wouldn't be able to make a profit on AAA games, but would something like $40 be too unreasonably low?
Sure it wouldn't get rid of the cheap/just don't give a shit pirates (but then nothing short of tracking them down and taking their computer away is likely to stop them), but the ones who actually care about the industry but just can't afford to buy new games would be much more likely to make the jump to respectable consumerism.
For quite a few people $60 is unreasonable risk for a game that they might not enjoy.
I have a friend who only ever pays for indie titles because $10-15 is a much more reasonable risk for him.
Now I'm not saying all games should only cost $10-15, because then companies wouldn't be able to make a profit on AAA games, but would something like $40 be too unreasonably low?
Sure it wouldn't get rid of the cheap/just don't give a shit pirates (but then nothing short of tracking them down and taking their computer away is likely to stop them), but the ones who actually care about the industry but just can't afford to buy new games would be much more likely to make the jump to respectable consumerism.
It's a funny game we play. It costs nothing to copy something which publishers believe has a value of $60 and yet we accept it and pay what they ask. If I offered to sell you a tomato for $1 and you could easily walk a few feet and get your own for free, would you pay me $1?Don Reba said:
Publishers: Hire pirates themselves, because clearly they're better and more creative programmers than anyone on their staff.
Developers: Be glad that people are playing their games at all, because they shouldn't be doing it for the money but for the art and/or making people happy.
In all seriousness though, there's nothing anyone can do, at all, ever. Remember the Humble Bundles? You could literally buy them for a penny, and that penny didn't even have to go to the developers but to CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR CHILDREN, and people still pirated them. With that kind of motivation you can't possibly win.
Developers: Be glad that people are playing their games at all, because they shouldn't be doing it for the money but for the art and/or making people happy.
In all seriousness though, there's nothing anyone can do, at all, ever. Remember the Humble Bundles? You could literally buy them for a penny, and that penny didn't even have to go to the developers but to CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR CHILDREN, and people still pirated them. With that kind of motivation you can't possibly win.
There is 1 solution to lower piracy to it's minimum (you simply can't win against "free").
Unfortunatly, the gaming industry works hard to stomp this idea into the ground, cower it up with dirt, stones and dust.
It's rather simple. Make good games, sell them at a reasonable price.
Trust me, if a game is worth it's money, people WILL buy it if the CAN. If they can't buy it, they will pirate it. And since they can't buy it, unless you don't plan on giving it to them for free, then you can't stop piracy.
There is simply no DRM that will prevent pirating. And as the trend goes, pirates have it easier to play games than those who bought it.
Unfortunatly, the gaming industry works hard to stomp this idea into the ground, cower it up with dirt, stones and dust.
It's rather simple. Make good games, sell them at a reasonable price.
Trust me, if a game is worth it's money, people WILL buy it if the CAN. If they can't buy it, they will pirate it. And since they can't buy it, unless you don't plan on giving it to them for free, then you can't stop piracy.
There is simply no DRM that will prevent pirating. And as the trend goes, pirates have it easier to play games than those who bought it.
Agreed, but these days I suspect companies don't use DRM to stop pirates, they use it to stop fair use. They don't want you sharing a game with another family member or a friend and they don't want you to be able to resell it.lylemcd said:
For example, if you want to let your son install Diablo II on his computer, it's no problem and that's fair use. Can't do that with Diablo III though.
This. So long as there are games and people on the internet that have technical skills, there will be pirated games. No matter what you do, it happens. Even the humble indie bundle who's profit went to charity and let you choose the price you pay and offered no DRM as a show of good faith, was pirated. Therefore nothing you do can appease people who want to just take it or to pirate it. The only way to stop it is not make games. Thus our question becomes what's the best way to balance protection measures to minimize piracy or to maximize profit (depending on your goals). Nobody knows the answer to that yet.Marter said:
I'm sorry. I fucking hate this argument. Here in Canada games were 69.99 in the NES days. Now they are 59.99. They are cheaper. They cost much more to develop. The cost of games has not gone up even though inflation and the cost of development should have driven it up quite a bit and to suggest that they cost too much is a load of shit.FEichinger said:
Personally I think they should stop trying. They spend a lot of money on things that they cannot stop. If media is created, then it can be duplicated. I'm not saying make it easy, but every idea they have come up with just makes it difficult for the legitimate customer to access the games they've paid for. By doing so, the companies are driving people towards illegal methods because it is not only cheaper, but it's convenient.
Oh look, a 500gb disc. [http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/storage/ge-unveils-500gb-disc-that-can-hold-20-blu-rays-982843] Here's the 1tb version. [http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20101012234029_TDK_Demonstrates_1TB_Blu_Ray_Disc.html]Zachary Amaranth said:
Of course, they don't have to do it. If they feel securing digital sales is more important than stopping piracy, who am I to say they are wrong to do so. Then again, their claim of "piracy is evil" is watered down a lot since they silently acquiesced to said act, choosing profits over piracy prevention.