You are killing PC gaming. (Updated)

[Treblaine]

I have NEVER pirated a PC game.

I mean seriously, PC games are SOOO cheap, why would anybody pirate them it makes no sense. I'm seeing a bargain bin of really great quality games, 3 for £10, 2 for £15, and this is games from less than 2 years ago.

Hell even Batman: Arkham Asylum is retailing for as little as £23 which is such a good price considering the console versions struggle along at 720p, 30fps and 2xAA, while any decent gaming PC will play the game at 1080p, 60fps and 4xAA which REALLY matters considering the detail of the game and how the fighting element really needs faster than 30fps (a la God of War).

Hell they could charge Twice as much and you'd still be gettign a better deal than consoles yet I'm seeing B:AA retailing in stores for £44.99, so PC is legitimately getting it for HALF the price. And on PC almost the entire cut goes to the developers (far less licensing) so I have NOTHING BUT CONTEMPT for people who pirate PC games, especially the ones saving up for another £300 graphics card.

Same with DVDs, you can buy most of the good ones NEW for about £3, I'd only ever pirate a really obscure movie that they won't import for a reasonable price or is heavily censored over here (La Blue Girl... oh the shame). Hell, even Blu-ray movies are going for a good price now.

I have pirated TV shows, but only shows that are not broadcast in the UK and I normally buy the Boxset when it FINALLY comes to the UK, usually about the time when I have to free up some hard drive space.

... also music since it's fukkin bullshit that a song with 40 minutes of audio costs £10, when a new DVD costs £3.

We pretty much share the same mindset here. Only I don't have to worry about censoring here since it's forbidden.

Yeah, makes you wonder why dedicated servers aren't encouraged to ban IP addresses that use Pirated games, especially considering how keen they are in combating cheaters and griefers.

I think the best the Developers like IW and ID could do is implement a "tip jar" on the company website which would also act as like a hub for the online game, of course it would not be obviously for just pirates or legitimate owners either, but use a similar model as Radiohead for their album, just whoever "enjoyed their game" can show their appreciation.

Of course 90% will put nothing in, but 10% will probably put something in and for millions of users that amounts to a LOT then there are the super-fans, the ones that play till they unlock the golden-AK47 and they may be just so much in love with the game that they "tip" something like $50 as was the case for World of Goo even if they paid.

Of course, this is just a tip-jar, I think it would be great as everyone knows tips are no substitute for legitimately paying but they are far more personal and homely, going directly to the developers. Though tips in real life don't go directly to the waitress who serve your coffee, they go to the manager first and would go to the Publisher here but like tips in most part of the world, the staff (developers) get a much more representative cut.

That's another sucky thing about the UK, along with the ridiculous censorship is in the UK, it doesn't matter how much you tip the staff, 100% of it goes to the manager and they are only obliged to pay them minimum wage. So you can leave £1000 tip and the poor struggling waitress who you trust with your food still goes home with a £5 an hour wage.

So there is basically no way to stop them spitting in your food apart from being ultra nice, guess that's why us English HAVE to be so nice... also why our service is so terrible too, and the complaining, and socialism + class conflict.

In fact I think you can trace all the foibles of Britain back to our unfair tipping rules and practices.

 

[WickedSkin]

Why aren't console gamers pissed off about no mods, custom maps and such? No dedicated servers? You also have to pay MORE money for 1/4 of the product we usually get. Only because you accept the removal of such grand things doesn't mean we have to. Only because you accept being treated like dogs -or more precisely- a pack of lobotomized monkeys, doesn't mean we have to. Seriously they treat you pretty badly and charge you more for a lot less content.

Mods, custom maps, custom models and such are AMAZING things. It's pretty much been the standard of any PC release. It's the way it should be. Developers are also cutting the games down these days and sell parts as "DLC" and people are stupid enough to support this? Seriously they are all bitches. Whatever happened to "more bang for your buck"?

Todays gamers are really really weak :/ Either that or apathetic.

I agree so much! There's nothing better than those thousands upon thousands of mods for games like oblivion and Neverwinter Nights(well... i am told it's got good mods, i don't actually play it).
And about the "Todays gamers are really really weak :/": indeed, and the next generation will probably be even worse, it starts with Mario on the Wii which can play itself, and what comes later? "Just press this big red button, and in only 30 seconds you'll have the latest version of starcraft 4 right installed on your computer, you won't have to do anything!"
Either that, or they will be so weak that they don't even have the brains to figure out how to download stuff...

Hmm... I feel I missed your point a little, but I still felt like saying that.

It's ok. There is some truth to your statement as well. So I'll allow this

 

[L33tsauce_Marty]

I think it's also that we don't like to suck up to companies who shit on us.

 

[Zenn3k]

I only pirate PC games I would never pay for in the first place, mostly because getting a pirated game to work online is next to impossible.

I don't see how COD4 had 60% pirated online players unless that game had terrible online security.

 

[Caprice0083]

What makes you think I care?
I don't play games on the PC anyway.
Nor do I pirate.
You're the PC gamers, you fix the problem.

It certainly isn't my concern.

I feel you on that one.

If I want a cheaper game, I will wait until someone beats it and trade it in days after its release date (c'mon even the popular games have haters and doesn't satisfy all) and buy it for 5 to 10 bucks off. Pirated games never played right to me anyway, learned that from my Dreamcast days.

 

[Noone From Nowhere]

The only PC games that I own were legally purchased.
Sure, some are from Half-Price Books (Where else could have I found 'The Longest Journey' or 'Noone Lives Forever' in the Houston area?)but those count, though maybe not as much as the games such as the FallOut trilogy or Nocturne that I bought at locations such as Best Buy or Target.
Wait, ARE you suggesting that Half-Price Books is killing PC gaming?!

 

[xxcloud417xx]

I never pirate games.

As for what a player can do to prevent the dying art of PC gaming... not much if the developers are douchebags. Look at IW. There's a huge outcry from PC gamers about the PC version of MW2, but are IW doing anything about it? No!

And here's how much 'effort' IW have put into the PC version;

" Moriarte: Ignoring IW.net, is the PC version a direct port of the console version?

Mackey-IW: No, PC has custom stuff like mouse control, text chat in game, and graphics settings.

This is the amount of work that went into the PC version: you are given the ability to use a mouse, to use text chat, and to adjust graphical settings. Are your fears now put to rest? "

Source - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/11/pc-modern-warfare-2-its-much-worse-than-you-thought.ars

K... first thing I do next time i go to EB games is cancel that pre-order... I'm too broke to buy a ton of games, and I'm not going to waste money on a fucking shitty game made by a company that doesn't cater to it's PC community.

Go fuck yourselves with a million dollar, gold-plated fuckstick Infinity Ward.

(Yeah I'm pretty damn frustrated.)

THIS is why ppl pirate. We're going to have to torrent a pirated and moded version of this game to actually PLAY it.

 

[Otterpoet]

Not sure why anyone would pirate games when most of the time you can find new releases in the bargain bin at Target... Red Faction = $4... I crap you not.

 

[Doctor_Insano]

i buy my games dude, but nice try

 

[TylerC]

The only PC games that I own were legally purchased.
Sure, some are from Half-Price Books (Where else could have I found 'The Longest Journey' or 'Noone Lives Forever' in the Houston area?)but those count, though maybe not as much as the games such as the FallOut trilogy or Nocturne that I bought at locations such as Best Buy or Target.
Wait, ARE you suggesting that Half-Price Books is killing PC gaming?!

I'm assuming Half-Price Books is a used items store? I've never heard of it. If it is, the whole used game thing is another big problem. For old games you can't find new, go right ahead, but things like Borderlands, that money is going straight to the store, not the developer or the game's publisher.

 

[thest3alth]

What makes you think I care?

What makes you think anyone asked to care?

 

[Ironic]

I buy games from developers that are dedicated to them. Hence games smeared with god awful labels like Activision and EA Sports, good as they may be, I gladly pirate.

We want the quality of games to stop stagnating. Cleansing of the gene pool. It's all there is to it.

The only games I have ever "acquired through buccaneering of ye internets" are golden oldie PSX games that I refuse to be charged for if I already own (why should they tell me WHAT I can play my games on, I bought the software, not a USE THIS DISC ON ONE AND ONLY ONE DEVICE agreement) and games im unable to get/play without getting them from the internet with a language patch.

Here's a tip, game companies, MAKE A SYSTEM LIKE STEAM, WHERE IF YOU WANT TO PLAY, YOU PLAY THROUGH STEAM, AND NEED A VALID COPY, DRM IS VERY ANNOYING, AND SO ARE COMPUTER INSTALL LIMITS!!!

 

[WickedSkin]

I have NEVER pirated a PC game.

I mean seriously, PC games are SOOO cheap, why would anybody pirate them it makes no sense. I'm seeing a bargain bin of really great quality games, 3 for £10, 2 for £15, and this is games from less than 2 years ago.

Hell even Batman: Arkham Asylum is retailing for as little as £23 which is such a good price considering the console versions struggle along at 720p, 30fps and 2xAA, while any decent gaming PC will play the game at 1080p, 60fps and 4xAA which REALLY matters considering the detail of the game and how the fighting element really needs faster than 30fps (a la God of War).

Hell they could charge Twice as much and you'd still be gettign a better deal than consoles yet I'm seeing B:AA retailing in stores for £44.99, so PC is legitimately getting it for HALF the price. And on PC almost the entire cut goes to the developers (far less licensing) so I have NOTHING BUT CONTEMPT for people who pirate PC games, especially the ones saving up for another £300 graphics card.

Same with DVDs, you can buy most of the good ones NEW for about £3, I'd only ever pirate a really obscure movie that they won't import for a reasonable price or is heavily censored over here (La Blue Girl... oh the shame). Hell, even Blu-ray movies are going for a good price now.

I have pirated TV shows, but only shows that are not broadcast in the UK and I normally buy the Boxset when it FINALLY comes to the UK, usually about the time when I have to free up some hard drive space.

... also music since it's fukkin bullshit that a song with 40 minutes of audio costs £10, when a new DVD costs £3.

We pretty much share the same mindset here. Only I don't have to worry about censoring here since it's forbidden.

Yeah, makes you wonder why dedicated servers aren't encouraged to ban IP addresses that use Pirated games, especially considering how keen they are in combating cheaters and griefers.

I think the best the Developers like IW and ID could do is implement a "tip jar" on the company website which would also act as like a hub for the online game, of course it would not be obviously for just pirates or legitimate owners either, but use a similar model as Radiohead for their album, just whoever "enjoyed their game" can show their appreciation.

Of course 90% will put nothing in, but 10% will probably put something in and for millions of users that amounts to a LOT then there are the super-fans, the ones that play till they unlock the golden-AK47 and they may be just so much in love with the game that they "tip" something like $50 as was the case for World of Goo even if they paid.

Of course, this is just a tip-jar, I think it would be great as everyone knows tips are no substitute for legitimately paying but they are far more personal and homely, going directly to the developers. Though tips in real life don't go directly to the waitress who serve your coffee, they go to the manager first and would go to the Publisher here but like tips in most part of the world, the staff (developers) get a much more representative cut.

That's another sucky thing about the UK, along with the ridiculous censorship is in the UK, it doesn't matter how much you tip the staff, 100% of it goes to the manager and they are only obliged to pay them minimum wage. So you can leave £1000 tip and the poor struggling waitress who you trust with your food still goes home with a £5 an hour wage.

So there is basically no way to stop them spitting in your food apart from being ultra nice, guess that's why us English HAVE to be so nice... also why our service is so terrible too, and the complaining, and socialism + class conflict.

In fact I think you can trace all the foibles of Britain back to our unfair tipping rules and practices.

The most wonderful thing, when you have your own dedicated server, you can ban pirates to your hearts desire But I don't think you actually meet many pirates online. Pirates usually play SP I figure. If you want to play online on a pirated game there is such a huge hassle. You don't have a good CD-Key, you can only play on cracked servers with other pirates and so on. Most people who plays online probably just goes down to the store and gets the game if it deserve your cash. It's so much simpler.

The real gamers buy their games.

The tip-jar idea is brilliant. They can still release the game for sale, no doubt, the tip-jar would render some profit. Well stated and there is nothing I can add to it. I... I... I like you.

Hmm here in Sweden you always tip the waiter on restaurants. Forced waiter tipping isn't always that great. If your waiter is a complete Adolf Hitler you don't want to tip him but you still have to :/ We suffered from socialism a long while here. At first it was capitalism in the name of Socialism, then the Communist left got more and more influence and it almost went all socialism on us. Until recently when the conservative-liberal-whatever party won the election.

We have one thing to thank the communist-hippies for though. They made sure games are considered art (like movies and music) which means it's forbidden to alter it. You can release:

Fatman: The unveiling of the naked horse-strangler who also enjoys making jokes about the holocaust when he beats children with flaming sticks 2, The Necrophilia Edition

Nothing will be altered. It's brilliant.

 

[The DSM]

But the more expensive it is, the more satisifying it is to steal, stealing a 24 carat gold bar is more satisfying than a stick of chewing gum ( I hate gum bleh)

Then you ARE as dumb as I thought. Thanks for picking developer's pockets wanker, thanks to the likes of You PC gaming is in bad shape.

Ermm... perhaps I think you misread my post, I am not supporting piracy, I dont pirate games only overpriced software, and explain how I am killing it when my post is about theft. If its about my other post I say I dont pirate games, then again I own very few PC games.

 

[Vkmies]

I rarelly pirate anything else than old movies i cant get my hands on dvd and old games that havent made profit to it's publishers in years. I've pirated a few new games. That is 2 peggle-games.

 

[Pegghead]

Did you people not listen to MC Double Def


I'm against piracy, but I just laugh my ass off whenever people who do pirate games and things start to complain to game companies if there was an anti-piracy code, or if their main pirate music source gets shut down, 'cause if they're doing something ILEGAL then they have no right to complain. And besides if they keep pirating software whole industries could go under, and if you buy the game you do get a manual.

 

[teutonicman]

So where did you get you fact that 60% of people play modern warfare with pirated copies?

Fourth paragraph, second sentence.

I wonder how intensive it must've been to calculate the piracy percentage(modern warfare is a really popular game it must've been difficult)? Also what is the classification that they use for piracy? Is it downloading a torrent for the cracked version of the game or does it include borrowing buddy's copy and installing it on your computer?

 

[Gmano]

]snip

I only pirate games I either: A: have no intention of buying. B: already own on another platform. C: that do not offer a demo, i buy the game if it is good.

So this means that the money i would spend has either: already been spent, or will not be spent.