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Other Piracy

Discussion in 'Software' started by Zinfandel, 2 Aug 2010.

  1. Zinfandel

    Zinfandel Modder

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    It continually perplexes me how the general media view and report on technology and more specifically, the internet.

    It seems everything that can be blamed on it, will.

    When I was a young lad, I remember going to a church with my dad on a Sunday afternoon. Not to worship, but to meet up with 50-100 other Amiga users who would spend the afternoon hapilly copying everything they could onto a floppy. And whilst there were a lot of indie game developers back then who'd have been happy to know their stuff was being passed around the majority of it was still from studios.

    Yes I appreciate that the internet has made it easier to pirate material and I'm sure there has been an increase in piracy in terms of numbers shifted, but is that because percentage wise, more people are now pirating than in previous years or is it because there are simply more people using technology.

    All I have to go on is my experience, but back then every person I knew with whatever system they happened to have would attend these kinds of meets where as relatively few of the people I know who own a PC (Basically everyone I know these days) actually pirates material so in terms of the ratio of people who use pirated software to people who use the technology needed to run it... Do you think that has gone up or down?
     
  2. stuartpb

    stuartpb Modder

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    From my experience, piracy is on a massive scale nowadays. I build and repair PC's as part of my day to day business activities, and I frequently see PC's coming into the workshop with some form of pirated materials, from the OS'es and apps, to masses of media files. I even get asked by a lot of clients questions related to piracy (eg. best torrent sites etc.). It's something I refuse to associate myself, or my business with. The action of downloading pirate material these days is so simple that pretty much anyone is capable. I have seen grannies, kids and adults downloading before, and nothing would surprise me anymore. I think it has become socially acceptable to pirate stuff nowadays. I dabbled in my Spectrum and Amiga years myself.

    On a side note, I got a brilliant parcel from Microsoft a year or two ago, regards OS piracy. I'm a Microsoft partner. The parcel was a plain brown box, about 6" square and 2" thick. I wondered what the hell it was when I got it, as I hadn't ordered anything. On opening it, there was a stone, and a piece of paper. On the piece of paper, it said "Software Piracy - Microsoft leaves no stone unturned" It was a mailshot reminding OEM builders not to be tempted into piracy, and I thought it was one of the funniest, and cleverest parcels I have ever received:D
     
  3. bulldogjeff

    bulldogjeff The modding head is firmly back on.

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    No wonder microsoft charge us so much for everything thing if they're to busy wasting money sending rocks all over the world!!:sigh:
     
  4. Guest-2867

    Guest-2867 Guest

    Haha how cheesy. They'll be sending screws next 'Microsoft- don't screw us man'.

    Agree though, it is waaay to easy to thieve now most people have speedy internet connections at home. Even my uncle gets the odd film or two and he struggles to remember that he has to press shift to put the underscore in his email address . . . I kid you not.
     
  5. stuartpb

    stuartpb Modder

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    Seeing as MS are a business, and not a charity, I think they have the right to spend their money however they see fit:D

    It gave me a good chuckle regardless, and certainly brought their point home.
     
  6. Mr Happy

    Mr Happy 4 8 15 16 23 42

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    :thumb:

    Someone send me a rock id be damn dissapointed, there is plenty outside my front door.

    On the piracy side, well i think we all know it will pretty much never stop, and the tools needed are free and only a Google away

    Im not condoning this, far from it, but it is all readily available, and if your not sure how to do it it will propably be on your local car boot sale.

    Where is the deterrent then:eyebrow:
     
  7. Elledan

    Elledan What's a Dremel?

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    It's my view that 'piracy' is still a necessity for small game developers and artists to become better known. And I run a game studio :)
     
  8. bestseany

    bestseany What's a Dremel?

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    What amazes me more, is how people don't see piracy as wrong at all. They see it as almost like a right.
     
  9. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    I used to pirate everything. You know what put me off? The pirates. I was fed up of getting software laden with spyware, viruses and trojans. Now I don't have a single piece of illegal software installed on my PC, and to be honest I've become a bit snobby and superior feeling towards those that do still pirate games.
     
  10. Daedelus

    Daedelus What's a Dremel?

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    My thoughts precisely.
     
  11. Elledan

    Elledan What's a Dremel?

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    I wouldn't say piracy is wrong or right. It's a definitive grey zone. It will help small companies like mine and small artists. Commercial copyright infringement, however, is wrong.
     
  12. stuartpb

    stuartpb Modder

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    It bugs me when people complain about the cost of Microsoft products, there are alternatives out there is MS really rankles you. I think the pricing is on a par with most other software packages out there. It even seems more like value for money when you consider the cost of some Adobe products, where prices easily overshadow the price of a MS OS.
     
  13. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    Agreed, I think around £100 for an OS is amazing value! You use it everytime you use your computer, its VERY well supported for its lifespan, and I think 7 especially, does its job fantastically.

    Also remember this: Bill Gates gives a massive amount of money to charity every year. I can't think of plenty of companies/CEOs that I'd rather my money went to!
     
  14. Bakes

    Bakes What's a Dremel?

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    Adobe products are actually very well priced when you take into account
    a) the amount of money you'll get out of their use (as a professional)
    b) the education pricing (if you're a student)
    c) what you get for your money
     
  15. erratum1

    erratum1 What's a Dremel?

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    Games can cost millions to develop, its not some kid in his bedroom anymore.

    Piracy is a serious issue, how can a studio develop new technologys such as particle effects, weather effects, etc if their not making the money that they need too ?

    If you want games to get better and more realistic you have to invest in them, if everyone just steals them the studios will go bankrupt.

    Piracy is no different to nicking a dvd or an issue of custom pc off the shelves, or dipping into an old womens handbag.
     
  16. adam_bagpuss

    adam_bagpuss Have you tried turning it off/on ?

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    seriously not this again, PIRACY is NOT STEALING. i buy all my games and such so not a massive fan of piracy but its completely different.

    1 download game does not = 1 lost sale i.e. what it would be if you nicked it from the shop.

    its illegal yes and i agree developers should get paid for thier investment.


    1 thing that annoys me more than anything now is a lot of the money goes to the publisher. EA, blizzard make billions of pounds every year and they worry over piracy ? i wonder what percentage the actual developers and creators of the game get ?

    yes i want them to invest in new things but id rather have a good game than the rubbish they churn out most of the time with new WOW MEGA AMAZING EFFECTS and REALISM that costs a fortune to develop and seem to spend about 2p on gameplay and story.

    be interesting to see a break down of a single game development in cheescake form to see who eats the biggest slice
     
  17. Bumfluff101

    Bumfluff101 Minimodder

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    So what makes it illegal if its not theft? One downloaded game does equal one lost sale if you downloaded it instead of buying it.
     
  18. DMU_Matt

    DMU_Matt mmmm cheesy

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    That is not entirely true, because in the case of stealing an item from a shelf in a store actually removes an item that could be sold to a paying customer.

    Electronically, there is no actual loss of physical items and so it doesn't deprive paying customers, nor does it reduce the stocks of the seller.

    Therefore, difference.

    End of my semi-rant ;)
     
  19. Bakes

    Bakes What's a Dremel?

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    Remember that the publishers pay for the games in the first place - very few studios would be able to make and promote their games without a massive advance from the publishers - to the tune of $200 million with MW2. A standard AAA game will have a budget of around $20 million dollars - someone has to pay for that.

    Also, EA's profits are dipping fairly dramatically at the moment (in terms of a long term trend). They're having to rely more and more on yearlies such as the FIFA games.

    Piracy is not stealing, but it has mostly the same effect - in both acts the developers do not see any of your money.
     
  20. Bumfluff101

    Bumfluff101 Minimodder

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    lol, disappointed that it only generated a semi, rather than full on, rant :D Fair play, I understand that you would not lose the physical item but you would still lose that particular sale.

    The person downloading would have dishonestly obtained property belonging to another which if my slightly degrading memory is correct, fulfils the legal definition of theft.

    Rant away :worried:
     

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