News iPhone devs complain about piracy

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/10/26/iphone-devs-complain-about-piracy/1

iPhone developer Smells Like Donkey has complained about rampant piracy on the platform.

 

My thoughts?

While the pirates do suck (especially if this means some kind of Draconian DRM clampdown on mobile handsets), we're not seeing any real figures here. I mean, 55 to 90%? COME ON! My 3-year-old nephew could give more accurate estimates than that!

We don't know whether the game sold 10 copies, or 10,000. We also don't know how much time was spent developing it. If it took 5 minutes to cobble together and sold hundreds/thousands of copies, they're still in the money.

Perhaps we do need DRM, but not to the point where it's noticeable. The unique phone number's a good starting point.

Oh, and an iPhone dev saying Apple suck? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...etc

 

No surprises there. Given that most games have 'lite' versions, if you want to try before you buy then you can. Only those who have no intention of buying the app are going to pirate.

I am surprised at how rampant it is though. 90% is a massive figure. Given the generally low cost of games (especially when compared to the total cost of phone ownership) there is no excuse!!

If this many people are reluctant to spend a quid on game, it doesn't bode well for the sony psp where games are going to be much more expensive!!

 

How many out of the total number of iPhone users have actually jailbroken their phones? I'm betting not that many.

If anything these stats show the game isn't popular. If only a small minority who have pirated it make up 90% of the players then they need to make a better game

 

I don't know about you, but I don't find DRM on the app store noticeable. I load up the store, download a game and job done.

It's all tied to the itunes account rather than phone number so if people are sharing logins or have multiple phones then the numbers are likely to be completely wrong

 

oh dear.... welcome to the world

 

Their next game should include features (lots of them) that are unavailable unless the game can be authorised online as a genuine product.

The games cost hardly anything. The mobile/flash devs need the cash to keep going. It's a no brainer. Make it impossible to pirate them.

 

lmao, wanky developers looking for a quick buck who decide the iphone is a great place for shovelware get pissed when people dont want to pay for the crap they put out.

 

just over 8% to be exact, provided by Cydia (jailbroken version of Appstore, no piracy in it) creator based on Cydia usage.

the iphone apps already have DRM. in OS 1.x, all application open almost instantly, and now after introduction of the Appstore, all application (including the calculator) have a small delay after the app finishes its "zoom in" animation.


in-app DRM is being used by some developers, but most involve sending the phone ID and even user information back to game server. i urge everyone to not support this kind of behaviour as it's a clear privacy intrusion.
a very good example of spyware is PinchMedia, it's been exposed here and the only way to combat is to either don't use those applications or to jailbreak the phone and install a host file that blocks such connection attempts.

 

As long as Apple doesn't make jailbreaking impossible or at least a bit harder people will continue like this. I mean, how long does it take you to jailbreak your iPhone? 1 hour max, if you're doing it for the first time and did some reading beforehand.

And saying we need stronger DRM/control? It's Apple you're talking about. They're the ****ing godfathers of DRM!

 

Love the way a story of a dev suffering massive piracy has turned into a bash Apple campaign and counting "Stop the draconian DRM" banners.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

It's ok, there are many more on these forums just like you, you will grow up ... eventually, and with age and maturity you will also find a happy medium and possibly a wage, and then you won't need to steal, and you will appreciate the work a small dev team puts into their software.

You will probably always bash Apple and DRM, but that's because you are a cock. It's fine, we accept you as you are.

 

Sorta off topic, but is Tap Fu any good? I just got a 3GS and am loving my apps suddenly given new life because they run smoother and are generally more enjoyable to play.

 

And you're who exactly to be able to talk down to me?

I don't support piracy but I don't know why every single developer on earth, no matter how crappy their product might be, blames poor sales on piracy.

And please stop getting personal. I don't bash Apple for anything other than widely known facts [if you say, they aren't on the forefront of DRM I'll just have to laugh in your face though they've gotten a lot better recently]. I think DRM in most forms nowerdays is a bad joke. More hurting all customers than protecting the honest ones.

You don't know me, you don't know anything about my age, my job, my wage or the way I live, do you? If there's something YOU should learn it's that you should NEVER judge someone's character or way of life by the way his/her posts are written. This is the Internet, after all.

For future reference: I'm 25, BSc CS, working in the IT department of Bwin.com.

Cheers,
the cock

 

@perplekks45: Unfortunately we can only judge by what you write. And we WILL judge no matter what you say. This is the internet, after all.

 

Still I don't see the need to get personal.

And if people like John, Cheapskate, Mankz or EEL jdged me by what iwrite they'd think I'm a lunatic.

 

except that these people don't want to condone piracy and they thought you condoned it because you implied it earlier with your tone.

Be a bit more verbose next time you write stuff here. And be clear about how you feel about things.

Anyways I don't care much about iPhone or its "games".

 

For future reference perp your age, location and BSc (btw, a BSc is not a measure of your intelligence nor common sense) is in your Bit Tech forum profile.

I apologise for calling you a cock.

Maybe next time you can refrain from feeling the need to alter my posts and draw me into an argument with you? Of course you are welcome to your views that iPhone devs might be whiners about piracy. I would like to remnd you that these people you are slagging off work in an industry that helps drive the technology that we've all been enjoying for the last few years. A tech that is still in it's infancy and about to go skyward with the new tablets, touchscreens and touch software to be released over the coming years.

Taking the more conservative lower percentage from the news story, thIs is still totally unacceptable. If I spend my days, weeks, months making any sort of software then I would like to be able to earn from it and invest in my company as well. I assume you'd like to put that BSc to good use as well? Are you ok with working for free?

 

I don't support Piracy in anyway. I does sound slightly odd that 90% of users used pirated copies. Perhaps it could be seen as an excuse. 'This games great honest, It didn't sell?...erm.....erm....PIRACY!...Yes....Piracy!'

Piracy on the iPhone if I'm being honest, does not really bother me, I live in Japan at the moment, and the IPhone is massive here as in the UK. Piracy on the PC, that bothers me because its killing the industry. I do feel for Dev teams though.

Maybe extra content, or lite versions as somebody previously said could be the way forward.