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Editor's note: I'm just as annoyed with the direction that the industry is taking with copy-protection and PC games as Aaron; however, he's losing me a little bit when he cites high prices as an explanation for piracy. I don't disagree that a lower barrier to entry would increase the sale of new games, but Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock, got to the heart of this matter when he stated that those who pirate games were probably never going to buy them in the first place -- no matter how much they cost. Although, Aaron raises one rarely mentioned point that webcomic xkcd previously expressed about music -- that publishers force us into a position of criminality if we ever want to functionally retain the games we've bought. -Rob
I am terrified for the future of PC gaming. Both Ubisoft and Electronic Arts are forcing digital rights management onto paying customers that is so utterly customer unfriendly it boggles the mind.
Not only do you need an active, persistent Internet connection just to play these companies' latest games (Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 2 and Silent Hunter 5; EA's Command & Conquer 4), but should you ever lose that access -- due to a problem on your end or theirs -- you'll also lose unsaved progress and become cut off from the very product you purchased.
It's like buying a car and every so often someone comes along, removes the tires and engine, and gives you the finger. Sure, they'll reassemble your vehicle at some point, but that doesn't change the fact that your ride became useless for a significant period of time.
The scary thing is that I see this trend taking off, and it isn't good for anyone.
While we don't know whether EA will definitely continue using the DRM first implemented with the recently released C&C4, I bet that they likely will. Just like Ubisoft, they undoubtedly think this scheme will solve the piracy problem that has forever plagued PC gaming.
The thing is -- you can’t stop or control piracy. History shows that no matter what walls we raise, clever people will always be clever and find a way to beat any system. Yet publishers and developers seem utterly convinced such is possible because they keep trying to find ways to combat the "problem." I, for one, never saw piracy as a problem to begin with but rather the nature of the platform.
I will always make a strong argument to my friends not to pirate, as I have the utmost respect for the industry and the hard working people within. I cannot for a moment, though, look away from the truth so many of these big companies (and people in general) refuse to acknowledge: That games are expensive and most people can't afford them, especially now in this economy.
That doesn't excuse piracy entirely, but it is significant. I wish more people realized this. Piracy cannot be stopped, and companies need to cease trying because this crusade for justice has gotten to the point where the "bad" people are getting a better deal than the "good" people.
Ubisoft denied that pirates hacked Assassin's Creed 2 within a week of release on PC. People were already playing the game without dealing with the DRM, which may indeed have been untrue; however, I'm convinced that at some point in the future, hackers will find a way to bypass Ubisoft's and EA's new anti-piracy measures -- or anyone’s for that matter.
I am proud to say my that current games collection is definitely legit. But, perhaps when I was younger, a few of the games I bought were knock offs. How would I have known? So, I guess one could claim ignorance back then, but these days you have to actively seek illegal copies.
While it is much more obvious now, that doesn’t change the fact that file-sharers aren’t all organized criminals stealing online. Most of them are just poor, stupid, or want to test the game before they throw down 60 bucks.
Piracy is more common than ever due to the relative ease of doing it these days. The sheer explosive popularity of gaming over the last few years has given the activity a massive boost.
Decades ago, only being able to afford a couple of games a year was fine, hence why piracy was so low. But now that a new, awesome game releases every week, people want to buy and play more. The sad fact is that we miss out on a sizable chunk of good games...well, those of us who want to pay for them, anyway.
Yes, I recognize that "bad" pirates exist -- those who have jobs but simply don't care to pay for things that they can so easily acquire for free. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if very few people who download games illegally fit this description.
Anti-piracy isn’t the solution -- a lower-monetary barrier to entry is, and I have been saying this for years. If more companies start using this insane DRM, it will kill the PC gaming platform because the only way to guarantee you would be able to play your games in the future is through piracy.
For every copy of Crysis sold, ten were pirated
A pirated copy is the same as a non-purchase -- look at things this way and suddenly the world is a better place.
My idea -- incentivize pirates to buy legit, come up with things that can only be done through purchases, and make games affordable. Downloadable content would be doing this if developers didn’t insist on charging so much.
