Are you a pirate?

[schlagwerk]

Yarr. I be speakin' with a southern accent!

[RyuKisargi]

Some indie titles are expensive. What I more do is buy titles that aren't from the "Big-o"s, (( XSEED being an example is a company I buy from )).

I dunno how to respond to that, Kim. :s Mainly because there is a fairly big gap between the indie title price and the price of the brand-new 360 game.

From personal experience, I have a PSP and a Wii, both modded, so I only pirate games from that sector. I'll buy say, the new Mario title or the latest Ys title, but more often than not, I'll pirate say... Dead Space 2, because me personally?

I play RPGs. If I venture out of that, with money, I usually get burnt. There's some titles I really enjoy (Boom Blox) that I'll buy after I "acquire" a title.


On that note, I need to get some Wii points to get Faxanadu. I found a copy of it online (( Injected WAD )) and I liked it as much as I did when I was a kid.

Nintendo + 5$!

[HJ]

Feb 22, 2011 2:14:03 GMT -5 Kimimi said:

Those "big guys" were once small fry too, so to say "Well it's OK to steal from <Company> because they're big and popular" doesn't make sense - would you steal from Falcom if they got as big as Square-Enix? Would you buy Capcom games if they were just a small Steam publisher?

Please don't mistake this as an attack against yourself or even against piracy (I doubt anyone registered here is snow white); but I don't think that buying a $5 indie title and pirating a $50 360 game makes anyone Robin Hood.

That's not it, at least not for me. The reason I mostly buy from small companies has nothing to do with some kind of misplaced sense of justice or morality, it's just because the niche titles that companies like XSEED put out need the support more than, say, Squeenix. Even with me pirating their next FF game (FFIV Complete), it'll no doubt become a big success, but series like TitS need all the support they can get to even have a chance of not failing horribly.

Basically, my goal is to have as many series as possible survive in English (provided I'm interested in them), and with the money I have to work with, this is the best way for me to do so. Now, I know you can say that if everyone thought like that, Squeenix actually would need my support. But everyone doesn't think like that, so it doesn't really matter to me.

[Yakra]

Feb 22, 2011 0:39:03 GMT -5 RyuKisargi said:

I really would feel bad if I pirated -everything-

Once upon a time I was like so. A time not so far back even. :'D

*hides*

Really though~ For years, during the time of GBA carts and PS1 stuff, I bought and bought many cds, yet they were SO beautifully pirated and packaged (hallo Hong Kong stuff!) and they ran perfectly on my (modded, yet unknown to an ignorant me what a 'mod' was) PS1 that... one never thought otherwise. When an original copy of Resident Evil finally dropped in my hands, I was left quite '!'. Even then though, even after learning that all my grand collection was (and is) a collection of pirated stuff, there was not much I could do about it. A original second hand copy of a game cost ten times more than the original, and importing (which I actually did for Suikoden II X''''D) cost 30 times more. Quite unviable for a then-not-earning me~ :'D

I believe I actually toned down on my pirating way just a wee bit when I joined up over here and met you guys! I'm still super greatful to wyrdwad and Gamemusicfreak for showing me the path of Play-Asia (<3~!), and to the rest of ye all for helping me in getting all other else!

Well... I may be happy, but my wallet isn't. But who's listening to le wallet?! *tells it to hush up*


But as for pirating now and how I feel towards it, even when I do have access to originals - yes~ I am still a total Jolly Roger-er. X'''D More than anything, simply because the difference between the rupee and the dollar is just SO horrendous, and whenever I import, even if the poor game itself costs just $5, when a $60 shipping gets slapped onto it.... horrors! D: So whatever all I do buy, it's games that I actually love, know I shall love, or have already played and would love to 'collect' and keep as trophies of sorts in my collection. Whichever game I collect has nothing to do with how grand or evil or corporate and unfriendly the company itself really is truly...

PS3 games have been another matter entirely though. Dratted things~! I have to buy originals no matter what since... there are no pirated copies.

The same applies for music stuffs too, but... slightly different. Unlike games which seem more 'useful' (does that make any sense even? :'D), soundtracks of games seem even more of a collector's piece to me. So if I REALLY like the music of a certain game, even if I'm not buying the game, I perhaps might just buy it's soundtrack, in appreciation of the composers who made it?






By the way, with all my huge pointless wall of text, I'm in nu way saying that what I do is right or justified, or that my situation in life is most unfair. :'D It's just a stating of how things are with one. X'D If I want to play something, I will try to grab it, whatever means I can. And if later, I love what I have played, and I want to collect the original version, I'd try my best to grab a proper copy of it somehow. Quite often though, proper copies don't want to be grabbed by a me. X''''D

[Raison D'etritus]

The problem is that big companies become, more or less, corporations, and then fall into corporate policy. There's a big difference between a labor of love put out by a small company of dedicated gamers and something thought up by execs in a board room who are just throwing out "creative" ideas.

When a company gets too big it becomes nothing more than a commercial entity, and then we have games that are ONLY about profit. . . viz. games are divided into multiple entries just to increase income, or "innovative" systems that are nothing OTHER than innovative.

I like to compare corporate mentality to a classroom. When its small, its relaxed, and everything's still hands on and productive; when it gets too big, its just a detached leader and a sea of faces all aiming to do a task without any actual involvement or interest outside of an end goal.

As for piracy, my ethic is a bit peculiar to most people.
If I think a game is worth owning, I'll pay even a ridiculous amount of money for it (I've got three ps1 games which cost me $500 altgether). If a game is NOT worth owning, it doesn't matter to me how I play it, and how that impacts the industry is irrelevent to my own interest.

If I'm not buying a game new, it doesn't much matter to the developer how or if I play it, and if anything, a disposable virtual copy is less harmful than borrowing a copy from somebody who is then at a loss during my use of it, or paying somebody who profits off reselling a copy which gives nothing to the producer.

Furthermore:

Yarr. I be speakin' with a southern accent!

Not quite, Caboose.

[DoubleD64]

I'll be blunt and truthful, I do pirate games just like most people, but the newest system I go on that department is the PC, Dreamcast (console), and GBA (handheld). Anything after those, forget it.

However, 8 out of 10 times its usually on games that I know that may not have a good chance of getting localized in the states, but if they do, that burned copy I have will get a one-way ticket to the shredder (after I get a legit copy in my hot-huge hands), and just leave it at that.

As for movies, only animes (statement above still applies), but as far as music goes, the answer is obvious. I hardly get music CDs anymore these days.

[Incog Neato]

Not trying to justify anything but I mostly pirate to try out the games. If I like it, I will sure as hell shell out money for it. I suppose I could just rent them but much of the stuff I download are Japanese imports. ^^;

On a rather silly and strange note, for PC games, if the game is something I'm fairly interested in, and the speed for the torrent is too slow, or if it's too bothersome to get around the security measures, I usually end up just buying the game from a store. :P

However~! If there's one system I don't steal stuff for, it's the iPod touch. I figure since a lot of the games and apps are $0.99 - $1.99, why bother? For Square, Capcom, and all the heavy hitters with their stupid $4.99 - $9.99 prices, I just play the waiting game and wait for sales (which usually come during holidays or some celebratory thing like a release of a new game). Or if it's something I really want, I'd just pay the full price for it anyway.

[Flamzeron]

I suppose I should give my serious answer to this thread.

I pirate music. Everyone does, or at least most people. I only do so because I prefer to listen to my music on my PC, not my Ipod.

I also have pirated GBA games before (emulation). I only do so if I'm doing a Let's Play on the game these days, and the only GBA Let's Plays I plan to do are of games I actually own. I also used to think that a GBA couldn't play imported games, so I downloaded a ROM of a Tales GBA game, only to learn several years later that it could. Therefore, I ordered a real copy of the game. I still have the ROM though, since I don't know a way to transfer my game save.

In terms of other games, I don't pirate. I have Gamefly, so I don't need to. If it's a PSX game I want to play for a little bit that I don't have, or one I want to try, I'll download it, but delete it afterwords.

Anime, I'm half and half. I do buy the DVDs in order to support the industry, but I also watch anime on the Internet. I happen to support the series I'm currently watching (Dragon Ball Kai), and any other anime that I really liked I'll buy the DVD. I'm a bit of a collector. Plus, I like to rewatch stuff.

[kyril]

I have to confess. I too pirate any entertainment. But I only do that to any greedy company that I boycott. One of the them is Capcom (their $5 Resident Evil 5 Versus Mode is a godzilla ripoff that even the management kinda says haters gonna hate to their customers who are complaining that shit) and Warner Bros. (they want more money from other companies for licensing their IP).

[Flamzeron]

Feb 23, 2011 8:02:14 GMT -5 kyril said:

I have to confess. I too pirate any entertainment. But I only do that to any greedy company that I boycott. One of the them is Capcom (their $5 Resident Evil 5 Versus Mode is a godzilla ripoff that even the management kinda says haters gonna hate to their customers who are complaining that shit) and Warner Bros. (they want more money from other companies for licensing their IP).

If they close down before they make a new Mega Man or Onimusha, I'm blaming you. Not that such a thing will happen.

[kyril]

^ lol don't blame me. Blame themselves. Especially that douchebag Inafune (even if he's not on Capcom anymore) who says that Japanese games especially JRPGs are so 5 years old late.

[Flamzeron]

Feb 23, 2011 17:46:58 GMT -5 kyril said:

^ LOL don't blame me. Blame themselves. Especially that douchebag Inafune (even if he's not on Capcom anymore) who says that Japanese games especially JRPGs are so 5 years old late.

Why would I blame them when they aren't boycotting themselves, and causing them to lose money?

[Varion]

Feb 24, 2011 1:44:55 GMT -5 Flamzeron said:

Why would I blame them when they aren't boycotting themselves, and causing them to lose money?

They are causing themselves to lose money, with their stupid business decisions.

If the new DMC doesn't sell for example they've only got themselves to blame.

[Flamzeron]

Feb 24, 2011 12:19:58 GMT -5 Varion said:

Feb 24, 2011 1:44:55 GMT -5 Flamzeron said:

Why would I blame them when they aren't boycotting themselves, and causing them to lose money?

They are causing themselves to lose money, with their stupid business decisions.

If the new DMC doesn't sell for example they've only got themselves to blame.

I only care about MegaMan, Onimusha, and MvC. I'll be pissed if they stop making them due to annoying fanboys getting upset over change.

[Varion]

Feb 24, 2011 14:05:14 GMT -5 Flamzeron said:

I only care about MegaMan, Onimusha, and MvC. I'll be pissed if they stop making them due to annoying fanboys getting upset over change.

So you want everyone to buy all of Capcom's games, regardless of how anti-consumer their practices become, just so they'll keep making games you like? And anyone who dares criticise all these practices like charging extra money for things that are already on the disc just because they think they can get away with it, and dares to vote with their wallet on the issue, is 'an annoying fanboy getting upset over change'?

This may come as something of a surprise, but the world doesn't revolve around you.

[Flamzeron]

Feb 24, 2011 14:13:45 GMT -5 Varion said:

Feb 24, 2011 14:05:14 GMT -5 Flamzeron said:

I only care about MegaMan, Onimusha, and MvC. I'll be pissed if they stop making them due to annoying fanboys getting upset over change.

So you want everyone to buy all of Capcom's games, regardless of how anti-consumer their practices become, just so they'll keep making games you like? And anyone who dares criticise all these practices like charging extra money for things that are already on the disc just because they think they can get away with it, and dares to vote with their wallet on the issue, is 'an annoying fanboy getting upset over change'?

This may come as something of a surprise, but the world doesn't revolve around you.

That's not my point. I'll just be pissed if Capcom closes down. Besides, if you boycott games, aren't you being selfish, and not thinking about those who like the games?

[Varion]

Feb 24, 2011 15:32:51 GMT -5 Flamzeron said:

That's not my point. I'll just be pissed if Capcom closes down. Besides, if you boycott games, aren't you being selfish, and not thinking about those who like the games?

No, you aren't, you're voting with your wallet, which in this business is the only way you can do anything that counts. If you keep buying a company's products, they'll assume you're fine with the way that they're doing things and continue, no matter how many people complain on the internet about it. It's only when those products stop selling they'll actually start to consider listening to people in order to improve sales.

Someone has to make a stand somewhere.

[Raison D'etritus]

Besides, if you boycott games, aren't you being selfish, and not thinking about those who like the games?

Consumers are selfish by definition. That's what consumption is.
Should I buy things selflessly, based more on your tastes than my own? I expect the same from you then.
Buy me a new PS3, I'll PM you my address!

[Flamzeron]

Feb 24, 2011 16:23:57 GMT -5 Varion said:

Feb 24, 2011 15:32:51 GMT -5 Flamzeron said:

That's not my point. I'll just be pissed if Capcom closes down. Besides, if you boycott games, aren't you being selfish, and not thinking about those who like the games?

No, you aren't, you're voting with your wallet, which in this business is the only way you can do anything that counts. If you keep buying a company's products, they'll assume you're fine with the way that they're doing things and continue, no matter how many people complain on the Internet about it. It's only when those products stop selling they'll actually start to consider listening to people in order to improve sales.

Someone has to make a stand somewhere.

True.

[ojsinnerz]

Yes and no.



I own over 100 video games, and every game was purchased brand new, except for my collection of PS2 games and Ys 6 for the PSP.

I used to pirate everything that was available. I was part of a forum that I won't name, that specialized in discussion of piracy (Not that they actually encouraged it or anything) and the tools. I actually purchased my copy of Elite Beat Agents, but I pirated all my DS games until from 2007 to 2009. Why? Because I was a 13 year old with no form of income, but really wanted to play video games. Not to mention, it was just what I used to do back home. Everyone in South Korea WILL pirate their things. Only a very VERY small number of people purchases their products.

In 2007 I had no money. Then, at the end of the year on 2008, I got my first job at McDonalds. I now had a source of income, but I just kept on pirating my games. Telling myself that I needed to save up money for the future.

In march of 2009, a special game called "Henry Hatsworth in a puzzling adventure" had come out. I had little expectations for the game, and pirated it the moment it came out. It is now few of my favorite games of all time. You know what I did? I didn't even buy it. The creator was even giving away the soundtrack for free on the website. The next thing I know, the development team of Henry Hatsworth was fired from EA. From then, I started seeing bits of reality.

From around mid 2009, I started losing interest in games. It was probably because I was able to play anything I want anywhere and anytime. The games themselves felt as if they lost their meanings. Then, thanks to Atlus, I started feeling an increase of the Pirate's remorse. The first game I remember buying from Atlus was probably Trauma Center 2. I loved the original, and I also pirated the second one. A few months later, I saw it in stores at a cheap price, so I decided to buy it. Despite that I had beaten the game already, I felt this sort of like an adrenaline.

From that point on, I decided I would buy all the games to support the developers I like. Why not? I thought. Seeing how I had a source of income and all the devices to do so, I just started buying games.

Thanks to the video game board of 4chan, I learn about Clover Studios, God Hand, and many many other fantastic games.

Since I couldn't buy every game available, I just decided to buy niche games and try to pirate games from bigger companies that already go on to sell birrions of their copies. That's why I don't own COD games after 4, Sports games, Nintendo games, and so on.

If there's a game that looks interesting but might not be worth the money, I try to pirate the game to see what it's like beforehand. It's like a tool that can be used for the better good. Renting is no better than pirating either. I have more games than any of my friends combined.


Now, the last game I pirated was Tales of Innocence with the translation patch, back in July of 2010. I also buy things like music, books, artbooks, movies, anime, and so on. Well, I have a more strict quality check before purchase of these, but I try to support the developers as soon as something is released. Unfortunately, my source of income has drastically fallen recently, so I actually decided to quit buying games. But I also decided to quit playing them until I can get back on my feet. At this point, I would rather not pirate at all.



I am also going to say this. Every one of my friends who aren't PC gamers purchase their games. You know what? They just all buy
A. Nintendo games
B. Megaman games
C. Mainstream FPS
D. Sports games
I absolutely cannot stand it sometimes. Almost all of them are ignorant to the bone. They refuse to buy games from companies they never heard of. Most of them claim that they're hardcore nintendo fanboys, but don't actually know squat about things outside the big three Nintendo franchises. One of them claims that he loves capcom and love them to death. Guess what? The only games he's played is Megaman games (Just the numbered series, battle network and starforce series), and now Marvel VS Capcom 2 and 3. He only bought one megaman game. He says he'll pick up a copy of TWEWY to support the developers. What developers? The game already flopped hard. It's not going to make a difference.


I told EVERY SINGLE FRIEND of mine that owns a 360 or PS3 about Vanquish, and told them it was going to be incredible. They all told me they'll keep their eyes on it. Some of them were even excited about it. Guess what happened? They bought.... Fable 3, Black Ops, Mario Galaxy 2, and New Vegas. Out of about 40 of them, not a single one of them bought Vanquish. I was the only one to experience the game. I told them about the price drops, I told them about the sheer quality of the game. I had to buy a copy for a friend as his Christmas gift. One of my friends considers buying it right now. That's it.


What am I trying to say? Many communities like to blame the pirates for the bad sales of some games. Pirate or not pirate, the only thing that will sell a game these days are strong advertisement campaigns and brand awareness. There is one exception to that rule, aka Demon's Souls, but it's rare. Pirates may be hurting the industry, but they ain't hurting the industry as bad as many believe. I believe the real problem lies with the industry is the ignorance of the masses.


Sorry for the long monster that I wrote...