Stealing artificially inflates prices so the companies you're ripping off can actually make a profit from their work. If then more people complain that the price is too high and turn to theft the end result of this cycle is obvious. No more product.
Yeah, maybe I was going too far. I never pirated any games. I always bought my games with my hard earned money. I still don't see how this is a debate. I am sure people love doing it to save money. I would not want to get caught though. It's just not worth it.
Agreed, EA Games. Something to think about with pirating, (fits more for music though) for games/bands that are not popular, I would never even play/listen to them unless I pirated. All these bands/games would die out due to lack of support, and only the major monopolies would continue to live. Pirating, or realistically, sharing helps smaller developers.
Photoshop isn't for the small person who wants to make sigs, small pictures or anything for independant use. I, realistically, don't need photoshop nor does anyone on this site really, except if they are in the business. Ever wonder why our pirating Photoshop doesn't really affect the company as massivly as to EA?
I'll step up and be honest in saying that I pirate not only some of my games, but most of my software. I pirate some games mostly because of where I live where it's very hard to get some-I usually buy them at a later date if they're good, when I can (generally when I'm back in the UK)-as for others, I pirate them partly because I don't have the money to buy all the games I want, and partly because some are just not worth the money. It's also a good way to 'trial' a game. As for software, I'm just not prepared to pay the outrageous costs that people pin on them. Particularly Microsoft Office (full edition, which I need for my education) and Adobe CS4 Extended, both of which I NEED but I'm hardly prepared to pay the several hundred £ that Office costs, never mind the $1k for CS4. The smaller pieces of software are also because I just can't pay for them. A lot of the games and software I would pay for if I could-and will be able to in the future-except of course MS Office and any Adobe product both of which are outrageously expensive.
If this is a moral debate. Just close the thread now. If this is a debate on whether or not the effects are positive or not, I have something to say: Programs like Adobe's Photoshop are often pirated, I'm computer literate enough to know that. However, it doesn't affect Adobe too badly because the people who pirate their stuff aren't the intended customers anyway. Most of the pirates are some random spoiled brats with too much internet time. Adobe didn't expect them to buy in the first place; they aim for businesses. If a business pirates software, they are BIG doo-doo and are caught near immediately; home stealer peoples can rarely be caught. So it depends if it industrial software or not. It's about games, I know, which is why I typed that above^^. Anything (besides smalle bands, as mentioned earlier (maybe)) not fitting that scenario is negatively affected by pirating. Once again, with others, I ask: why is this a debate? We know it's wrong, and if this about positive/negative effects of pirating, change the title.
People, we're talking about pirating games, not 'essential' software like Office and Photoshop (or at least, that's what it seems like).
I know it's wrong, but I still do it. Assassins Creed 2, Prince of Persia, L4D, CoD WaW are the one's I've done. I pirated a few adobe programs. I pirate all my music and have but-don't-use a bot for a prize site. I'm a perfect example. What do you know? I get good grades, don't smoke or anything like that, and I'm a nice guy. If I didn't, the price of games wouldn't change. Nothing would change but what's in my wallet and their wallet. I mean, I got banned recently for modding my xbox, but I coughed up some cash and bought a new one. I didn't go steal one from walmart.
Where would the money come from if no one heard them? Pirating: I hear about game A from friend. I download. I play, and enjoy/dislike it. I support developers if I do enjoy, I do not if I did not like it. Not Pirating: I hear about game A from friend. I know nothing about it. I never buy the game, developers never get support.
Or provide alternative ways of trying out games. (Like TF2 free weekends, or how some devs actually upload torrents of their games)
He was suggesting methods to lure in gamers. Also, I pirate only paid DLC. I listen to all my music on YouTube (even on the go) and spend my money wisely. Now, if I could pirate an XBL subscription I most definitely would.