Piracy and Social Acceptance

I believe Most PC Gamers prefer gaming on the PC because of piracy , u can play all the games u want without paying a cent , If there were no piracy I'd expect the percentage of PC gamers to drop Seriously !!!
I still feal its wrong though . :)

Pirates dont help anything except to drive developers away from making PC games. Thanks for agreeing that its wrong. Please keep feedback coming, people in the industry are more interested in your feedback than you know.

This seems to be a rather geographical issue. I read somewhere that PC game sales here in Finland are higher than ever before.

I think people don't morally object to piracy that much because you in a technical sense don't steal anything physical. You make a copy. Would it be theft if someone had the ability to make a complete copy of a Ferrari in a machine? I'm not trying to justify piracy here, I just want to raise an issue.

There are two major groups of people people pirating software, with different motives.

- The ones who are too cheapskate or just flat out broke to buy the software. You really can't win these over except over time - they have to figure out themselves they are doing the wrong thing.

- The ones that have no legal option. Look at Assassin's Creed and Steam. On launch day (9th April) the North American users can buy it from steam. The rest either pirate it, or wait until it appears on the store shelves. Between 9th of April and whenever the boxes finally arrive to the stores everywhere, there is a huge market for the game without legal option.

Publishers and distributors *have* to move towards simultaneous worldwide launches - both in stores and online. The Internet is global - as soon as one guy is going off in some forums how he got the game, everyone else who are interested in it want it NOW. If the publisher can't provide a (near) instaneous legal option, far too often the easy illegal option (and hey, it's also free) becomes too tempting and off we go with some shady torrent.

Ubisoft is doing it wrong. Valve is doing it right. Just to give a few examples. Fix that, and a large incentive for '0-day' copies goes away. You are left with the cheapskates, but let's be honest - if they can't afford the game, they wouldn't buy it even if they wouldn't pirate it. Either way it's a sale that isn't going to happen. Better concentrate on serving those that go off to the illegal side simply because the legal option is not (immediately) available. They have the money - better accept it now, not next week when the local distributing partner with his exclusive deal gets the boxes to the store. It may already be too late at that point.

Jarnis has hit the nail on the head in my eyes. The most important point being a Simultaneous Worldwide Release. The day it comes out in one area, is the day it is available to pirate everywhere. Like Jarnis says, the ones too cheap to buy the games, won't buy the games. The cheapskates who pirate the games aren't hurting the market as much as the ones who want the games as soon as possible but don't want to wait for it to become available.

Pirating games is absolutely stupid. It's basically going to the store and stealing a game. If they are broke, they should do the right thing and save up money for the game. Only true gamers are smart enough to see why I HATE when people pirate games.
Thanks,
Sam

Yeah, piracy is a big problem and the people that download the games are the ultimate of all free loaders... BUT! The industry is responding to the issue entirely the wrong way by using DRM technologies that only punish the legit users. Anyone who downloads a torrent is usally getting a game thats cracked with all the DRM removed... so tell me, why am I given less freedom when I pay for the game than I do when I hunt for torrents on a popular file sharing site?

Another missed opportunity for most companies is promotion. These piracy groups could be turned into the ultimate promotional groups for their games - like - redistributing the game for them (doing all the dirty work) via bittorrent and letting people later decide if they want to purchase the game. The numbers we don't have right now is how many people that bought games bought them by trying them out through piracy first. I guess that question would be a bit questionable for a registration card, right?

I, for instance, downloaded the orange box off of bittorrent. A week later, after I liked what I played, I redownloaded the game off steam (and removing the pirated version in the process), after I decided its worth my $50.

By giving pirates a scolding question of conscience, you're really alienating them from looking at legal alternatives altogether. Its not as simple as telling them they're a criminal, while technically true, they're also better than nobody playing the game at all. Think of it as the ultimate demo. And think of it as the consumer's response to an aging business model.

So... you'Re telling me that i shouldn't have downloaded Stalker? i should never have downloaded Alien Shooter 2? and never should have downloaded Company of Heroes?

If so, then those 3 games would have been with 1 less sale... cuz i baught all 3 of them, then seeing how those 3 were good, i invested my money into those games...

Sometimes i download the game simply because i don'T want the DRM system that is installed into it... like Prince Of Persia: the Two Thrones that had Starforce...

Whatever you say, it won't stop me from downloading Mass Effect.... But the fact that i'm going to download it because it has a nasty DRM that i don't want installed on my machine and the fact that i'm gonna buy the game and keep it in the sealed box are two things that are very closely linked... Some restrictive systems are way too overprotective on their property and are just pissing gamers off... I even hate Steam because i can't sign off their Community, simply because it's nothign more that a Big Brother that wants to check what you're doing and post it online... even give you a score, i'm "teh suck" to them... you can't opt out of their community and you can't play their games without Steam... that's an annoying DRM that i'd like to get rid off, but it's a great system for buying games, so i bear with it...

Pirating is a great way to try out games and see if they are worth investing your money, because you don't always have demos and even some demos are not showing the real game, only some filtered "better than what you'll be stuck with the whole game" gameplay.... it's just like you test-drive a car before investing your money in buying it, at the 60$ mark (more like 70$ in canada) i think you should have a test drive before buying a crappy game...

Piracy is wrong and must be stoped.

I think you will hear again and again the bitterness from legitimate buyers that they are saddled with often obnoxious DRM that crashes games for obscure reasons that Companies rarely own up to, while people who pirate simply play their game and have fun.

I can't tell you how many games that looked interesting that I grabbed off the shelf only to see that they were Star-Forced, causing me to slam the game back onto the shelf with a snarl of frustration, especially since there is almost a certainty I could find a 'Clean" version of it on the web, and it seems like the companies are almost pushing people that way.

I would say that as much as pirates are harming gaming, game companies are also doing huge harm by creating an Us vs Them mentality in the minds of the gaming public capable of finding and using pirated games.

The aggressive legal antics of the gaming, movie, and music trade groups makes them very very VERY unpopular with the very people they are claiming to be trying to convert. A culture is created where it becomes cool to give "the suits" the finger and use safety in numbers to overwhelm the industries heavy handed tactics.

The industry responds by tightening more, which causes the people to become even more disrespectful and resourceful, (and since these are mostly young people, you are not only losing them now, but possibly for life) and as you mentioned, this is a downward cycle that the industry is NOT "winning."

Even governments know better than to stand directly against the will of the people. The current response to piracy is mostly counterproductive.

I see it more lika longterm problem. People won't stop before it's too late; to say they are caught or as well as and the developers completely stops with games or for example, all goes MMO rampage and no single player is made anymore.

Also, to the developers they should aim their game more precisely. Now look at Cevati at Crytek. He seem to point out that he has a team and himself have orginized the best game their is and still even Sims sell better..If he and his team wanted to take a shot to push hardware then he must realize not many people have it and can't afford they wont get it.

Then I can add something on the first comment. So yes yes and very yes. Since pirating is so huge and is increasing even more then PC gaming would fall on its dip if people just stopped because they wouldn't buy games if they couldn't. The whole point of pirating is to get the games free.

Anyway, I'm still against pirating but has come too far as mainstream seeing (kinda like global warming crap). People have to dig deeper to see the reason.

Okay, let's jump to the reason. Why do some people pirate? Well, basically it overrides the problems a honoured gamer has. You won't have any problems to play the game (well I dont know this exactly but you get the idea, just think of game cracks..)

Second, the price. You wont need to pay. Now I have to say most games are expensive but this can be avoided. Wait until games fall on prices etc..download the demos to see if its really worth to buy and so on. But still they would pirate..now the last reason

Third, they probably do it because it's exciting. I guess most pirates are never caught (yet) and can do it for a long time so why would they bother to stop? Now one could think it's a low life but look it a little deeper..why would a low life have any clue of honour or the decenty to buy the game and support the developer.

Also, at last. This is a huge problem and the biggest reason why no one will stop until it's too late. "Why would I stop if anyone else can do it and so many does?" This is a pretty good question and very well written by a pirate (if they even think it but you get the picture)

We need something vast that makes pirating unable to do it, encourage people to fight against them and in huge amount of people because as I said, they still go back to that "why would I stop.." since there are so many.

Cheers Noizic :)

Ok I may aswell Admit that I have pirated a few games in my day but I have also bought a good bit of games.
Just like the one guy towards the top of the list said if it wasnt for people pirating games Pc gaming would not be as popular as it is, that being said though I still think it is wrong and I would only pirate a game If I really could not afford it. And IF I pirated a game I would buy it when I could afford to atleast support the people who put the work into making the game.
Now Please don't take my comment wrong when I say I have pirated games before that was a while back and I have since learned and grown up.
I wouldn't mind the hard core Anti piracy stuff if it wasnt so buggy and sometimes hurts the people that actually pay for their games.
I also think if more PC demos were released and more availible there would be less piracy as well. Some of the People that pirate games like to download them to so to say Try them before they buy them.... But the problem is alot of them don't go through with the buy them part.

I don't think Steam is a bad Idea but I know I have had some problems with steam already that has caused my some majoy headaches. Just make sure you never forget you login details for your steam account and dont ever loss your serial numbers..

The gaming industry made $9.5 billion in 2007. GTA 4 alone made $500 million in its opening week. The video game industry is larger than both the music and movie industries combined.

Sorry but I cant help but think you guys are over estimating the effects of piracy on the industry. Video games > Hollywood. Enough said.

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

BUT, this is a big but...dont eff me over. Understand? Ive done nothing wrong to you and Im only waiting to play that new killer app.
Dont charge me 50$ for something that is a complete piece of crap. Dont promise me things and then just completely fail to deliever. And lastly, DO NOT put restrictive protection onto a product that I AM buying with my hard earned cash that after I purchase it I consider it my piece of property.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

If your sitting in some boardroom, listening to some "economic"advisor" or some "marketing and sales expert" tell you that you have to do something that you know is wrong such as slapping some ridiculous DRM software on your product, or cutting your game in half to compensate for "expected" piracy losses, why dont you say something. Im not asking you to risk your job and life, but why not mention that this simply wont do anything at all and will only smear the company and the products name?

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection- Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

Thats all I can think of right now.

In any case, if the "industry" is listening, thank you very much for years and years of great fun with your games. I hope many more are to come. I just think that if you do not change your ways you will be in for some really hard times and will eventually cause your own demise.

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris

-

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

If your sitting in some boardroom, listening to some "economic"advisor" or some "marketing and sales expert" tell you that you have to do something that you know is wrong such as slapping some ridiculous DRM software on your product, or cutting your game in half to compensate for "expected" piracy losses, why dont you say something. Im not asking you to risk your job and life, but why not mention that this simply wont do anything at all and will only smear the company and the products name?

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection- Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

Thats all I can think of right now.

In any case, if the "industry" is listening, thank you very much for years and years of great fun with your games. I hope many more are to come. I just think that if you do not change your ways you will be in for some really hard times and will eventually cause your own demise.

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris

-

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

If your sitting in some boardroom, listening to some "economic"advisor" or some "marketing and sales expert" tell you that you have to do something that you know is wrong such as slapping some ridiculous DRM software on your product, or cutting your game in half to compensate for "expected" piracy losses, why dont you say something. Im not asking you to risk your job and life, but why not mention that this simply wont do anything at all and will only smear the company and the products name?

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection- Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

In any case, if the "industry" is listening, thank you very much for years and years of great fun with your games. I hope many more are to come. I just think that if you do not change your ways you will be in for some really hard times and will eventually cause your own demise.

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris

-

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection- Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

In any case, if the "industry" is listening, thank you very much for years and years of great fun with your games. I hope many more are to come. I just think that if you do not change your ways you will be in for some really hard times and will eventually cause your own demise.

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris

-

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection-Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

In any case, if the "industry" is listening, thank you very much for years and years of great fun with your games. I hope many more are to come. I just think that if you do not change your ways you will be in for some really hard times and will eventually cause your own demise.

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris

-

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection-Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

In any case, if the "industry" is listening, thank you very much for years and years of great fun with your games. I hope many more are to come. I just think that if you do not change your ways you will be in for some really hard times and will eventually cause your own demise.

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris

I think to truly understand piracy and how to combat it, you must first know your "enemy," second know your "friend," and thirdly know your "customers."

Your Enemy:
Back in 97,99,00 I was a young high school kid with a split up family and really nothing to my name. There was not even the slightest possiblity of making any sort of money for anything besides what I made when I worked with my father during the summers. But that money was used for gas for my truck, spending money for movies and such and then much needed hardware upgrades. In the end I was only able to buy a handfull of games-Diablo,Diablo2,Starcraft, Unreal Tournament and Dues Ex. The rest of the games I had no choice but to either "borrow" from a freind, or to download it off the internet. Let me say this- Back then it wasnt NEARLY as easy as it is nowdays, I was lucky to even complete a download, and if I did it took several days. Then I was lucky if the file wasnt corrupted and that the crack actually worked. The whole time I honestly felt bad about it because Im an honest person, however it was indeed a bit exciting. My only other choice was to not play the game at all. Well, my hobby was computer hardware and gaming so that simply wasnt a choice at the time. I know that isnt much consolation, but If you really want something bad you will find a way to get it. Its not like I was some sort of slouch or lazy douchebag or something, It was simply the only way I could play certain games. Quite honestly if the games had been cheaper I would have stood a much better chance at having my mom cough up a little of her cigarete/wine money to buy a game.
Nowdays It is unbelieveably easy to download large files. Not only because internet speeds are much faster from ISP's, but because the whole proccess has been perfected and automated. Right now...I mean right this second I can go to piratebay pick out a game in the comfort of my own home hit download, watch a movie, come back let bittorrent do its thing, install the game and start playing. I never even had to leave my house and I lost no money whatsoever. If I had been 16 in this time, I would be able to play every single game that came out. The price doesnt matter too much, the "quality" of the game doesnt matter too much, DRM doesnt help at all, it really doesnt matter what you do with that game, if Im 16 and dont have the financial means to play a game Im going to find a way to download it and play it.

How do you stop me?-
You really cant, unless your game cant be cracked and distributed through these torrent sites so easily. If the game was 25$ I could rake the leaves in the neighbors yard for a week and ask mom to take me to the store..and I could buy it.

Your Freind:
Im now 24 years old, have a good job and a wife. I pay my bills, take care of my responsibilities and at the end day, if I have time, I retreat to my good ole computer to play some games and read some reviews and forum posts. I wait impatiently for new titles to come out and I save up for them. I simply cant afford to buy EVERY new came when it comes out, but i do eventually buy them. I now am older and have built up morals and such. I do not believe in stealing at all unless my or my wifes life depends on it. I believe piracy is in-excusable. The disapointing thing is that nowadays the quality of games seems to be going down hill fast so its very hard for me to invest 50-60$ into something that may not be worth it and I CANT GET A REFUND FOR IT.

How do you keep me as your freind?-
The thing is this, and anyone in the industry who is listening, listen well: I WANT to give you my money. Its right here in my bank account, my visa check card is glistening in the light. Just one swipe and your 50$ better off. I WANT to play that game, its going to be great and some fun times are sure to come. I know youve worked hard and the smile on my face will show you your hard work was well worth it all. I support you not only in your bussiness endeavours but in your success. Simply put, you make alot more than me and I would love to have your job if I could do what you do, but I cant. So please, by all means live it up, I wish good things for people and I fight in my own life to achieve those things.

Your Customers-
We are your customers, without us you dont make money, without money your bussiness fails and you all go looking for new jobs. I know what that feels like. Trust me I do. The day, I hope it never happens, that pc gaming and hardware enthusiasm ends a big part of me will die completely. We, you the company and we the customers, live in a symbiance. We both rely on each other. Dont forget this fact. Some of us are low life dirtbags who dont have an honorable intention saved up to save our own life. Some of us are financially in-capable and would LOVE to buy and play your game, but we cant, we SHOULD wait till we have the money but its just soooo easy to download it. Some of us have the money and are more than ready to hand it over for a good quality product well worth it.

How do you keep me as your customer?-
I know every company has bueracratic "policies" and the like, things like six sigma, micromanaging supervisors and eccentric "big wigs" with stupid ideas that annihilate a good thing. Well, guess what, the BEST advice and policy to operate off of is what your customers want:

-Quality- You know what quality is, dont BS. You may be able to buy off a few review sites and make big fancy commercials, but after day one the internet will be filled with so many user reviews and either thumbs up or thumbs down that you wont be able to hide what youve created. We would rather you sh1tcan a failed product than to squeeze it out hoping for first week or "blind" sales.
-Protection-Quite simply we are not only offended but down right pissed off. You may be going " oh its not THAT bad." ummm, thats not the freaking point. Im buying a game that costs half a week of grocieries and Im limited with what I can do with it. wtf man? come on. Also, this stuff doesnt work. It simply fails to do anything at all. The game is cracked and on the internet before you even slap the DRM on it. What is it you think is going happen? The honest people wont give it to thier buddy or family or whatever? Hell thats probably the BEST sort of advertisement when someone lets someone else borrow a game because most of the time they end up buying it. So you are literaly, absolutely,postively ONLY hurting the legitmate buyers. You are in absolutely no way affecting piracy at all.
-Pricing- Now I feel two ways about this. First I believe that we thrive in this capital society and a creator should be able to set whatever price he feels fit for his product. If the customers dont like it, well they dont have to buy it or the creator lowers the price to fit the demand. However! Sometimes you have to ask yourself if enough is enough? Im speaking honestly, I have NO idea how much it costs to make a game, or how much a game makes. But I know for a fact that cutting DRM tactics would offset the lost revenue from pirating. I say lower game prices to 40$ and offer "loyalty" benefits to long time "registered" customers by slashing another 5$ off of titles for loyal customers who have bought previous products consistently. Best buy, lowes, home depot, ford and many other companies already do this. We are you so behind??

To all of my fellow gamers out there, I dont care what situation you are in, we MUST stand together and make it a point to do the right thing. We all know the old saying "you wouldnt steal from corner shop, so why steal off the internet," but it is true. Lets make things better from OUR end by putting forth a big effort to purchase these games. We also need to keep the industry in check by always watching and questioning thier actions.

Thanks,
Chris