General Discussions

I never pirate video games. I only buy 2 or 3 in a year and mostly from the same developers (Grand Theft Auto, Halo, sometimes Need for Speed, Forza), these are games I've played for over a decade and I want to support the people that make them.

I don't pirate movies either. Not because of ethical reasons, I just don't feel to the need too. I see movies in theaters with friends every once in a while, otherwise I watch them on TV. This isn't to say I don't watch pirated movies though, I get movies that friends have downloaded sometimes. In the rare case that I think a movie is really good I'll buy it; I own the Godfather Trilogy, Jurassic Park, Band of Brothers, and the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. I plan on buying The Pacific, Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, and The Kingdom some time this summer.

As for music, I've never bought a CD. Before you could buy songs online I downloaded pirated versions because I only ever liked a couple songs on a CD. When you could buy them online I was already pirating, you're not going to get me to start paying after having me get them free for so long.

TV shows are what I download. Top Gear doesn't air here until months after it originally aired in the UK so I download it the night after it airs. When the DVDs are released I buy them (I own season 10-13 and am going to buy 14 and 15 this summer) and whenever a rerun is on BBC Canada I watch it so I still support them. And since I started university I've downloaded the TV shows I used to watch on TV. I have classes at all times of the day and unlike in highschool you actually have to work to get good marks so I don't have the luxury to schedule life around a TV show. I download them and watch them when I eat lunch and dinner. If they're really good I'll buy the DVDs, I own every season of the Sopranos and half of 24 so far. I'll buy more when I have the money.

I think as long as you buy the actual product and only use the pirated version until you get the money than that makes it a little better. But im still not 100% ok with it.

I keep saying it, too much warez = slow death of the PC.

Just have to look at the last couple of months, not much happening huh :P

Although next month and a bit there is some activity, but then again quiet for months.

Welcome to the PC, where broadband kiddies have killed off the market by stealing games.


As for the "I am trying it out before I buy" excuse many use, a small percentage will do so, but the other 98% won't and just use the excuse to justify the theft.

Here is what the 98% typically do...


OMG its that game I have so been after!!!

*steals game from whatever source*

Installs... Plays a few hours...

*then say to themselves*

"Bahhh I hate this game I am not going to buy it."

*download trainer... play game to end*

Game Stolen complete! Even when hated they played it to the end, wow that game must have sucked >.<

@DABhand
Some have their reasons, and I download to play not to try.

This may be a bit out of line but it sounds like your speaking from experience. (Not necessarily first hand)

How else would you know the mentality of that 98% of people who pirate and say they are just trying?

Because saying so is like saying people like money, food, and sex. It's human nature.

[Edited by SuperSkyline89, 1/6/2011 9:46:01 AM]

You can go out to those sites that give out thousands of cracks and what not and read the comments. You'd be surprised at how many comments for applications and games that have been cracked with comments like:

- The crack doesnt work plz help
- OMG doesnt work waste of time dont upload again
- hey your instructions dont work

In addition, you can look at the seeding and peer to gauge just how many people are downloading one crack by torrent and there's many more sources beyond that. If you can't tell that it's a huge problem then you have some problems seeing the whole pictures.

As for that "98%" thing, he's referring out of the percent that use the excuse "I'm just trying before buying", not the whole deal which is indeed true. People I have met online and in person that use that excuse has yet to buy that game (which statistically for me is 100% don't do what they say).

I admit that I have pirated a few games in the past like StarCraft 1. But then I went out and bought the battlechest and erased the pirated version. I am one of the few that actually does buy the game even if I did have a pirated version.