Why People Pirate Video Games

For such an important topic, it’s a shame that we can’t ever seem to have a real discussion about video game piracy. Any attempt normally goes down like this...

[yarbie1000]

Cause they don't wanna pay

[mikeslemonade]

I have a problem with the people that already have money and they still penny push.

[ShaunCameron]

Not just that, but also they think they're entitled to something even if the person/company that owns that something is well within his/their right not to give it to them.

[GreetingsfromCanada]

They're dicks

[INTOmyMOUTH]

Or they're from Canada?

[ShaunCameron]

LOL

I can agree. A lot of Canadians are jealous of the great prices and greater selection America has to offer. It figures why they go to great lengths to get access to the American market.

[mxguy93]

Most excuses are because of money, but you can afford a pc to play those pirated game? Yea sure you can't afford those games. Smh

[DarkBlood]

Well that sounds like one way or the other the way thats worded

[Somebody]

I used to pirate because legit copies for PC games weren't sold in my place. Even today there's very few places near me(the nearest one is in city 3 hours away) that sell them. Legit console games however are in abundance thanks to the last and current gen's hard to crack DRM but they are very expensive.

Steam made everything much more convenient to be a legit buyer. Last year I nearly went back to piracy for one brief moment because Metal Gear Revengeance was banned from my region(strangely enough the console version released earlier was not banned) but I perished the thought.

[filipakos]

Collecting money for months to build a decent gaming pc never occured to you? Its not like most people that have a gaming pc are "rich". Especially if you are a univercity student like me.I buy only games i think its worth it even though i want to play everything. I like to play games but i dont have the money at the moment to buy them all.

[SunnyZ]

I only pirate games because I like to try before I buy.
Back in the 90's we had these things called game magazines, with each magazine you had a 'free' demo disk, which had up to 10 demo games on it. These mags came out each month.

You installed these demo games and played the 'demo' of the game. If you liked the game, you bought the full copy.

Now days demos are not handed out, you are just supposed to trust that the developer put every ounce of effort into making the game so that it would run on your system.

So I only pirate to test the game out before I buy it.

Simple as that.

[KosherNostra]

A thief should just admit he's a thief. You wannna steal something, fine, steal it. But don't give me this horsecrap reasoning, "I wanted to try it out, first"; or, "this game isn't available where I live".
A contract is an agreement between TWO PARTIES. If the developer/publisher didn't agree for you to download the game, it doesn't matter what your reasons are, you gotta pay.

[IrishSt0ner]

If I download a copy of Witcher 3 without paying and the copy has no DRM, am I a thief? (CDPR even refers to these non-paid downloads as pirating, but still NO DRM).

[KosherNostra]

If you leave a store with something you didn't pay for, and no one sees you, is it still theft? Of course it is.

[IrishSt0ner]

It's more akin to a store with the motto: if you can't afford this food take some for free, and please if you enjoy the food give us what you can.

I'll quote CDPR:

"For some people, piracy, it's in a way trying the games because...some people treat it [like] some kind of a trial. Some people just cannot afford it in the full price. And ultimately, I believe that if we treat these people right, then at some point, be it mid-price or maybe budget, they will go out and buy our game"

So you may see it as theft, CDPR does not, and a court of law would not deem it theft as the owner doesn't treat it that way.

Most piracy is wrong, however I was trying to illustrate to you that infact it's not black and white, copying content is not actually theft in some cases (nor is it morally wrong), but of course it's near impoosible to change ones indoctrination and preconceived notions.

[KosherNostra]

Oy, the denial is strong in this one. Okay, repeat after me: "I am a thief. I take what I have not paid for. I will not rationalize stealing."
Look, I'm not being moralistic on this, just logical. If you steal, own up to it.

[IrishSt0ner]

I suggest you take a refresher course on English literature to improve your reading comprehension.

At no point did I insinuate that I actually pirate any content, I pay for all my games. So....

I am not a thief. I do not take what I have not paid for. I do not rationalise stealing.

Speaking to logic.. this developer said it's okay to pirate (even facilitating it with no DRM) with the hope you will one day buy thier game, a court of law can not convict you of theft due to this, yet you still think it's stealing? That is not a logical position when the developer and the law are contradicting your position, now is it?

I, of course, agree that someone taking something without permission is theft, but you're failing to realise there is a grey area with digital content and sharing.

In the simplest possible terms not all 'Piracy' is theft, there are plenty more real world examples of this... copying certain content would be deemed 'piracy' but not theft by law.

I hope you don't misinterpret a third time, wishful thinking I know!

[dreamed]

Its not what you steal,its who you steal it from.....old lady's in the street...no.no...big corporation fair game!!...

[DualWielding]

great article

[KryptoniteTail]

Different reasons for different people. I have done it because I am poor, so they aren't getting my money either way so it's no loss to them, I just get to play the game. If I actually have any spending money then I actually buy them instead.