jc100
join:2002-04-10
1 edit | Must be a slow news day
Wasn't this to be expected. Next up, the Business Software Alliance (BSA). These companies will sue their customers into poverty, if they could. I think these days people often download just to say I did, more so the need to. Sometimes pissing everyone off, serves to alienate the rest. There's something called a moderate stance on things. Maybe these guys should learn that. The heavy handed technique doesn't win you friends or supporters. It just makes everyone mad and despise your methodology. |
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BIGMIKE
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Westminster, CA
| Game Developer Asks To Hear From Pirates
"Indie game developer Cliff Harris has long waged war against games piracy, but has issued a call to pirates to tell him why he is wrong. Assuming that developers are missing out on potential sales from disgruntled pirates, Cliff wants to hear specifically from people who have pirated his games. Not to criticize or lecture them, but to answer a simple question. Why? The reasons people give for copyright infringement/piracy are many and varied, but much of the debate has centred around music and movies, with big 'Triple-A' games an occasional consideration. With specific application to the world of small budget 'indie' games like those Cliff makes, he wants to know the thought processes behind people pirating the games. What puts people off buying? Is it quality, cost, DRM, ease of access? Is there anything that can be done to convert those people to buyers? While many pirates often make good general points about the reasons for the widespread pirating of PC games, it's unusual to get a chance to address specific developers with specific reasons. If you knew 100% that the developer would read your email explaining why you pirated their game, what would you say? »yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=···from=rss |
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jc100
join:2002-04-10
2 edits | I'm not an avid gamer, but I HAVE bought several games in past. Star Craft, Counter Strike, Counter Strike Source, War Craft, etc. I have also bought loads of software too. Yet, my persona; opinion on why I've also downloaded stuff is as follows. I get sick of the price gauging that often takes place for software and games. I know their are development costs and people to pay, but let's be realistic. Companies often OVERLY INFLATE items. Look at a music CD. Most have 1 or 2 good songs, but are 20 dollars. Why do you think people now are wiling to go to the buy per song model? Itunes is a MEGA HIT.
People want to buy what they like, and not be gauged for excess. Personally, I'll tell you where I do buy from for games, Valve. Steam has got the right idea about Downloading Games for 10 or 20 dollars. Why is this smart, well I got the game On my computer and don't have to pay for the packaging, distribution, and cost of a hard copy. This cuts the price in half or more on a lot of things. Sure, I think Valve needs to chop more off the actual price for some stuff bought online. I mean, you aren't given a hard copy and the perks as said above. Still, they are migrating to the right Mindset. Tailor to the needs of customers, and cut out the frivilous crap, and you get people to spend money. |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| reply to jc100
games are generally the rare software that is worth its price. MS has no need to charge $300 for windows and $400 for office, they do because they can. same as Adobe charging over a grand for much of theirs(i bet photoshop piracy would greatly decline if it where sold for 49.95 at bestbuy).
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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jc100
join:2002-04-10 | Agreed. Hell Maya Unlimited is 10,000 dollars! I mean really? Software that costs as much as a Car? |
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jester121
Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL | If it's used to do animations for multi-million dollar grossing movies, and it's the best software for the job, why not charge as much as they can? |
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jc100
join:2002-04-10
| Well that's my point. It's price gouging. I'm not for once going to say your average person spends 10,000 on Maya. Still, just because it has the potential to animate a great movie, doesn't mean one should charge an arm and a leg. A car has the potential to drive around the world and get prob 3 or 400,000 miles if kept up. Should a dealer charge you based on the possible usage of the car versus the actual value? |
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kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY
 ·T-Mobile US
1 edit | reply to BIGMIKE
You mean his asking what to do after they have removed the fuckin' DRMs, rootkits and all the fuckin crap a rightful owner has to put up with???
Tell him fuck off, along with all the worthless BS crap EA and all the mega-giga-corps throw out yearly - and that he needs to talk to cookie-crunching fat@ss but smartie Newell and look at Steam, the convenience they offer and then take 50% off of any current AAA-title's pricetag and then people might will consider buying his games.
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Nodal
join:2008-08-25
West Warwick, RI | reply to jc100
Re: Must be a slow news day
The actual value is whatever someone will pay for it. |
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Necronomikro
join:2005-09-01
2 edits | reply to BIGMIKE
said by BIGMIKE  :Game Developer Asks To Hear From Pirates "Indie game developer Cliff Harris has long waged war against games piracy, but has issued a call to pirates to tell him why he is wrong. Assuming that developers are missing out on potential sales from disgruntled pirates, Cliff wants to hear specifically from people who have pirated his games. Not to criticize or lecture them, but to answer a simple question. Why? The reasons people give for copyright infringement/piracy are many and varied, but much of the debate has centred around music and movies, with big 'Triple-A' games an occasional consideration. With specific application to the world of small budget 'indie' games like those Cliff makes, he wants to know the thought processes behind people pirating the games. What puts people off buying? Is it quality, cost, DRM, ease of access? Is there anything that can be done to convert those people to buyers? While many pirates often make good general points about the reasons for the widespread pirating of PC games, it's unusual to get a chance to address specific developers with specific reasons. If you knew 100% that the developer would read your email explaining why you pirated their game, what would you say? »yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=···from=rss I recently re-purchased a couple of blizzard titles via their download store, and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of DRM in the new version. No copy protection, just the requirement of having a key to play on their servers. That works for me. (I, in fact, mostly play it lan or single-player).
For smaller companies, if I download it, its often due lack of availability of the game.
I prefer to download the games, and will sometimes pay for the download (a la steam, or blizzard's new download store).
So, my response? Allow for downloads of your game, direct distribution, and don't charge more for the download than it costs in a store. |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| reply to jc100
those two stores are good examples of how downloads should work, the store remembers what you own and even the loss of an HDD you can still go back and get the games you buy for free and not have to buy new downloads.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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jc100
join:2002-04-10
| reply to Nodal
Apparently, that's the problem. Too many people ARE NOT willing to pay and would rather steal such things. Youll never rid yourself of piracy, but you can make things within reason so that most will go out and buy. Owning an original copy is much better than a pirated one which often doesn't work fully or needs constant patching. |
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jc100
join:2002-04-10
| reply to Kearnstd
Exactly. Not to mention, the costs are much less or should be to the Customer and Company. They don't
A) Have to pay for the printed manuals and CDS
B) Have the costs and percentage loss associated with selling at a store.
C) Are the direct retailers and can keep track of your purchases, in case of a hardware failure. A bad CD or broken CD aren't a worry.
The only conceivable downside to downloading legally is if the company is a small one where one risks losing access to the game he / she purchased if it were to fold. |
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