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txa1265
Magister of the Light
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 390
Location: Marlborough, MA USA |
quote:
Originally posted by Dhruin
Still, I don't think it's as simple as you make it sound...how does someone in those circumstances afford the sort of rig that plays Doom 3, HL2, FEAR...or Oblivion? They still pirate because they can...as Gorath says, that saves money for other things that can't be pirated. If piracy was impossible, it would be interesting to see the priorities.
I have two thoughts on this, based on previous discussions all over.
- I have no tolerance for people who, like me, are quite affluent and pirate stuff (music, games, movies, etc) for no good reason. I had a friend of my older son's give him a CD copy (which was warez'd) of the first Harry Potter PC game for a birthday a few years ago ... I had a chat with the dad. There wass no reason - they are quite wealthy enough ... I mean, a $20 game!??!
- I recall a discussion involving people in southeast asia - I think it was Thailand or Indonesia. They were talking about game prices and piracy, and much of their point was along the lines of Dani's - relative pricing compared to income was completely out of whack compared to western countries. I came to the same conclusion - i thought I had the QED that the cost for a computer to run current high-spec games that get pirated heavily would be out of reach for such a person. What I was told was that the pricing on computers capable of gaming was actually relatively much lower in those countries - so that while a AAA FPS game here might cost 1/80 of the price of a system to play it, over there it is more like 1/6, making the computer the most sensible part. Of course, that doesn't make it right, it just provides perspective.
Mike
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Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:22 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
In my opinion, there is never any reason that can ever justify taking what is not yours without giving just compensation.
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:12 pm |
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Arma
Mysterious Lady
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 1230
Location: in the middle of hell |
OK, Val, but what if you were in someone else's situation? For example in my country the average salary is about 100 euro's but most games still retail at about 35-40? And I mean PC titles, console titles come (if ever) at about 60.Would you pay half or more your montly pay for a game, when you can barely pay your montly bills and have barely money for the most basic needs?
To further the situation, most titles are distributed by a single company that is the local parther of most major publisher, rarely makes discounts, titles that have been localized to broaden the market are less than 5 (and I am not kidding) and of those there is only 1 title that was localized on time with the international release date. In recent years there has been a small improvement (there is a company that localizes and distributes at a more acceptible price some titles like Spells of Gold, Eschalon and other similar Russian titles, but there has been a stall in those as well), but the situation at all is far from looking good with or without all the talk of us being made a member of the EU by 2007. |
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:56 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
You are asking the wrong questions. Your question should be: How much is your personal integrity worth to you?
Has everyone become so impatient that they have forgotten the concept of honor? Of honesty? Of morality? Of being fair? Of doing what is right no matter what others say or what lame excuses they come up with?
Have people really become that selfish?
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Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
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Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:24 pm |
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X-dANGEr
Unknown Destiny
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 2383
Location: The X place |
quote:
Originally posted by Val
Doing what is right no matter what others say or what lame excuses they come up with?
What lame excuses? If these people had money I'm sure they'd be the first to buy the games.. They just don't. Unless you mean that they should starve themselves to get a game to play (That will propably have many bugs that will put them down on their first try to play it), which is really not good in anyway.. I'm sure this kind of people do know what's honesty, but 'need' outcasts it in some situations. Not that 'Video Games' are a need, but it won't matter wheather they play it for free or not, in both cases, they don't have the money to buy it. So maybe it should be considered charity rather than piracy for the kind of people who don't have the money.
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:08 am |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
@X-dANGEr
Of course it is a lame excuse. These people shouldn't starve themselves and buy a game. If they don't have the money, they can't buy the game. There are many things I cannot buy because I don't have enough money. And I even want some of them.
The problem with me, Val and such is that we actually have enough money to buy games. So our talks about moral integrity may be seen as bit unproved.
Yet, I have some experience with that. I cannot buy all the games I want. See, my initial argument was that there are countries where the games are very expensive in comparison with salaries. My country is on its way out of the group of poor countries, so the situation is not that terrible here and is improving. Yet, I have rule for my self - one game per 3 months, no more. That's why I missed X2, Dungeon Lords and such. I cannot have every game I would like to try out. |
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:22 am |
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X-dANGEr
Unknown Destiny
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 2383
Location: The X place |
My point stands in this sentence:
What harm will it do if they pirate the game or not? At all costs, they can't afford it, so their is no money flowing to the company either ways.
Not that I agree to it, but I also can find no sollution for it. A little 12 years old boy wants to buy a Video Game, he asks his dad who BTW only have a $150 sallery. Substracting half of that for the rent of the house, and left of it hardly being enough to support a 5 persons family with food, and paying bills..
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:27 am |
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Provok
Keeper of the Gates
Joined: 04 Feb 2006
Posts: 105
Location: North of The River |
This debate will not come to an end. Both sides have good arguments, but neither of them has a good solution. I, for one, am on x-dANGEr's side, but also agree with Danicek's opinions.
I say we call it an end, or, if you want, this will continue for another 20 pages as more and more people join in. |
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:55 am |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
I'm referring to the lame excuses that people keep giving to justify their theft of of someone else's property. Excuses like the ones you just gave. No one needs a video game. You will not die without it. You don't need to play. I can't always afford games, so I wait. I practice something that people call patience. Perhaps you've heard of it? Prices on everything eventually drop as supply begins to outweigh demand. That's when I make my purchases. I'm also able to avoid the duds that way.
Pirating video games is greedy and selfish and no lies that you tell yourself will ever make it otherwise. Try being completely honest with yourself, for once. Stealing it simply because you haven't got the money to pay for it does not justify your actions.
Get a job. Recycle bottles. Deliver newspapers. Earn your own money and buy it yourself when the price drops. Ask for it on your birthday. Each of those is an honorable choice. Each of those choices is worthy of respect. Stealing it is criminal and is worthy of nothing but society's contempt.
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Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:40 pm |
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X-dANGEr
Unknown Destiny
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 2383
Location: The X place |
I'm not justifying. I'm saying that reducing the price for such countries would make more sales..
Can it be done so the price of a Video game is based on the average sallery of a person in that country. So, in Europe, it'd be the same as now. In Asia, way less (Not all Asia..). This way, the company will earn extra sales to their already granted ones. You can't purchase the game in Asia and sell it in Europe (As a merchant), though you can travel to Asia and pick up a copy of a game you like (Costing you more), and if someone in Europe wants to buy a copy from Asia, the shipping fees will composenate the low price, so he'd prefair buying it from a local store..
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Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:17 pm |
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Arma
Mysterious Lady
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 1230
Location: in the middle of hell |
Yes, Val. People round here have forgotten all their honor. When you are virtually made to work at a shop when you have 1 or 2 university degrees for minimum salary you tend to lose honor. |
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Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:57 pm |
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X-dANGEr
Unknown Destiny
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 2383
Location: The X place |
It's easy to talk about things when you aren't living them. Like some nation is in war, and you say 'Where is the honur? Why don't these people fight for their country?'
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Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:44 pm |
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NidPuterGuy
Fearless Paladin
Joined: 08 Jan 2003
Posts: 237
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| This is a grey area at best.. |
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We are talking about pirating games, not stealing at gunpoint, engaging in illegal wars or murder. Everyone engages in some mildly dishonest behaviour occasionally. If someone steals the occasional game they aren't going to "gaming hell" LOL! As far as poor people stealing games I don't have a problem with it. The game companies wouldn't get the money anyways. And if they produce a good game those same people will be buying games from them in the future. Game prices are way to high also. Lower the price and sell more units. A lot of people like me just wait until they are in the bargain bin because they cost to much. One huge problem is game quality. Most games are not worth owning. Increase quality and people wont' be scared to drop their hard earned money on a game. At best it's a gamble right now. |
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Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:37 pm |
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