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Don't ya just hate it when... a an extremely easy way to communicate your displeasure with your computer or the PC environment pertaining to the interweb.


Don't ya just hate it when you spend 3 weeks on Kazaa trying to download a file, then you get the file, and it's not the file you wanted.

Let's say someone was downloading Sim City 4, a very nice piece of software. Then when he wakes up in the morning, he finds that he did not get Sim City 4, but just a big steaming pile of MOH:AA. Now, not dissing MOH:AA, but I already have it. So, this makes me sad

Well, not that I condone that kind of behavior, but I've known this to happen as well. Why people take the time to change the file name, then let you download it from their computer, is totally beyond me. Or if a given person accidentally downloaded the wrong file, why would you continue to share it? Another way a lamer can be a lamer, I guess.

I'd consider downloading games ok if its on a trial basis (i.e. try before you buy), but the world is not a perfect place, as we all know .

Well, I have never been a big fan of the sim city series but they make it out to be quite an improvement. Most of the games that I download are downloaded because I don't want them for more then a day or so to test out. OR for when we play a game at a LAN party and thats the only time I play the game.

Yeah, I fucking hate it when that happens Juan, you spend hours waiting for something to download and then when you open it, it turns out some cockmonger has renamed the file.... although, when what I download turns out to be lesbian pron.. well, I usually can see it fit to forgive.

Also, for the most part, games I download only get very little use... There are some exceptions.. But we (me and Juan) have to wear our Pirate name (and Hat and eye patch) with pride!

<insert PA comic involving Doom 3 and lesbians here>

But seriously folks, I've actually never had a problem with downloading stuff of kazaa and it turns out to be something else...Porn is almost ALWAYS labled "porn" or "pr0n".

I can't say I've ever downloaded any software off kazaa. Mabey thats cause my comp sucks. Anyways I don't think downloading games is that wrong. Atleast if they are pretty old.

Downloading a game for a dead system (E.g. Dreamcast) prolly does not hurt the industry much.

Downloading a game for a current gen system (GCN, Ps2, Xbox, and PC) does hurt the industry. Games that are downloaded will lose sales, and no games similar to it will be made. Executives don't lose money, they simply adapt. If they lose money on one thing, they simply change, or fire the person that made the weak selling product. Downloading a game is similar to voting to fire the artist that made it, and saying you do not want any more like it.

I honestly believe in the position that for the most part it doesn't hurt the industry. I buy just as many games for PC now then I did before Broadband made it easy to pirate them. In most cases I either download the game to try it, or I download a game that I have no intention on buying

Yeah, most of the games I download I have absolutly no intention of buying either.

Downloading Games hurts the market..

But what many people don't think about is
buying used games hurts the market just as much.And for that matter RENTING games hurts the market.

The market is driven by sales.
The company making the product only gets money when
the product is SOLD (only the 1st time it is sold..)
So if you buy that gently used copy of ZELDA: the wind waker from
your local Blockbuster you are hurting Nintendo's sales.

If you rent a game and decide not to buy it
you are hurting the market.

The market is driven by sales..

I know you are thinking right now "hey wait a minute..I have rented games and then gone out and bought it." That maybe true but what is the percentage of games rented to games rented and then bought ratio...Pretty low I would think.

The market is driven by sales..

It is all a matter of where you draw the line in the sand.

I have been guilty of all of the following at one time
-buying a game
-buying a used game
-renting a game and not buying it
-buying "burned" games
-downloading games
-buying import games
-borrowing a friends game
-selling a used game
-trading games

Am I proud of these things..no
Just saying it is all a matter of perspective..

Where do you draw a line in the sand?

I don't think it is true that buying used games hurts the market nearly as much, if at all. For one thing if you buy used the company has gotten the money for one game. Also not everyone buys used. For on thing it takes a while before for most games to turn up used which means lots of people had to buy it new first. Also a company will price a game so that they are most likely going to make money off it.

Renting games also doesn't really hurt sales. Video stores have to buy many copies of each of the games. Also I think people buy after renting more then you think. Most people I know either rent games they want to test out or just to play once then ever again.

Buying burned games is very wrong. Burning games is one thing but to try to make money off it is wrong. Also burning games that are still easy to find on the market is wrong. All the DC games I burned are hard to find.

downloading games hurts the market if your not planning on just testing the game then getting rid of it. Frankly I don't play PC games often so I don't download them.

Buying Import Games doesn't hurt the market in any way. If anything it helps the market cause I shows that there is strong interest such games.

Borrowing doesn't hurt it the market. Its like renting the game. Its normally just a test.

Selling a used game also doesn't hurt the market. If you sell it to a store it gets resold helping a business if you sell it to a friend it still doesn't hurt anything.

Trading games isn't bad either because those games were purchased at sometime. The company that made them still got money...not as much they are still going to turn a profit.

Im sorry, but I would have to agree that buying used games hurts the market, just to a much lesser extent than piracy. The executives look at the sales of their game, and when someone buys a used game, it effectively cuts it in half. They only register the one buy, and see nothing of the used one.

Renting is something that prolly hurts the industry is well. Its great if you try before you buy, but most of the people I know do it as an excuse not to buy it.

Juan the Pirate wrote:I honestly believe in the position that for the most part it doesn't hurt the industry.

I used to completely agree with you. What's the harm in downloading a game to try it out and then buy it? Well, not many do that. Just from looking around at forums and things; people think they are just suckering the big evil corporations of money. When in actuallity their hurting the entire industry. It would be great if people would only do that as a try before you buy basis. But, I sincerely doubt the majority do it. Obviously, if you download a game you have no intention of buying, it won't hurt anything. But, what's to say you will buy it if you like it. Sure, we can say we would. But, what happens when we go to the store and that new thing looks better and costs the same price. Will we buy the thing we have at home simply to help the artform we so love, or will we give into the temptation. The majority will go with the second. That is why the mass use and ease of piracy (Kazaa) is slightly stirring. A dumbass can open up Kazaa and type in "Grand Theft Auto" and most likely get it.

Its one of those things that is great in theory. The ability to try out any game, before you buy it. Yay! Like anything, people will abuse it. Especuially with no form of regulation. Nintendo already loses somewhere in the billions of $$'s per year on piracy.

One thing I thought about is the whole SEGA thing. I have no idea if they lose an amount even close to Nintendo's, but if they do, it seems that money could be of help now. A few billion $'s may go a long way in paying off their debt, and might have avoided this whole buyout/merger crap that is going on. Other things have contributed to this, as well. Just interesting to think if they have had a large piracy problem; what would have happened if they hadn't?

EvilMagicPirate wrote:Yeah, most of the games I download I have absolutly no intention of buying either.

While we're on the subject... I'd just like to know what makes a game unworthy of a purchase, but worth hours of download. To buy a game is to basically ask for more.. Do you not like the game you are downloading, and you want no more? Or is it just easier?

I disagree with the statements about Renting 'hurting' the industry... I'd say any hurt it does is not really significant.. and it would be atleast canceled out buy 'try-then-buy' type sales.
[quote=Break]
I'd just like to know what makes a game unworthy of a purchase, but worth hours of download. To buy a game is to basically ask for more.. Do you not like the game you are downloading, and you want no more? Or is it just easier? [/quote]

If I had the money to spare, I would buy the games.. But right now Im lucky if my yearly income reaches the 3-figures mark.. On another note, the last two Games I pirated (freelancer and MOO3), I were pretty good, but as such I've only invested about 6 hours in each game. If there was a decent system in place to rent PC-games, then I would probably use it, I'd be willing to pay $3.99-$5 to rent a game.. it would be easier than downloading it, and atleast the developers can make some Cash.[/quote]

I think we're both right. It is much better than downloading, but not as good as buying. Its prolly right in the middle with buying used games.

The thing I've been thinking about recently, with gamer's ethics, is if its ok to steal something, just because you don't have the money to buy it. One day I think one way, one day I think the other. What do you guys think?

To me, when it comes to digital entertainment, I don't think twice about pirating it. If my hdd were to crash right now, I would not weep over all the movies/games/music I lose. It's a matter of boredom, I get bored so I download stuff, watch it, and that's that. If I didn't have that entertainment I would do something else, not spend money on it. My money usually goes toward food, clothing, and females. The occasional game, but it has to be really interesting.