CaptSyn on 25/9/2008 at 07:17
Game cracks are not entirely illegal, at least not in America, which is why sites like GCW have been around for years without any problems.
Also, it's perfectly legal in America to make 1 copy of anything you own for personal use. In fact it's a written law.
This is where the grey area comes in. Usually, in order to make your legal backup copies, you have to circumvent copy protection, which is illegal. It's a catch 22, but the law really doesn't care, as long as you are doing it for personal use only. Plus, it's not a criminal offense as long as you aren't making money from it. It's only a civil offense, that of violating intellectual property rights.
That's the reason the law doesn't care.
As for not posting links to cracks or sites that host such cracks, that's certainly understandable on a respectable site such as TTLG.
However, cracks do allow you to play your games without causing otherwise needless wear and tear on your optical drive and game disc. There's nothing wrong with using a crack for this reason. Do you really want to risk your precious Thief cds when you don't have to? Of course not.
As for pirating games, sure it's wrong. It is theft after all. But there are a few legitimate reasons for it. Before I state those reasons, let me just say that I'm not trying to start a flame war here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, this is mine. It just so happens that my opinions in this case are actual facts.
1. Not all games have demo versions. In fact most don't, which means the only way you can try before you buy is to find someone who already has the game and play it on their computer, or pirate it. Personally I don't know anyone near me who plays computer games, so that leaves me with one option.
2. Not everyone who pirates games keeps those games. I know several people who will pirate games, then go buy them if they like them. If they don't like a game, they delete it. This also goes for movies, music, apps, etc. I'm one of those people. I've been doing it for 27 years and I'm not going to stop. If there's a game demo available, I'll gladly try it.
Think about it. Do you really want to spend $50 or more on a new game only to find out that it's crap and you can't return it? $20 on a new cd or movie? Of course not, you worked hard for your money and you don't want to get screwed.
3. Copy protection in games has a long history of causing problems, sometimes serious. Starforce anyone? Copy protection is only a problem for those who actually buy games. This is a fact, not my opinion. However, there are always exceptions to this rule. Not everyone will experience problems. With the wide variety of possible hardware and software configurations available, there's no sure way to make a copy protection scheme that not only works, but doesn't cause problems. Personally, I've never had a problem with any copy protection scheme that I can remember.
With that said, it should be known that I don't condone piracy to expand one's collection. That's just outright theft. Piracy to try before you buy is just fine and in fact it should be a person's right to do so.
After all, you don't buy a house sight unseen, or buy a car without driving it first, do you? Do you buy clothes and shoes without trying them on? Of course not. This is no different.
I should point out for those who may not know, that piracy is the reason stores will not give refunds on software, music and movies these days. Long ago they did and it wasn't a problem to go buy something and later return it for a full refund when you found out you didn't like it. I've even had problems returning faulty computer hardware because the idiot customer service clerks were worried that I might have copied the discs that came in the box. Piracy really sucks when it affects you like that.
jtr7 on 25/9/2008 at 07:31
Sure. For all involved, just don't do anything to make matters (perceivably) worse by bragging and sharing or selling and telling others how and there will be no problems, no arguments, no flames, no bannings, heh heh. Also, if a site such as TTLG wishes to remain separated from such activities when legitimacy is in doubt, respect that and go elsewhere (we know there are plenty of other choices for that), or keep it private.
I know what you're saying, but it could be argued that cars and clothes are expected to be tried out first... Software is often not, otherwise they would try harder to get a demo out as a matter of policy--and some demos are like reading the back cover of a book. You go into a dealer or store and you have permission to try the product, and it is encouraged and suggested to you to do so. You are shown the house. That house exists only in one unique location. The pants are not digital copies, nor is the car. You can't copy and paste and burn a disc of your pants and car on a public library computer and have them replicated at home...yet. The great majority of people don't drive the unpurchased car home and keep it for a weekend or a month, nor wear the pants around until you've broken them in before buying them. Normally. And when shoplifters steal clothes, I'm not surprised when there are more cameras installed at my expense, or when the price tags change to my detriment, etc. We all get screwed. Instead of flipping corporations off (no argument from me, in general), we shouldn't shoot ourselves in the foot by defiantly helping the criminals.
Once again, I'm not at all talking about the "Good Guys" and their legitimate purchases, and legitimate inconveniences.
I've never purchased a game that I haven't seen played, or had the demo for. But then...I don't seek new games, get bored of the games I choose, have to have new games. There are ways, but I know quite a few people have to keep buying the latest thing. I'm not one of them, so that's a blindspot for me.
Volca on 25/9/2008 at 08:50
I agree. It is sad that "Intellectual Property" buzzword is a wrapper for such misconceptions and enforcements, but pulling in grey area solutions into internet places you like will not help anyone.
bikerdude on 25/9/2008 at 09:01
The way I see it, if I have paid my hard earned money I will do what I bloody well please with the game. :mad:
Every game I own has a no cd crak installed.. why?
so I DONT have to keep digging out the bloody disc,
so I DONT have to wait for the drive to spin up,
so I DONT have to hear the noise of the drive interfering with my gameplay
and finally so I can keep the disc in mint condition.
biker
kamyk on 25/9/2008 at 09:38
Quote Posted by Bikerdude
The way I see it, if I have paid my hard earned money I will do what I bloody well please with the game. :mad:
Every game I own has a ***** installed.. why?
so I DONT have to keep digging out the bloody disc,
so I DONT have to wait for the drive to spin up,
so I DONT have to hear the noise of the drive interfering with my gameplay
and finally so I can keep the disc in mint condition.
biker
Ditto, but
Quote Posted by jtr7
Corporations often hire or have at least one employee to type key words in a search engine and see what pops up, which is why I'm against posting about this stuff publicly, especially on sites I'm grateful for.
Ditto.
Although if any corporate stalkers actually read this post they'd see our general stance is against pirating...
EmperorSteele on 25/9/2008 at 11:12
Quote Posted by kamyk
Although if any corporate stalkers actually read this post they'd see our general stance is against pirating...
That's right! Down with pirates! We're NINJAS!
Well, thieves... close enough.
...but not THOSE kinds of thieves!
... >_>
<_<
>_>
bobber on 25/9/2008 at 18:37
Quote Posted by EmperorSteele
That's right! Down with pirates! We're NINJAS!
Well, thieves... close enough.
...but not THOSE kinds of thieves!
... >_>
<_<
>_>
Funny! :cheeky: :thumb:
Xenith on 25/9/2008 at 19:20
I can think of at least one more reason why pirated games and other such entertaining devices are very popular; it's the simple fact that they are way too expensive for some people (me including). I can't say I don't have enoyugh money to feed myself, but I can say that things like legal original game disks are so darn expensive it just makes you want to drop a nuclear bomb on all the people that put the prices on them. Just to name a few that would be the equivalent in dollars: Stalker - Clear Sky 100$, Crysys about the same though it dropped now to like 90$, Jericho, same stuff; and the fact is some of these games should have already had their prices lowered to oh say 50% of the current one (and it would still be too much, 40$ for Dreamfall???).
Obviously you're going to have a hard time believing me, but I'll be honest and say that the only legally owned games I have are the ones I received as gifts and I only received two gifts like that.
Now with all the stuff that seems to come out every day (games that seem to pop out when you least expect them) and with prices being so incredible, what's a guy suposed to do? I'm not going to stop playing games because I don't have the cash to pay for them and I'm certainly not going to start working day and night just to save some money so that I can get Mass Effect or The Witcher or FEAR 2 and be happy that I have a cd which has engravings on it and flashy lights that say it's original.
Movies and music... well movies I don't need I can get enough crap on tv... and music I buy from time to time because those are at least at a fair price.
About cracks, I can only say that whoever is taking time to make them must be just as annoyed as me, though from different reasons. Or maybe they just feel good, I don't know. Sure it's a bit "erm... cracks you say :erm: " when talking on forums, but that's why there are... specialized sites... for things like that. Also, some games don't need a modified executable. Thief comes especially into my mind since you can simply edit a file with notepad and get rid of any cd protection checks without even touching the .exe file or anything too important.
Anyway... that's enough rant for me I think.
EDIT: Taken out the bad stuff. Sorry, frustration got to me.
van HellSing on 25/9/2008 at 19:51
Xenith: typical.
You want to play a game, but it's too expensive. So you pirate it.
You want to own a sports car, but it's too expensive. So do you steal it?
I used to pirate games when I was younger. Since I started working, I buy games. Feels hell of a lot better.
Xenith on 25/9/2008 at 19:58
It's not the same thing, comparing other things like a car to something simple as a game. A car is usefull because you travel with it. It's worth to pay the money for it because it's an object that others can admire too. Games are not tangible and neither are movies and neither is music. My point was different anyway. Piracy is here because of the things like prices (in my case) and things like overhyped artists/game developer/movie producers/etc.
Of course you can't have any movie be as good as the last, but at least don't charge an arm and a leg for it.
Also, just out of curiosity, what exactly makes you feel better of buying a game? Besides the multiplayer part (of which I don't really look for in any game) I don't see what "pleasure" it can bring. Showing off the box? No thank you.
I'm not for piracy, but when I look at the greedy idiots that charge more than they should for something, I don't really think twice about finding the product somewhere else.
