Why do PC game companies still have a problem with piracy? (1 Viewer)

[Redbot]

I'm sure you've all read how PC gaming is hurting these days, with the top issue being piracy. The most recent example, THQ's Michael Fitch on what killed Iron Lore Entertainment.

Two, the numbers on piracy are really astonishing. The research I've seen pegs the piracy rate at between 70-85% on PC in the US, 90%+ in Europe, off the charts in Asia. I didn't believe it at first. It seemed way too high. Then I saw that Bioshock was selling 5 to 1 on console vs. PC. And Call of Duty 4 was selling 10 to 1. These are hardcore games, shooters, classic PC audience stuff. Given the difference in install base, I can't believe that there's that big of a difference in who played these games, but I guess there can be in who actually payed for them.

Let's dig a little deeper there. So, if 90% of your audience is stealing your game, even if you got a little bit more, say 10% of that audience to change their ways and pony up, what's the difference in income? Just about double. That's right, double. That's easily the difference between commercial failure and success. That's definitely the difference between doing okay and founding a lasting franchise. Even if you cut that down to 1% - 1 out of every hundred people who are pirating the game - who would actually buy the game, that's still a 10% increase in revenue. Again, that's big enough to make the difference between breaking even and making a profit.

Titan Quest did okay. We didn't lose money on it. But if even a tiny fraction of the people who pirated the game had actually spent some god-damn money for their 40+ hours of entertainment, things could have been very different today. You can bitch all you want about how piracy is your god-given right, and none of it matters anyway because you can't change how people behave... whatever. Some really good people made a seriously good game, and they might still be in business if piracy weren't so rampant on the PC. That's a fact.

Last I checked, Everquest's piracy rates weren't near 70%. I never heard of anyone stealing City of Heroes. Everyone with a PC has a retail copy of WoW, even if they only played a month.

Why don't other games follow the success of MMORPG's, and make a substantial portion of the game server-side? Even if it's single player. I don't believe anyone with a video card good enough to run Bioshock, Crysis or Sins of a Solar Empire lacks an internet connection.

Am I missing something here? Obviously it won't stop piracy, but it could knock it down to console-type levels. So why aren't companies doing this?

 

[Siddin]

What the author apparently doesn't say is that those playing online have to have a legal copy because of the cd-key. Why? because the likelihood of creating a valid cd-key for online use its almost nil. So, those that are pirating the game either need it a: for the cd because they lost theirs and need to burn a new one to play. or usually b: because they want to play the single player version and not play online.

Yes, if they followed mmo's where even to play single player you'd have to connect online it would reduce the piracy. Unfortunately there are programs out there (i know, i've done it myself) which will detour the connection to the server to the hacking program and as such will prevent the need to have a cd-key for single player use.

Why aren't console-type levels as high? simple, its easier to buy the game than use something like swap magic and play around with the cd until you can get it to work. And of course cartridge games, well you can't really pirate them very well unless you consider an emulator, but then its still not the same as playing on the console.

 

[The Squealing Fairy]

The author fails to note that Bioshock is a very graphics-intensive game and was the first PC game that had DX10 enabled, which most PCs did not have on its release.

It's more cost-effective to purchase it at $59 for a console than to pay the $59 plus $500 cost for a new GE Force 8800 series card because at the time, they didn't have the lower cost 8800 out on the market.

 

[Ripperjack]

GE Force 8800 series card

GE you say? Humm... how interesting. I've heard of the GT, GTS and GTX but not the GE. Must be a super special, limited edition, one-off, not available to the public model... just like my virginity!

 

[darkeros]

GE you say? Humm... how interesting. I've heard of the GT, GTS and GTX but not the GE. Must be a super special, limited edition, one-off, not available to the public model... just like my virginity!

What about the ULTRA? :p

 

[Redbot]

The author fails to note that Bioshock is a very graphics-intensive game and was the first PC game that had DX10 enabled, which most PCs did not have on its release.

It's more cost-effective to purchase it at $59 for a console than to pay the $59 plus $500 cost for a new GE Force 8800 series card because at the time, they didn't have the lower cost 8800 out on the market.

Good analysis.

Also interesting, Crysis has sold over 1 million copies and is a huge success.

 

[Jmo]

Titan Quest did okay. We didn't lose money on it. But if even a tiny fraction of the people who pirated the game had actually spent some god-damn money for their 40+ hours of entertainment, things could have been very different today. You can bitch all you want about how piracy is your god-given right, and none of it matters anyway because you can't change how people behave... whatever. Some really good people made a seriously good game, and they might still be in business if piracy weren't so rampant on the PC. That's a fact.

Also interesting, Crysis has sold over 1 million copies and is a huge success.

Not to mention he bases his facts mostly on Titan Quest, which was a horrible game with lackluster reviews. Of course it didn't sell a lot of copies. And he even says "we didn't lose money" which is basically saying the game made what it should have based on the quality and content. It looks like he's just trying to point fingers in other directions instead of where they really should go: himself and the other TQ creators. If they had made a groundbreaking game and then had to shut down, that would be one thing. What they made was a piece of crap as a last ditch effort and failed and are now blaming it on Piracy.

 

[Jan]

Why don't other games follow the success of MMORPG's, and make a substantial portion of the game server-side? Even if it's single player.

Because it's a terrible idea. If you want to make the game "server-side" as you say, either you put the content there, which will require humongous downloads, either you host the game state there, which will require extensive server architecture, programming the game around a client-server model when it's obviously not necessary, and introduce lag from network latency. In a single player game.

The closest thing to what you're describing is Steam, and even they let you use your content offline.

The author fails to note that Bioshock is a very graphics-intensive game and was the first PC game that had DX10 enabled, which most PCs did not have on its release.

Also, it had a horribly restrictive copy protection system which required users to be connected to the Internet and activate based through their servers based on PC hardware, like Windows. While for the most part it ran smoothly, there were a good amount of problems for others who reinstalled the game and found they couldn't "activate" it anymore. All in all, the following debacle resulted in having to release a tool to "free" up an installation.

Not to mention he bases his facts mostly on Titan Quest, which was a horrible game with lackluster reviews.

What?

It's a good game and an obvious Diablo clone, but worth getting if that's what you're getting for. Trying to tone it down as mediocre only makes you as big a drama queen as this developer attacking piracy.

 

[Jmo]

It's a good game and an obvious Diablo clone, but worth getting if that's what you're getting for. Trying to tone it down as mediocre only makes you as big a drama queen as this developer attacking piracy.

You are correct. I take back my statement. After reading that article I figured out the entire time I was thinking of "Two Worlds." Completely my fault and I apologize to anyone I may have upset with my comments about TQ.

 

[Ripperjack]

I was thinking of "Two Worlds."

Yes, games like that ARE the reason why piracy exists.

You install the game, fire it up and scream "I paid $100 for this piece of CRAP!!"

Now, before you say anything, I was referring to Australian dollars. Games here easily run over $100 AUD each... and Microsoft wonders why there is so much rampant piracy here. :mad: