http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pir ... 08-081204/Top 10 Most Pirated Games of 2008
Written by Ernesto on December 04, 2008
As 2008 is slowly moving toward its end, we start taking a look at the most pirated titles in various categories. First up are games. As expected, Spore is by far the most downloaded game on BitTorrent, in part thanks to the DRM that came with the game.
spore pirated bittorrentTraditionally, games can’t compete with the most pirated movies and TV-shows in actual download numbers, but Spore came very close this year.
Only 10 days after the game’s launch date, already half a million people had downloaded the game. During the months after that, another million people obtained a copy of the game via BitTorrent. According to our estimates, Spore was downloaded 1.7 million times since early September, a record breaking figure for a game.
When we posted about the impressive download rate on Spore - inflated due to the DRM that was put into the game - EA doubted our statistics. EA’s Mariam Sughayer said that every BitTorrent download was not a successful copy, and that several downloads didn’t work, were buggy, or contained viruses. We wont deny that on badly moderated torrent sites, malicious torrents probably can be found. However, this constitutes less than 1% of the available torrents, and they are not added to our statistics.
Below is the list of the 10 most downloaded (PC) games on BitTorrent in 2008, with an estimated download count for each. In second place we see The Sims 2, also from the hands of Spore creator Will Wright. Assassins Creed completes the top 3 with just over a million downloads.
# game downloads released
torrentfreak.com
1 Spore (1,700,000) (Sept. 2008)
2 The Sims 2 (1,150,000) (Sept. 2004)
3 Assassins Creed (1,070,000) (Nov. 2007)
4 Crysis (940,000) (Nov. 2007)
5 Command & Conquer 3 (860,000) (Mar. 2007)
6 Call of Duty 4 (830,000) (Nov. 2007)
7 GTA San Andreas (740,000) (Jun. 2005)
8 Fallout 3 (645,000) (Oct. 2008)
9 Far Cry 2 (585,000) (Oct. 2008)
10 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (470,000) (Oct. 2008)
Top 10 pirated games of 2008
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Top 10 pirated games of 2008
I wonder when EA will finally get the message Securom doesn't work. 4 of their drm games make the top 10.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
YES please. EA go suck on that.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
WAHAHAHAHAHA
This is brilliant. they are propably cracked so much due to the fact that they actually used DRM. I cracked my Original/Legal DRM games. Why you may ask Cuz DRM is a load of bull and anoys me. I don't have an internet line at home, soon to change but that is not the point, and taking my whole rig to a friend is just not the solution.
This is brilliant. they are propably cracked so much due to the fact that they actually used DRM. I cracked my Original/Legal DRM games. Why you may ask Cuz DRM is a load of bull and anoys me. I don't have an internet line at home, soon to change but that is not the point, and taking my whole rig to a friend is just not the solution.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
If the game is any good it will be cracked and downloaded and its been proofed so many times....... And EA with their DRM saying not to be cracked as to go back to the drawing board and try something els than DRM..... I also dont have internet at home and thus I havent bought NFS yet coz of the DRM.... Think i should get a *coffcrackcoff*
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
I say go for it.... if your dont have internet at home and you want the game that requires inet activation and blah blah pirate the damn thing they obviously dont give a $h1T about those loyal customers that dont have internet so why should you give a damn about their profits......
Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
I would've expected COD4 to be a little higher on the list.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Far Cry 2 was just released and already its on 9 give it another month and it 2 will be in the top 3
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
I didn't know there are actually that many copies out there.Interfan wrote:I wonder when EA will finally get the message Securom doesn't work. 4 of their drm games make the top 10.
http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pir ... 08-081204/10 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (470,000) (Oct. 2008)
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
What amazes me is all the low down pieces of s h i t who download Fallout3 from Torrent, while maybe I have some understanding as to the DRM situation, Fallout does not require any more than the disc in the drive to play. It is probably one of the best games around right now and downloading it from any site is just plain unadulterated theft.
Regarding EA games, my solution is simple, I do not buy them, period.
Regarding EA games, my solution is simple, I do not buy them, period.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
COD4 shines in multi player and you need key verification for it. So everyone buys it.
As for EA saying the game is buggy they pretty much shooting themself. The avalible download is only as good as the original product. So they are admiting to selling faulty games to. Sure they cant win but they put themselfs in that position.
The sad fact that The Sims 2 is spot number 2 only shows that no matter how cheap a game gets a pirate will remain a pirate.
As for EA saying the game is buggy they pretty much shooting themself. The avalible download is only as good as the original product. So they are admiting to selling faulty games to. Sure they cant win but they put themselfs in that position.
The sad fact that The Sims 2 is spot number 2 only shows that no matter how cheap a game gets a pirate will remain a pirate.
Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Agree whole heartedly!
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Whens EA gonna learn?pfffft.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
These games are not necessarily being pirated because of DRM, they're being pirated despite DRM.
Most likely the scumbags who did pirate these games never even knew the originals had DRM.
Most likely the scumbags who did pirate these games never even knew the originals had DRM.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
I love pirates. But only the ones with big ships.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
On the topic of Fallout 3 and its DRM and need for a disk in the drive. If you browse to the main exe in the Fallout 3 folder "Fallout 3.exe" and launch that you dont need a disc in the drive. So its DRM is pretty pointless .lancelot wrote:What amazes me is all the low down pieces of s h i t who download Fallout3 from Torrent, while maybe I have some understanding as to the DRM situation, Fallout does not require any more than the disc in the drive to play. It is probably one of the best games around right now and downloading it from any site is just plain unadulterated theft.
Regarding EA games, my solution is simple, I do not buy them, period.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Lol, they got pawned by their own stupidity.Anakha56 wrote:On the topic of Fallout 3 and its DRM and need for a disk in the drive. If you browse to the main exe in the Fallout 3 folder "Fallout 3.exe" and launch that you dont need a disc in the drive. So its DRM is pretty pointless .lancelot wrote:What amazes me is all the low down pieces of s h i t who download Fallout3 from Torrent, while maybe I have some understanding as to the DRM situation, Fallout does not require any more than the disc in the drive to play. It is probably one of the best games around right now and downloading it from any site is just plain unadulterated theft.
Regarding EA games, my solution is simple, I do not buy them, period.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Allow me to LOL around ---- ROFLMAOAnakha56 wrote:On the topic of Fallout 3 and its DRM and need for a disk in the drive. If you browse to the main exe in the Fallout 3 folder "Fallout 3.exe" and launch that you dont need a disc in the drive. So its DRM is pretty pointless .lancelot wrote:What amazes me is all the low down pieces of s h i t who download Fallout3 from Torrent, while maybe I have some understanding as to the DRM situation, Fallout does not require any more than the disc in the drive to play. It is probably one of the best games around right now and downloading it from any site is just plain unadulterated theft.
Regarding EA games, my solution is simple, I do not buy them, period.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Not true in the case of spore. There was a deliberate quite public protest. People were encouraged to download the pirated version as a form of protest against the drm implemented.OnlyOneKenobi wrote:These games are not necessarily being pirated because of DRM, they're being pirated despite DRM.
Most likely the scumbags who did pirate these games never even knew the originals had DRM.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
A pirate is a pirate is a pirate.
That is all.
That is all.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
amen to that !Rayne wrote:A pirate is a pirate is a pirate.
That is all.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
True. My point was merely that some of the games definitely got pirated more because of drm. I certainly feel there was a better way to protest than by going the illegal route.Rayne wrote:A pirate is a pirate is a pirate.
That is all.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Yeah like not buying the game and letting the Dev/Distro company take huge losses. A couple of Milliton $ loss should make the point stick rather well.Interfan wrote:True. My point was merely that some of the games definitely got pirated more because of drm. I certainly feel there was a better way to protest than by going the illegal route.Rayne wrote:A pirate is a pirate is a pirate.
That is all.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
The thing is that quiet protest like that won't work because as many people will follow a mob mentality, many users will buy it anyway. The second problem is that devs might just stop releasing PC Games.RuadRauFlessa wrote: Yeah like not buying the game and letting the Dev/Distro company take huge losses. A couple of Milliton $ loss should make the point stick rather well.
One of these days a person is going to have to send an application form to the producer of a game to be approved before purchasing at the rate it's going.
I thought of some kind of flash media that installs the game to your PC in a "cut and paste" system whereby the game will never exist on both the media it came on and your PC at any given time. Don't know how but that might work.
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Re: Top 10 pirated games of 2008
Tubocad used to work that way when it was still on stiffies or floppies. You install and the installer removes a file from the installation media after installing the file. Then you can't install from the media again. It still won't stop a pirate though.Jonboy wrote:I thought of some kind of flash media that installs the game to your PC in a "cut and paste" system whereby the game will never exist on both the media it came on and your PC at any given time. Don't know how but that might work.
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