PCFormat Forum Archive

From the perspective of Valve, software piracy is caused more by convenience than it is by the cost of games.

That's according to co-founder Gabe Newell, who recently spoke at the North to Innovation conference in Seattle, giving a very frank and open outline of the modern economics of video games.

According to Newell, Russia -- which is often ignored as a market due to its high level of piracy -- is one of Steam's highest grossing countries.

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So... It's less effort to go out and buy a blanc disc, borrow a game from a friend, copy it and return it and then go and find a crack that isn't invested with trojans, instead of just buying it (instead of the blanc disc)?

Or alternatively it's less effort to install a torrent client and search for games or buy an account like rapidshare and download a game then go and find a crack that isn't invested with trojans, than it is to buy it online and download it?

Eh, I'm not biting

Syko, the scenario you picture is done by maybe 5% (just sucking my thumb here, point is, it is a very low %) of the game hackers out there.
Once they have done their bit and uploaded, anyone are able to download the stuff... = convenience.
That said, I also don't bite the marketing angle they put on the "convenience" of piracy, there is a definite $$$ motivation, way more than Valve would care to admit.

lol, I have some games that I pirated in the past. If I had the money to buy them I would have done that as the trip to the shops would take roughly 30 minutes whereas downloading on a 384k line takes ages.

So no, I don't buy the convenience theory.

SykomantiS wrote: Or alternatively it's less effort to install a torrent client and search for games or buy an account like rapidshare and download a game then go and find a crack that isn't invested with trojans, than it is to buy it online and download it?

1. Visit the site of the Unsinkable Ship
2. Search for game and click link with most seeds (check for the little pink skull (or was it green?))
3. ???
4. Profit!

And no, Gabe, clearly your cholesterol levels have been affecting your thought process. I pirate because I save R500 on a game, and my PC doesn't get infested with your Steam/DRM crap and/or constant updates/patches.

There are a number of reasons I don't pirate - mainly because reciprocating the efforts of fellow human beings is something crucial to my self respect. I don't know how high up "convenience" goes.

//realises that 85% of the people on the forum pirate regularly and adds "try before you buy" clause to maintain popularity points.

I fail to see how piracy is more convenient than Steam specials and how a game without all the extra bells and whistles that you usually get (achievements, ranked matches / matchmaking, access to DLC, etc) is better than the legal version.

The sad thing is I actually know some people who flat out refuse to pay for software or games, it can be on special and cost next to nothing but they would still rather pirate than buy the original. *sigh* Some people.

I'd have to agree that it is now more convenient based rather than cost based if you think that you have to download updates every now and then and register every damn game you legally buy. But if you download from the net then I don't see the convenience factor.

If I can buy, install and play a game without touch telkom then you accomplished the mission of most user friendly installation right there.