The Sims 3 Racks Up Over 180,000 Downloads Prior To Release 187
Bloomberg reports that pirated versions of EA's The Sims 3 were downloaded over 180,000 times between May 18 and May 21. The game will not be officially released until June 2nd, and it does not make use of SecuROM for DRM. Quoting:
"That outpaces the 400,000 downloads over three weeks for Electronic Arts' Spore, the most-pirated game of 2008. ... Copies of the game available on file-sharing Web sites aren't the full version, Electronic Arts said. 'The pirated version is a buggy, pre-final build of the game,' Holly Rockwood, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. 'It's not the full game. Half the world — an entire city — is missing from the pirated copy.'"
Re:It just goes to show... (Score:5, Interesting)
Speak for yourself.
My steam account has about $1,000 worth of games and yet most are not online games that I could have pirated.
Thing is, it's easier for me to get them on steam than it is to pirate them. I don't want to deal with cracks, patches, recracks, etc. Paying the $30-40 for a game on steam is worth it just for the fact that I can download it again in a few months or years when I get the itch to play it again.
The problem with your logic and that of most publishes is that you are trying to prevent a pirated copy from working. This is silly. What they should be trying to do is give incentives to buy a legitimate copy. A few free downloadable content packs that would require online registration is all that's needed to make a number of customers out of pirates. It works for Stardock.
Re:What? (Score:3, Interesting)
The article says it does not use SecureROM for DRM, not that it doesn't use DRM. Anyone know what it does use for DRM?
Re:It just goes to show... (Score:4, Interesting)
I just found and bought a new copy of the original "Diablo" (originally from 1996). The fact that the game is really easy to pirate and doesn't even need a cd key hasn't stopped me.
What shocked me is that it is a Windows 9x/NT game that works perfectly on modern 64-bit Windows. I don't even need to set 9x compat mode.
Re:What? (Score:2, Interesting)
I read in a review they can now get out of swimming pools without ladders. You'll need a room with no windows or doors.
Re:It just goes to show... (Score:2, Interesting)
Sorry if you misread what I wrote, or if it came out wrong. I am not saying people don't buy games, I am saying that people will pirate games no matter what.
There are those who pirate / steal, and those who don't. Some of those who pirate / steal act like they would typically buy things but then have some excuse on why they didn't this time etc..
Imagine a poor person who downloads 10 CDs a week, 10 games a month, 10 movies a month etc.. and acts as if they would buy all of the above if they were rich. This is typically bullshit. People steal and steal a LOT! They steal at least one thing per day if not 100s.
I've yet to meet a pirate who is moderate or only does it once or twice.
Re:It just goes to show... (Score:2, Interesting)
Allow me to introduce myself, reformed downloader.
Whilst waiting tables, shameless downloader and watcher of, uh, "free" cable. Now gainfully employed, happy customer of Steam, Rhapsody, Netflix and Cox.
Also I discovered I had been being a hypocritical douchebag, and didn't wanna be a playa no more. People can change, and will, if properly incentivized.