This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
If someone would make a gog/bandcamp for TV and movies, I'd use it. But the only way to view either is through DRM-encumbered physical media or rent-like payments (e.g. streaming and DRM-encumbered "purchases"). I don't want my files like that, thanks very much.
So I actually pay for far more music and games than I do TV shows and movies. Funny how that goes.
The only reason I don't own any of the new systems and games are the prices. That's literally the only reason
I have a PS4, there's enough games to pirate that I haven't played yet that I don't need to get a PS5 yet.
While I agree for the most part, pricing is absolutely an issue too (an ever increasing one). I and so many others in a similar situation have a lot of time but not a lot of money, it doesn't matter if a game has 2000+ hours of playtime, we just can't afford $70+ as a once time purchase.
I remember when street fighter 2 was released for the SNES. Our store had it at 64.99 and that's in 1990-something dollars.
Games have always been expensive, especially when hyped and already popular
But I still have an SNES and SF2 and can play it whenever I want. No chance a licensing server rejects me or a lic is flagged invalid in the future.
That's the difference. I know as long as the hardware works, I can always use that game.
Well there are games where I absolutely cannot justify paying for unless there is a sale or waiting for it to go on discount due to being super old.
However I still don't pirate them just because they are priced too high if they are steam because I know eventually I will still have easy access I just need to be patient.
Cae in point this summer sale a game that came out 2-3 years ago I finally bought because it was 50% off its original $100 price tag (CAD). Finally felt it would be worth it.
Never pirates it became I knew steam would provide easy access and an eventual sale.
As it has been for all of time: as long as Tom is trying to eat Jerry, Jerry will find new inventive ways to kick Toms teeth in.
Digital storefronts are fine. The actual problem is the lack of consumer protection in console (and mobile) ecosystems.
On PC, the classic mitigation is piracy.
But on consoles that seems to be not an option, so there is no way to fight back console company overreach.
As a consumer, just sticking to PC gaming is the obvious solution.
Valve is better than Sony because it can't just prevent consumers from going somewhere else. Gabe Newell is just as much a greedy bastard as other big corp CEOs. But judges forced him to allow refunds (btw, GOG has a 30-days-no-questions-asked refund policy without being forced to). And he cleverly price-gauges the game devs with his massive cut rather than the consumers. Combined with the threat of delisting games that are available cheaper in other shops, he secured his quasi monopoly.
As usual, vote with your wallet - while you still can.
You wouldn’t steal a car.
I would if the manufacturer had the right to come take it from me at anytime without any compensation.
if buying something does not give ownership then piracy is not stealing
Piracy is a responsible, meaningful response to ongoing investor-driven enshittification. Investors are hell bent on reverse robin hooding the economy and they’ll keep at it until it’s no longer profitable to do so…
A few years ago I bought Star Wars squadrons in steam. It hasn't worked in years (I never made it through the single player story.) I never understood why. It was not my antivirus, it was not my VPN. It wasn't even my OS. I used Windows 11 briefly (I originally had it on windows 10) and it still didn't work. I am on Linux mint and it doesn't boot up.
Now recently I bought RoboCop Rogue city on steam. I originally had it pirated, but on Linux mint it had a hard time booting up. I thought buying it would fix that.
Nope. It did not. Now I spent 40$ on a digital paperweight.
If we pay for something. We have a reasonable expectation for it to work.
I hate to be that guy but did you try changing which version of proton its using? I know for some games you gotta change it for it to boot properly.
I do agree though it should just work, but you gotta remember unlike consoles PCs are made of many different parts and not all agree with eachother. Developers can only test so many configurations.
I remember when no man's sky came out, so many people had issues while mine booted and worked properly. Thankfully steam does offer refunds.
Well is my face red. I found a compatiablity thingie on steam for Robocop: Rogue City and... it works now! Damn. I might see if I can finally get Star Wars Squadrons to work...
Fuck yea bud, I'm glad it worked.
I think a thing this highlights is a moral line. With piracy now being easier and ubiquitous, and a clear alternative to orgs monopolizing and ignoring their user base. I think the one thing they are overlooking is the moment someone does it once. The moment they install something like stremio and realise how effortless it is the org has lost a user. Not even because of cost, but because they have taken advantage of the user...so its fair game to take advantage back.
I used to eat MacDonald's...usually took the kids say fortnightly, and one day i just didn't because it got crap and expensive. One you step over the line and they lose you, they lose you.
I used to pirate, don't anymore.
Even if Steam were to somehow go down for a month, by now I've learned about other storefronts and methods of purchase that provide a place to move to. There's a devoted centrism to the way people consume most media franchises that basically guarantees they can flip prices to infinity, control purchases, and never suffer consequences, and piracy absolutely feeds into that; helping them to paint themselves as victims to policymakers while they rake it in.
The thing about piracy is that it's not a binary choice. Personally, I think there are times that it is unethical. But if you already paid for it, and then publisher takes away your right to consume it, then I have no ethical qualms with pirating that media. If the publisher puts an account-linking requirement or requires any sort of internet connection to play, or some sort of invasive DRM that impacts your ability to play or enjoy that media, or removes or paywalls features, etc., I have no problem with pirating that media. If the publisher no longer makes it available for purchase, whether at all, or simply in your region, I have no problem with pirating that media.
Yeah, I have no issues with that as a solution to wholly broken purchases. I think those are incredibly rare though, even among digital games.
I do think a lot of Denuvo’s opponents tend to exaggerate its effects on the game’s playability, when the findings regarding cracked copies have leaned different directions in performance depending on testing method. Most people can play Denuvo games no problem, even offline.
Online requirements I certainly sympathize more with if it’s a game you like. I enjoy Hitman WoA, and wish other people would try it, but a fair few avoided it for the online requirement. I hope for legislation that ensures, someday when IOI is packing up its last employee and shutting off servers, they can also hand out the keys to an offline mode. But legislation like that (eg, SKG) doesn’t come about from pirating. It takes effort and vocalization.
I do think a lot of Denuvo’s opponents tend to exaggerate its effects on the game’s playability
They don't. There are in-depth analyses confirming it's effects published all over the web.
Most people can play Denuvo games no problem, even offline
I tried to play one last week (someone in my family purchased it) and it did not work offline. Very big problem, and not acceptable.
if it’s a game you like
Doesn't matter if you like it or not, it's never acceptable.
someday when IOI is packing up its last employee and shutting off servers, they can also hand out the keys to an offline mode
LOL sure they can, but they usually don't. There are decade-old games at this point with Denuvo still active .
I was traveling across the us without a car about a year ago. Long story. Was stranded, pulling a long night til the next bus instead of sleeping rough. Only place to get fluids nearby was a McDonalds.
It was painfully expensive, and genuinely felt like I was being fucked with and screwed over when I ordered. I just wanted a cup full of caffeinated sugar-water and someplace warm to sit. It sucked so fucking much. It was fucking unpleasant. Eventually I hydrated, pissed, and just left to wait outside for the last few hours.
I looked through food. I couldn't justify paying those prices for that shit. It genuinely didn't seem like food prices. I couldn't. The next day I found a more reasonably priced 7/11.
I remember when Sony joked at Xbox's expense for disallowing secondhand games.... they've basically done the same here. Fuck Sony.
And they want us to feel bad for pirating media
Never feel bad about stealing back what was stolen from you.
The ps5 debacle is a bigger problem, alongside the Stop Killing Games Initiative.
Edit: SKG is a good thing*
I hate to say it. But the general sentiment will lead to crackdowns on VPNs because they are the only thing between us and corperations for ownership.
Legislatures are already trying to stop us from having privacy, but the corporate lobby tied to the privacy lobby is a deadly situation.
I am lucky enough to have my media where i want it to be, but i am so nervous now that the general public is getting involved - i have a number of friends who would never have asked about this kind of stuff buying hardware.
Im not really sure where that leaves us.
But fucking god damnit. Im sad that it has gotten us here.
Don't know why you're quoting Gabe in this instance, Valve is selling the same "licenses" Sony is, revokable at the whims of the publisher.
Valve have a long history of ensuring that games purchased are still downloadable for customers who purchased them even after publishers have pulled their game off the store, or of providing refunds.
Sony has done neither and that’s a core part of the problem.
Part of this is Valve’s agreements with the publishers.
Sony could easily do this but they’re poisoned by the music and movie industries.
Yeah for all the shit steam gets, I bought that now de-listed Deadpool game like, however many years ago when it first came out (it was okay thanks for asking) and recently started a family sharing thing with my partner on steam, who was surprised to see that not only did I own it, but she could play it through steam's family share. Are they perfect? Hell no, but is Gabe right about this? Hell yes.
I have games on steam that are not sold anymore and are supported by valve, I can download them, I can discuss with people about thrm, they work flawlessly, but they are not sold anymore.
I can also share ALL of my games with a lot of people as in friends and family, forever!
Not the same.
forever!
* as long as Valve allows that
I have this mentality too so it's really weird for me to see so many people just blindly praise Valve. Corporations have great track records until they don't. Don't get too comfortable.
valve (actually the devs) does not put DRM restrictions into most games. most of them don't work without steam because the developer coded it with the expectation that steam will always be there, and that can be fixed with the goldberg steam emulator.
I buy games from steam here and there once it’s on sale but I don’t see it as a purchase tbh. You can’t own digital media that way.
I see it as paying for access. I am paying for them to give me access from any steam computer with the benefits of having my saves in the cloud.
That’s not worth $60-$100, but it’s worth <$10 for certain games.
We used to pay full price for something to have it forever. Now we're trained to pay full price to "pay for access."
We've been trained to pay more for less guaranteed. :(
Oh the irony:
...Yes I could open it in my browser to avoid this (and the ads)
He isn't wrong. The last game I pirated was Escape from Butcher Bay, because it wasn't on steam.
I agree that it's not a price issue because I wouldn't mind paying inflated prices if that money went to the workers. It would be worth it, in fact. But the corporate entities that get that money while the workers get laid off.
Piracy is the shyt. 16 years ago I was downloading flstudio and Rollercoaster tycoon. I think I still have bioshock and the first two fallout games too. I gotta check. I got all my favorite shows and movies so I don't have to use the internet or better yet have something to watch when the internet goes out.
Piracy has saved me so much fucking money it's unreal. After I got my first laptop I never went back to the movies until I got a girlfriend. I say to myself oh well this service doesn't have it I bet I could find it though.
Piracy isn't the problem, it's the societal factors that push us to use piracy. High ticket prices for movies, over 300$ software, buying something and realizing it's a rental because it's all digital and a company can rip it from you.
WHO WOULDN'T TURN TO PIRACY!!!!!
