Pirating Group to Stop Cracking Some Games to Evaluate Impact on Sales

Interesting experiment. How well it goes and how accurate the data is will be down to how many other groups are/can crack the games they do (as well as them actually being able to crack the more popular releases using more advanced DRM going forward).

Personally, I expect they'll be somewhat happy to discover they're not having as much of a negative impact as many suspect.

As long as games and hardware stay expensive in 3rd world countries piracy will continue. For example a PS4 is worth 800 dollars and recently released AAA games around 120 dollars everything is priced double of it's original value in the US, and to add to the aggravation the minimum wage in 3rd world countries is half of what it is in America.

I doubt any American will be willing to pay 800 dollars for a console heck the PS3 almost failed because it was worth 600 dollars back in the day...

I wonder why 3DM think that if they stop cracking the world will be a better place ??
Do they realy think that the world will stop spinning because of them ?
they should be the first to know the first rule of hacking , the day one hacker is gone another 10 hackers breed..

sorry 3DM , but you wont be missed , i can only understand 2 things here , either they feel unable to crack some games so they wanna make it sound better for them or they are paid to stop ,,, thats it no magic boys

I buy all of CDProjekt games even before testing them ever since witcher 2.

The othera it has to be case by case but every franchise has been tested at some point before buying unless indeem it interesting enough

I don't believe piracy will ever go away, but...i don't pirate games, so, i don't really care.

The problem is...if piracy ends, used games will soon follow....and the prices will skyrocket, since greed is the name of the game (no pun intended).

3DM isnt the only group around, so I dont see how this "test" would provide any concrete measure of sales variation.

That said however, I firmly believe other groups stopping too wouldn't increase sales at all, and there is a serious chance it will lower sales considerably. The insane amount of games available today gives people a ton of alternatives in case they can't or won't buy the next AAA monster, then some people won't play at all cause they just don't care much, and without the option to fully test the game by yourself before buying, the bet's risk will be much higher when deciding to buy or not.

As I see it game publishers and devs have 2 ways to go, you either make the best games you can, confidently, and truly trust that their quality will show and demonstrate even pirates that they are worth buying and supporting (CDProjekt), or you stay like this, sacrificing consumer friendly policies, popularity and massive exposure, hoping pirates will somehow still "need" your game so so much they will suddenly start giving money away.

Time will tell.

Hey Eddie, if you're going to write an article at least get the spelling right......."Denuvo"!!!!

I don't see why people have a problem with DRM. If you do then you probably pirate games.

i would like to see the numbers as well. it would be interesting. and Witcher 3 for the effin win!

I do understand that some countries never get some games officially in there, but in case they do, don't be a jerk, go buy it instead.

i am pretty damn sure the real reason is a political one, rather than a technical one.

I really doubt sales will go up if games get pirate proof.

In fact they could go down in sales, because many people buy games after downloading them so they can play them online also. It'll probably cost steam a lot more money also, because people will be downloading games, then refunding them when they realize they suck... using up their bandwidth and extra time dealing with refunds. Although i wouldn't count in steam for refunds... i had a game just a day over their so called 14 day refund policy and they wouldn't even refund it... only 20 bucks it would have cost them, and they want to make an enemy of me? ok steam, ok.

Umm... how would that work? You're not the only group out there, 3DM...

Take note that they all work for the Chinese Government as well translating/preparing games for China. SO I am sure there is some pressure coming from them as well. Could also be that they may want to prove to the Chinese Government that piracy isn't effecting their wallet. China is #1 in game sales revenue, so the pressure could be huge from their government, and remember they are communist. I'm surprised no one else has touched on this subject yet. Denuvo is also a pain in the ass for sure, but I don't think it's just that and they are giving up because it's hard although I am sure it is also a factor in their decision but I believe it is a small one because cracking is their passion and the challenge it presents bubbles in their mind. Don't be so fast to see the game sales as a smoke screen for them, or that Denuvo is becoming uncrackable per say. There could be some truth in that following into their own government causing pressure within the group, they just are not free to say such things as we would be.

I'd feel bad about pirating games if they didn't release shit after wet, steamy shit year after year. Micro-trans, season passes, nickel-and-diming everywhere, not too mention the same old gameplay cliché's and generic marketing. It's not like the consumer stands to gain anything if pirating disappeared. That's console gaming, tho. PC is another matter.

Get ready for the gaming monopolization.

Every game dev now: "Let's uhh, bump this price tag up."

Besides if you support DRM your not even a real gamer.

But if you crack every game and never support games you like by buying them, Your also not a real gamer.

They are just saying that, They know sales won't rise already , everyone does, They have a hidden reason they are not telling us. Saying their waiting to see if sales pickup is pure BULLSHIT.

Anyone who thinks their really waiting is crazy lol.

I feel sad for all of those poor pirates....not.