Are YOU hurting or helping PC gaming?

[QUOTE="swehunt"]Whoknow if their computer can be playable in Crysis if u dont try it first?Cobra_nVidia

They can try the demo. Every game released on the PC should, at the very least, have a sticker attached that specifies if the game does or does not have a released demo. There's no excuse except dishonesty for selling a product people can't try.

No, U cant, Demodont use all texture anddont use all memory that the whole games are.

Some old games did. Crysis no.

99% of my games are legal. Some of my old DOS games aren't.

The real problem here is that it's so easy to download pirate games, while you do it does it feel like you're commiting a crime? I'd have to say no.

The biggest problem is the hardware requirements and problems with game crashing etc. It's just not as attractive as it once was when you did not have to focus that much on hardware. Now consoles are becoming extrememly popular due due to the introduction of online gaming and they are can produce good graphics at a cheap price. It's just a lot more attractive to the masses than gaming on a PC. When you look at it the most successful games are the ones that can play on any computer for eg. The Sims

No, U cant, Demodont use all texture anddont use all memory that the whole games are.

Some old games did. Crysis no.swehunt

If you're struggling to run the demo, you can't run the full game. You're right in the sense that someone who doesn't know much about games might have that problem. No one with experience in gaming should. While it's certainly possible a game that runs at a solid 60 frames per second is unplayable at release in the full game, that's incredibly unlikely and I've never had that problem in 17 years of PC gaming and owning probably over a 100 retail PC games.

Why don't someone bust Pirate Bay!? I hate those pathetic piracy supporters!capcomXOXvalve

They tried but it's extremely difficult. I notice a few of the popular sites were shutdown but not piratebay. The site is making millions in revunue and they cover their tracks well through Sweden. The last i read they were ranked the 169th most visited sites on the internet.Most of these popular sites are based in Europe. What do peopel get out of buying a game then putting it on the internet? My best bet is they are paid by these companies because it's the same people that do it.

Excuse, for my bad eng.(I live in sweden)

Ok, here´s the thing: Im a musican and the whole thing about "share" my music on inernet make me/my musicmore known, that make my record more popular and they are i the end sold more!

Whoknow if their computer can be playable in Crysis if u dont try it first? (off topic: the "ugly" game suck!)

And some games are bundled whith smallprog/apps/keylock/reglockthat people when they crack remove, good, who asked for sharing u´r personal stuff when bying a game? (starforce ex.)

swehunt

yes but ure choosing to do that in the hope that ure music gets noticed. there are some companies who release shareware. they give u the game so that u can try it form a specified amount of time (or there might be other conditions) once the time is up, u cant play anymore until u pay for the game.

dev comapnies choose not to do this, but instead release a demo that ppl can try. the vast majority of PC games have a free demo that u can get online, or from a PC magazine. if ure PC can play the crysis demo then its good to go for the game itself.

the lack of a demo is not an excuse for piracy either. PC games also have min and recommended system requirements printed on the box so if u have a PC that meets the min, then it should run the game fine at min settings. if u have a system that meets the recommended then u should be able to play on mostly high settings.

am i helping? i think so. i get most games at the store (though its PC section is getting very small) because i like to have the box, manual and CD. PC is also my primary platform so i get the vast majoirty of the 3rd party multiplats on my PC. if i cant find the game in a shop though then online is the only other option. all my software is also legit.

... tell me what you want but no developer has closed it doors yet, cause ther games where not sold but played through piracy,

... you cant hurt the industry by downloading a game without purchaising it

... you dont want to understand that: PEOPLE WICH DOWNLOAD GAMES would NOT HAVE BOUGHT THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE !

... you can call it piracy but its just the natural element of caos that always appears if constrains and order is established...

... developers get there money from puplishers and those puplishers are in fact faceless companys...

... you the consumer are the victim of those puplishers, I mean you are not the one who has the slihtest influence to the mechanics of the industry just because you consume there products, by using there products you obey them..

...but its clear that the majoity of people here cant aprehsiatetrue creative power in games, you too, can only judge the quality of a game by its commercial success... thats why you are obeying there order and system

but the only thing I care about is that creative and good games are made and available, I dont care if developer A or puplisher B is responsible for providing the games, as long as creative individuals are able to work there visions out..

creation is eternal and therfore there will always be games and people interested in making them .. regardless of how many developing or puplishing companys have bite the dust and closed there doors, the people responsible for the quality of games will not disappear with the company there eventually in...

the so called "piracy" is just one constraine that will force the ongoing development of interactive and virtual content... its a jungle and only the fittest will survive...

if you want to help PC gaming buy a modern and expensiverig, and one for every console-playing friend you have..

greetz

I buy all my games legit, but I make a point of buying them online because of how the retail shops have been treating PC gaming.

Stores like Game, HMV, Virgin megastore (all UK stores if you're wondering) have been shrinking the amount of space they give to PC games, hiding it at the back of the store between the preowned and last gen console sections, and even when big name titles are due out, you really have to hunt to find them. Then when they do have a section of wall to display games properly they fill it with Sims expansion packs.

My local Virgin Megastore - according to the manager has decided that it isn'ta large enough store to sell PC games, yet it has sections for 360, PS3, PS2, PSP,Wii, DS and accessories for all those. It seems PC customers aren't worth the shelf space any more.

I'm all for buying games legit, but if my custom isn't wanted by the major retail chains, then I'd much rather buy online where I get a better price. I've preordered games from play.com for £17.99 and got it the day before official release, where I found it for £34.99 in GAME.

imo there's so many things wrong with pc gaming. the constant need for hardware upgrades, buggy releases and drivers. it's a headache for your average consumer/gamer that's asking too much of them. consoles have automated firmware updates and patches. there's no more need to research the web for explanationswhy a game won't run on your pc. i got ahold of the crysis demo and couldn't even run it on my system, but then it runs fine on my brother's pc. i'm like wtf? i'm asking myself why bothermessing with my pc so it'll run a single game when it's already stable. ihave other purposes for my pc than just playing video games so i'll wait for a console release.. if there isn't one i'll op for other alternatives.. and why can't developers (ex: crytek) make a game that optimizes the current gen g-cards? i don't get it. why do i need a non-existent card from the future to run crysis on high settings?i don't see that problem on the console side. the console does haveless inferior hardware right? and the games look beautiful. pc gaming is going down hill because of the pc gaming industrynot piracy. it's less of a hassleto game on console than pc. period.

flame shield lvl 30+ ON. ahaha. =]

ocphon

i don't find it a hassle even one bit. if you find it a hassle, then don't play pc games. simple.

I really could care less about piracy its a empty figure and there has been proof of games doing successful with out any form of copy write protection.. Top that off its really a excuse.. Systems like steam are pretty hard to break and thats all it would need to do successful in.. INstead the publishers are greedy and do not wish to pay money to valve to be put on their system..

That being said I do download games.. Just not brand new games.. I download the games that are very old and can't find in the stores any more.. Which are more or less abandonware to the point of not caring what it is.

The whole thing saying "people need to be more responsible" is a stupid approach.. Look at what it has done tot he music industry.. These devs and publishers need to spend money insupport for systems like Steam if they treally want to combat piracy.. And what do you know.. They don't to begin with.. What kind of picture are we painting.. Also I would like to point out piracy of console games are huge across seas.. And top that off piracy isn't illegal in all countries..

I showed you all my sources on why Piracy and online retailers are hurting PC gaming. So all of you show me your sources that piracy doesn't hurt PC gaming. And don't just say "this game sold well and hd no piracy protection". Show me your sources!

I'm convinced that alot of you are posting in this thread without actually reading my original post.

I buy all my games, but I also support the notion of copyright being void where there is no potential profit.

For the record, I own over 120 legally purchased games - so I'd say i'm helping the PC gaming industry pretty nicely. I also have around 3-4 games I have procured illegally - including System Shock 2 (as a backup for my legally purchased copy which only works on occasion due to age), Red Alert 2 and GTA: Vice City. Though, I legally purchased the latter two after trying both games and deeming them worthy of purchase. I am currently in the process of downloading C&C3. A game I know I will never buy.

But I fully support the argument of selective copyright. It's not a matter of legality - it's completely illegal - but a matter of ethics. I don't have issues with breaking the law provided I stay true to my own ethical code.

The argument is quite simple. If you either intend to or believe you may in the future buy something, the potential profit exists. Copyright laws exist to protect profits and potential profits. If you illegally procure a game you would have otherwise purchased, you are violating my own personal ethical code, as well as doing something illegal.

If, however, there is no way in hell you would ever even think for a split second about considering buying something, then that profit, that potential profit, never existed at all. No one is losing anything because no one stood to gain anything to begin with. In the copy and paste world of the internet, there are no losers provided there is absolutely no way the potential profit exists. I know it's illegal, and it certainly wouldn't stand up in court, but I don't believe from a purely ethical perspective that it's wrong to argue this point.

Simply put, you weren't going to buy it anyway. I have absolutely no problem with piracy operating under this circumstances, and I don't see how anyone could hurt any industry - in the copy and paste world - when they would never have even potentially contributed to it to begin with.

Music, as an example. I have never bought music. Back before I owned a PC, I just didn't buy it. I did without. I listened to the radio. At no time did I ever contribute to the music industry. So when I got my PC, and got Napster, it wasn't like I was hurting the music industry because I was never contributing to begin with, and never would have. My alternative to downloading it illegally was not to buy it, but to do without.

I personally believe that this is an ethical code that everyone should follow, provided they are able to stay true to their belief. If someone starts downloading games they would otherwise buy, then that's a problem for me. But it's not the above argument that is flawed, rather that the individual does not hold true to the principle. I buy games I want, I (would given the desire and opportunity) download games I do not want enough to buy, and am certain I will never buy.

So while I may or do engage in piracy - no... I do not hurt the PC gaming industry one bit.

i don't find it a hassle even one bit. if you find it a hassle, then don't play pc games. simple. fireandcloud

that's why i said average consumer/gamer.. and yes, i don't pc game anymore.fear was the last game i played on the pc.. andwith no issues. i've quit pc gaming for the time being.. maybe in the future i'll come back to it. right now, i'll stick to the consoles.=]

I buy all my games legit, but I make a point of buying them online because of how the retail shops have been treating PC gaming.

Stores like Game, HMV, Virgin megastore (all UK stores if you're wondering) have been shrinking the amount of space they give to PC games, hiding it at the back of the store between the preowned and last gen console sections, and even when big name titles are due out, you really have to hunt to find them. Then when they do have a section of wall to display games properly they fill it with Sims expansion packs.

My local Virgin Megastore - according to the manager has decided that it isn'ta large enough store to sell PC games, yet it has sections for 360, PS3, PS2, PSP,Wii, DS and accessories for all those. It seems PC customers aren't worth the shelf space any more.

I'm all for buying games legit, but if my custom isn't wanted by the major retail chains, then I'd much rather buy online where I get a better price. I've preordered games from play.com for £17.99 and got it the day before official release, where I found it for £34.99 in GAME.

Avenger1324

And this is the reason whysome ppl thing pc games dont sell anymore. but in fact pc games are going strong but most of game sells happens online i havent bout a game in a store for 5 years or so.

as for copy protections in games there isent one that hasent been crakked but they have stopped me from buying a game many times.

and i dont buy donwload only games (non mmorpg) if i buy a game i want to be able to play it after 10 or 15yearsafter the company that made it has gone bankrupt,

What can i say. I am against piracy too. Even though this thread is against PC piracy i must say that this matter concerns the PC gaming industry as much as the console. When i was younger, i had a play and all of my games (exept the first) were all copies. When i bought my play 2 i have all of my games original. I also buy original pc games and i must confess there is nothing like a collectors edition game. When you buy it it feels like you've got into the game or something. It makes you stuck into it. I can read the manuals for hours. I really cannot explain. I am forward to buy the witcher game (COLLECTORS EDITION YES)

But tell me this. I also like retro and abandoned games like "the last call" game, and since i dont have a credit card and the game is lost in space how the hell am i gonna buy it? Am i unforgiven if i'll find it and download it for free?

Just for the record,Crysis CAN'T run on ANY console out now,at least notwithout dumbing the game down to where it'll suck hard.

Indestructible2

Thats a complete Load of Crap and anyone with any remote sense of how Gaming works knows this. Crysis would run FINE on the Xbox 360 or PS3. Maybe the game wont be running in full DX10 with all the Settings at Highest. but Crysis is still the most breathtaking game on Medium Settings, and Medium Settings on Crysis I was able to configure on my brothers PC whom has Horrible Specs that the 360 & PS3 hammer without Question, so don't sit there and tell me Crysis is not possible on a console and HAVE to be dummed down. That is nothing but PC Bias ranting.

Also take into the fact that ALL of the Consoles Resources are being used toward running X Game where as a PC has to devote half its processing power to running Windows while still running X Game. Hence the Creation of the Dual Core Processer ect.. Well the PC isn;t the only console whom has this. the 360 has 3 cores, the PS3 has the cell chip and without an OS backing those consoles like the Horrible Resource Hog like XP or Vista Gaming in General can run at Solid Framerates without a Bog in Performance when compared to PC's.

They are also much easier to Develop for because every console has the same exact specs so there is only 1 graphic card, 1 set amount of ram, and 1 processer to work with to focus on.

I really hate it when people go on a rant saying Consoles can never accomplish what a PC can Because its just not True when it comes down to Resources & Specs. In the end of course PC gaming will "Look" better. But thats because there is a new generation of Video card EVERY YEAR. When the 360 came out the PC did NOT rival its graphics, they were on Par. But you Cannot Upgrade a Console. But we don't need to. The Graphics are still fine. Framerates are Solid, 1080P & 720P Resolutions are settings Higher than MOST PC gamers use on their Monitors, and to beserious. What games has the PC developed over the last 2 years with graphics that 100% totally smoke the 360 or PS3 ect.. out of the water?

NONE

Because of the facts I said above. The Consoles can render so much more with the ease of developement and massive amounts of dediced resources that allow it to rival a PC that was built TODAY rather than in a2005 PC as per Specs.

In Fact odds are youve had to Upgrade your PC Video Cardsinse 2005 to continue playing the games of 2007 on decent settings to keep GOOD Graphics and Framerates whereas for the some reason the 360 Graphics have been getting better & Better over the last 2 years because developers have had more time to learn all the tweaks possible with all the resources they just don't have access to that is on a PC.

Im not saying Console Gaming is "Better" Im just telling you the fact of the matter that console gaming is the general future of our society because of the ease of use, cost, and the lifespan without upgrades.

North America is POOR. Its not Rich despite what some of you people might think. Try Living on your own with your collage education, paying Rent, Student Debt, Food, Car Payments, Gas, Cable, Phone, Internet, you make 20 dollars an hour and you still cannot afford to pay for all of this, Then get married and have a kid(s). The cost of living in our Society is a laughable joke and you expect PC gaming to excel in our enviroment? The Average North American cannot afford to buy a Console let alone an average spec 6-800 Dollar PC that will HAVE to be upgraded inside of 3 years or less Because the Graphics Card is obsolete. whereas a console is a 1 time fee and its lifespan is in general 4-6 years, Plus you can RENT games with places like Gamefly that exist now that make the cost of gaming on a console almost nothing after the initial cost.

Over the last few years Have my eyes shifted a little bit to notice what the new console generation as done to gaming? Of course, You would have to be completly stupid to ignore what the console market has accomplished sinse the PS2 & Xbox with all the Shooters, Sports games, and Platformers they have produced. and now the Xbox 360 is basically a Computer with a Controller. Getting all the same Shooters and Action games the PC has been getting lately. Coincidence? No, Its because the developers have realized the Potential of the Console and the Power they now have in their Specs, and they present the ability to generate a Profit that makes the Profit the PC Market Generates look lame.

How much money do you think Call of Duty 4 is making across the 360, PS3, and PC? We all know the Console versions are bringing in probably more than 5-6x the Profit the PC version is because more people own a Console than a gaming PC because of Cost.

It's not about Developers being Loyal to PC Gamers, they are regular people like you and me who each make a Salary for a Company that wants PROFIT. Consoles make too much money to ignore anymore and they are the future of gaming.

I personally have accepted the fact. Why I own an Xbox 360, but I also still own a HIGH END PC, and probably always will. But the Consoles are just too impossible to ignore anymore.

Now im ranting on. Im done.

And to answer the OP's Question: I have not once ever DLed or bought a Pirated Game because its Wrong.