Is piracy really bigger in PC? or in consoles?

I ask that question to the wise men of SW.

In my honest opinion I believe that piracy in consoles is way bigger than piracy in PC.

Why? Go ahead and compare the prices of a console and a PC in the countries where piracy is bigger (Spain is pretty much the capital of gaming piracy, go check the price of a decent PC there)

Thing is PCs are f*cking expensive in countries with high piracy ratings.

and im not talking about 1000 dollars expensive, im talking about 3 times that.

I live in Costa Rica, which as some of you may know already, is a developing country in latinamerica.

Sure we are developing and have made great technological advances, but still, a decent PC in this country will cost you around 1000 dollars, im not talking about a top notch PC, but a very average one, I bought my PC in the US and had it shipped here, the final price was around 1000 dollars, then I checked the prices of the same parts but in local markets, and if I would have bought the same PC here, it would have been 2000 dollars.

Now look at the prices of consoles, specially the 360 or wii, they are ridiculous, they actually sell these consoles in "bundles" that include the console, controllers, the "chip" (It's no longer a chip now, it's just a change in the software, point is it's to enable the console to play pirate copies) 1 original game and 10 copies, at prices as low as 300 dollars, and every pirate copy costs around 2 dollars, the price rates for pirated stuff dont vary much around the globe, so you can expect it to be pretty much the same in other countries.

So I find it illogical...how is it that PC piracy can be higher? when only a relatively small number of people in these countries own a PC capable of running these games, as opposed to the large number of people who own a modified console.

Also wasn't NSMB the most pirated game of 2010 or 2011? and the list barely included PC tittles.

It's hard to get an exact number, but piracy in consoles is obviously huge as well, piracy is not a problem exclusive to PC.

i really don't think the game industry cares if its a pc or console exclusive thing, they care if its happening period. Only fanboys actually fight over things like this but please do, it amuses me

Filthy PC pirate. According to LoosingEnds,360 doesn't have any piracy.MonsieurX

Damn, I cant fight against master LE's arguments :cry:

Im going to say its bigger on pc. Asia (china and korea mostly) and Russia are pc centric countries, in those countries piracy rate is high as hell.

Its just easier.

i really don't think the game industry cares if its a pc or console exclusive thing, they care if its happening period. Only fanboys actually fight over things like this but please do, it amuses me

Chris_Williams

Im going to say its bigger on pc. Asia (china and korea mostly) and Russia are pc centric countries, in those countries piracy rate is high as hell.

Its just easier.

Nohtnym

Im going to say its bigger on pc. Asia (china and korea mostly) and Russia are pc centric countries, in those countries piracy rate is high as hell.

Its just easier.

Nohtnym

[QUOTE="Nohtnym"]

Im going to say its bigger on pc. Asia (china and korea mostly) and Russia are pc centric countries, in those countries piracy rate is high as hell.

Its just easier.

ShadowDeathX

consoles probably

PC games use CD Keys and pirated copies can't go online, so you're forced to stick with short campaigns until you get bored and buy the game for multiplayer.

The Wii has no restrictions all. Nintendo doesn't even ban modded consoles and hackers online. There's no reason for pirates to ever buy a Wii game.

It's bigger on PC I'd imagine but it's not like it's non existant on consoles

consoles probably

PC games use CD Keys and pirated copies can't go online, so you're forced to stick with short campaigns until you get bored and buy the game for multiplayer.

The Wii has no restrictions all. Nintendo doesn't even ban modded consoles and hackers online. There's no reason for pirates to ever buy a Wii game.

FashionFreak

you need a PC for piracy so of-couse it has to be bigger there!

you need a PC for piracy so of-couse it has to be bigger there!

Gue1

It's bigger on PC.

First of all, I'm going to say I think you're wrong in claiming that more people own modified consoles than PC's. I would even go as far as to say for every 1 person who owns a modified console, there are 30 people who own a PC. I would estimate a 30 to 1 ratio in favor, not that many people own modified consoles.

Every act of piracy is done on a PC. If you're pirating PC games, you do it on a PC. If you're pirating console games, you do it on a PC. Every single act of piracy is done using a PC as the tool to get the job done. This automatically assumes that more PC games are pirated, because if a person is using their PC to pirate console games, who's to say they aren't pirating PC games as well? Especially considering that pirating PC games is easier? Pirating PC games and playing them doesn't require modifying your PC rig by soldering on aftermarket chips like you need to do for consoles. Plus, you don't need to burn PC pirated games onto discs.

Here are my bullet points as to why I think PC piracy is larger.

• Every act of piracy is performed on a PC, whether it be for console games or PC games.
• PC game piracy is easier and more accessible (doesn't require hardware modifications / burning discs)
• PC install base is larger than all of the console user bases combined, by a lot.
• Since every act of piracy is performed on a PC, who's to say that a person pirating console games isn't pirating PC games as well?
• Every pirate owns a PC, while only a fraction of pirates own modified consoles capable of playing pirated games.

[QUOTE="Gue1"]

you need a PC for piracy so of-couse it has to be bigger there!

lightleggy

You can't pirate a game on a console, you need to use a PC to pirate a game/music/movies/software.

Latin America is king's land of piracy, consoles and PCs get pirated ALOT! I'm thinking PC suffers from this more than consoles.

It's bigger on PC.

First of all, I'm going to say I think you're wrong in claiming that more people own modified consoles than PC's. I would even go as far as to say for every 1 person who owns a modified console, there are 30 people who own a PC. I would estimate a 30 to 1 ratio in favor, not that many people own modified consoles.

Every act of piracy is done on a PC. If you're pirating PC games, you do it on a PC. If you're pirating console games, you do it on a PC. Every single act of piracy is done using a PC as the tool to get the job done. This automatically assumes that more PC games are pirated, because if a person is using their PC to pirate console games, who's to say they aren't pirating PC games as well? Especially considering that pirating PC games is easier? Pirating PC games and playing them doesn't require modifying your PC rig by soldering on aftermarket chips like you need to do for consoles. Plus, you don't need to burn PC pirated games onto discs.

Here are my bullet points as to why I think PC piracy is larger.

• Every act of piracy is performed on a PC, whether it be for console games or PC games.
• PC game piracy is easier and more accessible (doesn't require hardware modifications / burning discs)
• PC install base is larger than all of the console user bases combined, by a lot.
• Since every act of piracy is performed on a PC, who's to say that a person pirating console games isn't pirating PC games as well?
• Every pirate owns a PC, while only a fraction of pirates own modified consoles capable of playing pirated games.

arkephonic

Its bigger on pc becuase its just so easy, its pretty much just 1,2,3.

The price of pc's have nothing to do with piracy, just certain countries certain goods cost more.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add a major point.

PC does not have to deal with the used game market. Everyone knows, the used game market for consoles is HUGE!

Everyone knows that console software sales overshadow PC software sales. This is done despite console software sales having to compete with used game sales AND piracy. PC software sales have no used game sales to compete with, only piracy. I would even go as far as to say that PC piracy is a bigger problem than used game sales is for consoles. Could you imagine if console software had to compete with used game sales AND the same level of piracy seen on PC? It would be ridiculous.

Games sell 5-10 times more on consoles than they do on PC despite dealing with both used game sales and piracy, whereas PC only had to deal with piracy, and I think that's a clear sign that PC piracy is a much, much bigger issue. More people own PC than consoles, all the consoles combined, yet the PC software sales are always lacking, and I think it's all due to PC piracy.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="Gue1"]

you need a PC for piracy so of-couse it has to be bigger there!

arkephonic

You can't pirate a game on a console, you need to use a PC to pirate a game/music/movies/software.

It's bigger on PC.

First of all, I'm going to say I think you're wrong in claiming that more people own modified consoles than PC's. I would even go as far as to say for every 1 person who owns a modified console, there are 30 people who own a PC. I would estimate a 30 to 1 ratio in favor, not that many people own modified consoles.

Every act of piracy is done on a PC. If you're pirating PC games, you do it on a PC. If you're pirating console games, you do it on a PC. Every single act of piracy is done using a PC as the tool to get the job done. This automatically assumes that more PC games are pirated, because if a person is using their PC to pirate console games, who's to say they aren't pirating PC games as well? Especially considering that pirating PC games is easier? Pirating PC games and playing them doesn't require modifying your PC rig by soldering on aftermarket chips like you need to do for consoles. Plus, you don't need to burn PC pirated games onto discs.

Here are my bullet points as to why I think PC piracy is larger.

• Every act of piracy is performed on a PC, whether it be for console games or PC games.
• PC game piracy is easier and more accessible (doesn't require hardware modifications / burning discs)
• PC install base is larger than all of the console user bases combined, by a lot.
• Since every act of piracy is performed on a PC, who's to say that a person pirating console games isn't pirating PC games as well?
• Every pirate owns a PC, while only a fraction of pirates own modified consoles capable of playing pirated games.

arkephonic

You are saying it from an american point of view. that's not how pirates roll in the countries with highest piracy ratings.

I know lots of "pirates" who dont own a PC at all, my neighbors have like 200 pirated games for their modified 360 and still they dont even have a netbook.

And you dont need to solder any chip to modify a console...that's why I said "chip" because it's no longer a chip, it was a chip in the times of the PS2, now it's just a software alteration.

[QUOTE="arkephonic"]

[QUOTE="lightleggy"] Wait how do you need a PC for piracy? that makes no sense at all.lightleggy

You can't pirate a game on a console, you need to use a PC to pirate a game/music/movies/software.

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add a major point.

PC does not have to deal with the used game market. Everyone knows, the used game market for consoles is HUGE!

Everyone knows that console software sales overshadow PC software sales. This is done despite console software sales having to compete with used game sales AND piracy. PC software sales have no used game sales to compete with, only piracy. I would even go as far as to say that PC piracy is a bigger problem than used game sales is for consoles. Could you imagine if console software had to compete with used game sales AND the same level of piracy seen on PC? It would be ridiculous.

Games sell 5-10 times more on consoles than they do on PC despite dealing with both used game sales and piracy, whereas PC only had to deal with piracy, and I think that's a clear sign that PC piracy is a much, much bigger issue. More people own PC than consoles, all the consoles combined, yet the PC software sales are always lacking, and I think it's all due to PC piracy.

arkephonic

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="arkephonic"]

You can't pirate a game on a console, you need to use a PC to pirate a game/music/movies/software.

arkephonic

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

So you shouldn't talk about the subject dude. the amount of gaming piracy in america is shockingly low when compared to the countries with highest ratings. So using america as an example is terrible.

In my country, and in pretty much every single latinamerican country and also some european, the streets are crawling with stores that only sell pirated games. Hell if you want to, I can go to the store that is right next to my house, take a picture of their game shelves so that you can see how many piracy there is here.

The fact that you said that you need to solder a chip to the console to "modify it" just shows you know nothing about this, no offense.

And also the average person in latinamerica has a 1mb internet connection, which is sh*t slow, a 7gb game (the usual size of a 360 game) would take around 1 week and 2 days to download, that's why most people rather buying the pirated copy from a store that takes care of downloading and burning them into disks rather than downloading the games themselves.

and also im not sure but I believe that since the 360 came out it was no longer required to burn the ISO into a disk in order to play it...aren't pirates able to put the ISO in a flash drive and then load it from there in the console?

[QUOTE="arkephonic"]

It's bigger on PC.

First of all, I'm going to say I think you're wrong in claiming that more people own modified consoles than PC's. I would even go as far as to say for every 1 person who owns a modified console, there are 30 people who own a PC. I would estimate a 30 to 1 ratio in favor, not that many people own modified consoles.

Every act of piracy is done on a PC. If you're pirating PC games, you do it on a PC. If you're pirating console games, you do it on a PC. Every single act of piracy is done using a PC as the tool to get the job done. This automatically assumes that more PC games are pirated, because if a person is using their PC to pirate console games, who's to say they aren't pirating PC games as well? Especially considering that pirating PC games is easier? Pirating PC games and playing them doesn't require modifying your PC rig by soldering on aftermarket chips like you need to do for consoles. Plus, you don't need to burn PC pirated games onto discs.

Here are my bullet points as to why I think PC piracy is larger.

• Every act of piracy is performed on a PC, whether it be for console games or PC games.
• PC game piracy is easier and more accessible (doesn't require hardware modifications / burning discs)
• PC install base is larger than all of the console user bases combined, by a lot.
• Since every act of piracy is performed on a PC, who's to say that a person pirating console games isn't pirating PC games as well?
• Every pirate owns a PC, while only a fraction of pirates own modified consoles capable of playing pirated games.

lightleggy

You are saying it from an american point of view. that's not how pirates roll in the countries with highest piracy ratings.

I know lots of "pirates" who dont own a PC at all, my neighbors have like 200 pirated games for their modified 360 and still they dont even have a netbook.

And you dont need to solder any chip to modify a console...that's why I said "chip" because it's no longer a chip, it was a chip in the times of the PS2, now it's just a software alteration.

[QUOTE="arkephonic"]

[QUOTE="lightleggy"] You do know that the countries with highest piracy rates actually have huge stores that sell pirated games right? in other words sorry buddy but you dont need a PC if you want to play pirate games, only if you want to do it for yourself but it's not required.lightleggy

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

I think your country should get that under control. People shouldn't be openly selling stolen property for profit like that. The fact that it's out in the open and acceptable like that is pretty messed up. What is the other crime like where you live?

[QUOTE="arkephonic"]

[QUOTE="lightleggy"] You do know that the countries with highest piracy rates actually have huge stores that sell pirated games right? in other words sorry buddy but you dont need a PC if you want to play pirate games, only if you want to do it for yourself but it's not required.lightleggy

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

Not that I doubt you, but could you post a pic? I believe it myself having visited an eastern European country and piracy was quite rampant there as well. I think it might help enlighten those fanboys who think piracy only happens on PC.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"]

[QUOTE="arkephonic"]

It's bigger on PC.

First of all, I'm going to say I think you're wrong in claiming that more people own modified consoles than PC's. I would even go as far as to say for every 1 person who owns a modified console, there are 30 people who own a PC. I would estimate a 30 to 1 ratio in favor, not that many people own modified consoles.

Every act of piracy is done on a PC. If you're pirating PC games, you do it on a PC. If you're pirating console games, you do it on a PC. Every single act of piracy is done using a PC as the tool to get the job done. This automatically assumes that more PC games are pirated, because if a person is using their PC to pirate console games, who's to say they aren't pirating PC games as well? Especially considering that pirating PC games is easier? Pirating PC games and playing them doesn't require modifying your PC rig by soldering on aftermarket chips like you need to do for consoles. Plus, you don't need to burn PC pirated games onto discs.

Here are my bullet points as to why I think PC piracy is larger.

• Every act of piracy is performed on a PC, whether it be for console games or PC games.
• PC game piracy is easier and more accessible (doesn't require hardware modifications / burning discs)
• PC install base is larger than all of the console user bases combined, by a lot.
• Since every act of piracy is performed on a PC, who's to say that a person pirating console games isn't pirating PC games as well?
• Every pirate owns a PC, while only a fraction of pirates own modified consoles capable of playing pirated games.

DarkOfKnight

You are saying it from an american point of view. that's not how pirates roll in the countries with highest piracy ratings.

I know lots of "pirates" who dont own a PC at all, my neighbors have like 200 pirated games for their modified 360 and still they dont even have a netbook.

And you dont need to solder any chip to modify a console...that's why I said "chip" because it's no longer a chip, it was a chip in the times of the PS2, now it's just a software alteration.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="arkephonic"]

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

menes777

Not that I doubt you, but could you post a pic? I believe it myself having visited an eastern European country and piracy was quite rampant there as well. I think it might help enlighten those fanboys who think piracy only happens on PC.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="arkephonic"]

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

arkephonic

I think your country should get that under control. People shouldn't be openly selling stolen property for profit like that. The fact that it's out in the open and acceptable like that is pretty messed up. What is the other crime like where you live?

Just because a country doesn't have well written or enforced laws regarding copyright issues,doesn't mean it has a high "other" crime rate by default.Many countries outside US(like mine) don't care much about copyright laws,but "traditional" laws are properly enforced...

As the TC pointed out,you observe piracy fully from an American standpoint.Just to remind you,North America=/=World...

You can't just go to a site and download a game on consoles like you can on PC. It's greater on PC because of how much easier it is to do.

Are threads like this really necessary?

Is there a point in arguing which system has the biggest piracy rate when we can't ever find any real factual evidence,only speculate?

Piracy is a widespread issue in the entertainment industry in general,present on all platforms,so can't we simply leave it at that?

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="arkephonic"]

Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm more talking about here, in America. Here, in America, if you try to sell pirated games in a huge store, you'll be spending the next 20 years in federal prison getting ****ed in the ass with guys renaming you Sally. Let's just say, I've never seen a store in my life selling pirated games.

arkephonic

I think your country should get that under control. People shouldn't be openly selling stolen property for profit like that. The fact that it's out in the open and acceptable like that is pretty messed up. What is the other crime like where you live?

You can't just go to a site and download a game on consoles like you can on PC. It's greater on PC because of how much easier it is to do.

Vari3ty

You know how in america we have people on the street selling pirated CDs and bootleg movies? In other countries it's the same except with pirated games. You don't even need a PC to pirate; just buy a modded console and some games.

As the TC pointed out,you observe piracy fully from an American standpoint.Just to remind you,North America=/=World..Rocker6

I think pc games might be a bit higher but I've been to several poor countries and was so suprised how cheap and easy it is to mod your 360 and buy pirated games. Prices from vendors would range around $2-$4 dollars per game when I was in Mexico. I mean there is just racks full of pirated games, my cousin had like 100 360 games. Another friend I visited in Russia was doing the same thing. Even I was tempted to mod my console since it costed around $30 dollars.

You can't just go to a site and download a game on consoles like you can on PC. It's greater on PC because of how much easier it is to do.

Vari3ty

Bingo on consoles it actually requires a bit of figuring and actual hardware modification to play pirated games. Most of the people who pirate on consoles actually have a person that they go to to get that stuff done and dont even really know how to do it themselves. In the end pirates are like water and follow the path of least resistance.

[QUOTE="Rocker6"]As the TC pointed out,you observe piracy fully from an American standpoint.Just to remind you,North America=/=World..DarkOfKnight

[QUOTE="DarkOfKnight"][QUOTE="Rocker6"]As the TC pointed out,you observe piracy fully from an American standpoint.Just to remind you,North America=/=World..lightleggy

You have to realise than in a lot of those countries they really can't afford to be paying 60+ dollars for a game. So they pirate their games... my cousin from my native country does it because they really can't afford it... they did buy rock band and the instruments after a lot of savings and that's all they got on the ps3 besides cheap 4 year old games. I usually send them my games when i'm done with them. I'm not defending piracy in general.. just stating in some places it's the best form ^^ considering also in my native country going to the movies cost 2 dollars per person. Imagine the difference to what they can afford.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="DarkOfKnight"] How am I doing the same thing? I'm talking about a global standard, and looking at it from where it's strongest. Latinamerica and some parts of europe constitute the list of countries with highest piracy rates. Ark using America's POV on the subject is comparable to giving a general example of world technology basing on how technology is going in the republic of Congo.DarkOfKnight

It's completely different. the situation in America only applies to America.

The situation in Costa Rica applies to all the countries where piracy is that high because the conditions are extremely similar.

And if you would have read my post you would know that I said that the stores you buy the games from take care of modifying your consoles as well, a PC might be necessary to modify, but YOU dont have to be the one who do it.

Also people in these countries dont "go pirate" because they cant afford a 60 dollars game, it's because the games dont cost 60 dollars here at all, in the case of costa rica a game can cost around 90 dollars, in countries like mexico they cost like 150 dollars so obviously barely anyone buys, they dont buy them because they are overpriced here, not because they are "zomg so poor they cant afford water"

I actually believe the poverty rate is higher in the US than it is in Costa Rica, and before you go "obviously because the US has far more people" then let me say that rates are meassured in percentages.

Probably bigger on PC

I don't see why it matters

Sometimes piracy is good

To remove DRM that slows your system down

To get games that aren't sold anymore

Piracy is %75 good for consumers and %25 bad for developers just because there are so many abusive companies out there like EA and Ubisoft.

[QUOTE="DarkOfKnight"][QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="DarkOfKnight"] How am I doing the same thing? I'm talking about a global standard, and looking at it from where it's strongest. Latinamerica and some parts of europe constitute the list of countries with highest piracy rates. Ark using America's POV on the subject is comparable to giving a general example of world technology basing on how technology is going in the republic of Congo.lightleggy

What game is your forum sig from?

Just curious thanks.

I can see Diablo 3 getting pirated just to play without an internet connection.