MW3 pirated on PC already...

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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 doesn't come out until Nov. 8. But pirates have already obtained the video game — one of the most-anticipated of the year — VentureBeat has learned.

The PC version of the game, or at least part of it, has been circulating among pirates in the U.S., who illegally copy and share it without paying Activision Blizzard or its retailers. That's a big problem, as Activision Blizzard is expected to sell more than 20 million copies of the game in 2011 alone, according to Arcadia Research. That amounts to more than $1.2 billion in sales at retail.

Piracy has always been a problem with video games, especially for PC titles. But the pirates go after Call of Duty because it's the big prize. Every year, a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Activision Blizzard closely monitors manufacturing in the weeks leading up to shipment, since it only takes one stolen disk to set off the viral spread of pirated copies. But it's hard to stop inside jobs.

Evidently, pirated discs began to spread quickly after an employee at a shipping warehouse (run by a huge shipping company) in Fresno, Calif., stole one disc. It's not clear how many full copies spread this way, as the disc that was stolen was apparently Disc 2 of a two-disk set for the PC. Security may have been too tight for the thief to steal the other disc.

The same course of events happened before last year's launch of Call of Duty Black Ops and the year before that with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. But sales of the franchise keep climbing.

Investigators are using the same tactics as last year, knocking on doors around the country and asking people nicely to turn over and delete their pirated copies of Modern Warfare 3. Rather than face fines, many complied.

A Modern Warfare pirate who was caught posted a message (below) yesterday on Craigslist. In it, the person warns others not to buy MW3 before the release date because "they will come get you." The post says "you will be fined $5,000″ and it could result in permanent banning from online play. Then the person adds, "I already went through it."

VentureBeat

Well that didn't take long.

I wonder how many PC gamers will steal the game yet complain about it... smh.

Downloading this game is a waste of my previous bandwidth.

Didn't realize there was a thread already up.

Feel free to close mods.

Pirated versions, across all platforms, are usually available a few weeks early. This isn't surprising, and no doubt it'll be pirated to hell and back. That being said, it'll sell a metric **** ton.

LOL this is funny they only took disk 2 of the game

LOL this is funny they only took disk 2 of the game

GTSaiyanjin2

NO IT WASN'T ME!!!!! LOL I live in fresno. I didn't know we were housing MW3. Maybe that's why I never have to preorder any games. Launch day I just walk into walmart and walk out during the afternoon. :lol: Now my question is....where is that warehouse? Besides, piracy is better than buying it used so i'm doing activision a favor--its just lost sales.

cdragon_88

LOL this is funny they only took disk 2 of the game

GTSaiyanjin2

Lol disc 2? must be funny when trying to install it "please insert disc 1" :lol:

[QUOTE="GTSaiyanjin2"]

LOL this is funny they only took disk 2 of the game

DJ_Headshot

I dont think it would be possible to play it with just 1 disk, PC games are always 2 or 3 disk installs. And still the game has to be activated on steam.

The perfect way to troll Infinity Ward and Craptivi$ion (I refuse to say that company's real name) is to borrow the game and then review the game and harp on everything about it whilst giving it a bad score.

Oh crap, I forgot about the rule against piracy, I hope I don't get modded to the heavens and back for this. Message deleted D:

Talking bad about pc because of how early it got leaked? What about Gears of War3 and the many console games that have gotten leaked earlyier then this so far this year?

[QUOTE="cdragon_88"]

NO IT WASN'T ME!!!!! LOL I live in fresno. I didn't know we were housing MW3. Maybe that's why I never have to preorder any games. Launch day I just walk into walmart and walk out during the afternoon. :lol: Now my question is....where is that warehouse? Besides, piracy is better than buying it used so i'm doing activision a favor--its just lost sales.

istreakforfood

U must live in fresno too. Don't come look for me. I don't have the game :lol:

--bulldogs are getting pwned this year. Somehow I knew they were going to. At least next year Carr will have more experience.

This is the only time I'm rooting for the bad guys. If this cuts down on sales for this game it's a good thing imo.

Talking bad about pc because of how early it got leaked? What about Gears of War3 and the many console games that have gotten leaked earlyier then this so far this year?

kozzy1234

Gears 3 sold over 3 million in one week, and MW3 will sell a crapton regardless.

And it's only disc 2 of MW3. This situation is similar to when the PS3 version of Portal 2 "leaked," but pirates couldn't play it on their jailbroken PS3s because it was encrypted with firmware 3.60.

Suits it right. The game is download content anyways, so what's the problem?

This is the only time I'm rooting for the bad guys. If this cuts down on sales for this game it's a good thing imo.

Bigboi500

Good. Activison basically steals from consumers. They sell the same game, with just a different name and maps. Hopefully this teaches Activison a lesson.

You get what you give, Activision. Remember that.

(here comes the activision steals from consumers replies).

WithoutGraceXII

Good. Activison basically steals from consumers. They sell the same game, with just a different name and maps. Hopefully this teaches Activison a lesson.

You get what you give, Activision. Remember that.

LORD_BLACKGULT

Time to get it... Lies, even if I wanted to pirate games I wouldn't spend my bandwith with this game. Waste of time and space. But this is good news indeed, hopefully MW3 sales will decrease :twisted:

Time to get it... Lies, even if I wanted to pirate games I wouldn't spend my bandwith with this game. Waste of time and space. But this is good news indeed, hopefully MW3 sales will decrease :twisted:

Miroku32

See, this is such a horrible attitude to have. Do we condone piracy in the industry if it's a game we dislike?

Ravensmash

[QUOTE="Miroku32"]

Time to get it... Lies, even if I wanted to pirate games I wouldn't spend my bandwith with this game. Waste of time and space. But this is good news indeed, hopefully MW3 sales will decrease :twisted:

Ravensmash

Please forgive us and our "horrible attitudes" for wanting a disease to be destroyed and not caring how it's destroyed, and for not being corporate 'yes' men conformists.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"][QUOTE="Miroku32"]

Time to get it... Lies, even if I wanted to pirate games I wouldn't spend my bandwith with this game. Waste of time and space. But this is good news indeed, hopefully MW3 sales will decrease :twisted:

Bigboi500

Please forgive us and our "horrible attitudes" for wanting a disease to be destroyed and not caring how it's destroyed, and for not being corporate 'yes' men conformists.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"][QUOTE="Miroku32"]

Time to get it... Lies, even if I wanted to pirate games I wouldn't spend my bandwith with this game. Waste of time and space. But this is good news indeed, hopefully MW3 sales will decrease :twisted:

Bigboi500

Please forgive us and our "horrible attitudes" for wanting a disease to be destroyed and not caring how it's destroyed, and for not being corporate 'yes' men conformists.

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"] See, this is such a horrible attitude to have. Do we condone piracy in the industry if it's a game we dislike? alexside1

Please forgive us and our "horrible attitudes" for wanting a disease to be destroyed and not caring how it's destroyed, and for not being corporate 'yes' men conformists.

It isn't, not even the console versions are leaked yet (they are typically leaked first). And even if it was you wouldn't be able to play it without a crack, which usually comes a few days after release. I'm pretty sure that article is BS, Activision knocking on peoples' doors because they pirated a game? Please.

I'd rather gamers buy whatever the hell they want tbh.Ravensmash

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"] Not sure if srs. I have a solution for your Call of Duty dislike - it's called not buying it. Hear it works well and saves you money. Please don't try and imply that these thieves are doing anything positive for the industry. Would rather you allow COD fans to enjoy their game too, instead of some faux political-esque message :|Miroku32

I'll buy what I want to, thank you very much.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"]I'd rather gamers buy whatever the hell they want tbh.Miroku32

[QUOTE="Miroku32"]

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"]I'd rather gamers buy whatever the hell they want tbh.Ravensmash

Um, I really don't give a good god damn what you have to say. MW3 is a waste of money no matter how you look at it.

[QUOTE="Miroku32"]

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"]I'd rather gamers buy whatever the hell they want tbh.Ravensmash

Ehm, back on topic, many gamers want something different. It would be boring to play the same thing over and over again, even if it has a different setting and story.

In my opinion, right now the FPS genre is passing a period like the period of the Doom Clones. Would love to see a chart like the Doom clones but based on CoD instead.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"][QUOTE="Miroku32"] Sure, they can buy whatever they want. But CoD is affecting the gaming industry. Many developers see that the CoD formula is quite popular and they are trying to copy paste it. So, we have many CoD clones out there which many find annoying. Like health regeneration instead of medipacks (I miss the good ol' medipacks :cry:)

Jebus213

Um, I really don't give a good god damn what you have to say. MW3 is a waste of money no matter how you look at it.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"][QUOTE="Miroku32"] Sure, they can buy whatever they want. But CoD is affecting the gaming industry. Many developers see that the CoD formula is quite popular and they are trying to copy paste it. So, we have many CoD clones out there which many find annoying. Like health regeneration instead of medipacks (I miss the good ol' medipacks :cry:)

Jebus213

Um, I really don't give a good god damn what you have to say. MW3 is a waste of money no matter how you look at it.

[QUOTE="Jebus213"]

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"] That's the developers issue. Don't see how it's entirely relevant tbh, don't recall Activision demanding people follow their example.Ravensmash

Um, I really don't give a good god damn what you have to say. MW3 is a waste of money no matter how you look at it.

It doesn't have value.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"][QUOTE="Jebus213"]

Um, I really don't give a good god damn what you have to say. MW3 is a waste of money no matter how you look at it.

Jebus213

It doesn't have value.

MW3 doesn't? It's a largely populated game, months and months after release. To many, it has a large amount of value.

[QUOTE="Jebus213"]

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"] Wait, are you saying others opinions are made irrelevant by yours? Well now I know. MW3 will be a game which combines a solid campaign, with a fun multiplayer. I don't know if I'm getting it, but considering people spend hundreds of hours on it - sounds like it has value .lundy86_4

It doesn't have value.

MW3 doesn't? It's a largely populated game, months and months after release. To many, it has a large amount of value.

Well, it simply doesn't have value.