Ok, I've seen this argument countless times, both on our forums and on this one.
It seems some people are still unclear on the simple facts of how the gaming industry as a whole works.I've seen people argue that games are too expensive,that they aren't worth the retail pricetag and that DRM is not a viable solution.I've been approached by various local groups attempting to get iGame to host servers that are illegal or that require no cd key checks to play on.
My answer to all of these has always been :
STOP BEING AN IDIOT !
Games retail for their current value, both locally and internationally because they are a commodity, a format for digital entertainment delivery, the product of entire development teams working around the clock in an attempt at delivering a game that will be popular amongst the members of our little subculture.I used to work full time as a developer, still do some development in the little spare time I have and I can assure anyone who think that all developers sit around and play games all day that this is not the case.
It's hard work, just like any other.Frequent all nighters, insane deadlines and abusive publishers are some of the "perks" that development carries with it.
To have something you've worked months on, something you had to sacrifice for, sometimes on levels that a sub 21 year old simply cannot comprehend, simply copied and distributed over he internet or at LAN's is heart shattering.
Developers develop because they are passionate about gaming, you copy games because you are presumably so ignorant that you simply cannot fathom the impact every copied game has on the industry as a whole.
Why do we have DRM, DRM is a last ditch attempt at preventing situations where so called gamers are physically busy destroying an entire industry.
It is there so that the developers at the end of the day can afford not to drive that Porsche, but to feed his/her family.
By copying games you are not only further adding to this issue, you are making a direct attempt at taking someones livelihood, think about what that implies for a second and then start complaining about the fact that GFWL needs you to log in to save your games.
You are not only hurting the original developer and publishers, but on a local front, retailers are feeling this influx of piracy as well.
Retailers like Zaps, who deliver a quality service and go to extra ordinary lengths to be able to support the local gaming fraternity have their business stolen every time a game is copied as well.
As for games being worth less in overall experience than the retail price tag, if you can read you can find a review, if you can't understand the big words in the review itself, ask an adult to read it for you.
As for iGame, we will continue to decline offers to get involved with pirated or private servers and software of any kind.
We will continue to enforce cd key check on our servers, if that means that eventually no one plays on them, so be it.
We actively work with the BSA and SAFACT in an attempt to curb the influx of pirated software and online services into our little corner of the world.
In conclusion, if you think you are a hero for pirating games, I'll repeat my standardized response that that mindset
