I'm not going to say anything major here - I think this thread covered all the bases and from what I can see it's descending into name-calling and random arguments again - and if someone wants to decry the name-calling I'll be happy to quote.
First - I don't condone piracy. I've been guilty of it in the past, but i make every effort to buy a game I want, and if I'm not certain that I want it I'll make every effort to borrow a copy (legal) from a mate and get some playtime in. However - even here we tend to run into DRM issues sometimes.
DRM, in my view, has made piracy worse. I understand that publishers are trying to protect their revenue stream, but DRM hits the consumer who buys the product, and has no effect on the pirates. Really. The toughest DRM in the world is usually cracked within a few days of release, if not before. And the owner of the legal copy, rightfully, gets pissed off because he is the guy who gets treated like a criminal.
If DRM bothers you, if you can't be assured of steady connections and whatever other factors may be involved in buying a game, go ahead and buy the game - and then get hold of a cracked copy to play. That way, you've done your bit to support the developers, and you've made life easier for yourself at the same time. I'm sure that will get its own set of arguments though ... feel free.
However, Raven, I understand your sentiments, and those of the guys who have issues with game pricing - unfortunately, I can't agree with them. If you can't afford the game, or you are not willing to pay the price, don't buy the game, and don't pirate it either. Just go without. Whether gaming is your passion (or your life, if you want to put it that way), you won't die without it. I'm not a doctor, but I can pretty much guarantee you'll live.
