This is pretty funny. How can you take the moral high ground and still admit to this? If you use torrents to download something you shouldn't have, then you did bad. Don't sugar coat it or try to hide it with these flimsy justifications. Best to just man up, or keep quiet.
I think it's the ultimate in irony when there's comments from people saying "Please buy this game" or "Support the developers" under an Aquaria torrent file. Suddenly they develop a conscience about short-changing Alec and Derek, but seem to be fine with carrying on downloading all the other stuff on the site.
I'm sorry but stealing a game from indie devs is ridiculous. Sure I download torrents all the time, but it's stuff that I can't get anyother way (PlaneScape Torment) or from a company that has made alot of money from the game (StarCraft).
Makes me mad!
As far as I know, you can still find Planescape: Torment on eBay or even in bargain bins. Does the auction seller or store owner not deserve your business? And doesn't Blizzard still deserve to make money on their own creation, whether you think they deserve it or not? Why not just own up to the fact that you're taking the path of least resistance (and least payment)?
The only thing I download nowadays are legal torrents, foreign things that I couldn't get any other way, and anime. I refuse to purchase anime in stores because it is HORRIFYINGLY overpriced. 25 dollars for less than 2 hours of content? You can get a 2 hour movie for 10-15 bucks depending on its age. As far as cost per minute, anime pricing is atrocious.
There are places to order imports, but it would require knowing where to look, and money of course. Anime costs too much to justify obtaining it legally? This is different from the people who pirate movies and games, how? If it costs more than a movie, then why not just buy a movie instead?
I use torrents for:
1. Movies, the Cinema's here are HELLISH expensive and yes I go there from time to time and alot of Movies are not worth their money.
2. Games that I already own or have owned and lost for any reason.
3. Games that have no demo. I just want to try it and most of the time if I like it I buy the original afterwards.
4. Games who aren't worth their value in the stores. Short and ugly games.
5. Music. Somehow I never bought a actual Music CD or a Album or anything else, even thouhg I love to listen to music. Must be because Napster existed in the time that I got into the internet and downloading.
Yes I use torrents alot, but all that I actually do with it doesn't really seem all that illegal, more likely righteous, besides the music... but who doesn't do that? I mean those singers are already rich enough, no need to give them more money. =p
1. So you wanted to watch the movie, but just didn't feel like paying for it. Okay.
2. This might make you feel okay, but read the description about torrents below.
3. You must be made of greater moral fiber than many others I know. Most people would just stop once they have the game.
4. Isn't this what the whole situation is revolving around? (Aquaria hitting P2P I mean, short and ugly may not apply)
5. Again, you want the music, but don't want to pay for it.
Even if you try to justify your own reasons for downloading something, this won't hold up in court. Every time you connect to a torrent, you're just helping other people get the same thing, which kind of makes you an accomplice to the crime. How did it go? Some lady was found sharing 12 songs on Kazaa or something and got sued by the RIAA for $200,000, even though her room was filled with CDs she paid for. But hey, at least you saved a few bucks and you're not padding the wallets of those millionaire singers, right? Just hope that you never get caught.
My option on the matter is that pirating is wrong.
That being said, when a gamemaker is no longer supporting a game/selling it, it's pretty reasonable to torrent it.
The bottom line though, is that pirating opens up the game to people who wouldn't otherwise buy it. They'll tell they're friends, they might be guiltied into it, and when the next big bitblot game comes out, they're going to be ready. It's not something to encourage, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.
Sounds like the "abandonware" argument. If you can't find it in a store, it's free. But what happens to the copyright holders, who might be thinking of re-releasing the game? They probably just lost a lot of sales. What about the brick and mortar stores that paid the developer for the game, but never got to sell it? If you try to draw the line somewhere on when you can or can't download something, there will always be an argument to draw a new line closer.
The company isn't selling the game anymore? There's no way to help their business, I should be able to download it.
The game costs $80? That's too much, I should be able to download it.
There's only 100 copies in existence? I'll never be able to find it, I should be able to download it.
I already had the game, but lost it or traded it away? I already paid for it once, I should be able to download it.
You can go on as long as you like. There is no "legal" way to do this, and the sooner you realize it, the sooner you'll see that these lines are just the limits of our conscience. But whatever helps you sleep at night.
