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yin26
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This space reserved for Darkstar.
Apr 1999
time: 14:15
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As many of you might know, I have been both one of Civ3's greatest supporters and now one of its greatest doubters. However, I want to go on record as saying one thing:
DO NOT PIRATE CIV3!
Now let's go through some of the excuses people have been using:
- I don't have enough money: Too bad. Get a job. If you are too young to get a job, make a deal with your parents that you'll mow the lawn for 3 months or something. This is how I got my first miniature pac-man game back in the early 80's.
- There is no demo, so how can I test the game?: You don't. You rely on some trusted people to tell you what's up. Surely there are a few people you can trust. If not, write off this game and the people who don't release a demo.
- The release date is much later in my part of the world and I don't want to wait: If you have already placed your pre-order, I'm sure most people will look the other way. If you haven't, do NOT pirate Civ3.
- I have already pre-ordered and don't want to wait the few extra days: Again, not sure why you can't wait the few days considering the ripped version will be weak and buggy most likely...
- Firaxis has cheated me before...not this time!: Grow up. If you feel this way about Firaxis, simply walk away from them. Plenty of other games out there from great companies.
- IF THERE'S NO MP, THE GAME ISN'T COMPLETE!: Then wait for the MP to be released. If Infogrames makes it so you are forced to buy the original game and the x-pack, don't buy either. Walk away. Or, wait until they are in the bargain bin in a bundled version for $19.99. You can rest assured that at that price, the profit is very, very small.
I'm sure there are some that I missed, but the point is this: If you feel Civ3 is good enough (or potentially good enough) to pirate, it's good enough to pay for or to wait until it meets your price/feature level.
I for one am walking away from Civ3. I will re-evaluate it 6 months from now. Once the first few rounds of patches and the MP stuff is all sorted out, it might well be worth my money. Until then, even a pirated version would take something valuable from me...TIME! At this point, I don't think Civ3 even deserves my time, so I will be on other boards playing EU for a few months, occasionally peeking in here to see what's up.
Again, do NOT pirate Civ3. Even if you don't repect the result, please at least respect the people who make a living off the product enough NOT to steal it from them. Afterall, if a gaming company goes out of business, it should be because it didn't make the customer happy NOT because some lame customers have easy access to some downloads.
And anybody on these boards who admits to or supports pirating Civ3 should be given one warning then banned. As much as I hate companies trying to rip off the customer, I also hate fans trying to rip off companies.
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redstar1
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Belfast, Northern Ireland
Apr 2001
time: 05:15
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I fully intend to download it. I'll get my hands on a CD image beofre it even hits the shops in the US. I'll download it, burn it. Then report back here on how it plays, what it looks like etc. I do this with a lot of games. In fact almost every big name release. Have to say though that if I play the game to the point of liking it I will more than likely purchase as cracked games are difficult to patch, and as we all know, patches come soon after release. I use this method as a way of 'testing' the game. Demo's are crap. I want to see what happens later in the game. I want to experience the full game before I hand over cash. It is impossible to do this with computer games. We get the chance to test drive cars, bikes, listen to albums etc. £30 isn't much for me since I have a good job, but thats not the point. I've been playing Maddens 2002 for 3 weeks and I intend to but it when it is released. It is quality.
I'm sorry if this hurts the developers but it is up to the publishers and the game stores to provide potential customers with the ability to try out the software first. Magazine/Internet reviews are great but I do not regard them as a fair way to guage the quality of a game. Obviously with a game like CIV 3 which is massive, will have a lot of fans before it has been released, and will more than likely be fantastic, games magazines may review through rose tinted glasses. I don't want to know how good the graphics are, how good the sound is. I want to know what gaming experience this offers me, why I should buy CIV3, why i should play it instead of CTP3 or Age of Empires. I can only judge this by playing the game, and I can only test the game by 'stealing' it.
Dave
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Aco
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Europe
Jun 2005
time: 05:15
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Why are 'we' even bothering to say the obvious?
Stealing is illegal.. and it doesn't matter whether we're talking about a game/music cd/book/whatever.
Reward the people who create things.. just pay for their efforts.
There really isn't a different way.. unless you want to be a criminal.
Thats all there is..
Aco
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redstar1
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Belfast, Northern Ireland
Apr 2001
time: 05:15
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Of course stealing is illegal, noone is disputing that. And if the police arrive at my door I'll hold my hands up to it. However, software piracy will NOT go away. A good deal can be done to reduce its impact. Gamers need to be able to trust not the developers, but the publishers. Developers don't want to release a game thats half tested and full of bugs. They are professionals who take pride in their work and who don't want to finish a game, have a big release party then spend the next 12 months finishing it. I have been around the warez community for a number of years and I think I can safely say that the vast majority of people use warez as a means of trying out software to see if they want to purchase it. Yes a few people make money out of it but if people buy the latest release from a market stall on a sunday afternoon well then thats their stupidity and their problem.
Imagine if you will buying a portable radio. You want to listen to the football results on a saturday afternoon. The radio works perfectly, except for the little red on light, which doesn't work properly. Not a big deal. It doesn't affect the functionality of the radio, but you take it back anyway. Now remember the last time you bought a game only to find that a part of it is not finished. You can take it back but you can't get a replacement. You have to wait for a patch. Not everyone has the internet, nor not everyone on a 56k modem is prepared to download a 5mb+ patch. Nor should we have to wait 2 months to see it on the front cover cd of a £5 magazine that failed to mention the bugs in the first place.
No, I don't trust games publishers. I don't trust what it says on the box. I want to play games before I buy them. No disrespect to the developers who do a damn good job under tight deadlines and I know that piracy affects you as well. As long as games are released half-arsed, piracy will remain a large problem.
Dave
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Provost Harrison
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The farce is strong with this one.
Feb 2000
time: 05:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Asmodean
That is still no excuse for breaking the law. the law is the law, and that's that. Just because a man is an arsehole, dosn't make stealing from him any more right, than from any other man.
And anyone who can't understand that, should take a good look at themselves, before saying that they are honest, law-abiding people.
Asmodean |
Hmmm, we are all perfectly aware it happens. But seriously, and this comes back to the post above by Executor. I could not afford to buy Office or Windows at the cost of them, especially the full versions I would require for when I built my computer. I bet you most people do it, copy it from work and the like. Perhaps this is why microsoft charge so much for these things because businesses still pay for it. But the kind of money to pay for these is beyond my means. I need some of these things for my computer to work (ie windows) but I am not willing to pay the price. It is all very easy to be sanctimonious at times, but in reality, it is easier said than done. Microsoft has worked it's way around the problem by making it's money from businesses. The only way the public ever have these programs is if bundled with the computer or acquired from work.
I am willing to buy where feasible, eg, computer games are relatively cheap to buy and don't begrudge the money for how little I buy them.
Remember Ashmodean, sometimes laws were not always put there for the wellbeing of everyone but to allow traps for the rich to get richer.
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Ozymandous
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Atlanta, GA
Aug 2001
time: 00:15
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quote:
Originally posted by yin26
Hmmm. I haven't lived in the States for 5 years. How are the return policies on software? I used to LOVE Electronic Boutique for their solid return policy. And I didn't just keep the games, either, on my HD. If they sucked, I exchanged them...as it should be.
Now I'm stuck overseas and can't return stuff. I miss those great days of no questions asked returns... |
EB still has a great return policy, which I used to return Tropico, Red Alert 2, Soldier of FOrtune and some other games that didn't like up to the hype.
I am not sure but EBWorld should also have a good policy on this, although the customer may have to pay shipping & handling.
Luckily I work about 3 miles from an EB and there is another on my way home so I always purchase my games there. I'll return any game that is buggy or fails to provide anything it promised be it Civ3, Moo3, Pools of Radiance, Soldier of Fortune2, etc.
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24-09-2001 08:17
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