"Starcraft 2 pirated 2.3 million times" -GI - Page 17

On November 21 2010 02:45 McDonalds wrote:

Are you crazy? We're talking about a fucking VIDEO GAME.

There are people out there who download HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS worth of games, movies and music. Who cares what country they're from? The chances of them actually having that much money to spend are basically zero. But it doesn't matter, because the amount of money you have to spend at any given time impacts the debate exactly zero. It's a product. If you want it, you're supposed to pay for it.

Yes, it is unfair. Doesn't make it right though. He can do whatever he wants, there's not much stopping him, but it doesn't change that fact that it should be against the law.

On November 16 2010 12:09 seaofsaturn wrote:
Well, a lot of people who actually bought the game probably used a torrent to download the client because the blizzard downloader is slow as balls.

On November 21 2010 02:46 Half wrote:


I'm glad you get that you realize the law is meant to protect the status quo, not even the direct profits of said stockholders.



What the fuck does being against the law have anything to do with it? Heres an example. I don't smoke weed, but plenty of people do (in this country, America). Smoking Weed is against the law. Do you morally condemn those who smoke weed just because it is against the law?

On November 21 2010 02:49 Cpadolf wrote:


The difference here is that smoking weed shouldn't be against the law.

On November 21 2010 02:35 Half wrote:


You honestly willing to condemn a man because hes seeking a similar standard of living albeit being born in a less privileged country, violating no law or other person besides one meant to protect the status quo for American stockholders?

On November 21 2010 02:35 Half wrote:
You honestly willing to condemn a man because hes seeking a similar standard of living albeit being born in a less privileged country, violating no law or other person besides one meant to protect the status quo for American stockholders?

On November 21 2010 02:49 AJMcSpiffy wrote:

Living a less fortunate life and trying to improve by questionable means is NOT the same as stealing a video game. It's only a video game! It's not the same as say, stealing food for your table. Games are privelages, and you can't justify pirating by saying you're too poor to buy the game legally. Also, how exactly did he afford a computer that can play all these games? Surely if he could save up that money, he could save up 60 bucks to buy a game. Not being able to afford a brand new game on release day does not entitle you to stealing it.

I can understand why so many people in lower income countries are frustrated with video game prices. It's true that they are often higher in those places and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But if you're going to steal the stuff you want then don't try to justify it by saying that you want it so so much but not enough to save up for a while or make sacrifices. It's just a video game.

On November 21 2010 02:52 Half wrote:


Most things in life are privileges. I'm not saying there is no principal difference between electicity and video games (both "privileges)", but I'm saying its arbitrary to condemn something on the sole principal of it being a privilege.

On November 21 2010 02:57 AJMcSpiffy wrote:


How about we draw a line between "privileges" and "frivolous privileges"? Electricity for your home, a car to get to a job, those are privileges but certainly borderline necessities. A video game is purely for entertainment and can not be considered necessary in any sense.

It's not arbitrary to condemn someone based on this difference. I can understand and agree with someone stealing to put food on their table. I can not do the same for someone stealing just to have a fancy new toy while complaining that it's because they are too poor to afford it under normal circumstances.

On November 16 2010 12:09 killerdog wrote:


if that many people dl'ed it for just campaign, if lan was included (and hence non b.net online servers) how many more people would not have bought it?

blizzard does have staff to pay after all.

On November 21 2010 03:02 Half wrote:


They are immutable because what we are talking about here has nothing to do with the frivolity of the privilege, but purchasing power of the individual attaining them. The purchasing power of Crotian currency applied to electricity is just, because its been shaped by developed, Croatian industry, suited towards there economic situation. As opposed by American stockholders trying to impose there status quo in lieu of any sort of developed, internal system.

Second of all, while I would never argue that video games aren't a frivolous privilege, its kind of funny how you view things like Cars a "borderline necessity". lol.

I haven't heard of a single Chinese friend (living in China) condemn someone for buying pirate stuff of the street. Obviously, there it isn't a ethical wrongdoing for them, though in America, it may very well be. What, does your ethical guidelines (shaped by money and power) supersede theirs?

Your friends may not condemn you for purchasing a stolen product, but your friends don't decide the laws. Use their support all you want, but at the end of the day you're buying stolen property and it's not your friends you have to convince, it's a judge.

What the fuck does being against the law have anything to do with it? Heres an example. I don't smoke weed, but plenty of people do (in this country, America). Now, here, Smoking Weed is "against the law". Do you morally condemn those who smoke weed just because it is against the law? Do you come up to friends smoking weed and start yelling at them how bad of a person they are?

Laws are not ethical guidelines. They have a tendency to correlate with them, but they are not the same.

And these...American Stockholders you keep talking about, they don't have the responsibility to ensure their product can be afforded by the average Romanian. They set the prices based on an American purchasing audience, and this price is then set to the rest of the markets because to have different prices in different regions would end up causing loss of revenue and confusion. Not saying it's right.

On November 21 2010 02:52 Half wrote:


Of course you can't understand. I mean, how could someone justify themselves ethically by having a video game without paying for it????

Thats statement is a reflection of our countries status quo. Your ethics and morals are shaped by the economic and political environment you are raised in. And your right, in this country, they are entirely valid judgments.

The only thing your imposition of your ethical guidelines on another country with a different economic environment does is impose your status quo onto there lives, much to the chagrin of stockholders everywhere.

I haven't heard of a single Chinese friend (living in China) condemn someone for buying pirate stuff of the street. Obviously, there it isn't a ethical wrongdoing for them, though in America, it may very well be. What, does your ethical guidelines (shaped by money and power) supersede theirs?

On November 21 2010 02:46 Cpadolf wrote:
Yes, it is unfair. Doesn't make it right though. He can do whatever he wants, there's not much stopping him, but it doesn't change that fact that it should be against the law.

On November 21 2010 03:30 Krigwin wrote:

It is wrong, but there is such a thing as a victimless crime. Piracy is blown out of proportion by corporations to get more corporatist laws passed to enhance their profits, it has much less to do with the lost profits than you would be led to think.

On topic, I pirated SC2 (not from TPB though) and then activated it with the key from my purchased boxed copy. I know a lot of people who did this because they were WoW players with firsthand experience on how terrible Blizzard's downloaders can be, so that could be artificially inflating the piracy counts.