Space Empires V Pirated!

Fyron · #1 December 19th, 2006, 03:08 AM

Well, to be honest, active torrents are a sign of popularity. If it wasn't popular, it wouldn't be actively pirated.

Atrocities · #2 December 19th, 2006, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Imperator Fyron said:
Well, to be honest, active torrents are a sign of popularity. If it wasn't popular, it wouldn't be actively pirated.

A valid point but still it doesn't excuse this violation of trust.

frightlever · #3 December 19th, 2006, 04:46 AM

Meh. Hardcore pirates don't buy games anyway. Casual piracy, if anything, can help a game's popularity by spreading the word. How many reading here pirated IV and either went on to buy a legit copy of it or V when it came out? I read an article somewhere years back that suggested for every legitimate copy of SEIV there were at least 5 pirate copies in use. (and to avoid the inevitable I bought my copy of SEIV from a specialist UK wargaming store for about the equivalent of $90 at the time having got hooked on the demo.)

The truth is publishers are probably the biggest cause of independent developers going out of business so if there's the need for a childish tirade perhaps that's where it should be getting directed. (and for what it's worth as far as I can see Shrapnel isn't a bad publisher. Or Stardock or, for that matter, Steam.)

Fyron · #4 December 19th, 2006, 06:22 AM

Probably very few.

frightlever · #5 December 19th, 2006, 10:12 AM

Ahhh you could be right. However it's definitely true that a pirated game does not equal a lost sale.

AminMaalouf · #6 December 20th, 2006, 03:54 AM

It is illegal to pirate software. The outcome can be expensive and it hopefully helps funding SE 6.

frightlever · #7 December 20th, 2006, 04:47 AM

SE6 is going to be 100% funded by Strategy First since they now own the Space Empires property. When it's getting built by the Brigade E5 team you remember what I said about publishers being the worst thing to happen to independent developers.

AminMaalouf · #8 December 20th, 2006, 06:07 AM

Stolen is stolen. A piece of software is not a leaf of bread or a glass of fresh water.

rdouglass · #9 December 19th, 2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

frightlever said:
... How many reading here pirated IV and either went on to buy a legit copy of it or V when it came out? ...

Not me. And regardless of how many did, it still does not make it right nor does it invalidate AT's position nor does it validate the pirates position.

IMO that is a very poor arguement. It's kinda' like saying that stealing cars is OK cause you'll increase their popularity and that you can 'try it before you buy it'. Hey, that's what the demo was for wasn't it?

Atrocities · #10 December 19th, 2006, 01:33 PM

Good point about the demo. I hadn't thought of that for use in a response.

It isn't really the pirating aspect that angers me, its that someone pirated THESE games knowing full well that they were independantly developed by small one to two man operations who depend upon the income from the sales of their games to help cover the cost of developing other games. They basically stoled from these people, people whom I admire and respect greatly, and that is what pi**es me off so much.