Boredom, it's great. Isn't it. Anyways...
What are people's thoughts on pirating and pirated software. I get the impression from a few places in the "community" that people don't mind as long as it's not Lucasarts software. But tell me what you think, I really "care".
I don't particularly care. I'll buy games if I want them, I've never downloaded a pirated game but only because of my slow connection.
Yeah I suppose I'd agree on games, newer ones anyway. If I was ever to download software, not that I ever have *cough* it wouldn't be games. It would be stuff that I couldn't afford. Ever.
Yeah! I can't afford $400 for Soundforge, $500 for Bryce, $350 for Poser! Not that I would ever dream of attempting to acquire a "free" version. I just sulk.
When I had dialup, I bought windows xp :( I weep.
When I had dial-up, I moved to UNIVERSITY to get the speed. Now I have it, its faaast. Like, 1MB+ per second. :D :D :D
:( I only have adsl, I have to wait a year for super fast uni connection. They probably wouldn't like me downloading "perfectly legitimate software".
They don't like it. Thank God for IRC.
:'( I just realised, perhaps this should be in offtopic whatsit, but what are you going to do? move it? HAHAHAHAH! ¬
I have only ever downloaded games it is impossible to buy, or are so unbelievably old that no-one will get royalties from my second hand copy anyway.
I tend to buy NEW games that I like (like SWG for instance).
~ John
Originally posted by PTDC
:'( I just realised, perhaps this should be in offtopic whatsit, but what are you going to do? move it? HAHAHAHAH! ¬
Oh. You did :\
Originally posted by PTDC
:( I only have adsl, I have to wait a year for super fast uni connection. They probably wouldn't like me downloading "perfectly legitimate software".
Hah! All I've got is a freaking ISDN (oh, and 1-2mb/ps is still considered ADSL)
But yeah, the only game I've every downloaded that wasn't a fan game was BASS which was when it actually became abandonware thanks to scummvm. Other games I got my dads freinds tyo copy for me. I'm kidding, i usually buy the games I want although I do have a few pirated CD's, they're kinda like bad pennies if you know what I mean.
I'm quite happy to download "abandonware", but not modern-o-games. If you can't find the game for purchase anywhere, there's no point depriving yourself of it for some random "moral" reasons. I'm sure the developers wouldn't particularly want their creations to be forgotten about for the sake of people staying strictly within the law, either - they'll never make any money on them again if they're no longer on sale, but at least people can still enjoy them through abandonware.
Originally posted by Neil Joshi
Hah! All I've got is a freaking ISDN (oh, and 1-2mb/ps is still considered ADSL)
Only if it's delivered via, er, ADSL. Which in universities it isn't. ¬
"Hey I like your stuff, Im willing to pay for it. Possibly, that is, if I have the money, an extra 50 bucks Im not having to spend on other things."
"Hey I payed 49.99 bucks for this game, and spended my free time on it. *grumble*"
"This computer has cost me so much I better get lots of things for free so it will weight up"
"Hey! Its that great, superb game, I've followed on the internet since forever. Since e3 two years ago. Its finally on the shelf. Dude. Cool. Yes."
"I dont care, I just want some fun time to spend. I download some games and stuff. Its not like anyone cares. Played most of them for 5 minutes anyway."
I think all these apply on me. Depends on the situation. Gimme a reply what you think.
Old games is all I download and since the developers openly think that it's a great idea and I know for a fact no-one is losing any money. It's just the money men "protecting their assets" ("who knows, that 1984 two-color text-adventure might be the next HalfLife!!"). It sounds weird, and it is because computer games are quite unlike anything else... they age TERRIBLY.
It's not like "ooh, classic Beatles songs" or "this timeless 1940 film noir". Games age awfully compared to other medium.
The comparison is like the first Nickelodeon films ("train arriving at station" or "man walking down street" etc) versus The Matrix or Lord of the Rings... except people still wouldn't mind watching "man walking down street" now and then. They should be grateful that their work hasn't been forgotten (because it WILL be someday!).
Here's a thought: Get some money and buy the game, you theives!
Honestly, did it ever occure to you that you're stealing?
I dunno Thunder, I think it all depends on your perspective. If you're used to 3D-spinny-Roundy-O-Vision and live only for the beauty of a pixel-shaded wall then you're probably right. But there's masses and masses of gameplay to be had with the likes of text adventures (Zork! woot!) and some of those old skool adventures even if they are only 8 colours or something....and you if you can get them to run.
I just had a recent period of playing all these abandonware adventures i first got into as a wee lad and it was a hell of a lot of fun! Now that could easily just be nostalgia doing it's work by the spade load, but i think that if people could throw away their visual-related prejudices they'd find that those old games are still gems of quality.
You're right though, games don't age in the same way as music or films, but that's because games are neither of those things. Games are in their own class and should remain there. Its when games try to imitate films that horrible accidents occur.
Interactive Movies, anyone?
Abandonware's great :D Does anybody know the legality of downloading a game you've already bought at least once?
i would assume that if you still own a copy of the game there would be no problems - if you don't however, then you are still allowed to, you'd just be in trouble if you needed to prove it for some reason.
Do I hear sirens?