Latest PC DRM tech too hard to crack, “no more cracked games in two years,” says cracking group

[Lord Nemesis]

Piracy is piracy. It is not a tool for anything. Yeah, people pirate for what ever reason, but lets not sugar coat it and portray it as having some high and mighty purpose.
Given any reason, would a person still have pirated if say there were a 99% chance that they would be caught and put in jail for an year or two and have to pay a hefty fine? I guess not.

The average piracy level for games stands somewhere between 80~90%. i.e. Out of every 100 people playing the game, only 10~20 people have bought it. The purpose of DRM is not to make 90/100 people buy it, but to make 20 or 25 people buy it instead of 15. For a game that costs $100m to make and returns $150m. if 5% more people were buying it instead of pirating, it might mean an additional 50m in revenues. That kind of money can make a lot of difference to a studio and its employees.

Game studios are tedious places to work with employees putting in anywhere between 15~20 hours a day. Some times, (Ex: GoW 3), they shut the doors and work for week or two at a time without coming out. They also have every strict revenue targets to meet to deem a game successful. Even with a popular title, 5~10% less piracy can mean the difference between getting a bonus for the hard work they put in or losing their job.

 

[rakesh_ic]

Donno if most of us are aware of think on this - Piracy has been a major reason why developers/gaming companies move onto consoles from pc where the piracy rate is pretty low. The more pirates emerge the less are the chances of pc exclusives and content.

 

[i_rock098]

Well I personally believe that games should be priced acording to the country, like asking 3-4K₹ for a game is madness. At least on the console side you can resell the game with a 1k loss but PC gamers don't even have that option. I like what Square Enix is doing here by pricing their new games at 1k₹ that's the max a new PC game should cost in this country. Let's look at Movies, even today super big budget movies release with a ticket prices of 100-200₹ even lesser at some places. If you know how to find them you can get a rip of the movie on the same day as the movie releases in theatre yet they do amazing business at the box office and the film industry is ever thriving. Why? Because it's affordable, even if the pirate copy is available people don't mind paying 100₹ for the original because it's priced correct.

 

[Lord Nemesis]

^^ As I mentioned before, Games in India always had special prices for last 15 years and that still didn't really help a lot. GTA 4 for instance for available for 400/- on launch, but a vast majority of people still pirated this game worth 2 dual-layer dvd than buy it for 400/-.
In cases, people have pirated games at higher cost than buying the original.

 

[krugur]

Sorry, i am not interested in continuing discussion with people who are not open to see something in a different way.I too agree, games like Metro series should never get pirated.
But Till the time, there is law punishing half-ass releases and half-done content, and unplayable messes the gaming companies churn out, let piracy rule. Peace out

 

[rakesh_ic]

Well I personally believe that games should be priced acording to the country, like asking 3-4K₹ for a game is madness. At least on the console side you can resell the game with a 1k loss but PC gamers don't even have that option. I like what Square Enix is doing here by pricing their new games at 1k₹ that's the max a new PC game should cost in this country. Let's look at Movies, even today super big budget movies release with a ticket prices of 100-200₹ even lesser at some places. If you know how to find them you can get a rip of the movie on the same day as the movie releases in theatre yet they do amazing business at the box office and the film industry is ever thriving. Why? Because it's affordable, even if the pirate copy is available people don't mind paying 100₹ for the original because it's priced correct.

When did the prices of the game on pc go errant? may be from past 5 years or so? The prices of games were sub 1K in India before that - GTA4 released for 499/- (beat it!!). Now please dont tell me if GTA4 was not pirated since its priced as you want it (cheaper than any other game at that time) - infact it was the highest pirated game of the time.

Piracy has become an illness in the country. People who can afford the games put money on higher broadband capabilities and pirate more, the rest just use every inch of their FUP and run the rest of the torrents on after FUP speeds.

Its not the pricing, but its the attitude towards pc gaming that needs to be changed.

 

[rakesh_ic]

^^ As I mentioned before, Games in India always had special prices for last 15 years and that still didn't really help a lot. GTA 4 for instance for available for 400/- on launch, but a vast majority of people still pirated this game worth 2 dual-layer dvd than buy it for 400/-.
In cases, people have pirated games at higher cost than buying the original.

By the time I typed my content (I am working as well alongside) you stole the words from my mouth

 

[avi]

In cases, people have pirated games at higher cost than buying the original.

This doesn't even make sense

 

[Lord Nemesis]

Sorry, i am not interested in continuing discussion with people who are not open to see something in a different way.I too agree, games like Metro series should never get pirated.
But Till the time, there is law punishing half-ass releases and half-done content, and unplayable messes the gaming companies churn out, let piracy rule. Peace out

Is there even a point in your post? You are talking about half-arsed and half-done releases. How about not buying such games and be done? Vote with your wallet. How and why do you think piracy is a solution for that?
Do people even pirate a game that scores very mediocre or poor in reviews? How many people pirate a 20 GB game that scored less than 8/10 in reviews?

So in essence, the games that are most pirated are not that half-arsed as the justifications you are giving out for pirating.

 

[i_rock098]

^^ As I mentioned before, Games in India always had special prices for last 15 years and that still didn't really help a lot. GTA 4 for instance for available for 400/- on launch, but a vast majority of people still pirated this game worth 2 dual-layer dvd than buy it for 400/-.
In cases, people have pirated games at higher cost than buying the original.

Bro if you believe that then you are living in delusion. Last 10 or so years have been shit towards the Indian gamer. Yes there was a time when PC games in India were very cheap but long before GTA 4 arrived the publishers said **** this shit we will price our games what we want. Then agreed GTA 4 arrived with a price tag of 499₹ and people pirated it (which is very sad)because they were not sure if it would run on their PC given especially since initially it was a really bad port on PC. (I myself bought it and could not play it). Publishers need to give time to the pubic to adjust to this cheap price. 499₹ was bang on the sweet spot. Yet there is not a single AAA game since 2008 that has launched at 499₹ or cheaper. ( GTA 4 came out in 2008). So your first point itself is wrong.

 

[rakesh_ic]

Sorry, i am not interested in continuing discussion with people who are not open to see something in a different way.I too agree, games like Metro series should never get pirated.
But Till the time, there is law punishing half-ass releases and half-done content, and unplayable messes the gaming companies churn out, let piracy rule. Peace out

I get your point, but piracy is no tool or no one is pirating because there are half done games and money minded (call it buy-dlc-for-full-game or micro transactions) companies out there. People pirate because they can and dont have to spend for the games.

 

[i_rock098]

When did the prices of the game on pc go errant? may be from past 5 years or so? The prices of games were sub 1K in India before that - GTA4 released for 499/- (beat it!!). Now please dont tell me if GTA4 was not pirated since its priced as you want it (cheaper than any other game at that time) - infact it was the highest pirated game of the time.

Piracy has become an illness in the country. People who can afford the games put money on higher broadband capabilities and pirate more, the rest just use every inch of their FUP and run the rest of the torrents on after FUP speeds.

Its not the pricing, but its the attitude towards pc gaming that needs to be changed.

I think it's closer to 10 years+ since the prices have gone to the drains. Like I said in the other post it's not since 2008 that a AAA game has launched at 499₹ or cheaper. They really did not care about us.

A great solution to this has been the Steam regional pricing that has been introduced recently. Most gamers are very happy now because the prices are for the first time in many years affordable again and set with our country in mind and it's being doing really really well.

I firmly believe this is the right way to go and right pricing can change that mentality.

 

[rakesh_ic]

I think it's closer to 10 years+ since the prices have gone to the drains. Like I said in the other post it's not since 2008 that a AAA game has launched at 499₹ or cheaper. They really did not care about us.

A great solution to this has been the Steam regional pricing that has been introduced recently. Most gamers are very happy now because the prices are for the first time in many years affordable again and set with our country in mind and it's being doing really really well.

I firmly believe this is the right way to go and right pricing can change that mentality.

Yeah, I read you mentioning about GTA4 being unplayable. It sounded as if they released the title for 499 in India because they knew its a bad port. Atleast you sounded so.

re the happy users of steam now, do you think since the prices have come down on steam (not in dollars anymore), all the steam users are buying the games? wake up, its not the price. It was never the price.

 

[Lord Nemesis]

Bro if you believe that then you are living in delusion. Last 10 or so years have been shit towards the Indian gamer. Yes there was a time when PC games in India were very cheap but long before GTA 4 arrived the publishers said **** this shit we will price our games what we want. Then agreed GTA 4 arrived with a price tag of 499₹ and people pirated it (which is very sad)because they were not sure if it would run on their PC given especially since initially it was a really bad port on PC. (I myself bought it and could not play it). Publishers need to give time to the pubic to adjust to this cheap price. 499₹ was bang on the sweet spot. Yet there is not a single AAA game since 2008 that has launched at 499₹ or cheaper. ( GTA 4 came out in 2008). So your first point itself is wrong.

Sir, How many games do you think I have added to my offline collection in last 15 years? I have been buying legit games since 1997.

I have a rack filled with PC games all purchased for 299/-, 399/-, 499/-, 699/- or 999/- and from offline stores (without any discounts).

Till 2012, most new games always have standard prices 499/-, 699/- or 999/-. The costliest games that I have cost 1299/- and those are rare (Ex: AoE3).
Games that are slightly older were sold at 199/- to 399/-

After seeing the futility of the subsidized pricing in India, prices started going up after 2012/2013. That is also when I started gradually reducing disc purchases and moving to digital purchases.

 

[rakesh_ic]

Sir, How many games do you I have added to my offline collection in last 15 years? I have a rack filled with PC games all purchased for 299/-, 399/-, 499/-, 699/- or 999/- and from offline stores (without any discounts).

Till 2012, new games always standard prices were 499/-, 699/- or 999/-. The costliest games that I have cost 1299/- and those are rare (Ex: AoE3).
Games that are slightly older were sold at 199/- to 399/-

After seeing the futility the subsidized pricing in India, prices started going up after 2012/2013. That is also when I started gradually reducing offline purchases and moving to digital purchases.

+1, ruling out COD here coz they are the first errant company that came up with illogical pricing followed by EA.

 

[i_rock098]

Yeah, I read you mentioning about GTA4 being unplayable. It sounded as if they released the title for 499 in India because they knew its a bad port. Atleast you sounded so.

re the happy users of steam now, do you think since the prices have come down on steam (not in dollars anymore), all the steam users are buying the games? wake up, its not the price. It was never the price.

Might be the case, I am not sure why they set the 499₹ price tag but I was honestly very happy at that time since I loved the GTA series, I had paid 1400₹ for vice city when it launched and it was a huge amount at that time.

Bro go check out steam again, people have been buying games left and right since these pricing. Even games that they would never play again.

 

[i_rock098]

Sir, How many games do you think I have added to my offline collection in last 15 years? I have been buying legit games since 1997.

I have a rack filled with PC games all purchased for 299/-, 399/-, 499/-, 699/- or 999/- and from offline stores (without any discounts).

Till 2012, most new games always have standard prices 499/-, 699/- or 999/-. The costliest games that I have cost 1299/- and those are rare (Ex: AoE3).
Games that are slightly older were sold at 199/- to 399/-

After seeing the futility of the subsidized pricing in India, prices started going up after 2012/2013. That is also when I started gradually reducing disc purchases and moving to digital purchases.

If I remember correctly those are not launch prices, can you mention the AAA game that you bought at launch for 499₹ after GTA 4

 

[rakesh_ic]

If I remember correctly those are not launch prices, can you mention the AAA game that you bought at launch for 499₹ after GTA 5.

GTA5 was released post 2012.

 

[i_rock098]

GTA5 was released post 2012.

GTA 4 sorry post corrected.

 

[rakesh_ic]

Might be the case, I am not sure why they set the 499₹ price tag but I was honestly very happy at that time since I loved the GTA series, I had paid 1400₹ for vice city when it launched and it was a huge amount at that time.

Bro go check out steam again, people have been buying games left and right since these pricing. Even games that they would never play again.

Check the trackers, the piracy hasnt come down a bit. Which is what the whole point is. People buying games doesnt mean the same ppl are not pirating at all. Even before, peple used to buy and pirate at the same time.[DOUBLEPOST=1455090849][/DOUBLEPOST]

GTA 4 sorry post corrected.

check for borderlands etc, they were all below 1K. Also, GTA4 was a special and stunning release for the price then. How can you expect every AAA game at that price and who did even say that everything was priced at 499? 799 for sme reason was a fashion then Many games are priced so, including Mass effect.