greylord

SP shouldn't have to be shut down on launch...that's RIDICULOUS. Unless it's an Ubisoft game chasing everyone from PC gaming to consoles (which occurred), no one ever has to wait for "server maintenance" on normal SP games. It may be expected if it's an online multiplayer game, but with an SP game??? In some ways I'm actually pretty happy I didn't buy it at this point, don't have to feel ripped off at being one of the first few. Give it a few weeks and the price will drop, and maybe the servers will be stable by then? Probably not at my $20 price point I said it was worth for me, but less than the price it is now, AND at that time hopefully they'll have all these server issues resolved. Are you guys saying ALL the servers are down right now? Well, hopefully for their sakes Blizz has them up soon. The sooner the less of a PR impact it has. The longer and the worst it makes them appear, ESPECIALLY because you can't play period. Previously with D1 and D2 when the servers were down if you wanted, you could play offline SP or unregulated MP. There's no option now so the sooner Blizz gets the servers up and working the better. WTH was their open Beta for? I thought it was supposed to "test the servers" and resolve issues like what is occurring BEFORE it occurred when they had the actual release?

Yup. Altho there is some up on YT by now as well. Just be sure to filter search results by "uploaded today". Some people upload their ustreams to YT when done, too. How do you do the filter?

I'm having no problems at all, it's very smooth. Then again all big launches are like this. Player 'A' has a breeze, player 'B' has a nightmare. Thanks, good to hear the good side of things. How do you enjoy it thus far?

I don't freaking believe it!!! Don't know what to think!? I was on youtube looking to see walkthroughs of people who were actually playing Diablo 3, everything is still beta walkthroughs. That sort of stinks. However, instead they have a bucket load of how to pirate diablo 3 videos. I'm like...what???!!! Apparantly according to them they after changing their IP and some other configuration files they can play the game with monsters NPCs and there's a file called Local Battle.net that they unlock which they can play MP with. It doesn't unlock all the WPs though. This according to their configuration videos and then they're playing of it. If so, WTH! I thought the Monster, actions, and NPC files were on Blizzard servers and not the disk. If it's on disk...than it's BS what Blizzard has been feeding us on it being on the servers. What's even crazier is that they have all these videos on You Tube. All I wanted to find was someone playing the game and what they thought of it as they played it...not several pages after page of Walkthroughs of how to pirate the game (actually put in Diablo 3 Full Game after getting all sorts of Beta walkthroughs...didn't want to view the beta, wanted to view someone playing the real thing). what is this, open season to post how to pirate games on a major site? Not what I wanted, not what I was looking for, but eye opening. It appears these videos started getting posted about a week ago, they've been up for 4-5 days! I'm curious why they are left up? Not something I would do, have no desire to utilize any of these, but it blows my mind if these hackers actually have working SP and MP games amid all the trouble Blizzard is having keeping their servers going in Europe.

Thanks for that info. As I said, if true, Blizzard deserves every piece of bad PR they get. If it were an SP game without the online element, people would be playing as soon as you got the game. If they do it online, that same expectation should be in place. So, that's what I judge it by. If they don't give the same quality, but downgrade the quality on purpose, then yes, I think they deserve the bashing they are currently getting. On the otherhand, if people are exaggerating the log in, and server booting them off thing, Blizzard has another bad PR thing going for them that I think they probably should answer with an affirmative that it's actually not like that. I know they had server issues with the open Beta, but that's what that was for. They should have either extended it to work out all the issues, or used that info so they didn't have a repeat with the actual real release.

Are the stories about server issues true? For an SP game? If so, blizzard deserves all the metacritic comments...afterall...an SP game shouldn't be giving error 37's at this point, that's what the open beta was supposed to be for. If there are NOT server issues, blizzard is having another bad PR day with the people spouting on about it. How is everyone enjoying it (actually I imagine half of them are busy playing, so probably no responses on how good or bad it is thus far till later. At least If I had been anticipating it and it just came out, I'd be playing it).

Found a new great review site. Read their review on Binary Domain http://games.on.net/article/15521/Review_Binary_Domain_PC Hilarious read. Is it really as bad as they portray for PC?

Irony. I heard through the grapevine that the Beta was fully hacked and operational offline now, and that they already had a full version that could install...that's just the rumor I heard however. If it's true though...yeah...that anti-piracy measure really was a great thing to hit your customers with. AT least Blizzard might still be able to protect it's money making scheme with the online stuff...OR NOT...the pirates hacked the Beta pretty quick once all of them had access to it, I imagine they may go equally as quickly with the Full game now that they have an idea how it works from doing the Beta if the rumors are right. If they had that easy of a time hacking it once more of them had access to see how it was working, I'm not so certain how long the Auction house and other money making stuff will be secure for Blizzard...they did throw down the guantlet to hackers (much like they did with SCII) on the entire security thing. The irony of it all.

I thought most of ME music was extremely good. Way above average for what normally is in Video games these days.

I don't plan on getting it, but with my luck someone will try to bribe me at the office by giving me a copy or something seeing they know that I was an avid D2 player. Bribes don't work on me (of course they wouldn't call it that, they'd call it a gift of something), but I may be forced to give a company lunch or something in return to show my gratitude none the less (one of those crazy, it costs me more when people give "gifts" then not because I want to return the favor, but not show favortism). Even crazier would be if my spouse or in-laws decide to give it to me, and then expect me to play it for the next month. I'm hoping on getting the FFX series of games done...don't have time currently for D3!

Loved the X-wing Trilogy of games, though the X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter was probably my favorite (though I don't think it was officially part of the trilogy, those I think were X-wing, Tie Fighter, and X-wing alliance). X-wing alliance was pretty spectacular as well, but overall the end missions were harder then anything else. I enjoyed The Force Unleashed series from LA most recently, the rest of the stuff they've released as of late has not really caught my attention.

I'm just saying, that song you mention IS COPYRIGHTED. Whether you want to justify your pirating of it or not I suppose depends on your stance on piracy. If you sang it without paying the rights, YOU ARE A PIRATE!!! Period. Justify it as you will. The idea that it is similar to other items out there is a COMMON THREAD for MOST items that are copyrights. Stating that the computer gameTemple of Elemental Evil was based upon a module that was created by an author decades ago and hence it's copyrights for the computer game run out sooner is similar...and holds just as little water. Currently the song in question generates at least 2 million dollars a year in HONEST people who pay the copyright. Now before jumping down my throat, remember my actual stance towards publishers...HOWEVER...I think the song is a PERFECT example of how people will try to justify their own piracy... but even more so...those who state they are against piracy or anti-piracy...WHEN FACED WITH THEIR OWN HYPOCRISY...will then try to make excuses of WHY THEY ARE NOT PIRATES BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS!!! "piracy" as it currently stands is FAR easier to commit than most people realize these days due to many stupid laws slapped down. Many of these laws were put down by the same dirty corporations I've been on about...hence they are the true villains here...and probably the worst in copyright violations (as seen by myriads of lawsuits tossed around in hollywood and entertainment circles on copyright infringment on their parts...but they have massive teams of lawyers that fight over these things for years). Does anyone think it's any wierd item that movies come out with similar themes so closely to each other (remember the volcano and disaster years with Dante's Peak, or volcano or Armageddon and Deep Impact...that was perhaps one of the most flagrant times of studios ripping each other off). I'm not against the piracy in many cases because the laws are so ridiculous and in some instance almost criminal in how they go counter to the original laws. I say, take out all the ridiculous stuff put in by the corporations (who typically aren't even the copyright holders...just those issued the right to USE the item under copyright) and the stuff influenced by them and start standing up for the citizens of the nations. However...for those who are anti-piracy...I'd say 90% are hypocrites and half the time they don't even realize it. The song we discussed isn't the ONLY item commonly used by people which is copyrighted. There actually is a whole slew of them and unless you stay up and up on what is currently copyrighted and what is not, it's very possible that you, yourself, have pirated something.. so go pay your money correctly, or go turn yourself into the authorities if you are so anti-piracy that you support some of the absolute crazy claims of corporations these days that they are making (such as how they lose millions to piracy, when a LOT of that piracy occurs in places they don't even sell their games at!!!). PS: What I stated about the corporations is really at the heart of the matter. This is the reason why the copyright for Happy Birthday is enforced and still garners royalties. Entertainment biz is happy to fight each other...but when you get to the smaller businesses and groups, the citizens of which laws are really supposed to protect...it isn't there. So the big corps make these laws (or more like, pay off and support politicians who will make these laws with the money the corps support those politicians with) , and then hide behnd them while accusing the citizens of breaking them and enforcing their payments (almost like some sort of hustle idea...but with corps instead of gansters). Basically, the corporations are basing their idea that there is NO ONE rich enough to challenge the ridiculous laws that they put in place, no matter how weak their positions are. This is why some of those EULA's which have absolutely ridiculous conditions in them for game installation haven't been seriously challenged in court, or why some of the other absolutely ridiculous items we deal with in games have't actually been challenged. This comment from this site http://volokh.com/author/robertbrauneis/ http://volokh.com/2008/04/30/happy-birthday-iii-why-hasnt-anyone-challenged-the-copyright/

Uhhh....errr..this conversation has taken a slightly different turn than I think I want to pursue.... Is this thread Godwin'd?

I think people who download stuff without paying for it are THAT hypocritical. As I said before, no problem with people boycotting a publisher if they don't like their conduct. The very moment they pirate their products, they lose any moral high ground by proving themselves to be hypocrites. They want their products, just don't want to pay if they can weasel their way out of it somehow. Hence the Game publshers WOULD fall into that definition of hypocritical since they didn't pay for the items that they downloaded! It's been known that this was one way that the RIAA and MPAA were determining stats and other items in regards to piracy. It was considered flawed, but at least they probably had at least half of the stuff they d/l'd as something owned by someone who was a member of the MPAA or RIAA. After they found a file that was theirs, that's when they'd look at the stats stated, or other items to determine how much had been d/l'd and distributed. It was shown to be a BAD technique after they prosecuted old grannies who had nothing on their computers and other items, but that's the reveal about how they were doing it. Basically, they did the same thing they were accusing everyone else of doing, but trying to use it to extrapolate information. It also means that they pirated a HECK of a lot of stuff that wasn't their own also. With Game publishers, if they aren't totally making it up, I'd reason that's the SAME way they are doing things...except one Game Publisher doesn't hold dominance like the MPAA or RIAA with how many members would be a part of that organization. That probably means the Game publishers have downloaded FAR more than just about any other being on the planet!!!! They themselves are the biggest pirates of all...so yes...your statement aptly fits them as being hypocrites.

I wonder if you would take the same stance towards your employer the day he decides not to pay you, because he didn't really take any goods off your hands, only the time invested in performing your job? Depends on whether I was working volunteer or not. If I decided to work at a place that I knew they wouldn't pay me...well...that's pretty stupid of me (equivalent of them blaming the pirates...many who would never buy their stuff in the first place ANYWAYS) to expect to get paid, and even stupider to work for pay knowing that I won't get paid. (the pirates and what they do in relation to the industry) On the otherhand they made an agreement to compensate me for my services and I got paid, but then said, screw you...you don't get anything unless you stab yourself in the eye and then cut off your arm and sign this contract in blood guaranteeing that I can spy on your for the rest of your life....then I state the reason I'm doing this is because at this other place where I knew I wasn't going to get paid...I blame YOU for their faults... expect that the govt. would try to bring me in for a crime. Ironically the software publishers do that all the time...and never get prosecuted. So...which do you think is more moral? This isn't a black and white issue some are making it out to be, but more like shades of grey. Are the publishers who punish the people who support them and make excuses that they are hurting those people because of others who would never buy their product, OR are never even OFFERED their product...and then don't deliver on said products which basically makes them thieves...the more wrong? OR...people who may never have been offered the item in the first place, the publisher has no interest in whether they get their sales or not and don't even send copies their way...yet those people find a way to acquire it anyways and troubleshoot it to work for them...only to be blamed by publishers who don't really care except for a blind excuse that they cost the publisher money (AFTER the publisher didn't even account for that money in their earnings, profit, or anything else)...are more wrong? On a side note, I like the kickstarter idea. Much better way to fight against percieved piracy then making up statistics out of the blue. Edit: Here's ONE other item to ponder. How do they figure out who's downloading what? How do the even determine that a file with their game name is actually the game? If they are completely making up stuff, that means they have to be hitting these pirate networks themselves. Anytime they download a file that isn't their game, they, themselves are pirating. I have a suspicion that the businesses accusing others of pirating and that it's costing them money are actually some of the BIGGEST pirates themselves...THAT'S WHY pirate sites don't really go down...because the publishers are the biggest offenders!!! Yes...I think the big time publishers are THAT hypocritical.

The original topic dealt with people who had NO access to material pirating it, if I recall. I have NO PROBLEM with people who do that. I am lucky enough to live in a place where I get one up the bum by some publishers when I buy there merchandise in PC gaming...but I recognize that there are those who are not so fortunate (though fortunate in that instance could be a matter of opinion). What I do take offense at are publishers who then go an whine that these same individuals...whom the publishers didn't even try to sell a product too...are causing losses...or doing anything at all that hinders their bottom line. If anything, those people probably have aided the bottom line further down if the products ever become available...as they are far more likely to have the nostalgia about the product and pick it up...or if not that, remember the company or brand and be more likely to buy products from that company. However, that entire reasoning that those companies put out is only the tip of the iceberg of the lies they put out. It's that discussion that we had on this topic that unleashed the genie out of the bottle. Do I put up with the stupid DRM practices....yes...sometimes I do. That doesn't mean I have to like it. Do you like paying $5 at the pump for gas...or however much it is where you are at? So why do you buy it? You don't have to? You have two legs...you can walk anywhere (actually, I have done a lot of biking in some places occasionally). I also have bought a LOT less PC games then I used to. Those purchases have switched over to supporting the PS3 currently since I don't have to have the always on DRM type items with those games. Basically, I was shoved away from being a hardcore PC only gamer to one that is now a console game buyer...and the Japanese companies probably love me (since most of the games come from them now instead of the Western publishers). I'm pretty certain I'm not the only one considering the rise of the consoles over the past decade...and the decline (In MY OPINION) of the PC (except in areas of MMORPGs of course). So yes, I do exactly what some of you suggest in not buying products...but not to the extreme...in a more limited fashion. I took some of my business to someone else. I do put up with the DRM and other items that publishers put out though occasionally, simply because I want to play a game or I want to play it in a certain fashion (point blank, to me, playing a game on a console is a different experience than on the PC...even if it's the same game). Just like the gas scenario...if I want to play what they put out...and they don't give any other options...then you have to live with what they do with it whether you actually like having to jump through hoops or not. But people who they aren't even selling the game too...and then complaining about those people pirating the game...PLEEEAAASE. It doesn't even affect their bottom line as far as they were concerned anyways...since they didn't sell anything there in the first place. That's like saying some guy in China who we never sold a copy of the Catcher in the Rye...and never intended on selling it in his nation...is somehow affecting the sales in the US because he somehow found a copy on a computer and read it. If anything, if he likes it, perhaps he'll go through the phenomenal expense, danger, and effort to try to buy a legitimate (and illegal in China) copy from the actual rights owners.... But if he doesn't, nothing is lost still.... So espousing such nonsense as this is affecting all of our prices and such... I'll claim is BS. It isn't... And as I said, that's just the tip of the lies they feed us. In the West, piracy isn't the problem (now in China and Asia IT IS a problem). They simply use it to push other agendas that they have (such as day 1 DLC, multiple map packs, disabling second hand sales as best they can...etc.)

ONCE AGAIN, I DO NOT, AS A LEGITIMATE CUSTOMER, APPRECIATE BEING CALLED A PIRATE. Point blank, many who are calling me a pirate because I'm against the DRM methods and think there's no point in going after pirates when you have such huge crimes being committed on the side of publishers...may have ACTUALLY DONE MORE PIRATING than I've even considered doing in my life...and that includes ALL forms of piracy (for example, the icons which someone didn't have the rights for which is theoretically considered piracy). I'm not riled up because I PIRATE...I'm riled up because publishers try to use it as an excuse for their own stupidity and then blame the customers. Blaming anyone who is against the corps and doesn't have a problem with the pirates as being a pirate...shows JUST HOW MUCH OF A REACH these corporations have. They have people turning against legitimate customers and telling the legitimate customers they are pirates!!! Just HOW SCREWED UP IS THAT!!!! This thread has actual EVIDENCE of that (aka...I...someone who's actually is one of the few that actually BUYS A COPY OF A GAME PER COMPUTER rather than what many do which is only buy ONE copy period for all their computers) where a legitimate customer is being called a pirate...repeatedly. And I DO NOT APPRECIATE IT. Especially when some of those saying that have blatantly pirated images in posts they put up in the past, or even in iconology they have up now!!!! I may also be guilty of the iconology...but I PAID for my games...and unlike some who get keys in rather interesting ways...my games are typically bought and paid for at retail. When I DID get a game via an online retailer that looked suspicious, I even emailed the publisher with pictures to request if it was legit or not and the proper procedures they wanted... WHICH I'M BETTING IS FAR BEYOND WHAT ALMOST ANYONE IN THIS THREAD HAS EVER DONE in regards to stopping piracy. (PS: Their response was actually that they had different game exe's in the US and UK versions...and the UK version didn't actually have any copy protection as opposed to the US version...so they stated my game was actually legit...per their official email and letter!...from Ubisoft of all people!!) So calling me a pirate simply because I don't have a problem with people who have NO ACCESS TO LEGITIMATE CHANNELS IN THE FIRST PLACE getting a game via piracy...is LUDICROUS and RIDICULOUS. It doesn't hurt the publishers in that instance, and it points out the hypocrisy of the publishers in the first place for saying that it does. I actually believe that in some cases it actually helps promotes sales. Apple figured that one out...and look at their Iphones, Ipads, and Ipods now. Music sales...without DRM it sold better. Apple knows this... Unfortunately EA and Activision do not. Stop with the... "if you defend the pirates you must be one" BS, because it's a flat out lie.

Never heard of it but it sounds interesting.

Halfwit. Do you really,*honestly* believe drivel like 'the suits' FFS? Trust me, whatever happens 'the suits' will turn a dime. The people you and people like you are *really* screwing are the likes of Avellone and Sawyer and Ferg and the guy who designs the cover art or manufactures jewel cases or drives the delivery truck or designs the architecture for the website that delivers the digital version... Piracy robs people of their jobs. Period. The ****ing adolescent squealing of the pro-piracy lobby (or, 'thieves' as we call them in the real world) actually turns my stomach. Srsy, grow the **** up. Because you sound like a tard. Sorry to burst your elite bubble, but SEGAs DRM was the reason why good folks of Obsidian were robbed out of my money, and same Bethsoft DRM have robbed good folks of Obsidian out of my money as well. And you will be totally surprised, but I have to this day not played (a.k.a. pirated) Alpha Protocol nor New Vegas... With Alpha Protocol I will sooner or later change it though, because they have removed DRM long time ago, but the damage was still done because I spent my money on another games which offered me less hassle while playing them... I played AP first on the PS3 console. Then (and I believe it was probably Obsidians awesome influence) they patched the DRM right out of Alpha Protocol. I bought AP and used the patch and it works GREAT!!! (I bought AP after the patch removing the DRM stuff was removed). I would rather pay double the price for DRM free product, than to have to trouble myself with that kind of ****... This. I would pay double the price for a DRM free product. I actually go out of my way if a product is released commercially on the shelves DRM free to try to actually pick it up. Also, good reason to support GoG.

Halfwit. Do you really,*honestly* believe drivel like 'the suits' FFS? Trust me, whatever happens 'the suits' will turn a dime. The people you and people like you are *really* screwing are the likes of Avellone and Sawyer and Ferg and the guy who designs the cover art or manufactures jewel cases or drives the delivery truck or designs the architecture for the website that delivers the digital version... Piracy robs people of their jobs. Period. The ****ing adolescent squealing of the pro-piracy lobby (or, 'thieves' as we call them in the real world) actually turns my stomach. Srsy, grow the **** up. Because you sound like a tard. It doesn't really matter how wrong it is or how angry you become about it. As long as pirates offer better service than the publishers, people will pirate the **** out of anything. There's an example from the other end of the spectrum: People prefer to buy electronics from trusted manufacturers because of the reliability, stability, quality and warranty. Pirates can't provide that and thus the market is in the manufacturers favour. Reality doesn't bother me. Puerile excuses do. People should just say "I want free stuff - yeah I'm a thief." Then we can move on and discuss. At the moment you've got these ****tards in denial about reality. That's bull, and you should know it. NEVER did I say I actually did piracy in any thread, in fact I've stated that I buy my games legit...because I DO buy my games legit. Obviously I'm not saying I want free stuff-yeah I'm a thief...I'm saying...I'd like the REAL thieves to be apprehended and forced to obey the laws that were in place before they went about trying to change them. Further I'd like them forced to not utilize programs that monitor what I'm doing in a game as part of their privacy invasion techniques. It's like the guy that steals your car, robs your house, and takes your Credit cards. After he's done that...are you really going to feel sorry for him that someone pickpocketed a dollar from him. I have to wonder why you defend such terrible practices that the game companies do to their paying and legit customers? And then you do EXACTLY what the game companies do, proceed NOT to pursue the real pirates, but to put stupid programs to hinder your REAL customers, and accuse them all of being pirates and that's why you have to punish them. THAT'S EXACTLY what's killing the Western sales of PC games for companies...not the so called piracy that they try to blame instead of their own stupidity in customer relations.

Halfwit. Do you really,*honestly* believe drivel like 'the suits' FFS? Trust me, whatever happens 'the suits' will turn a dime. The people you and people like you are *really* screwing are the likes of Avellone and Sawyer and Ferg and the guy who designs the cover art or manufactures jewel cases or drives the delivery truck or designs the architecture for the website that delivers the digital version... Piracy robs people of their jobs. Period. The ****ing adolescent squealing of the pro-piracy lobby (or, 'thieves' as we call them in the real world) actually turns my stomach. Srsy, grow the **** up. Because you sound like a tard. I disagree. You want to know why I don't buy as many PC games as I used to. DRM and stupid Anti-piracy items. Period. You want to know why just about EVERYONE I know has ceased buying as many PC games as they used to. DRM and stupid anti-piracy models. I game more on the Consoles specifically because they don't give me the anti-piracy stupidity of DRM as much these days. Unless it's a pretty major game (I did get ME3 on PC, I also got all the bioware games on PC, and I do game on the PC with some major releases, also have Starcraft 2 on PC) that I think I'll enjoy more on the PC than a console (I prefer RTS games, Point and click games, and shooters on PC) then I'll go with my PS3. The most brilliant idea I've seen recently against Piracy...Kickstarter. Anti-piracy measures are what's killing FAR more sales in the Western nations where I live than any stupid piracy itself. Now in the Middle East, china, and most of asia when I travel there, it could be a different matter as almost all that's available are pirated games on the market, but in the West...the anti-piracy measures are some of the stupidest decisions I've ever seen. It's not the pirates hurting the game makers, it's their treating customers as pirates and hence shooting themselves in the foot.

I don't either. I wish it weren't necessary, but this typically isn't what we are referring to when we talk about piracy. edit: Numbers man didn't say anything about buying and cracking the game. He said: Actually, it IS what we are talkinga bout when we are discussing piracy. That's one of the big focus arenas for Game Publishers. If you've cracked a game you've pirated it. Don't agree...well...maybe you should take it up with EA and Activision. HOWEVER, that debate goes back before DRM and internet activations, and in fact was ONE OF THE MAJOR reasons for them requiring internet activations. Accordingly they felt it was harder for the exe to be cracked if you had to go and get that it was an authentic copy over the internet via their authentication (either at first when installed, every time you start it up, or by always having to be on internet when you play) then the older versions of requiring a CD check or other types of game anti-piracy measures. If you used a crack, you're part of the problem and are making life difficult for the rest of us. At least that's what the publishers want us to think. Thankfully I don't buy into the logic of theives (the publishers) who would steal your money and give you a game that you can't use occasionally at their whim...and instead blame them. But...if you've cracked an exe or a game...then yes...that actually is considered a MAJOR problem with piracy. Its also considered a major problem with game authentications and such via second hand sales and second hand games...as you are bypassing their method to only allow ONE game per PC (or if you are lucky, per account). Plus, how can they do invasion of privacy and monitor what you are doing with your game if you refuse to log in? They want to commit their crimes as well...and if you commit your piracy...they can't do that! They've even made LAWS against that in the US (luckily other nations are MORE sane), if you circumvent some of their protections, NOT ONLY are you a pirate at that point, but you've also committed a pretty serious crime in and of itself. As I said, fortunately, OTHER nations are more sane and not quite so interested in hurting it's own citizens as the US is in this matter. Unfortunately the US seems to show a predilection to go after other nations citizens to prosecute those citizens for US laws instead of whatever nations laws are actually in effect.

Not certain if I understand your question Gfted1. I guess I can spell it out more clearly... 1. I veiw software producers as the biggest theives of them all these days. They are the con artists of yesteryear. In any other industry, if you sell a product that doesn't do what you say it does, you either have to make good on your promise, return the money, or go to jail. Software has it so that once you open the product you cannot return it. They never have to make good on their promises, and they won't go to jail. It's a problem with enforcement. It's gotten worse over the years because they are doing so called "anti-piracy" measures, which to me seems in reality more like...let's cheat the customer any way we can and say it's because we are fighting pirates... For some reason I still cannot fathom, govts. look the other way when this occurs. I can only conclude that this holds true for MS in the US because they are one of the biggest businesses there...so to take them out because of things like this would cause financial impacts far more reaching than it does in Germany where they actually DO occasionally take action. So, basically I think the game production companies like EA, Activision, and those in that same ilk (not the smaller fries and smaller guys typically) are all about how much they can cheat the customer and break laws (not just robbing people, but invasion of privacy and other laws) instead of anything good or productive, and in the process bring down a LOT of really good companies with them (companies that may normally or used to have the customer in mind, but do not any longer due to these giants of the industry influence). 2. Because I view the software giants as crooks and basically out to cheat the customer, I don't feel they deserve any legal support and defense anymore than what is given to common criminals who have committed a crime. Trying to have a thief accuse someone else of "singing a song" they composed when the thief has done physical robbery of millions of dollars is absolutely ridiculous. Address the more heinous crime first, and then once they've actually paid their debt to society...MAYBE...MAYBE then...you can consider their case. 3. AKA...the bigger crooks are those who are using piracy as an excuse right now. To show an example very disproportional and ridiculously out of scope...if I guy just committed mass murder in the first degree...do you arrest him and make him do time...or do you let him go free and furthermore chase down the pickpocket who just stole the change out of his pocket? 4. I think the items that they classify under piracy has grown FAR too expansive and too large. You can hardly turn around these days without being liable to be accused of piracy if they so desire. They've broadened the definition of stealing and piracy to FIT THEM instead of the traditional meanings. Hence why I can say about all the items I listed...you've been a pirate if you've done them...rather than sticking strictly to the traditional meaning of what stealing really is. Keep stealing as stealing...and copyright infringment as copyright infringment. They are separate things...keep them separate. Stop listening to criminals that would rob you blind if they thought you would let them...and start listening to the people that want to support the legitimate guys that work for them (game companies such as what Blizzard North used to be, or the OLD bioware that put fans first for example, or old Snowblind that no longer exists...or other companies), but hate the practices that are being shoved down the throats of everyone these days instead of honesty, hard work, trust, loyalty, and something that's called...respecting your customers. Don't lump your customers in with those who download your games for free and treat your customers like criminals...because frankly, eventually enough of them are going to say they've had enough and either walk away...or revolt and finally the companies are going to have to pay the piper.

It's the same thing in the companies eyes. Actually for some companies it's worse. Games Workshop has occasionally gone after blood when looking at trademark violations... Profit isn't even a factor in many of these cases. The same as with what people call piracy in nations where no one can even buy the product and hence download it...company loses nothing because they had nothing to gain in the first place...but they call it piracy regardless. Reminds me sort of how I'd love to see a LOT of british TV and buy it on DVD in areas outside of the UK, but many times cannot. I could download it in theory, but I don't. I do without typically. Unfortunately that means I don't watch that much TV since I don't find many other nations have programs that are all that entertaining. Actually...now going far off topic...some of the Japanese and Korean shows seem like they would be entertaining when I've seen them...but since I don't understand the language...that's about as far as it goes.

I don't think I'm taking anything from the viewpoint of an attorney here. Just the gamer viewpoint of being annoyed with game companies trying to punish me under the guise of an excuse of piracy. The companies who are pushing against this entire piracy thing really are screwed up typically. In the past their actions have hurt the legitimate buyers more than anything else. So, yes, I side with pirates not because I completely agree with what they are doing, but because the companies have lumped everyone, legitimate customers and everyone else...as pirates. This is why I must be punished for buying their game legitimately, because in their eyes, it doesn't matter if I buy it from them or not...they still consider me a pirate and that's why I have so many loopholes to jump through. Hence, yeah, I'm against the entire argument they've come up with and the entire claims that they make. I think the RIAA may finally be starting to get a clue however. The FIRST action that actually made sense occurred a few months ago when they went and closed down an actual site which had piracy completely linked to it, which was Megaupload. On the otherhand, I'm not certain how they pulled it off with international law, and I can see repercussions with them taking down ALL files, included those of legitimate users...but taking down a major site used for the actual distribution of piracy on that scale makes a LOT more sense then handicapping and punishing your legitimate buyers of your properties and games. My angle isn't that of an attorney, but one of someone who is sick and tired of all the excuses they throw out in the "name" of fighting piracy.