Piracy Shaming in Retro Gaming Culture

[Sanomoe]

..also apologies if I'm rambling or not being quite as coherent as usual. I've had almost two and a half days with no sleep. Insomnia is a bitch

It's ok, Lady Z! We're all being civil here, and you're putting it in a nice way. Hope you can rest properly later

 

[sandogma sandogma]

To play Devils advocate, you should consider at least buying some of the games to support the devs. If you don't, then the industry is going to 100% pivot to free 2 play games with ads or some other means of extracting money, usually to the detriment of the gameplay.

There are so many games out there now, many which go on sale multiple times a year. To me, the appeal of pirating a game because gaming is expensive doesn't hold water like it did several decades ago. When I was a teenager, Steam Summer Sale didn't exist and there way no way of me to find older games on sale for 90% off unless there was a clearance bin a bunch of random games were dumped in.

But today, you could wait a few years and find a game on sale for 50% off, sometimes more. DeadSpace remake is currently on sale at 90% off and it came out in 2023!

I don't have an issue with people pirating games. I did it when I was young and broke, so I would be a hypocrite for telling people in similar circumstances not to. But I would like to say that, when you can, support the devs, especially the smaller ones. You may have to wait a year or so to find it on sale (resist FOMO), but eventually you will see the game you're interested in come down in price. That way you get to support a dev that makes games you like, and the devs get a least some compensation for their work and hopefully continue working on making the types of games you enjoy!

But if everyone pirates games, then eventually the indies will die out and all we are going to get from the bigger companies will be free 2 play slop.

 

[antii antii]

i laugh at people who pay for things that are free
on another forum some guy was bragging about paying for YT premium
i told him that i just use an ad blocker that is free
he refuse to listen and called me poor because im not stupid like him

There many things i would spend my money on like clothes, camera equipment, physical media etc but i one thing i will never ever pay for is a damn subscription. You dont own anything you just pay to get access and once they feel hey we dont wanna let you have this anymore they can just take it. am i stupid for buying 150 dollar jeans maybe but at least I know I can wear them for 20 years

 

[goldman2786]

My problem is kind of the opposite.

I have nothing against it, but I try to avoid it when I can. My problem is people who argue that, actually it's a good thing they pirate and how it's not even pirating. Like, if your in a country that can't afford it, that's fine. I get it. But if you can, just do it. Don't turn it into a moral crusade, especially if it's by a small indie company or dev.

Older games, I personally don't care and think it's a good thing. You can't buy it normally or for a reasonable price and very few people will be making money from it.

 

[RuckusMcGuckus]

You should feel ashamed. All you people

 

[Sanomoe]

To play Devils advocate, you should consider at least buying some of the games to support the devs. If you don't, then the industry is going to 100% pivot to free 2 play games with ads or some other means of extracting money, usually to the detriment of the gameplay.

There are so many games out there now, many which go on sale multiple times a year. To me, the appeal of pirating a game because gaming is expensive doesn't hold water like it did several decades ago. When I was a teenager, Steam Summer Sale didn't exist and there way no way of me to find older games on sale for 90% off unless there was a clearance bin a bunch of random games were dumped in.

But today, you could wait a few years and find a game on sale for 50% off, sometimes more. DeadSpace remake is currently on sale at 90% off and it came out in 2023!

I don't have an issue with people pirating games. I did it when I was young and broke, so I would be a hypocrite for telling people in similar circumstances not to. But I would like to say that, when you can, support the devs, especially the smaller ones. You may have to wait a year or so to find it on sale (resist FOMO), but eventually you will see the game you're interested in come down in price. That way you get to support a dev that makes games you like, and the devs get a least some compensation for their work and hopefully continue working on making the types of games you enjoy!

But if everyone pirates games, then eventually the indies will die out and all we are going to get from the bigger companies will be free 2 play slop.

Yeah, I usually like to buy games available on PC due being usually cheaper, having the option to share your library with friends with Family Share on Steam, and I like to pay for indies, since they usually can only be afloat due their own games' sales, and being usually cheap too.

 

[Dr.Kisaragi Dr.Kisaragi]

My whole Famicom Ps1 and Ps2 are pirate disc or cart so I never own a legit copy but my dad said is better to have many games in cheap than one game on high tag

I mean games are now expensive thanks to those collectors so Emulation smart way to play and for the record

Let's say a 500$ game vs a 500$ video game console can play from Atari to 8th generation can also play pc and android games what is your logic pick if your a gamer and not collector.

 

[Boo Man]

already spent my hard earned pocket money on all these games as a kid
not paying for the same thing twice
they should be happy they got my money the first time

 

[sandogma sandogma]

My whole Famicom Ps1 and Ps2 are pirate disc or cart so I never own a legit copy but my dad said is better to have many games in cheap than one game on high tag

I mean games are now expensive thanks to those collectors so Emulation smart way to play and for the record

Let's say a 500$ game vs a 500$ video game console can play from Atari to 8th generation can also play pc and android games what is your logic pick if your a gamer and not collector.

As long as I have the golden era of gaming preserved on a thumb drive, I'll never stop enjoying games

 

[stoicvampirepig]

Personally I love piracy, I just love getting free stuff, I've got nearly 3000 films that I have stolen and I don't care, someone should stop me really but they can't.

 

[RuckusMcGuckus]

already spent my hard earned pocket money on all these games as a kid
not paying for the same thing twice
they should be happy they got my money the first time

I will say i do appreciate some things they repackage

I don't know how much it is yet but they're porting COD:BO1+2 to PS4 and 5 in July. If they want full price than they can kiss my ass. I just wanna play online again without hackers in the, at most, 2 lobbies that are up at any given moment.

guess this is a bit more modern example though

I wish the developers would take inspiration from the fans making pc ports with so many extra features

 

[diet_orange]

With how incredibly expensive Retro Gaming is getting as a hobby, I'm quite thankful that there's stuff like flash carts, ODEs, and emulator handhelds. I don't know how anybody can sit there and lie about how great a hobby is where it's basically gatekeeping with people's wallets

 

[Psychonara]

But if everyone pirates games, then eventually the indies will die out and all we are going to get from the bigger companies will be free 2 play slop.

I feel like this line of thought treads into a different sort of discussion about whom one feels deserves compensation for what & when.

Like, for example, if I felt a company or even an indie dev was behaving in ways that were wrong or unethical and I felt strongly enough about that, I'm not going to pay for their product if I can help it. But then, when it comes to something like video games, if I did feel that strong about it, I'm not even gonna bother with the trouble of even pirating their crap. If I think you're a piece of garbage, I don't think I want to play your game, even if I can get it for free.

I feel like most people are willing to give their money to those whom they feel have "earned" it, either through their skill or by the virtues of their character, even when the option to pirate is available. For that reason, I don't think piracy as a phenomenon itself severely hurts any side of the industry, corporate or independent, at least not to the degree some might think. I think pirates in video game culture often occupy their own strange, self-contained, little universe that sustains itself. Pirates are just more free to decide whom they feel is "worthy" of their money. Now, maybe one can argue that's presumptuous or arrogant or leads to anarchy etc etc., but outside of a few shady fly-by-night companies here & there, I don't think the games industry has as much to fear from piracy as say other industries might just because of the unique nature of these more niche & underground online communities in gaming culture that overlap with the pirate industries.

I'm always reminded, when I have to explain to someone just a few years younger than me what an emulator is how much I take it for granted that people know about this stuff that I've been doing since I was in junior high and embarrassing myself on old Naruto forums. Heck, there are lot of chronically online teenagers nowadays who have never even had a desktop PC cause they're all phone & tablet. And one might recall that incident not too long ago where TikTok'ers were sharing videos of playing Gameboy games on iPhones when the emulators dropped, without any self-awareness, and unwittingly poked the Big N bear, probably cause the very concept of emulating stuff for free was still so new to some of these whipper snappers.

 

[Boo Man]

I will say i do appreciate some things they repackage

I don't know how much it is yet but they're porting COD:BO1+2 to PS4 and 5 in July. If they want full price than they can kiss my ass. I just wanna play online again without hackers in the, at most, 2 lobbies that are up at any given moment.

guess this is a bit more modern example though

I wish the developers would take inspiration from the fans making pc ports with so many extra features

pretty sure they will be asking full price and they will tell you the servers are safe from hackers
but thats just a lie to make you buy it! but dreams are free!

Just like Diablo 2 Remaster, they said there wouldn't be bots.. they lied
so now im playing a fan made mod of the original D2 that is actually WAY better than the official remake

 

[Don Patch]

I've made this argument before; follow me if you will:

Pirates seize goods and then sell them for profit.
90% of "pirate" sites aren't selling any goods. They don't make a dime. A lot even operate in the red. So... then, how are they pirates, jah feel?

Cats is more like Robinhood than Captain Hook, IMO and I stand by that stance.

I love pulling that one out on the nay-sayers, lol.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

When the good Lord damns your soul for all eternity cause you downloaded SM64 for the 70th time:

View attachment 203261

 

[IyoTheHelpfulWolf]

And that's perfectly understandable. I guess what I'm driving at is two things: 1.) that there's a lot of younger people who don't seem to know how easy it is to emulate & by extension pirate games & 2.) People who you know they know that you know they pirated this stuff acting like they would NEVER do that because of some kind of strange "gamer cred" kind of deal.


I'm starting to feel like a boomer just for the fact that I emulate.

A lot of zoomers grew up with tech illiterate helicopter parents, locked down computers, and plenty to do digitally with very streamlined access that didn't require much technical knowledge. No need for Limewire if you're on your mom's Spotify plan.

That said, it wasn't that uncommon for some of my peers to pirate. Some of my nerdier friends would pirate ROMS, and like half my class mates would watch pirated TV shows during computer class.

 

[Psychonara]

Yeah, I usually like to buy games available on PC due being usually cheaper, having the option to share your library with friends with Family Share on Steam, and I like to pay for indies, since they usually can only be afloat due their own games' sales, and being usually cheap too.

I think it's worth buying these things, even if it's just a rom, if only to show that there is still a demand for these games to be preserved for the future, as long as it's cheap & convenient enough to get them. That's why even though I have a dozen ways to play Neo Geo stuff, I will still buy an Arcade Archive release or two once in awhile, especially if it's on a console or platform I'm too lazy or stupid to jailbreak. Nintendo's big issue is their obsession with control and they'll even sacrifice profit for that aim it feels like. They'd make tons of money bringing back the Virtual Console. Heck, I'd even buy games I already "own" for five bucks just for the convenience of not having to fiddle with my Switch or Switch 2, but it isn't about the money, it's about having the power to pull the plug on your game whenever they want, hence why "renting" through Switch Online and very limited re-releases are their preferred methods, especially the latter cause then they can go to their investors (who are the dumbest class of people on the planet) and say "Hey, look how in demand our games are whenever we re-release them!"


With respect to indie devs, I don't approve of pirating indie games unless those devs give the okay to download without paying, but I understand it's inevitable some guys will. It's just the way it is on these streets. But I think scummy companies like Nicalis have likely done far more harm to indie devs than any pirate or bootlegger ever did.

 

[Leon]

Nope, if anything piracy went from "ok for retrro but buy new stuff" to "only buy new stuff if it's one of the good ones" mindset on the rise.

 

[sandogma sandogma]

I've made this argument before; follow me if you will:

Pirates seize goods and then sell them for profit.
90% of "pirate" sites aren't selling any goods. They don't make a dime. A lot even operate in the red. So... then, how are they pirates, jah feel?

Cats is more like Robinhood than Captain Hook, IMO and I stand by that stance.

I love pulling that one out on the nay-sayers, lol.

It is an interesting point you bring up. I feel most people who put the work in to crack a game do it for the challenge of unlocking it and have a sense of pride in it. You don't really see that in other forms of piracy.

I remember during the early 2000's I would hunt for key generators online for games I wanted to play. Often times when opening these tools I would be presented with a colorful flashing Amiga/Atari "demo" inspired interface including playing some awesome chip tune music in the background. Like, they didn't have to make it that way. They could of used a simple boring GUI, but they wanted to. Good times

 

[Don Patch]

It is an interesting point you bring up. I feel most people who put the work in to crack a game do it for the challenge of unlocking it and have a sense of pride in it. You don't really see that in other forms of piracy.

I remember during the early 2000's I would hunt for key generators online for games I wanted to play. Often times when opening these tools I would be presented with a colorful flashing Amiga/Atari "demo" inspired interface including playing some awesome chip tune music in the background. Like, they didn't have to make it that way. They could of used a simple boring GUI, but they wanted to. Good times

Exactly!

 

[RuckusMcGuckus]

pretty sure they will be asking full price and they will tell you the servers are safe from hackers
but thats just a lie to make you buy it! but dreams are free!

Just like Diablo 2 Remaster, they said there wouldn't be bots.. they lied
so now im playing a fan made mod of the original D2 that is actually WAY better than the official remake

You're right. I know I was banking on only getting a couple months worth anyways until the hackers really seep in. Real bad example, just excited.

Btw since we're in this thread... You know where to get Diablo 2? Regardless of you're answer whats that mod called? if you don't mind

 

[Boo Man]

You're right. I know I was banking on only getting a couple months worth anyways until the hackers really seep in. Real bad example, just excited.

Btw since we're in this thread... You know where to get Diablo 2? Regardless of you're answer whats that mod called? if you don't mind

Hopefully they can keep it hacker proof for a while but yeah i think its inevitable

you can find the original D2 & D2 LOD on the battle.net site
you have to go to Diablo 2 Resurrected and then scroll down until you see the classic games at the bottom
they are kind of hidden
The mod im playing is called Project Diablo 2 and it requires a copy of the original game
it looks really good and seems to have a bunch of content

 

[mistymermaid]

The gymnastic "justifications" for piracy are the larger issue.

Preservation is misunderstood too. It may be obvious that games must be played to fully appreciate, emulation achieves that much. However, most efforts don't represent the game as experienced in its contemporary environment. Love it or hate it, stuff like load times, composite video artifacts, jaggies, and scanlines are history too.

 

[Sanomoe]

I remember during the early 2000's I would hunt for key generators online for games I wanted to play. Often times when opening these tools I would be presented with a colorful flashing Amiga/Atari "demo" inspired interface including playing some awesome chip tune music in the background. Like, they didn't have to make it that way. They could of used a simple boring GUI, but they wanted to. Good times