77 réponses à ce sujet

[Splinter Cell 108]

Where exactly did they get those statistics anyways? If Ubisoft doesn't present some kind of source for that claim, then why would anyone believe it? I know piracy is a problem on the PC but I doubt it is that big of a problem. However, Ubisoft is known for introducing annoying DRM for their PC games.

Besides doesn't Ubisoft make crap games for the PC anyways? From what I remember every PC game they make is a glitchy and crappy port. Since when do they care to make decent PC games? Why should they start caring now?

[Endurium]

The more of this I see, the more pro-Indie I become, to the point of possibly rolling up my sleeves and writing games in my spare time.

[Dutchess]

I have a hard time believing piracy rates are actually THAT high. How did they get that number anyway?

[Endurium]

The actual number is probably 5% to 7%. If it was really as high as they claim, I doubt they could remain in business.

[Nameless one7]

renjility wrote...

I have a hard time believing piracy rates are actually THAT high. How did they get that number anyway?

This, I refuse to believe that the piracy rates are that high.

[Cyberarmy]

How they can ever find piracy rates out? Are they asking rates from torrent sites ? O_o

and i love how all of the game publishers/developers making statements like that without mentioning Skyrim. Its easy to crack YET its selling good...

[Kaiser Arian XVII]

The end is nigh.

Gaming is dead. PC will be as crappy as hell and Consoles can't maintain their new hard wares. There will be only Angry Birds for your phones!

[Eurypterid]

renjility wrote...

I have a hard time believing piracy rates are actually THAT high. How did they get that number anyway?

Until they show some sources and methodology to calculate that number, consider it pulled right out of their nether regions.

Ubisoft is laughable when it comes to piracy. Not too long ago they were saying how their always-online DRM was working great. Seems that's a bit of a contradiction to the reasoning behind going F2P.

[naughty99]

Endurium wrote...

The actual number is probably 5% to 7%.

It's certainly much higher than that. In some countries, it is likely close to 100%. Many film studios and game publishers have thrown in the towel and do not even distribute their games, DVDs and Blu-rays in certain countries because the piracy rates are so high that it is cost prohibitive to operate in those markets. However, the vast majority of console and PC games are sold in the US, Japan, and a couple of European markets, where piracy rates are significantly lower. 

Overall global PC software piracy seems to be close to 60% according to the BSA's 2011 report.  It's not unreasonable to consider that game piracy in particular might be higher than the rate for all pirated software, and recently CD Projekt commented that the piracy rate for Witcher 2 was in the range of 80-85%. 

In many of these piracy studies some attempt is made to estimate how many actual sales would be made in a given market if there was no pirated version available, which is not the same as assuming every pirated copy would automatically be a sale. I don't gather that Ubisoft is necessarily proposing these would all be convertible to sales; they seem to be merely estimating the total number of pirated copies compared to the total purchased copies.

Modifié par naughty99, 22 août 2012 - 07:46 .

[Giggles_Manically]

Piracy is a real problem.

Lots of greedy people who dont want to PAY for something, yet want it.

[Eurypterid]

naughty99 wrote...

It's certainly much higher than that. In some countries, it is likely close to 100%. Many film studios and game publishers have thrown in the towel and do not even distribute their games, DVDs and Blu-rays in certain countries because the piracy rates are so high that it is cost prohibitive to operate in those markets. However, the vast majority of console and PC games are sold in the US, Japan, and a couple of European markets, where piracy rates are significantly lower. 

Overall global PC software piracy seems to be close to 60% according to the BSA's 2011 report.  It's not unreasonable to consider that game piracy in particular might be higher than the rate for all pirated software, and recently CD Projekt commented that the piracy rate for Witcher 2 was in the range of 80-85%. 

In many of these piracy studies some attempt is made to estimate how many actual sales would be made in a given market if there was no pirated version available, which is not the same as assuming every pirated copy would automatically be a sale. I don't gather that Ubisoft is necessarily proposing these would all be convertible to sales; they seem to be merely estimating the total number of pirated copies compared to the total purchased copies.

While I agree that piracy rates are likely far higher than 5 to 7%, I'd take the BSA'a reports with a grain of salt as well. When the US Government admitted piracy estimates are bogus, one of the reasons listed was that the BSA's piracy/loss numbers were highly suspect: Source

[Endurium]

My comment was somewhat snarky, given the people I work with tend to have horrible math skills and would use the wrong side of a percentage.

To be honest, I was seeing rampant piracy (at least among the gamers, which were fewer then) when I was in high school in the 1980s. Even then I had some idea that someone was losing money from the "free" game copies being passed around. There was even a public business of creating disk copy programs that could accurately reproduce copy protection methods.

Still, this kind of thing is typical in human societies: the legal (paying customers) suffer the whims of the corrupt (pirates via hard-handed policies from developers/publishers).

[naughty99]

Eurypterid wrote...

naughty99 wrote...

It's certainly much higher than that. In some countries, it is likely close to 100%. Many film studios and game publishers have thrown in the towel and do not even distribute their games, DVDs and Blu-rays in certain countries because the piracy rates are so high that it is cost prohibitive to operate in those markets. However, the vast majority of console and PC games are sold in the US, Japan, and a couple of European markets, where piracy rates are significantly lower. 

Overall global PC software piracy seems to be close to 60% according to the BSA's 2011 report.  It's not unreasonable to consider that game piracy in particular might be higher than the rate for all pirated software, and recently CD Projekt commented that the piracy rate for Witcher 2 was in the range of 80-85%. 

In many of these piracy studies some attempt is made to estimate how many actual sales would be made in a given market if there was no pirated version available, which is not the same as assuming every pirated copy would automatically be a sale. I don't gather that Ubisoft is necessarily proposing these would all be convertible to sales; they seem to be merely estimating the total number of pirated copies compared to the total purchased copies.

While I agree that piracy rates are likely far higher than 5 to 7%, I'd take the BSA'a reports with a grain of salt as well. When the US Government admitted piracy estimates are bogus, one of the reasons listed was that the BSA's piracy/loss numbers were highly suspect: Source

Certainly any report like this should be taken with a grain of salt, but the GAO did not seem to take issue with the BSA's estimated rates of piracy, so much as their estimated impact on the software industry in terms of lost sales, which is much harder to predict. 

[Eurypterid]

naughty99 wrote...

Certainly any report like this should be taken with a grain of salt, but the GAO did not seem to take issue with the BSA's estimated rates of piracy, so much as their estimated impact on the software industry in terms of lost sales, which is much harder to predict. 

Aye, good point. Bad interpretation on my part.

[termokanden]

Bad news for me you mean.

I make a living writing software. I do not pirate other people's stuff, end of story. I have some sympathy for people who don't have enough money and pirate games, but some people I have met have everything they need and just want their games, movies and music for free. Oh and they don't want the stuff that actually IS free, because that's not good enough for them. In that case, I find it hard NOT to look down on them.

Anyway, I have observed that it is harder to get to where I want in a game if it's free to play than if it isn't, unless I spend more money than I would have on a full game.

I am not the most casual gamer, I must admit. But from my perspective, F2P means higher overall costs, lower quality and a constant reminder that if you want more out of your game, you don't play better to earn it, you pay.

Modifié par termokanden, 22 août 2012 - 08:21 .

[Addai]

Pffff. They must think we're idiots. EA and Ubisoft are of a piece- they are both using piracy as an excuse for why they need to hook you up 24/7 to their bloated, invasive online portal so they can milk you for microtransactions. It's all incredibly cynical and insulting to potential customers. I mean, think about it. If piracy rates are that high, how is Valve making any money at all? Why is PC gaming seeing a resurgence?

I'm glad I'm not even tempted by any of their games, especially with Dishonored coming out. By all appearances it provides a great contrast to the overblown Ass Creed hype.

edit- For some contrast, Gabe Newell on this subject:

"One thing that we have learned is that piracy is not a pricing issue.  It’s a service issue. The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates. For example, Russia. You say, oh, we’re going to enter Russia, people say, you’re doomed, they’ll pirate everything in Russia. Russia now outside of Germany is our largest continental European market.
Ed Fries: That’s incredible. That’s in dollars?

Newell: That’s in dollars, yes. Whenever I talk about how much money we make it’s always dollar-denominated. All of our products are sold in local currency. But the point was, the people who are telling you that Russians pirate everything are the people who wait six months to localize their product into Russia. … So that, as far as we’re concerned, is asked and answered. It doesn’t take much in terms of providing a better service to make pirates a non-issue."

Modifié par Addai67, 22 août 2012 - 08:36 .

[termokanden]

Not only insulting to potential customers but the ones they already have as well.

[Joy Divison]

There is no way 95% percent of machines have pirated software for starters, let alone 95% of the people playing a particular game are pirates.

[termokanden]

Well in some countries piracy rates are insanely high.

Of the gamers I know, I'd say about 20-30% pirate games (but not necessarily every game).

[TobiTobsen]

Of course everybody pirates Ubisoft games. Who wouldn't with those crazy "anti"-pirate methods they employ.

Modifié par TobiTobsen, 22 août 2012 - 08:51 .

[Costin_Razvan]

LOL. 93% piracy rate on PC? WoW. Even China has barely 77% and they have the HIGHEST in the bloody world.

[BatmanPWNS]

Lets just wait for the next gaming crash already.