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Ubisoft: PC games have 95 percent piracy rate
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The following comments relate to this news article:
article published on 22 August, 2012
Ubisoft, always one to bring ridiculous figures to the table, has come out today with a number that should scare any developer looking to create a game for the PC.
CEO Yves Guillemot has said today that 93-95 percent of PC games are pirated.
Reads his quote, when asked about free-to-play titles:
It's a way to get closer to your customers, to make sure you have a revenue. On PC it's ... [ read the full article ]
Please read the original article before posting your comments.
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AfterDawn Addict
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22. August 2012 @ 14:47 |
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This both amuses and saddens me.
Ubisoft posting a number plucked from thin air about piracy rates, of all the companies, given Ubisoft probably have the highest rate of piracy due to their horrifying DRM systems. Not that there should ever be an 'excuse' for software piracy, but if I really wanted to support a Ubisoft game I'd pay the money for it, leave it undownloaded/still in the shrinkwrap, then just play a pirate copy.
Sad however because the people that have a say in things will believe these figures, which will have two negative effects -> firstly more weight added to the 'software piracy should carry the death penalty' crowd, and secondly more reason for games manufacturers to avoid the PC platform in favour of 'piracy-safe' console platforms.
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Bozobub
Senior Member
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22. August 2012 @ 15:51 |
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I actually HAD to crack 2 bought Ubisoft games, simply to make them work properly, FFS.
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Mysttic
Senior Member
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22. August 2012 @ 17:10 |
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I dont think they mean 90% of software out there on a users machine is pirated, it sounds to me what they are saying is that 90% of the apps created get pirated version in some form. Which is true... Find me an app or game that you can't find some pirated version in one form or another?
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AfterDawn Addict
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22. August 2012 @ 17:11 |
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The industry standard measurement is the proportion of uses of the game that were paid for. If 10 million people are playing a game but only 500,000 people bought it, that's a 95% piracy rate.
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Clam_Up
Junior Member
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22. August 2012 @ 17:50 |
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To be perfectly frank, they knew this when they got into the software business. Copyright Infringement is and has always been dominant in this industry and they chose to take on those statistical risks when they went into the business.
Caveat Venditor
When laws allow unlimited ownership of ideas, it is to a society as iron fusion is to the core of a star.
When verified realities lead us to anger, we must learn to reevaluate our beliefs.
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gDavid
Newbie
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22. August 2012 @ 19:07 |
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They need to go to China and throw a 'hissy-fit' about piracy.
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Bozobub
Senior Member
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22. August 2012 @ 20:10 |
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What no one has mentioned about this article, is that Ubisoft is clearly admitting their draconian DRM, in fact, doesn't work, yet they still insist on punishing their legit users. Hell, for the D2D version of Rainbow 6: Vegas 2, Ubisoft even directly stole the Skid Row crack, when they buggered up their patch!
(Apologies for the external link, I'm sure AD reported on this, but that's what came up in Google ^^')
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joebloe12
Junior Member
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22. August 2012 @ 23:19 |
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I would like to know what kind of CRACK they are smoking! (or meth for that matter)
That is about the stupidest statement I have read so far from a software company!
Is software pirated? Sure, especially THEIR software, because they are such idiots they cannot understand that when you put in DRM in games, it will be taken out as fast as it was put in!
But 95%? Come on Ubisoft, that is just a plain lie!
And them having to use a PIRATED Skidrow crack makes them look even more foolish. It seems the pirates know more about how to fix their idiotic games than they do!
As far as myself, I wil NEVER...EVER buy a ubisoft title. Why? Because of the draconian DRM they have put in their products. Hook to the net and KEEP hooked if you want to play a stupid game just to keep your saves? NO THANKS!
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22. August 2012 @ 23:23
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AfterDawn Addict
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23. August 2012 @ 00:47 |
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Ubisoft is just a company to ignore...they say stupid things, they can't program their way out of an open jet hangar, and most of their $60 titles last less than 10 hours if you don't include multiplayer (which many of them don't even offer in spite of requiring an always-on internet connection).
Still, I can almost believe the numbers...or at least I want to believe them. I really don't want to believe that more than 5% of the population is dumb enough to blow $60 a pop on such terrible games.
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Junior Member
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23. August 2012 @ 05:22 |
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Is ubisoft hanging out with MPAA, or are they using the same statisticians? You could not give me an ubisoft anything or pay me to do so.
If there was a fair price for the product, there would be no incentive to copy anything. We should thank them for providing the impetus for producing the mousetrap that has given us better and smarter, computer users..and comedy worthy of The Marx Bros.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. August 2012 @ 05:23
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AfterDawn Addict
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23. August 2012 @ 08:31 |
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Originally posted by dp70:
Is ubisoft hanging out with MPAA
Given their over-restrictive, easily beatable DRM that does nothing but encourage piracy, I'd have to say yes.
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Bozobub
Senior Member
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23. August 2012 @ 22:22 |
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The last Ubisoft game I unequivocally enjoyed was Beyond Good and Evil =/ ...
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xboxd00d
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24. August 2012 @ 07:38 |
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Originally posted by Bozobub:
I actually HAD to crack 2 bought Ubisoft games, simply to make them work properly, FFS.
Lmao!
That's pretty bad!
Back when my pc was my gaming centre I usually got the "no cd" crack simply for convenience, even tho I owned the original.
To stay on topic, the statement is probably true (if he is saying 95% of pc games r copied), but just because it's been ripped and uploaded doesn't mean everyone (or 95% of gamers) have leeched it, cos if they had the games industry would collapse overnight, hell I certainly would not work my ass off all week for 95% less than I'm owed!!!
On a note about piracy, it confuses me somewhat, some clever hackers will buy a game, to circumvent any protection it may have, to upload it to download for free, with the only thing they may get out of it is reputation as an elite hacker in the form of an nfo which (here comes the laughable bit) says "support software developers, if u like this, buy it"!
Lol
"Trying is the first step towards Failure" Homer.J.Simpson
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AfterDawn Addict
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24. August 2012 @ 08:03 |
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Beyond Good & Evil was amazing :)
As far as games that have never been successfully pirated, the only Ubisoft title I can recall is Tom Clancy's HAWX 2. It uses a certain version of the always-on DRM that makes it impossible to crack, but luckily it doesn't work for most games. Something to do with how it was programmed and how the game itself implements it.
In the earlier days of PC gaming Ubisoft was quite good but with the latest BS, they have ruined their own reputation.
------------------------------------------
Just another addition:
http://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudie...-dont-pay.shtml
No duh, you frikking geniuses.
I own several Ubisoft games that have since been patched into uselessness, thus I was forced to play an "alternatively obtained" copy of something I own. Even more of them I have had to do this with because it is actually a LOT less effort than using the retail game and jumping through hoop after hoop to get everything activated.
http://www.listal.com/list/games-worst-drm-issues
Ubisoft isn't the only company to pull this crap. I own every game on this list except Spore and have basically been forced to either "alternatively obtain" or buy a Steam copy for every single one.
They can complain about piracy all they want but until they make up some truly fair prices and stop dropping the quality with every release, nobody will care.
The endless DLC is also another HUGE cause of piracy. Mass Effect 2 being a good example of this. Roughly a quarter of the game's content is DLC(a LOT of content, being a 50-60 hour game). Much of it is absolutely essential to get the entire story line. But guess what, the DLC costs $50 by itself. So $100 at the very least for a single game? **** that.
Not to mention the horrible management of said DLC. A lot of it requires online authorization to activate, but most companios do not have an organized system for tracking all of it. Many people are complaining of being unable to use DLC they paid good money for. (OBLIVION HORSE ARMOR)
When a game is pirated, it is actually yours for life, and there is no danger of the company pulling a fast one or dying and leaving you high and dry. Online authorization is especially dangerous for this reason. I can still play all of my SNES and N64 games, but my PC games are useless if the company goes bankrupt? Yeah **** that. I can't afford to pay $60 a pop for games that won't be there in 5-10 years.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. August 2012 @ 08:09
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Junior Member
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24. August 2012 @ 08:46 |
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Pretty much everything has been said already. My guess is that they are still making a profit on these games despite the piracy. What would they do if they managed to eradicate piracy - Reduce the price of the products? - I think we know the answer to that one, they woud smile and pocket the extra profits.
More companies should follow the model of Big Fish Games, and the like, and sell games at an affordable price enticing people to buy them by offering attractive membership deals. Sure their games are easy to find in the black market (mostly I notice in Dutch and German versions) but why go to the hassle and risk of pirated copies when the legit versions are easily affordable. If my kids were still young I would just buy them a monthly membership to big fish and let them have a free game every month.
What we need now is for the other big companies to follow that kind of lead and make all games affordable to pocket money users - I suspect the high cost of games is just one more cause of the increasing crime rate amongst young people who cannot legitimately find a way to afford the latest "must have" games.
Newbie with Panasonic NV-BS60B
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There is anothe
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. August 2012 @ 08:50
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AfterDawn Addict
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24. August 2012 @ 08:51 |
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For the record, Steam is probably the single most progressive thing done about piracy ever. Brand new games for discount prices, reliable activation systems, convenient ways to access DLC, etc.
GOG.com is also wonderful as they offer many classic PC games DRM-free that would otherwise be old and defunct now. Excellent prices as well :)
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. August 2012 @ 08:55
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salsa36
Member
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24. August 2012 @ 09:25 |
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They just figure this out now?????
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Bozobub
Senior Member
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24. August 2012 @ 11:21 |
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Originally posted by Estuansis:
{snip}The endless DLC is also another HUGE cause of piracy. Mass Effect 2 being a good example of this. Roughly a quarter of the game's content is DLC(a LOT of content, being a 50-60 hour game). Much of it is absolutely essential to get the entire story line. But guess what, the DLC costs $50 by itself. So $100 at the very least for a single game? **** that.
Not to mention the horrible management of said DLC. A lot of it requires online authorization to activate, but most companios do not have an organized system for tracking all of it. Many people are complaining of being unable to use DLC they paid good money for. (OBLIVION HORSE ARMOR){/snip}
Yes, Mass Effect is a great example. The 1st one pissed me off, because the DLC "Bring Down the Sky", which supposedly came with purchase of the main game, would never install. I had the digital distribution, and apparently there was some weird error. That's a game I bought from a non-Ubisoft publisher I had to pirate to make work properly =p ... My PIRATED version works fine, dammit.
After that, I just pirated the next 2; screw you AND your overactive DRM!
They'll never learn.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. August 2012 @ 11:21
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Senior Member
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24. August 2012 @ 11:21 |
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Everyone has made a good honest comment/statement that has certainly stood the test of time. obviously the MPAA/RIAA didn't make it into UbiSoft's statement, but I'm sure it very well may have been hot on their heals.
Although like others have stated, online providers like Steam are providing content at steeply discounted prices that 'may' indeed be thwarting piracy to an extent. As we all know, the criminal element can't/won't be squelched for the mere fact that there are some individuals who simply want the thrill of 'not being caught' & the actual game has nothing to do with it.
I too have purchased a couple of titles that, in turn, I had to go and download a pirated copy because after repeated attempts of loading the game legitimately had failed the pirated software was the only solution. Leave it to the hacked software to be better supported than the actual company producing it.
Which I suppose is my only addition to everyone's exceptional comments. Service. Repeated emails directing you to a link basically walking you through how to remove & reload the software is not customer service. That, or last ditch efforts telling you to remove hardware, that has been working quite fine for months (despite proper driver updates & the likes) doesn't really help either.
But then I think we all get the gist.
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Bozobub
Senior Member
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24. August 2012 @ 11:33 |
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Heh. Another thing software customer service will try to do is tell you to permanently disable/uninstall your AV/firewall. That's what they tried to tell me with the Bring Down the Sky DLC. Uh huh, yeah, I'm going to risk my entire expensive gaming system, merely to coddle your crappy DRM, that's the ticket...
Not gonna happen.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. August 2012 @ 11:33
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AfterDawn Addict
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24. August 2012 @ 12:22 |
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Personally run with no AV/Firewall to speak of and have never had an issue :)
I admit that's pretty stupid though.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
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xboxd00d
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24. August 2012 @ 13:14 |
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Originally posted by Estuansis:
Personally run with no AV/Firewall to speak of and have never had an issue :)
I admit that's pretty stupid though.
Lol yea that is a bit crazy, my "slightly simple" cousin once said the same to me and when he gave me his pc to look at cos it was running really slow, it had about 2700 infections, lol.
Needless to say he now uses av software.
"Trying is the first step towards Failure" Homer.J.Simpson
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AfterDawn Addict
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24. August 2012 @ 14:15 |
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I suppose it's a bit different when you're a power user ;P
I do run AV on my parents' and customers' machines though.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. August 2012 @ 14:15
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AfterDawn Addict
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24. August 2012 @ 14:16 |
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Make worthy games, and I'll buy them. I like to try games before I buy them. If I like it a lot, I will pony up the dough! GTA IV I didn't even have to try. Given the track record of GTA, I new it would be worth it. I was however quite disappointed with the level of DRM. And having to put the disc in each time I want to play is BS! I've bought a few games through steam as well. The prices were agreeable, and I was feeling generous.
Goes the same way for movies. The avengers was quite good. I was 99% sure before going to it, that I would enjoy it. Put some effort into movies and games, and honest people will fork over the cash! Sorry, but I'm not spending $50 on a game/movie, that I'll only touch once...
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ronatola
Junior Member
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24. August 2012 @ 20:14 |
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The video game market needs a better try before you buy approach. not all games have demos anymore.
the only reason I pirate is to try the game first. If I play for more than 20-30 mins and I like it - I shut it down, uninstall it, buy it and re-install.
I wouldn't have to do this if there were more demos.
this goes for consoles and pc platforms.
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