Oh, woe be to the poor companies and corporations that make content only to have it stolen by filthy pirates! The profit loss, the theft, the extra work on DRM...boo hoo hoo!
Hey, dipshits. Many pirates are willing to legally access or pay for your content; but, your dumb asses make it inconvenient or a complete rip off!
So, how about you start fixing your shit, instead of whining about the pirates "destroying everything?" Here are some things you should consider!
Your DRM and copy protection systems fucking suck. Get rid of them!
You know what's a real nice slap in the face? Paying money for a product, then being told you can't use it, or having it barely function.
Always-on DRM: No internet connection? Servers down (or shut off forever)? Well, fuck you!
Copy protection on the product or in its coding: Did a specific area get damaged? Have you installed the software X number of times (even on the same device)? You're done! Piss off!
Copy protection included with software: Did you lose your manual or box? Can't navigate the complicated or incorrect instructions? Lose your product key? You are screwed. The end.
On top of that crap, sometimes the protection kicks in on a legitimate copy. Suddenly, the product is claiming to be stolen, and the paying customer can't use it! In the case of PC games, sometimes the DRM sucks back resources or limits settings to the point the game runs like shit.
This is why cracks and workarounds exist. Why buy a product that's strangled by DRM when the pirated copy works so much better?
Stop lying about your products or charging money for total garbage.
So, you want people to buy your product. You hype it up, make crazy claims, and boast about exciting features. But, you don't release demos or previews, and you forbid people from making pre-release or day one reviews. When the final product is released, it's riddled with bugs, contains nothing you promised, or just doesn't work. Then you get mad when people want refunds or find a workaround that makes the product functional or enjoyable.
Guess what? No one gives a shit if it cost you millions to make a product if it screws them over, or doesn't live up to the tons of hype you dumped out. They're going to be pissed off that you cheated them out of their money. Of course, you won't care until they start wanting refunds or getting cracked versions of your product.
How about this: make your product enjoyable and ensure it actually fucking works. Don't lie about what it can and can't do, or what it'll be able to do. Put effort into it, instead of focusing on how much money you can make with it. Release a proper demo or trial version. Let people review the product. If you focus on not screwing people over, you'll find they're more willing to spend money!
Make things convenient and painless.
With the internet available to people, you'd think it'd be easier to legally access content. But, no. Enter region locks, stupid rules, and piles of excuses from companies who don't want to adapt.
People have gotten rid of cable TV due to how shitty and expensive it is. TV networks don't like that, so they limit what you can watch on their websites. They demand you have a cable provider to get instant access to new episodes. Or, they provide a tiny handful of complete episodes, while the rest of their offerings are 1 - 3 minute clips. And if a network offers their stuff on something like Netflix or Hulu, you can bet they'll limit what's on there, too!
Anyone familiar with or fluent in a foreign language could import games and movies that might not be available in their country. But, region locking prevents that, unless the person imports specific hardware, or just outright moves.
Oh, but wait! They can get around all that bullshit by pirating, or using other questionable means (e.g. VPNs, modchips) Who would've thought?
Dearest companies, people are more than willing to do things the legal way if you don't make it a complete brundlefuck. Either adapt to new technology and ideas, or continue whining about how you're being ruined by pirates. Your choice!
Availability issues suck for everyone.
This is a very common problem with games. Older games may not be available from a developer anymore, making them very rare. And expensive. Or, perhaps a game never saw a release in some areas, but people have heard of it and want to try it out. These people are stuck with two options: emulation, or dealing with a seller who might rip them off. Either way, the developers never see a dime.
Game soundtracks are also a tough one. Some older games have amazing music, but their soundtracks are either super rare, or non-existent. So, the only options are to rip the music from the game, download it somewhere, or (again) pay vast sums of money that won't make it to the developers.
Some developers have made smart moves, though. They'll port their games to other systems, or even re-release them on things like Nintendo's Virtual Console. Even better, they'll sell them at a decent price, so people don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars for a copy of a 20 - 30 year old game! And nowadays, some developers provide the option of buying a game's soundtrack, or certain songs!
Of course, only some developers do this. Don't ask me why!
Okay, sometimes it IS about the money.
Things keep getting more and more expensive because of the assholes in charge economics. Most people pay for things like food, electricity, insurance, and rent. After all that's done, they don't have much money left. Even a $10/month subscription or one time payment of $15 looks insane to them.
Kids don't know any better. A 10 year old who wants to watch his favorite show wants to do just that. He doesn't know that watching it on a random site means someone's losing money. Or, maybe he wants to pay, but mom and dad won't let him, or have told him to use the free method.
Of course, some people are just entitled shitheads who think they should get everything they want for free. Or they pirate because "Fuck greedy corporations and fuck Hollywood! They suck and ruin everything!" Apparently, whatever it was wasn't ruined enough, because they still want to have/play/listen to/use it.
Stop lying and panicking about piracy.
So, you made millions from your product and people love it. But, then you say it'll be impossible to make a similar product in the future because of pirates.
I'm sorry, but are you fucking kidding me? Sure, pirating isn't right, but to say that it's destroying you while you roll in money is total bullshit. If you somehow really are strapped for cash to make another, similar product, we have things like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
Also, companies who dish out copyright claims and take-downs on fair use content really piss me off. "It's not fair use! It's piracy and copyright infringement!" Learn the difference between theft and fair use, idiots! And God help you if you steal shit from other people while complaining about piracy and theft!
Seriously, why not try evolving with the rest of the world? Get your shit on Steam, GOG, iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, or one of the thousands of other distributors out there! Whatever your product, there's a place that'll sell it. Or, holy shit, maybe you could make your own online store and cut out the middleman!
Ugh, man. That got long. But, I'm sick of the "pirates ruin everything" argument that's been going on for decades now. If they really were destroying the movie, game, and music industries years ago, then why the fuck are those industries still going strong?
No comments:
Post a Comment