Why Pirating a Game Just Feels Like Cheating

Although it might seem like the golden age of piracy is long gone (think the days of The Pirate Bay and Limewire), online piracy is still rampant. Variety Intelligence Platform found that, in 2022, there were 215 billion visits to piracy websites worldwide, which is an 18% increase from 2021.

For many avid gamers, there is plenty of temptation to pirate games, especially considering the price of new releases. With such a wide variety of games out there, gaining access to them without having to fork out the cash is certainly alluring. But behind this veil of temptation is an unfortunate reality for the game developers who put in immeasurable time and hard work to craft these exciting experiences.

Why Do People Pirate Games?

Piracy is something that people don’t often think too deeply about. In most scenarios, gamers tend to be drawn to attractive or popular games and want to find a way to get them. This happens for several reasons – one of the most obvious is cost and financial barriers. If the individual is on a tight budget, they might not be able to justify a video game purchase, which might lead them to turn to piracy sites for free copies.

In certain situations, there may also be an accessibility barrier that drives people to piracy. For example, some countries are often subjected to delayed release dates. Those who don’t want to wait and would prefer to receive a game at the same time as people in other areas of the world could end up choosing piracy over a legal purchase.

There’s also the justification for wanting to try out the game before committing to buying it. People might not feel as though trailers and gameplay reviews are enough information, or this content might not even be out there to find.

Other than the immediate reward, many people participate in piracy because it can seem like a harmless act. After all, a particular level of detachment goes along with it. The downloader is anonymous, and the victims aren’t immediately affected by that one person’s actions. These individuals might not even be aware of the consequences of their actions or how complex these repercussions really are.

Human beings also thrive off of immediate gratification, and with this instant access to the game they’ve been vying to play, they’ll often ignore the long-term impact of piracy. Piracy has also been around for a long time and normalized, making it virtually acceptable, especially when anti-piracy laws and their consequences aren’t strictly enforced.

The Consequences of Piracy

So, what’s the harm in piracy? What’s beyond the search and download process that harms the gaming industry and its stakeholders?

The primary impact is on game revenue. While people who choose to go the piracy route save on cash, the developers and companies that release the games lose out on potential sales. This means that these hardworking creators won’t get to reap the rewards of their efforts and might not be able to invest as much in future titles. Taking away funds ultimately affects players, slowing down game development for well-deserved sequels and limiting the resources available to creators.

In turn, fewer resources mean lower quality. And who wants to play inferior-quality games? Unfortunately, that’s the reality of piracy – bugs and technical issues become commonplace when developers don’t have all the assets they need. If you were to put yourself in the developers’ shoes, you’d see that there’s much less motivation than there used to be, given that people are choosing to pirate games rather than purchase them and support the company.

Legal and Ethical Considerations of Piracy

Other than financial and creative implications, piracy has serious legal and ethical consequences. Downloading video games off piracy sites is illegal, and it violates intellectual property laws and the rights of everyone involved in the creation of the game.

When you download a game illegally, you’re sabotaging the creators and developers from being compensated for their work. Essentially, it’s the same as stealing from a brick-and-mortar store like GameStop – it comes with fines, lawsuits, and even criminal charges, depending on the unique situation. Before online gambling became legal and regulated, plenty of unauthorized gambling sites existed, which exposed players to unsafe and dangerous practices. DraftKings NJ casino became the first legal online option that prioritized compliance and responsible gaming practices.

Even without the threat of criminal charges, piracy is ethically wrong. Just like tradesmen get paid for their work and physical therapists get paid for their time, game creators deserve fair compensation for their content. When we’re talking about indie game creators, this impact becomes even more severe. Smaller companies value every single sale, as they tend to operate on tiny budgets. They usually don’t have the dedicated resources to protect themselves against piracy or similar situations. When these creators consistently get robbed, it affects the gaming industry as a whole.

Enjoying Games the Right Way

It’s true that video games can be expensive and waiting for releases may require patience. But there’s immense value in supporting game creators legally and ethically. The ultimate way to do so is to purchase games through legitimate platforms so you can directly support developers and creators. Owning a true copy of a game also gives you access to any updates or patches that pirated copies won’t come with, which will significantly impact your gameplay experience.

Although temptations and the normalization of piracy might be widespread, enjoying games the right way (ethically and legally) will enhance your own personal enjoyment and produce rewarding effects for the gaming community overall.