Mark Rein On The Pervasiveness of UT3 Piracy

[R.Flagg]

* Partial because some piracy is not motivated by sloth or greed, but by poverty, there's a good reason why piracy is popular in Russia and other poor countries.

Because of all the poor, pitiful folks in poverty..., who also just happened to have kick-ass dual or quad core computers with expensive vid cards, and high-speed internet?

(well, I suppose you could google high-res vids on how to get several meals out of one potato, and how to make clothes out of burlap ).

 

[Armagon917]

I think this is either an excuse for poor game sales as we didn't hear this from EPIC about their other games (to this extent) and it happens when they release their worst game IMO. They also seem to be shifting to console so I can't help to think this is like a signal when you're about to breakup with a girlfriend or something. heh So this could be a series of steps to break away from PC gaming.

Funny that we don't hear complaints from developers who have made quality titles on PC recently that also install on a large number of configurations out there. As far as Crysis goes they need to relize that ot everyone has SLI and a Core 2 duo. I do but I spend more on my PC then I'd like.

Things they can do instead of point fingers.

1. make a game that people can play on their PCs Crytek.
2. make quality games
3. spend some time on security for your games and do something about it. The Valve model is a good one IMO. Valve seems quite content with their sales but wants to improve like all companies of course.
4. add more value for your buck, UT2004 ECE and the Orange Box are great examples.

The main problem here is we have one game that many see as unfinished whith a bad launch and another that requires the user to have upgraded in the last year to enjoy. Low sales... amazing. Put out something that plays like crap on 360 and watch your sales drop. I was only able to enjoy Crysis after getting an e8500 and two 8800gt s. just my two cents.

 

[Armagon917]

I have seen companies react this way before - if they dont refocus their company on serving the interests of their market and not on filling their wallet, they will self destruct.

They are headed down the road of mistrusting the very people that made them in the first place.

perfect advice!

 

[KeithZG]

But that's not because Steam was hacked, it was because Portal is single player and people easily figured out how to remove Steam from the game, afaik.

I don't think Steam's "Valve Anti-cheat" has been cracked.

Oh yes, definitely. Although it isn't impossible, with any protection if there's a server-side component it's a lot harder to crack and indeed if anyone has cracked that layer of Steam they're keeping very tight-lipped about it.

The post I was replying to was just talking about games being pirated despite being distributed via Steam; it's the same situation for Steam games as UT3 apparently has, Game X can be pirated and played offline (inevitably) but if you try to go online with an illegitimate copy you're out of luck.

 

[Sir_Brizz]

UT3 is pretty far from as bad as UT2003, IMNSHO

edit: instaposted! This was to armagon.

 

[Armagon917]

UT3 is pretty far from as bad as UT2003, IMNSHO

edit: instaposted! This was to armagon.

hehe. I actually didnt have a huge problem with UT2003. It fealt like a really small game though and content was my issue with it. To each his own. In both cases tho EPIC could do better.

 

[Sir_Brizz]

UT2003 felt like a small game? Weird. The gameplay was the big problem there. I guess UT3's problems are just more noticeable and annoying because they deal with getting into the game.

 

[SuperDre]

Funny that we don't hear complaints from developers who have made quality titles on PC recently that also install on a large number of configurations out there. As far as Crysis goes they need to relize that ot everyone has SLI and a Core 2 duo. I do but I spend more on my PC then I'd like.

Uhm, have you actually tried Crysis or UT3? they run fine on 'low'specced machines (ofcourse not in the full glory), it's a lot of people who get it in their head that it requires a highspecced machine to be able to play it..
And we do hear the same complaints from other developers, only Crytek and Epic are the 'hottest'/'biggest' at the moment since they also sell their engine to other developers..

I don't get your big gripe with steam. I've just installed orange box yesterday and finished Portal. I was surprised at how well the steam platform integrated into the games. I'm not sure why your calling it "Spyware" but I would love if UT3 was fully integrated with steam.

I call any program that checkes every running program which is running in the background and making unfound decissions on those (and reporting to a server) to be spyware, cause that's exactly the definition of spyware.. Also how about steam blocking a games that was not purchased in your region, I don't think it's up to steam to decide where I buy my games.. I'm glad UT3 doesn't have steam integration, otherwise I would not have bought UT3, Steam is to me just what Starforce was to others, only worse...

 

[TheSomian]

The point is, that a console is still cheaper than a PC running the games in same quality.

 

[Fuzzle]

if you don't like the product don't buy it

If you don't like it, you don't download it either.

 

[Anuban]

hehe. I actually didnt have a huge problem with UT2003. It fealt like a really small game though and content was my issue with it. To each his own. In both cases tho EPIC could do better.

UT2K3 shipped with 50 plus levels and had five gametypes and plenty of character models close to 50 so I don't see how that constitutes a small game imo. I'm just curious what you would have needed to say its a decent sized game?

Edit: Actually that level quantity seems to high and I may actually have mixed up bonus pack levels with the actual shipping levels ... I think the number of levels that shipped was closer to 30 but still to me when I look at other games of this types that is far from a small amount of content ... but again that is just my feeling. I would like to understand why you think that is a small amount.

 

[-=WolverinE=-]

This discussion is full of bull sh!t and it seems everyone is using it as an excuse to bash whatever they don't like.

Piracy is not the reason why the PC platform "gets destroyed". There are not many good games out there for the PC anymore and consoles are full of them. I even wish I had a console instead of a PC, because of that fact. But really, this is just a matter of company's politics about how a product should be spread across the platforms. Many games go console first, because there are many console gamers and the consoles are made just for that - games. It's only logical that this happens.

There were periods where the PC took over the gaming market. Now it's just the time for the consoles (even if that involves waving the controller in the air like a monkey, trying to show off with a banana).

And to all those, who think that people who pirate games should get a job I'll say STFU and GTFO, because you have no f-ing idea what you're talking about. Not every country pays well for jobs especially in Europe. I live in Europe and I pirate every game I want to play. I don't even download demos, because they are limited and show nothing of the full plot/gameplay. I have a job and I buy games rarely, but I buy the games that I really think that deserve their money.

Do any of you here know that PC and console games cost THE SAME in every country in Europe? Surely you'll know that none of them has the same economics and thus social standard. With my current salary (and rate of exchange of the US dollar, which is quite nice for people like myself) I can buy 7 games worth $50. The thing is, they don't sell for $50 here. They sell for more. I can buy 3 to 4 games with my salary and that means I'm going to be living on photosynthesis the whole month. Ain't that nice? There's rarely any opportunity for saving money, because of the expenses of food, taxes and bills to pay. But over time I saved some cash and I own a few games I feel that should be bought and their developers supported. The Unreal Anthology was just the thing someone like me could take advantage from for a lower price.

The way I see it, Epic got my money for their games even though I've pirated them in the past. I'm sure a lot of people bought their games after pirating them and if you have seen any .nfos of the crackers, they all tell you to buy the game and support the developers. The key to more buyers is a better game realization.

 

[Defeat]

Steam 4tw

 

[kafros]

I want an honest answer: How many did download a pirated version of UT3?

I bought UT3 when it was available at my local store, and I was playing single player with the pirated copy for a month. I would try 2-3 times a day to connect to a random server during that period, searching for a "cracked" one.

Same happened with UT2004. First pirate copy then buy it when available at the local store (I live in Europe) (I have 2 UT2004 copies now with a UT+Unreal+Unreal2+UT2004 combo thingy)

If a product is good, then piracy is advertising that will bring sales. Otherwise piracy is a REAL enemy.

 

[BooGiTyBoY]

See. this is why i stopped posting here and will again after this one...

Crotale, I didnt mean the end of my post to be "rude"..
I'm just sick of threads where people quote every single line you type and take it as fact instead of opinion, and feel the need to nitpick every god damn thing someone says.

Hal, I meant the news post at it's original source was ridiculous and the thread was ridiculous because people are actually arguing this fact for 4 pages... just like every other ridiculous topic here. Not YOU for posting it here, yet you took it as personally as half the people who post here. C'mon.. you're an admin and supposed to set an example.

Thought I'd try these forums again after a long hiatus, but it seems nothing has changed.

Later guys

Yeah yeah... I'll let the door smack me on the way out. Figured I'd say it before half of you sent me pm's saying it like last time. Or you can flame me all ya want cuz I won't be checking here again.

In fact if Hal or Brizz or someone could just delete my account, go right ahead.

 

[Sijik]

I want an honest answer: How many did download a pirated version of UT3?

Nope. Ran the demo on my machine at work (dual-core, x1900, 2 GB RAM, nice rig) with no problems at all. Installed it on my machine at home when it came out and discovered my machine is slowly dying out from under me so it, along with every other game, and occasionally even Firefox (and once even Notepad) crashes completely randomly.

The only game I pirated recently was HL2, and the constant node-graph rebuilding and the AI shutting off was too obnoxious to put up with...

 

[hal]

Hal, I meant the news post at it's original source was ridiculous and the thread was ridiculous because people are actually arguing this fact for 4 pages... just like every other ridiculous topic here. Not YOU for posting it here, yet you took it as personally as half the people who post here. C'mon.. you're an admin and supposed to set an example.

I quoted you because you said "this topic and this news post". If you truly didn't mean "this topic and this news post" then you should be more clear and perhaps say "that topic and that news post".

On the internet I can only read what you are saying. I can't see where you are pointing with your finger. That being said, I can't let stand what I perceive to be an inaccurate representation of anything I do, and I reserve the right to defend or explain.

People feel passionately about issues surrounding this game, BoogityBoy. Perhaps to a fault, I admit. But as tiresome as it may become, the only alternative is to prohibit talk about the game or ban everyone that disagrees with the "right" opinion. Which one will it be?

 

[Kantham]

BAUF?

Beyond Arguing Unreal Forums?

 

[kafros]

What do you get if you multiply the amount of times BoogityBoy has left the forum with the amount of locked threads then divide with kafros' offtopic posts plus the ppl playing UT3 now online.

Do you get a number close to Hal's total posts minus the lost posts from the backup crash?

The fact that people get heated on this interbuts ( (c) TA ) forum on a game which is not played is beyond my tolerable limit of laughing. Doctor ordered me not to read BU more than once a week or I risk serious injury to my lungs.

 

[os][ris]

Uhm, have you actually tried Crysis or UT3? they run fine on 'low'specced machines (ofcourse not in the full glory), it's a lot of people who get it in their head that it requires a highspecced machine to be able to play it..
And we do hear the same complaints from other developers, only Crytek and Epic are the 'hottest'/'biggest' at the moment since they also sell their engine to other developers..



I call any program that checkes every running program which is running in the background and making unfound decissions on those (and reporting to a server) to be spyware, cause that's exactly the definition of spyware.. Also how about steam blocking a games that was not purchased in your region, I don't think it's up to steam to decide where I buy my games.. I'm glad UT3 doesn't have steam integration, otherwise I would not have bought UT3, Steam is to me just what Starforce was to others, only worse...

Spyware tends to be malicious, Steam is not. I'm not really sure about what "unfound" decisions your referring too. But whatever. It's a stable, uniform, safe platform for games and probably the best way to lower piracy attempts. The issues you describe are minimal (not to mention highly debatable) at best compared to the overall damaging affect of piracy on PC gaming.