Where Politics And Video Games Collide

On the whole Bioshock deal here's a thread form way back then:

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7590&page=4&highlight=...

I've also found a quote from this thread: (part of post nr 21)
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=141820#post141820

"Topware, a german software company, once did a test: They released some games for a lower price of 29,99DM (usually a game cost 70-90DM back then) and without copy protection. They then waited what impact on sales that move had. It was negligible. The games sold as many copies as their predecessors, surveys and further analysis showed that they were also copied just as much.The people interested in the games, the "early adopters" who buy games when they come out new, who were genuinely interested would have paid a higher price for the game. The pirates on the other hand didn´t care for the lower price, they copied anyway. If someone doubts this, one of the games involved was the third installment in the "realms of arkania"-saga, "shadows over riva".

And this trend still continues, I think. (not a recommendation for pirating, though!!)

The point is this: As this guy says people that will buy the game, buy the game. People that don't wont to buy the game, won't. Some of these people will pirate the game, just because they can or because they're bored or because they want to show off for their friends (still not a recommendation, though!!)

I don't know the sales figures for Shadows Over Riva, but 1 extra sale out of 1000 or even 10 extra sales out of 1000 seems close enough.

I have to admit, I don't get why the ESA isn't satisfied with selling games etc. for almost 19 billion dollars. I can sort of understand why they want to tackle pirating in China and Russia etc. since it is there the big pirating is going on - and has for years.... (this is still NOT a recommendation!!)

Even if 100,000 people pirated it (a game) and they were elimanated as in stopped, it would only mean at least a 100 more sales or maybe 500 more sales or at best 1000 more sales. The sales figures would then rise ½-1½ percent at best, I think.

And yes, this knowledge does put thinks into perspective...

/Karsten