Conclusion

FiringSquad: With even hardware solutions such as those on the PlayStation 2, or the combined hardware/authentication method used on the Xbox via Xbox Live! being cracked by pirates, is there hope for such an open platform as the PC?

Abbie Sommer: I have an Xbox and recently added a PS2 to my collection of gizmos. I like that the game play is cut and dry on consoles- you don't have to shut down a bunch of programs to play a game, as on a PC. Also a game won't suddenly shutting down if you run out of system resources, or not be able to play at all because of a video driver conflict. But PC games are more portable, it is easier to take a laptop with you on a trip, than an Xbox. Regarding how the ripped console games can be played, as I understand it, if you mod one of those units, you nullify the warranty, and in some cases can’t play online, or will get blacklisted if you attempt to play with a copied game. Is there hope for the PC as an open platform? I think we have to wait and see and watch the numbers – e.g. sales of PC games vs. sales of console games. I confess I’ve been playing my consoles more and more lately, however I love RTS games, and the ones I love – Rise of Nations, Command and Conquer Generals, Age of Mythology, are not getting ported over to consoles anytime soon, so I will switch back and forth as long as I want to play them.

I would like to close with this comment - I love to play games, and so do most of my colleagues. We listen to the frustration of the community and so do the publishers and together we are working hard everyday to make improvements. Unfortunately due to the prolific amount of piracy all over the world; copy protection is a necessary part of the publishing process, we have to live with it, and I don’t think it is going away. We encourage and welcome constructive feedback. I’ll be reading your forum; if anyone wants to contribute I look forward to it.

FiringSquad: Thank you for your time, Abbie!


Now for some personal opinion:

Maybe it's time we re-evaluate the sub-culture we live in. Yes, gamers are young, rebellious and generally have libertarian anti-establishment characteristics. However, when our very hobby is being threatened through the actions of not just a few, but many of our fellows, perhaps we should take a long hard look at what is and is not acceptable. We can see the over-developed sense of entitlement every day. Flaming publishers, developers and their spokespeople simply because their vision for their game is different from what we want is just one symptom of this entitlement. I believe piracy is another. Just what entitles anyone to copying a game for free?

Yes, invasive copy protection sucks and probably contributes somewhat to the popularity of CD cracks and even outright piracy - but let's face it, publishers aren't stupid. They likely think long and hard before deciding whether it's worth paying for copy protection and irritating the very customers they're trying to court. The irresponsible behavior of gamers is forcing publishers to take more drastic measures to protect their investment. Yes, they're trying to make money off us, but that money is used to make more games. The very games we enjoy. We have to take responsibility for our actions. Does anyone actually believe if there were no copy protection, game sales would increase?

PC games will never go away, but if the market keeps shrinking due to the increasing ease of piracy - through the proliferation of CD burners, DVD burners and broadband internet connections - then the number and quality of games will almost certainly decrease. Without a big market there can be no big budgets. No Doom 4, no Far Cry 2 and no Half-Life 3. Without a big market, the size of niche markets will also shrink, so we'd be even less likely to see FreeSpace 3 or another Fallout game. The fact is, though the number of computers is vastly greater than ever before, and their longevity - their ability to play modern games long after the PC was sold - is increased, PC game sales have been dropping at an alarming rate.

Now I'm not saying you should go stooge and turn your dorm fellows or roommates in for stealing games, but peer pressure is a wonderful thing. You wouldn't think it's cool, rebellious or even acceptable to beat up an old lady on the street, even if she was once rich and glamorous. And given the declining health of PC publishers, they are the old ladies of the business world right now. Think about it.

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