Is 360 piracy a big thing now?

[smokedog]

Piracy isn't all about cost of software. The temptation of getting games early, games like Viva Pi?ata have already been leaked.

But getting all the latest games, does kill the enjoyment of the console. When I had my PS1 chipped I had so many games I flew thru most of them, without taking my time to enjoy it.

[Dirty Sanchez]

Surprising (or perhaps not....) the level of knowledge here about not only the availibility of the mod but the detail of what it can do.

I have no need to do this mod as the lead time for cross region releases is so short. I would never risk Live for the sake of a dodgy mod.

[Yoshimax]

Me too - it's the biggest threat for me the (possible) breaking of live when some ****er works out how to get hacked code running and we end up with a mess like Halo2 almost succumbed to (props to Bungie for their stance during that time)

However, the fact they're taking this XNA route makes me think they must be very confident in their security - That and the fact that 1 year later there still isn't a modchip in existence.....

As I mentioned in an earlier post I wouldn't be surprised if MS left the firmware hackers alone as they can only run retail code - Would give less impetus for people to look into alternative hacks.

[Gerry Helmet]

Me too - it's the biggest threat for me the (possible) breaking of live when some ****er works out how to get hacked code running and we end up with a mess like Halo2 almost succumbed to (props to Bungie for their stance during that time)

However, the fact they're taking this XNA route makes me think they must be very confident in their security - That and the fact that 1 year later there still isn't a modchip in existence.....

As I mentioned in an earlier post I wouldn't be surprised if MS left the firmware hackers alone as they can only run retail code - Would give less impetus for people to look into alternative hacks.

Was the problem with halo 2 not hacked saves from a Xploder ?

Only a few people hacked the code to manipulate the Matchmaking and get the maps early. All the Warthog flyers and super snipers were using the ?15 cheat mem cards.

Its only a matter of time before a chip comes out, was it not well over a year before (good) Mods were available for the Xbox ?

I remember getting a **** mod on my Ps2 2 years after release that required a boot disc that you swapped over....

[Madjock]

I've been tempted to get mine flashed, it's been quite some time since I went down the pirate side of things but this RRP of ?50 is a joke, no way most of the current releases are worth that. So far my 360 purchases have all been in sales, Table Tennis for ?15, Oblivion for ?30, the only "full price" I paid was ?40 for Test Drive and that was due to a friend ordering two by mistake.

The problem I find with piracy is, is being spoilt, having every game available, you tend not to enjoy them as much and just spend more time working though piles and piles of them.

If/when a modchip arrives, I'm wanting it for a port of XBMC, on the 360 it would be a killer app, finally able to handle HD/5.1 streaming (Xbox struggles with this).

[Yoshimax]

Games are only ?50 in Game stores - Go to any supermarket and you're a tenner less straight away.

W?hat struck me yesterday was that PSP games are ?7 less than 360 titles - That's madness.

[stainboy]

The problem I find with piracy is, is being spoilt, having every game available, you tend not to enjoy them as much and just spend more time working though piles and piles of them.

That's why I got bored with emulation, I've played all the games I've bought on XBLA far more than any emulated romzzz because it feels like a proper product and there's not millions of them.

[Leon Retro]

It's like preaching to the converted. Here we are, on a forum full of people who love videogames. We may not like the prices, but as seriously obsessed gamers, we would probably pay ?80 if that were the price.

I'm just pointing out, that in my experience, people who aren't into games think ?40-50, even ?30, is ridiculous.

They think that amount should buy hardware, not a disc in a dvd case. People have treated me like I'm sad or an addict, when I say I pay ?30 plus for videogames.

It's simply a fact that the majority of people who like games enough to want to play them, can't really afford the cost. They probably think game pricing is a joke, and feel no remorse in using copied games.

I can understand piracy, but I wish it didn't to exist. Lower game pricing wouldn't eliminate all piracy, but it would help.

Parents, Grandparents, non-gamers, would see gaming in a different light if the prices were lower. Having high prices gives gaming a bad name, and only bolsters the many negative issues surrounding gaming.

Low pricing=

1. The mainstream would feel more positive about buying videogames, and more titles would probably be sold.

2. The industry would be seen in a more positve light by everyone, and the obsessive geeky image that blights gaming- would fade away.

3. Original unique games would stand a better chance of success.

4. Smaller devs would have a chance to flourish.

5. Even serious gamers would be able to purchase more titles, which I know they would!

I'm looking at the big picture and analysing why piracy exists, and negative opinions towards gaming are still strong.

[Commander Marklar]

I can promise you that if all 360 games were at Asian release prices in the UK, I'd buy twice as many. Or, at least, would make impulse purchases much more readily.

Amen to that, my brother of another mother. Truth be told I've only bought one retail game. The rest are promos that I've wangled or bough for next to nowt. I love impulse buying but prices vary WILDLY and are invariably ?25-30 or more. That's a "Hmm, do I really want this?" right there. The Xbox 360 is still very new and prices are obviously going to be high but I just can't afford all the games I'd like so I, erm, don't buy 'em That has a knock on effect with online gameplay and all sorts. I'm not going to get all OHHh NOEESO!!111 about it like, I've got peculiar gaming habits as it is but there's something there that's kind of core to certain gaming habits.

Would it push me to piracy? Yeah, in all honesty it would. It doesn't though, disclaimer right there but it's there, it's in your face and on the 360. The impulse purchase has gone for me. Others do it 'cos the marketing is shoved down your throat and there's no chance in hell of some people ever affording the games and yet they don't realise that if you can't afford it you just don't have.

The problem I find with piracy is, is being spoilt, having every game available, you tend not to enjoy them as much and just spend more time working though piles and piles of them.

The same can be said for buying several games a month, etc... it's no different. We all have 'a pile', games you'll get to eventually, give up after ten minutes or move onto the next big thing.

[Kubrick]

The same can be said for buying several games a month, etc... it's no different. We all have 'a pile', games you'll get to eventually, give up after ten minutes or move onto the next big thing.

The difference being though, that no-one cares if a DVD-R gathers dust. If something has actually cost you money though you're far more inclined to play it and get at least some of your money's worth from it.

[Commander Marklar]

Well, you would have thought so but I don't have much faith in other gamers these days, pirate or not. Reminds me of an anecdote someone posted on rllmuk about a friend who had a stack of pirated movies she left around his house the once. He was going to bin them or something and she got all worked up as she'd paid good money for them, they were hers and what gave him the right to throw them out

[JohnMcL7]

Whilst the cheaper pricing looks good on paper, it's more difficult to work in practice - I've worked for smaller devs who have experimented with it, as well as worked with publishers doing the same. Similar quality games launched at full price were sold at half to three quarters of the price, the idea being the price was more reflective of the quality of the game as they weren't AAA must have titles. The end result was sales were much the same as full price, hence a lot less money.

It irritates me when people are surprised I buy games when it's possible to download them or worse yet, people who seem to think they're superior because they know how to download games off torrents whereas I stupidly buy my games.

John

[MattyD]

Lower pricing would increase sales to existing gamers but I don't think it would attract more non-gamers. PS2 games cost next to nothing yet most PS2 owners I know buy maybe one or two games a year, load them up and have a twiddle when there's nothing on the telly, then never look at them again.

At the other extreme, gamers tend to be an all-or-nothing bunch and the publishers know it. They don't need to reduce prices because we'll pay them regardless.

[Leon Retro]

It irritates me when people are surprised I buy games when it's possible to download them or worse yet, people who seem to think they're superior because they know how to download games off torrents whereas I stupidly buy my games.

John

Only my friends who share my gaming passion, are the people I know, who are prepared to pay the high price games retail for.

The rest think I'm ' stupid ' ... and they may be right.

The industry takes advantage of serious gamers, the ones who have supported gaming all their lives. They have nothing but contempt for the way we conduct ourselves, and take every opportunity to milk our cash.

I often feel like a crack addict, buying game drugs from some nasty pimp, who is giving me dodgy stuff, and gets fat off my addiction.

Games come in horrible sterile dvd cases, with nothing exciting about them. They look cheap, they feel cheap, and are worthless to my soul.

All this venom that is often targeted towards big publishers, is often justified. Videogames as a product are lacking in so many ways, but we pay a premium price.

Makes me wonder what people would be prepared to pay if games were ' download only ' .. or just on a disc with no case.

The box, however poor, is seen as a big part of a games image. I have no doubt publishers play on the fact that a box can be reason to charge an inflated price for games. No box, would instantly make people feel the product is worth far less, and how much is a dvd case worth? 20p?

Serious gamers are living under an illusion. The industry tell us what to think, and how to behave. We are suckers, but it's so ingrained in us, that our addiction for gaming, means we are prepared to be taken advantage of.

That is why piracy exists. People who have little disposable income, see games as cheap throwaway items. They laugh at ?40 for a game, because it is ridiculous, and they are right. That's why they choose cheap copies!

If piracy was not possible, these people wouldn't buy games, or maybe the odd one now and then.

The resulting drop in hardware purchases, and other factors, would bring the big publishers down from their mountains of gold, and make them realise serious/hardcore gamers can't sustain the industry, and therefore prices would be lowered to tempt back the mainstream or more casual people.

We are paying more for our games, considering the low-cost medium etc... Despite that, games are losing their value quicker than ever. Buy Pro Evo or any other big franchise for ?40, and in 6months it's worth a fraction of that. The less respected titles are worth even less. Prove that games are worth nothing these days, but we are told we've never had it so good. Are they joking? More like.. taking the piss!

[Dirty Sanchez]

Quit whining about the price.

For the level of entertainment and the replay value I find todays games affordable. I don't need racks of games for the 360, I'm enjoying the quality.

If prices drop then it will hit the quality, I for one don't want that, if I did I'd just play retro...........

The level of piracy has a direct relationship to how easy it is to chip it, how important the online funtions are and the risk in downloading stuff.

ISP's at some point have to take action (or be forced to take action) to cut down on the laughably easy methods of finding stuff and sharing it. Those of use who claim not to pirate etc and yet complain of gig caps and download speeds of 'only' 8gig are just as much to blame as the guy down the market with his pile of DVD-R's.

I take my coin from the media industry, we have had major internal changes getting ready to face up to the broadband age. More and more exclusive content is availble to all, in HD, for nothing with no perceived wrongdoing. Hipocritical, I myself download Lost.