Anyone who knows me, or has read this blog for any amount of time, knows that I've never seen a justifiable reason for piracy.  It's theft, plain and simple, and no corporation has ever been bad enough to justify theft. 
 
That opinion has changed. 
 
As some of you now surely know, UbiSoft pulled the ultimate game of splitting hairs, pulling off the best "lawyer speech" bait-and-switch scam for From Dust ever.  Basically, while you technically don't need to be online to play From Dust, you DO need to be online to start a game.  The game employs a persitant online connection throughout boot-up and initial menus, meaning you can't get access to the main menu unless UbiSoft's Orwellian DRM is looking at you. 
 
Needless to say, the internet has gone into a rage, and people are shaking Valve down for refunds.  I imagine many of those people are also downloading From Dust torrents as I write this. 
 
Good for them. 
 
While I will never support pirating games fromthegoodguys, the PC landscape is dreadfully lacking in good guys.  Whether it's activation limits, always-on DRM, or turning your purchase into an extended rental, PC games makers have made it abundantly clear to their consumers: You are guilty, no matter what you've done.  You're a thief, even if you've never stolen anything, and we have no issue with treating you as one. 
 
You know what?  Fuck 'em. 
  

This is the fucking dumbest argument ever. You are still not entitled to the game whether or not you think the DRM is harsh. Nothing will change the fact that you are a thief, plain and simple, as you put it. You sound like one of those birdbrains who try to legitimize the london/england riots and looting.

You want to make a difference? Don't buy the fucking game.

A more elegant solution is to not play the game. But if you need to frame stealing shit cus your poor as some kind of crusade against tyranny, more power to you shithead. 
Also I now have 6,666 unread messages so nobody reply to me ever again.

A.) You're not allowed to swear in titles. 
B.) Defending pirates won't do you many favors in regards to A.
C.) Given that I don't play a ton of modern games (Half Life 2: Episode One is reminding me of why that's the case), I'm pretty detached from all this. But here's some music for your crusade.

A more elegant solution is to not play the game. But if you need to frame stealing shit cus your poor as some kind of crusade against tyranny, more power to you shithead.

Shitty argument, but I like how you included that Ice Cube song.  "Can I talk to the Grand Wizard?  Then boom.  Make him eat the barrel".  Awesome.

You can't justify piracy. I understand the frustration, but if you really want to send a message don't play the game and state it is because the DRM. That type of reaction is probably the most damning thing you can do to a video game publisher. Word of mouth cripples.

Theft is theft, whatever reason you put behind it. If you want to act and ''make a difference'', then just don't play the game at all.

This is no different then when other people claim they only pirate shit because they find something they don't like with the game. Even if in this case the company is at fault, stealing is not justifiable.

You can't justify piracy. I understand the frustration, but if you really want to send a message don't play the game and state it is because the DRM. That type of reaction is probably the most damning thing you can do to a video game publisher. Word of mouth cripples.

@Brendan said:

This is no different then when other people claim they only pirate shit because they find something they don't like with the game. Even if in this case the company is at fault, stealing is not justifiable.

an even funnier excuse is the people saying stuff like "I'm downloading it so I can try it before I buy it". That one cracks me up every damn time

@warxsnake said:

You want to make a difference? Don't buy the fucking game.

Pirates were going to pirate anyway, it's just in this instance they have a convenient excuse. There's no justifying piracy.

@ZeForgotten said:

@Brendan said:

This is no different then when other people claim they only pirate shit because they find something they don't like with the game. Even if in this case the company is at fault, stealing is not justifiable.

an even funnier excuse is the people saying stuff like "I'm downloading it so I can try it before I buy it". That one cracks me up every damn time

"Ok, well, I finished the game, but it's got no replay value, so fuck 'em! If it's some shitty game I only want to play once then why should I pay for it?"

@Brendan said:

@ZeForgotten said:

@Brendan said:

This is no different then when other people claim they only pirate shit because they find something they don't like with the game. Even if in this case the company is at fault, stealing is not justifiable.

an even funnier excuse is the people saying stuff like "I'm downloading it so I can try it before I buy it". That one cracks me up every damn time

"Ok, well, I finished the game, but it's got no replay value, so fuck 'em! If it's some shitty game I only want to play once then why should I pay for it?"

Amazing, that's exactly how it plays out in my head too every time I hear someone say it. And then of course a year or something later they download it again and why? to see if it had gotten better and somehow now is worth a purchase?

Just don't play the game.

i feel bad for da guy that spent months makin da textures who didn get to choose the drm and den doesnt get money cause you took a sale from him cuz ur makin a stand or somethn. poor guy :(

@ZeForgotten said:

@Brendan said:

@ZeForgotten said:

@Brendan said:

This is no different then when other people claim they only pirate shit because they find something they don't like with the game. Even if in this case the company is at fault, stealing is not justifiable.

an even funnier excuse is the people saying stuff like "I'm downloading it so I can try it before I buy it". That one cracks me up every damn time

"Ok, well, I finished the game, but it's got no replay value, so fuck 'em! If it's some shitty game I only want to play once then why should I pay for it?"

Amazing, that's exactly how it plays out in my head too every time I hear someone say it. And then of course a year or something later they download it again and why? to see if it had gotten better and somehow now is worth a purchase?

Not enough of their bandwidth had been going to being selfish lately so they had to make up their quota.

I should hope that we are all allowed at least one uncontrolled outburst once in a while.

You could I dunno, buy it and find an offline patch. Or buy it and then download the version that has the offline patched out . Sure, it's kinda piracy, but if it works I guess. 

@ZeForgotten: I'm not going to say I've never pirated in my life. I will say though that yes indeed, it has lead me to buy several games I wouldn't have given a chance othewrise. However I guess that was never a justification for me, just a consequence.

@YukoAsho: The line where you question whether your justifying or not was what I was responding to specifically. Like I said though, the frustration around the game is understandable and I don't blame you at all for venting like this. In fact I condone it because some publishers need to learn that if you screw with paying customers like this, bad things tend to happen.

@ZeForgotten: I wanna say that its the same people who play shitty games for the easy achievements.

@Brendan: That's probably the case, yeah, makes sense :P

@Swoxx: And you probably downloaded some games too and haven't purchased them after you played them.

@Snapstacle: Oh, you mean the "hardcore" gamers ? :P

I honestly don't get what the whole ruckus is over anyway. It's a game that you download from Steam. Shouldn't you have pretty consistant internet access on the machine? I mean yeah, it's not as optimal as being able to play whenever you want, and it was a dick move for Ubisoft to pull that "lawyer speak" in their press release, but that's not justification for pirating a game. And, controversial DRM and imposed 30FPS or not, From Dust is a pretty darn good game, and I don't think that its developers need to be screwed out of their hard earned revenue just because someone highter up on the corporate food chain made some controversial decisions

I honestly don't get what the whole ruckus is over anyway. It's a game that you download from Steam. Shouldn't you have pretty consistant internet access on the machine? I mean yeah, it's not as optimal as being able to play whenever you want, and it was a dick move for Ubisoft to pull that "lawyer speak" in their press release, but that's not justification for pirating a game. And, controversial DRM and imposed 30FPS or not, From Dust is a pretty darn good game, and I don't think that its developers need to be screwed out of their hard earned revenue just because someone highter up on the corporate food chain made some controversial decisions

@YukoAsho: The line where you question whether your justifying or not was what I was responding to specifically. Like I said though, the frustration around the game is understandable and I don't blame you at all for venting like this. In fact I condone it because some publishers need to learn that if you screw with paying customers like this, bad things tend to happen.

@ZeForgotten: Sure, but that's a game that I would never have considered buying in the first case and if I played more than 5 minutes of it and enjoyed it, I bought it. Listen I'm not trying to justify piracy, I know it sounds like that. I'm also not on the "hell yeah information freedom! everything should be available to everyone, for free! anarchy bullshit train. I'm just expressing my opinion that not every pirated copy of a game is a lost sale, seeing as it was never a potential sale to begin with. Ever since steam came along and made digital purchases easy and smooth though, I've not touched a pirated game. Hooray for progress

@Swoxx: I remember I stopped pirating back when they first started using that pathetic security thing(can't remember what it was called) that installed onto your PC when you installed a game and was a bitch to get rid off again. At that point I just said "fuck it" and started saving up money. Then I got a job, then I started to earn a lot of money, then steam started becoming worth something instead of a shitty thing that couldn't decide if it was gonna update a game or not and then I lost all that good money again because of the steam sales...

Yaaay.. progress 'cries'.. my wallet :(

What happens if you buy the game, don't install it, then download a torrent?

@ZeForgotten: Ah yes, the conscience easing, karma saving, morally correct cries of wallets :) Never get tired of those!

@YukoAsho: The big reason I think the game companies don't go after pirates as aggressively legally as other entertainment industries is because the situation is not as dire in comparison. The music and film industry has a lot more pirates on their end and thus is hurt more from a monetary point of view. When you add up the legal and PR costs of taking a few pirates down to court, it is not worth it for most publishers (though companies like Nintendo are not afraid to to bring the law in this way).

DRM unfortunately seems to be the only way most companies think they can combat pirates. What I am truly curious about though is how many people pirated the game because of the ludicrous DRM.

i feel bad for da guy that spent months makin da textures who didn get to choose the drm and den doesnt get money cause you took a sale from him cuz ur makin a stand or somethn. poor guy :(

@C2C said:

@YukoAsho: The big reason I think the game companies don't go after pirates as aggressively legally as other entertainment industries is because the situation is not as dire in comparison. The music and film industry has a lot more pirates on their end and thus is hurt more from a monetary point of view. When you add up the legal and PR costs of taking a few pirates down to court, it is not worth it for most publishers (though companies like Nintendo are not afraid to to bring the law in this way).

DRM unfortunately seems to be the only way most companies think they can combat pirates. What I am truly curious about though is how many people pirated the game because of the ludicrous DRM.

I wouldn't be surprised if most people who wanted the game on steam just said "Meh, fuck it" and just bought it anyway and didn't ask for a refund or anything like that compared to the ones who bought it and instantly were sent into a rage because they were promised one thing and then lied to

@rebgav said:

@SomeDeliCook said:

What happens if you buy the game, don't install it, then download a torrent?

Cancer.

Ouch

I do agree DRM is a really stupid idea, because internet connections will always be faulty and it's nice to have an offline single-player game to enjoy by yourself.
 
I also agree with the previously-stated belief that if a developer is being assholes, the best way to let them know they're being assholes is to not even play the game in any form.

i feel bad for da guy that spent months makin da textures who didn get to choose the drm and den doesnt get money cause you took a sale from him cuz ur makin a stand or somethn. poor guy :(

Your right, if they are going to react to piracy by being assholes, let's give them a good reason to do it! Fuck off asshole, you are the reason that DRM is getting so stupid. If you DON'T pirate, you will help them see that PC people can be trusted, and won't steal their content. Yes, they often do stupid shit, but they have to protect their stuff one way or another, and the more drastic the issue, the more drastic the solution.

It seems the use of piracy as a means of boycotting a game/publisher based on DRM is a self-defeating philosophy in the long term for a couple of reasons:

1. You are reducing the sales for a game you evidently like enough that if not for DRM you would be paying for. This means the developer gets less return on their work, and it may make a similar game from them (i.e. a game you would presumably like to see made) less likely to materialize.

2. You increase the number of illegal copies of the game in use. You end up validating the argument of the publisher that DRM is necessary. Ironically your protest against DRM ends up feeding into the cycle that results in harsher and more arcane restrictions in the future.

Of course you get to play the game on your terms, and that may be enough for you. Not really trying to argue either way (I've pirated various media and I'm not going to start throwing any stones); I just find the topic interesting.

I haven't jumped onto the whole "I hate DRM /sadface" bandwagon because as an aspiring Game Designer myself, I see their point of view. This thread is a bunch of childish bitching and I will not endorse it.

@YukoAsho: The big reason I think the game companies don't go after pirates as aggressively legally as other entertainment industries is because the situation is not as dire in comparison. The music and film industry has a lot more pirates on their end and thus is hurt more from a monetary point of view. When you add up the legal and PR costs of taking a few pirates down to court, it is not worth it for most publishers (though companies like Nintendo are not afraid to to bring the law in this way).

DRM unfortunately seems to be the only way most companies think they can combat pirates. What I am truly curious about though is how many people pirated the game because of the ludicrous DRM.

@csoup said:

I haven't jumped onto the whole "I hate DRM /sadface" bandwagon because as an aspiring Game Designer myself, I see their point of view. This thread is a bunch of childish bitching and I will not endorse it.

Unfortunately this bandwagon happens to be your future customers then :P If you do not endorse the discussion of DRM, then quite frankly that is exactly the reason why this stuff keeps happening.

Keeping the Law > Breaking the Law.  Guess what? At the end of the day, you aren't entitled to anything in regards to Digital Rights Management. Is Ubisoft's DRM intrusive and entirely unnecessary? Absolutely. But video games are a luxury product, and if you can't have your $15 game because you don't like the way it's packaged, fine. Just don't think that justifies you stealing it. Vote with your dollar and also get really angry at Ubisoft. Eventually they'll learn the error of their ways... or they'll somehow make an even more intrusive DRM because so many dang kids pirated their game creating a cycle of negative feedback.

@C2C said:

@csoup said:

I haven't jumped onto the whole "I hate DRM /sadface" bandwagon because as an aspiring Game Designer myself, I see their point of view. This thread is a bunch of childish bitching and I will not endorse it.

Unfortunately this bandwagon happens to be your future customers then :P If you do not endorse the discussion of DRM, then quite frankly that is exactly the reason why this stuff keeps happening.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I am always supportive of a good debate, regardless of the topic. I am just tired of viewing hateful threads such as what the OP listed talking about how it is okay to pirate because of things like this. DRM exists because of jackasses like him, and while I do not support DRM, I do come against it because I see the reason for it. I have too long been posting my opinion on DRM, and while I lean to the side of allowing it, I completely understand the hatred against it, especially when companies handle it like shit.

Not to mention, I don't see myself jumping into the mainstream gaming universe, but more of Indie hit titles a small click will enjoy, so DRM, unless it becomes very cost-effective, won't be seeing my games for a long time, if ever. :)

It seems the use of piracy as a means of boycotting a game/publisher based on DRM is a self-defeating philosophy in the long term for a couple of reasons:

1. You are reducing the sales for a game you evidently like enough that if not for DRM you would be paying for. This means the developer gets less return on their work, and it may make a similar game from them (i.e. a game you would presumably like to see made) less likely to materialize.

2. You increase the number of illegal copies of the game in use. You end up validating the argument of the publisher that DRM is necessary. Ironically your protest against DRM ends up feeding into the cycle that results in harsher and more arcane restrictions in the future.

Of course you get to play the game on your terms, and that may be enough for you. Not really trying to argue either way (I've pirated various media and I'm not going to start throwing any stones); I just find the topic interesting.

Your right, if they are going to react to piracy by being assholes, let's give them a good reason to do it! Fuck off asshole, you are the reason that DRM is getting so stupid. If you DON'T pirate, you will help them see that PC people can be trusted, and won't steal their content. Yes, they often do stupid shit, but they have to protect their stuff one way or another, and the more drastic the issue, the more drastic the solution.

@MordeaniisChaos said:

Your right, if they are going to react to piracy by being assholes, let's give them a good reason to do it! Fuck off asshole, you are the reason that DRM is getting so stupid. If you DON'T pirate, you will help them see that PC people can be trusted, and won't steal their content. Yes, they often do stupid shit, but they have to protect their stuff one way or another, and the more drastic the issue, the more drastic the solution.

You do realize it is on consoles pretty heavily right? DRM is "getting so stupid", because greedy asshole companies. Period.  More often than not the DRM gets in the way of the people who bought the game. Yet it takes some people a day or so to crack the newest DRM which makes it useless.  I guess it is ok though, that Ubisoft lied to the customers, knowing full well that many of us stated flat out we wouldn't buy it if it had the DRM they are known to fuck us over with.  It makes me laugh now much they cry about pirates and when they get hacked.. THEY ARE ALWAYS THE VICTIM RIGHT?.. Then they go ahead and fuck the paying guys.   They have zero sympathy from me. Plain and simple, fuck Ubisoft.  

Use of no-cd cracks or other types of methods that circumvent DRM are legal under certain circumstances, at least according to the official DMCA exemptions:

(4) Video games accessible on personal computers and protected by technological protection measures that control access to lawfully obtained works, when circumvention is accomplished solely for the purpose of good faith testing for, investigating, or correcting security flaws or vulnerabilities, if:

1. The information derived from the security testing is used primarily to promote the security of the owner or operator of a computer, computer system, or computer network; and
2. The information derived from the security testing is used or maintained in a manner that does not facilitate copyright infringement or a violation of applicable law.

"Investigating" seems like a pretty broad term and implies that the use of a DRM crack for a game you've purchased is basically legal at least according to this exemption.