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Ah, waking up every Sunday morning at 9am, seeing the fresh air and going around the Car Boot Sales used to be the high point of my day, until recently.
I have stopped going to Car Boot Sales for 6 months now, for one reason, Piracy.
I used to be able to put up with it, with the odd Amiga floppy disc being flogged for a pretty penny, and that was just a few years ago, years after the Amgia liquified. There were a fair shair of con men out there as I should know, after buying Terminator 2 for 50p on the Amiga. When I went home and inserted the floppy into one of my 2 external disc drives, the game failed to load. At the time, I was only 7 and I boiled my eyes out, thinking that someone could be that mean to a 6 or 7 year old boy, but that's just the begginning.
Just by looking left or right at a Car Boot Sale, you would see pirated games for rediculously cheap prices. My friend brought home Worms World Party for an amazing £10, just a week after it was released full price.
Games are not the only thing. Many films are being brought in too. Once my friend went abroad and brought home Jarrassic Park and it hadn't even come out at the cinema yet. We put it into our video recorder and pressed play. To our surprise and misfortune, it was a video of someone who had taken a video camera into a cinema and zoomed in on the cinema screen. The quality was terrible and I only sat through about 10 minutes of it and waited for it to come out on video.
I have also been shown Silent Hill, months before it's release and Metal Gear Solid, 6 months before it's UK release. MGS is very different in America. When you face Psycho Mantis, you and Meryl have to pick off loads and loads of guards.
The films in boot sales have been imported from America or other contries and somehow been recorded onto either VHS, VCD or Mini Disc.
However, Mp3's are yet to be seen. Well, at least since I last went. My friend got a couple of albumns but I've never seen any pirated albumns. He found some Metallica, Nirvana and Led Zepplin albumns at a very cheap price.
I am disguested by this as it is just not the same as the original. The book, the case and the covers are all missing. Some people buy the cases and scan the covers but the covers are not of a glossy quality and the cases do not have the "Dreamcast" logo on the blue spine. Some people have ways of getting books as well but not many.
A lot of my friends have offered my pirated Dreamcast, PC and PS games but I have refused.
Nintendo have the best system with cartridges. The only way to pirate them is to use a contraption called the Z64. It makes a copy of the game onto the memory of the Z64 ( a few gig ) and then you can play the game from the Z64 memory, without having to own the original counterpart.
The Playstatition never thought of piracy at the time of PS's release. People made copies and then the problems began, until the release of Dino Crisis. This game had an error written into it so that if you tried to copy it, it would not copy. People downloaded cracks off of the internet and broke the protection. Dino Crisis is the only game to use this as it failed miserably.
Sega though that they had protection beaten when they released the Dreamcast. The games were recorded onto GD-Roms, a new type of CD, bigger than a standard 650MB 74 minute CD. It has a few more rings around the disc than a PS game. However, this was again cracked. People connected their Dreamcasts up to their PC's and uploaded the games to their computers and then used a programme called Winrar to make them into files of 19MB each, called ISO files. They then uploaded them to a server and people download them, Unrar them and burn them to a disc. It takes about 1 day to download a game.
PC gaming is almost the same, except, you download RIPS, instead of ISO's. RIPS are retail games with the intros and some FMV's removed, to save space when downloading files.
The creators of Bleem an emulator for the PC, that lets you play PS games on the PC, have the right idea. They have put a copy protection on the CD's that cannot be "cracked" or broken as of now. Why do music, cinema and games companies not use this? It cannot be too expensive as the creators of Bleem worked on a low budget.
How to identify a pirate.
All pirates are exactly the same to spot, turn the CD over and look at the back. If it has a black back, it is original, if it has a rainbow-like back, it is a pirate. It will have 2 rings, showing how much the CD has been taken up by the game. Beware though, don't think that a game is original by looking at the front and seeing the CD design because some people print them off and glue them to the front of the CD.
Piracy is a huge business and not just game companies, but the movie and music industry need to do something drastic, NOW.
I have stopped going to Car Boot Sales for 6 months now, for one reason, Piracy.
I used to be able to put up with it, with the odd Amiga floppy disc being flogged for a pretty penny, and that was just a few years ago, years after the Amgia liquified. There were a fair shair of con men out there as I should know, after buying Terminator 2 for 50p on the Amiga. When I went home and inserted the floppy into one of my 2 external disc drives, the game failed to load. At the time, I was only 7 and I boiled my eyes out, thinking that someone could be that mean to a 6 or 7 year old boy, but that's just the begginning.
Just by looking left or right at a Car Boot Sale, you would see pirated games for rediculously cheap prices. My friend brought home Worms World Party for an amazing £10, just a week after it was released full price.
Games are not the only thing. Many films are being brought in too. Once my friend went abroad and brought home Jarrassic Park and it hadn't even come out at the cinema yet. We put it into our video recorder and pressed play. To our surprise and misfortune, it was a video of someone who had taken a video camera into a cinema and zoomed in on the cinema screen. The quality was terrible and I only sat through about 10 minutes of it and waited for it to come out on video.
I have also been shown Silent Hill, months before it's release and Metal Gear Solid, 6 months before it's UK release. MGS is very different in America. When you face Psycho Mantis, you and Meryl have to pick off loads and loads of guards.
The films in boot sales have been imported from America or other contries and somehow been recorded onto either VHS, VCD or Mini Disc.
However, Mp3's are yet to be seen. Well, at least since I last went. My friend got a couple of albumns but I've never seen any pirated albumns. He found some Metallica, Nirvana and Led Zepplin albumns at a very cheap price.
I am disguested by this as it is just not the same as the original. The book, the case and the covers are all missing. Some people buy the cases and scan the covers but the covers are not of a glossy quality and the cases do not have the "Dreamcast" logo on the blue spine. Some people have ways of getting books as well but not many.
A lot of my friends have offered my pirated Dreamcast, PC and PS games but I have refused.
Nintendo have the best system with cartridges. The only way to pirate them is to use a contraption called the Z64. It makes a copy of the game onto the memory of the Z64 ( a few gig ) and then you can play the game from the Z64 memory, without having to own the original counterpart.
The Playstatition never thought of piracy at the time of PS's release. People made copies and then the problems began, until the release of Dino Crisis. This game had an error written into it so that if you tried to copy it, it would not copy. People downloaded cracks off of the internet and broke the protection. Dino Crisis is the only game to use this as it failed miserably.
Sega though that they had protection beaten when they released the Dreamcast. The games were recorded onto GD-Roms, a new type of CD, bigger than a standard 650MB 74 minute CD. It has a few more rings around the disc than a PS game. However, this was again cracked. People connected their Dreamcasts up to their PC's and uploaded the games to their computers and then used a programme called Winrar to make them into files of 19MB each, called ISO files. They then uploaded them to a server and people download them, Unrar them and burn them to a disc. It takes about 1 day to download a game.
PC gaming is almost the same, except, you download RIPS, instead of ISO's. RIPS are retail games with the intros and some FMV's removed, to save space when downloading files.
The creators of Bleem an emulator for the PC, that lets you play PS games on the PC, have the right idea. They have put a copy protection on the CD's that cannot be "cracked" or broken as of now. Why do music, cinema and games companies not use this? It cannot be too expensive as the creators of Bleem worked on a low budget.
How to identify a pirate.
All pirates are exactly the same to spot, turn the CD over and look at the back. If it has a black back, it is original, if it has a rainbow-like back, it is a pirate. It will have 2 rings, showing how much the CD has been taken up by the game. Beware though, don't think that a game is original by looking at the front and seeing the CD design because some people print them off and glue them to the front of the CD.
Piracy is a huge business and not just game companies, but the movie and music industry need to do something drastic, NOW.
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FM... one HUGE problem with your pasted masterpiece...
when asked whether it was ok to copy things like PC apps (ie Windows), 90% of Eidos workers questioned said yes/I don't know. How can Eidos think average joe-bloggs people will know about piracy if their own staff have admitted to doing it (40% have copied software!).
when asked whether it was ok to copy things like PC apps (ie Windows), 90% of Eidos workers questioned said yes/I don't know. How can Eidos think average joe-bloggs people will know about piracy if their own staff have admitted to doing it (40% have copied software!).
>I've got a question -
>What's worse... a consumer buying
> CHEAP copied games, or someone like my cousin, who buys >all his
> games (1 a month) with benefit and cash handouts i.e. >doesn't pay a
> penny of his own money. He's never had a long term job.
>Yeah, I
> know people get unemployed, but my cousin is planning how >he's going
> to save for an x-box or gamecube using doll money over >the next 6
> months!!!! i.e. Is comfortable enough to just turn down >every offer
> of work.
>These people are the true pirates, no?
That's a very true point.
>What's worse... a consumer buying
> CHEAP copied games, or someone like my cousin, who buys >all his
> games (1 a month) with benefit and cash handouts i.e. >doesn't pay a
> penny of his own money. He's never had a long term job.
>Yeah, I
> know people get unemployed, but my cousin is planning how >he's going
> to save for an x-box or gamecube using doll money over >the next 6
> months!!!! i.e. Is comfortable enough to just turn down >every offer
> of work.
>These people are the true pirates, no?
That's a very true point.
AliBoy wrote:
You must think that there aren't any
> policeman/women that are involved with piracy. Well there are, I was
> offered PSX copies of my friends dad and he's a copper. Just goes to
> show that sometimes instead of preventing crime they are helping it
> along.
I wasn't suggesting you join the police aliboy! Just those that feel they need to do something about piracy.
I think your post suggesting that piracy is part and parcel of the whole entertainment industry was correct - and stregthened by the fact that police do it to.
I'm going to continue to buy my games with the money I work 12 hours a day (including saturdays) to earn.
I've got a question -
What's worse... a consumer buying CHEAP copied games, or someone like my cousin, who buys all his games (1 a month) with benefit and cash handouts i.e. doesn't pay a penny of his own money. He's never had a long term job.
Yeah, I know people get unemployed, but my cousin is planning how he's going to save for an x-box or gamecube using doll money over the next 6 months!!!! i.e. Is comfortable enough to just turn down every offer of work.
These people are the true pirates, no?
You must think that there aren't any
> policeman/women that are involved with piracy. Well there are, I was
> offered PSX copies of my friends dad and he's a copper. Just goes to
> show that sometimes instead of preventing crime they are helping it
> along.
I wasn't suggesting you join the police aliboy! Just those that feel they need to do something about piracy.
I think your post suggesting that piracy is part and parcel of the whole entertainment industry was correct - and stregthened by the fact that police do it to.
I'm going to continue to buy my games with the money I work 12 hours a day (including saturdays) to earn.
I've got a question -
What's worse... a consumer buying CHEAP copied games, or someone like my cousin, who buys all his games (1 a month) with benefit and cash handouts i.e. doesn't pay a penny of his own money. He's never had a long term job.
Yeah, I know people get unemployed, but my cousin is planning how he's going to save for an x-box or gamecube using doll money over the next 6 months!!!! i.e. Is comfortable enough to just turn down every offer of work.
These people are the true pirates, no?
Tellah wrote:
If you feel strongly against it,
> perhaps you should join the Police? But I fear they wouldn't be half
> as bothered as some people on this forum! They'd probably be taking
> down the organised crime rings yes, but for the drugs, not for
> copying the latest Michael Jackson CD, Jurassic Park 3, Tekken
> etc!!
You must think that there aren't any policeman/women that are involved with piracy. Well there are, I was offered PSX copies of my friends dad and he's a copper. Just goes to show that sometimes instead of preventing crime they are helping it along.
If you feel strongly against it,
> perhaps you should join the Police? But I fear they wouldn't be half
> as bothered as some people on this forum! They'd probably be taking
> down the organised crime rings yes, but for the drugs, not for
> copying the latest Michael Jackson CD, Jurassic Park 3, Tekken
> etc!!
You must think that there aren't any policeman/women that are involved with piracy. Well there are, I was offered PSX copies of my friends dad and he's a copper. Just goes to show that sometimes instead of preventing crime they are helping it along.
Tellah wrote:
> I don't mean to hark on, but the figures are not adding up...... I
> just want to know what the industry is loosing per year.
What is the actual
> figure then?? Thousands of pounds a year, or THREE BILLIION per year
> being lost? There is a BIG difference.
>Every year thousands of
> pounds worth of illegal software >is sold in the UK at car boot
> sales, markets, mail order >and other outlets by unscrupulous
> traders.
Note: Thousands of pounds worth sold by unscrupulous traders.
>It is estimated that more
> than £3 billion is lost every >year by the UK industry to
> software pirates.
Note: Rest is made up by organised crime. (E.g. Core Design is UK based, there are an estimated 18 million pirate copies of their Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation in circulation. Not all of those are sold by unscrupulous traders, but printed off in South East Asia, Latin America, Europe etc and shipped worldwide, that's just one game out of hundreds).
Regarding your previous argument in another thread that the figures are inflated by developers to make it seem worse than it is, further reading on the web (try it sometime), shows that estimated figures are based on the £5.00 a copy pirate figure, not the £40 per copy RRP for genuine originals. The industry is giving their estimate of expected lost revenue, not basing it on simply multiplying the number of pirate copies out there and saying that that's what they would have sold if there was no piracy.
> I don't mean to hark on, but the figures are not adding up...... I
> just want to know what the industry is loosing per year.
What is the actual
> figure then?? Thousands of pounds a year, or THREE BILLIION per year
> being lost? There is a BIG difference.
>Every year thousands of
> pounds worth of illegal software >is sold in the UK at car boot
> sales, markets, mail order >and other outlets by unscrupulous
> traders.
Note: Thousands of pounds worth sold by unscrupulous traders.
>It is estimated that more
> than £3 billion is lost every >year by the UK industry to
> software pirates.
Note: Rest is made up by organised crime. (E.g. Core Design is UK based, there are an estimated 18 million pirate copies of their Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation in circulation. Not all of those are sold by unscrupulous traders, but printed off in South East Asia, Latin America, Europe etc and shipped worldwide, that's just one game out of hundreds).
Regarding your previous argument in another thread that the figures are inflated by developers to make it seem worse than it is, further reading on the web (try it sometime), shows that estimated figures are based on the £5.00 a copy pirate figure, not the £40 per copy RRP for genuine originals. The industry is giving their estimate of expected lost revenue, not basing it on simply multiplying the number of pirate copies out there and saying that that's what they would have sold if there was no piracy.
AliBoy wrote:
> As I read through all this again I realised something. We all go on
> about how piracy is so bad and destroys the industry robbing it of
> billions. But how many of you could actualy stand up and say they
> have never played/bought a pirate copied game, copied a CD for
> themselves or a friend (onto tape, MD or another CD), downloaded an
> MP3 for free, I can't. All these are similar to buying a copied
> game or selling a copied game, they all damage their industry an
> cost people money.
You've got the whole point wrapped up here Aliboy. Pirating is illegal, but people do it - No point in stressing over the matter.
If you feel strongly against it, perhaps you should join the Police? But I fear they wouldn't be half as bothered as some people on this forum! They'd probably be taking down the organised crime rings yes, but for the drugs, not for copying the latest Michael Jackson CD, Jurassic Park 3, Tekken etc!!
> As I read through all this again I realised something. We all go on
> about how piracy is so bad and destroys the industry robbing it of
> billions. But how many of you could actualy stand up and say they
> have never played/bought a pirate copied game, copied a CD for
> themselves or a friend (onto tape, MD or another CD), downloaded an
> MP3 for free, I can't. All these are similar to buying a copied
> game or selling a copied game, they all damage their industry an
> cost people money.
You've got the whole point wrapped up here Aliboy. Pirating is illegal, but people do it - No point in stressing over the matter.
If you feel strongly against it, perhaps you should join the Police? But I fear they wouldn't be half as bothered as some people on this forum! They'd probably be taking down the organised crime rings yes, but for the drugs, not for copying the latest Michael Jackson CD, Jurassic Park 3, Tekken etc!!
I don't mean to hark on, but the figures are not adding up...... I just want to know what the industry is loosing per year.
FM wrote.......
>What is piracy?
>Every year thousands of pounds worth of illegal software >is sold in the UK at car boot sales, markets, mail order >and other outlets by unscrupulous traders.
>Why is it wrong?
>It is estimated that more than £3 billion is lost every >year by the UK industry to software pirates.
...................
What is the actual figure then?? Thousands of pounds a year, or THREE BILLIION per year being lost? There is a BIG difference.
FM wrote.......
>What is piracy?
>Every year thousands of pounds worth of illegal software >is sold in the UK at car boot sales, markets, mail order >and other outlets by unscrupulous traders.
>Why is it wrong?
>It is estimated that more than £3 billion is lost every >year by the UK industry to software pirates.
...................
What is the actual figure then?? Thousands of pounds a year, or THREE BILLIION per year being lost? There is a BIG difference.
Wow, that's a whole lot of money. FM, don't mean to sound intrusive, but do you have a job in some games firm yet?
The estimates I got from reading up on it is that home piracy accounts for less than 10% of the total piracy in the UK, in some countries this is higher though.
10% of the estimated £3 billion lost in the UK each year through piracy is £300,000,000.
In perspective, that would pay the wages of 500 lead-programmers, for life.
10% of the estimated £3 billion lost in the UK each year through piracy is £300,000,000.
In perspective, that would pay the wages of 500 lead-programmers, for life.
As I read through all this again I realised something. We all go on about how piracy is so bad and destroys the industry robbing it of billions. But how many of you could actualy stand up and say they have never played/bought a pirate copied game, copied a CD for themselves or a friend (onto tape, MD or another CD), downloaded an MP3 for free, I can't. All these are similar to buying a copied game or selling a copied game, they all damage their industry an cost people money.
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