Piracy is a huge problem that has been affecting digital media as a whole, not just all video games, since the digitalization of the world. Publishers miss out on a major portion of a game’s revenue, but for some part, they’re to blame for it. However, in today’s world, people actually have a reason to pirate video games specifically. Now, to be clear, I am in no way defending piracy but stating the reason why most gamers have to resort to it. The leading cause is higher price tags for video games that don’t even deserve it, e.g., Skulls and Bones, Ubisoft’s broken and bland ‘AAAA’ release. However, the worst part about it is region locking, which prevents gamers from buying some additional content or entire games themselves. Why It Matters: Piracy has become a huge issue, and publishers have grown used to it since there is no way to eliminate it throughout. However, I’d argue that their skeptical decisions contribute somewhat to the unauthorized use. Some may argue that region-locking is a matter of certain laws and regulations that prevent people from buying games in a specific region. I agree with that statement to an extent, but the main problem lies elsewhere. We’ve discussed Sony’s first-party PC games here a lot. They’re sabotaging themselves by requiring players to have a PSN to play their games. Most Sony first-party games have been limited to a whopping 170 countries, and unfortunately, Helldivers 2 was no exception. It’s also one of the reasons why the game’s core audience suddenly dropped. I don’t understand the PSN requirement, as connecting Steam to PSN for players who even reside in the supported regions is also a hassle. The next major issue is the rising price tag for video games, which is only expected to increase with time. The shift from the conventional $60 towards $70 has backfired for publishers, and rightfully so. It’s no surprise that video game quality has deteriorated recently. It doesn’t make sense for broken and half-baked releases to cost $70. This has even led big publishers like Capcom to consider their future game prices. However, some publishers still aren’t learning from this lesson and only hint at increasing game prices in the future. Major releases like GTA 6 may even cost more than $70, and what it would do is raise video game prices in the future. Eventually, it will just enforce piracy as a resort for people who fear missing out on these games. With so much inflation and the economy down, video games shouldn’t even be this costly, regardless. Another major recent controversy has many gamers questioning purchasing or renting video games at all. To explain, a recent law forces stores to admit that they really don’t own the video games they’re buying. In fact, gamers are just buying timely licenses for games that can be revoked at any time rather than owning the media itself. Recently, Ubisoft removed The Crew from their store and many people’s libraries, causing people to lose decade-long progressions. It’s also a reminder of why physical media is still prevalent today and why we shouldn’t let companies completely shift towards digital media. We’re slowly seeing the progression with digital versions of consoles, which are also cost-effective for producers. Combining all these factors, gamers have no choice but to turn towards piracy just to enjoy the game they have been waiting to release for years. Publishers can’t decide who to sell their games to or not, and this monopolistic hold they have over gamers only backfires on them. Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋 How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔 [News Reporter] Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series. Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
Some Region Locked Games Don’t Make Sense
Most Games Aren’t Worth The Price You Pay For Them
You Don’t Really Own The Digital Games You Pay For
Higher Price Tags And Region Locking Ultimately Leads To Piracy
Considering that video games are now more expensive, not available in all regions, and you don't really own them, most gamers have no choice but to pirate them!
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