- Piracy creates financial problems for the developers who work hard to make games, and it is also illegal.
- There are some scenarios where piracy might be okay, for example, when a game is unavailable and cannot be purchased.
- Piracy is generally unethical and discouraged, but it will continue among those who cannot afford games or prefer pirating over purchasing.
Video game piracy is often condemned as unethical, and rightfully so for most scenarios. It seems hard to justify essentially stealing a team’s product that they have worked hard on for years, but we’d argue that we can in some scenarios.
The Harm Brough About
There is a lot of harm that comes about with video game piracy. You’d think that the developer would be paying the price of their video games being pirated, but there are some consequences for the people pirating as well.
Piracy is illegal, and if you’re caught you could be charged with fines depending on the extent of the crime, as well as the jurisdiction you’re under. There is also a chance that if somehow a gaming platform like Epic or Steam catches onto an illegal copy of a game, you’ll be banned from using it.
Pirating games discourages developers by reducing their financial incentives. Many people work hard to create these games, so it’s unfair to pirate them if you can afford to buy them.
When It’s (Potentially) Okay
With our disclaimer on the negatives, let’s look at the “acceptable” scenarios for pirating games!
Regional Pricing
Regional pricing has played a huge part in reducing piracy in less privileged areas. In some areas, the $60-$70 that a new AAA game sells for is a substantial portion of their income, but most games are priced much lower in these areas.
That being said, if games hold that price even in lower development parts of the world, the gamers of that area might look towards pirating to play those super-expensive games.
If you cannot buy a game, I feel it’s okay to experience it by pirating. I mean, you’d never be able to buy it anyway, so is pirating not the same as just not playing it?
I would like to emphasize that this only applies when you actually can not afford to buy these games. If you have the budget and you do it anyway, then it is unethical to do so.
Abandonware
There are a lot of games that are not sold anymore, and they provide no revenue for the companies that sell them. These games, and pieces in general, are called abandonware.
If these games won’t make the company any money by “buying” them, it is completely okay to download them off a pirated site. In this scenario, buying the game wouldn’t do anyone any good, so you might as well indulge.
Emulation
If you’re a fan of emulating old game consoles, there is almost no way to legally get those games, at least if you want to play them on a PC. Downloading games off pirating sites for emulation purposes is fine, as they also fall into the abandonware we discussed a moment ago.
It is important to point out real-world examples of doing this the wrong way, like how Nintendo sued two people because of Switch emulation/piracy(essentially making it popular on the platform).
The Switch is a recent console, and if you want to play Switch games, you should buy a Switch, but emulating GameBoy, N64, or PS2 games is mostly fine and consequence-free, both legally and ethically.
Does NOT Always Apply
Because of the controversial nature of this article, I have to be explicit in saying that piracy is nothing that I condone or support, nor am I encouraging anyone to pirate games. That being said, some circumstances do make it more justifiable than others.
That being said, the people who buy games will continue buying them legally, and the people who pirate games will continue to do so, with very little changing either side over. Things like regional pricing have made gaming more accessible to people who wouldn’t be able to buy them, but both communities are more or less set in stone.
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[Comparisons Specialist]
I’m a passionate computer hardware expert specializing in CPUs and GPUs. With a lifelong curiosity for hardware and extensive hands-on experience, I provide valuable insights, practical advice, and in-depth analysis on these components. Engaging with the hardware community, I exchange knowledge and stay at the forefront of technological advancements.
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