Attention from investigators has driven video game pirates away from Singapore's town center, according to the Electric New Paper:
[Some] shops appeared more suspicious of potential buyers. To convince them, you'll have to strike up a conversation - or even buy a few original games - before they'll show you the pirated ones. Only one of the four shops... that we visited was willing to let us examine the cart before we bought them. Others insisted that we buy them.
The ESA, which represents the interests of video game publishers in the United States, maintains a presence in Singapore. From the report:
Mr Cyril Chua, counsel for the [ESA], said that checking on shops in heartland estates is more difficult than investigating stores in central locations.
'They often sell pirated wares only to regular customers,' he said.
Another problem is that pirated games can now be downloaded from the Internet, then installed on ame consoles by the users themselves.
'Piracy over the Internet is more difficult to track than retail piracy,' Mr Chua noted.
Comments
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Yes I totally agree that purchasing (read: b-u-y-i-n-g) pirated games/videos/films/etc is simply overrated. I remember in the early '90s pirates were selling these but today we have the bit torrent trackers, we have the local movie HUBS and many other sources of getting every type of information that we want, need and desire. So... As one of those early '90s private detectives from New York I can say that I had a lot of headache with pirates (being hired by different companies of course)
Things have changed now. We live in the 21st century folks :)
Johnny Vestigion
Former Private Investigator
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
I'll will come right out and say it. I download games off the net. If the min specs weren't a complet lie most of the time I wouldn't have to. I can't play Mass Effect because my vid card doesn't support Pixel Shading 3.0. I had to find that out from the fourms. Nowhere on the box, website, or anything does it mention this. Because they put out a demo for Bioshock I didn't buy an overpriced drink coaster.
However I also have never bought an bootleg copy of anything.
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
I'm pretty surprised that there actually are people that buy pirates, everyone these days are either using torrents or some rom sites to download free games, I have to agree that pirating cutting profits by 50% is pretty bogus although it does hurt the industry, you be amazed by how many people torrent video games
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
People actually BUY pirated things?
Get on the torrent bandwagon if you're in the market for illegal programs, all the cool kids are doing it. Purchasing pirated videos, games or whatnot is such a 90's thing.
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Yes.
Just go down to any low-quality shopping center in the Philippines.
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
yes
UAE sees 52 percent rise in software piracy
I is fuzzy brained mew
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Where can I get an ame console???
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Yeah, but do they wear eyepatches, swing swords and go "Arr!"?
'Cause that'd be cool.
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Its simple you don't track it its not "piracy", since there is not a profit motive it can not harm you, Bootlegs remove money from consumers and publishers but "shearing" dose not, you can not protect business from "under profits"(trading,2nd hand,sharing) and bad business practices(DRM,bad games,anti consumer activities,)...
I is fuzzy brained mew
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Tell that to company leads who buy into SecuRom/StarForce salesman bullsh.. that claims online piracy cuts profits at least 50%.
The far majority of people who pirate the game online are highly unlikely to have bought the game if it weren't pirated in the first place.
And the damage done by SecuRom, StarForce and other hack "antipiracy" methods more than alienates a good portion of LEGIT buyers.
Bootlegs, however, I can agree on.
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
Totally agree on the SecuROM crap. I ended up renting Bioshock on the 360 instead of buying it on the PC because of it. And I was looking forward to Spore, but after hearing that they're considering an even harsher protection than Bioshock has, I'm probably going to have to pass. The protection is not effective, obviously, and it pisses me off that companies are making changes to my system that cannot be undone for no reason whatsoever. I refuse to buy a game when those who pirate it have a better experience than I do.
Re: Singapore's Game Pirates Are Wary of Investigators
They would rather spend more money to sale less products, then save money on the product and offer ti at a lower price to sale higher volume to make a steady ammount.
I is fuzzy brained mew
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)