Highly-respected M.I.T. prof Henry Jenkins recently gave an interview on digital piracy to a Filipino newspaper. The story received wide coverage in the Western gaming press after GP picked it up (see: Henry Jenkins: Piracy is the Great Equalizer).
Jenkins goes into greater detail in a new blog post, noting with some surprise the reaction prompted by his comments, which seemed to rationalize piracy to a degree. He writes:
the time lag between the interview... and its surfacing on western blogs could be counted in a matter of hours... in many ways, the circulation of this story demonstrates in pretty powerful ways what I saw as the central thrust of my comments -- that media companies can no longer realistically lock down their content into predictable zones and roll it out on their own time table. The moment content emerges anywhere in the world, it creates a hunger around the planet among potential consumers which will be met illegally if it is not met legally...
In my heart of hearts, I think most people would prefer to work within legal structures if they are available to them... We can also understand this piracy as part of a breakdown of the moral economy between producers and consumers. Here's what I mean by a moral economy: Underlying all economic transactions are certain social understandings between buyers and sellers that reflect their sense that exchanges are just and fair to both sides. We can call this a moral economy...
We can call this "piracy" or not. But it will continue to be a reality until the media companies develop a more sophisticated understanding of what factors motivate such behavior and the ways that such practices reflect breakdowns in the market mechanisms surrounding the creative economy.
GP: Regarding the pirate pic, Destructoid initially Photoshopped Jenkins after picking up on GP's coverage. Jenkins recycles the pic in today's post, quipping "One American blogger even "pirated" one of my portraits, which was doctored to depict me as a pirate. I figured that "pirating" it back is only fair game."
What the Hell, we'll steal it back from Jenkins.
Comments
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
For what its worth, Jim Sterling isn't American . . .
------- Tubatic
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
Piracy will stop when games stop being $70.
--- Official Protector of Videoland!
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
Heh. I download games, movies and music all the time. In contrast, I also have a huge collection of CD's, DVD's, and games that I purchased. If I like it, I buy it. How about quality products, eh?
Media companies have been lazy/greedy/whatever the fuck their malfunction is. When their respective industries were brand new, they had quality products, so of course the money rolled in. Now that they're forced to keep that trend, they want to whine and bitch.
Sorry guys, no such thing as a free ride. Well, unless you can download it. But most games I play are multiplayer, so if I download it and like the single player component, I'm obviously going to buy it so I can play online. Hell, usually the demos come out before there's a decent scene release of some games, and that's certainly made me pay for it rather than waiting for it to leak. If they'd listen to what their consumers are actually saying, rather than thinking they know what's best for us, they might actually get somewhere. Piracy is the only way we as consumers have to fight back. Sure, we could strike, but then how would we get our precious content?
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
I tend to agree with mr. Jenkins for the most part. Is piracy wrong? Yes. Will you stop it? No. As an Undergrad History major some of the classes I've taken have covered the last "moral economy". Take a guess when it was. The glorious days of the serfdom, the Fuedal Era or Middle Ages. Even then that "moral economy" reseted on the fact that people could form mini-riots that were backed by the local lord if (for example) a baker made the price of bread to high in response to a shortage of wheat. While some of us would gladdly take up arms against our personal hate list, the idea of a moral economy is something that cannot survive in the era of mega-corps and capitalism.
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
Rather than trying to stop piracy, game companies need to take a page from Stardock's book and start thinking of ways to attract customers. After all, that is where the money is.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
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E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
So very true.
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
The media industry is stuck on absolute distribution rights mixed with wanting to make a clear and large profit, they should be more interested in making a small profit off advertisement and small episodic sales by using any distribution means nessery. Hell the media industry has the right to use free non for profit subing as a middle step between the huge gap thats between when and where a show was launched and when it finally arrive on DVD fully translated here.
There is so much that can be done to make money off media yet they are unable to change due to clinging to antaqauited mindsets.
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
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(in need of a bad overhaul)
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/what-is-cigital-disobedience/
Re: Henry Jenkins Reacts to Game Media's Reaction to Piracy
Wow, I say those are some great comments from him. He was even a good sport and didn't go into knee-jerk response to some comments. I very much agree with this man, except I think there's too many factors that would drive someone to pirate; but a very likely factor is DRM that prevents consumers from even owning their products. Then there's likely factors that some people simply just don't want to pay, and I don't think there's much that can change that. There should be less focus on trying to stop pirates from pirating, as it is something they'll always do; they aren't a market.
I think there's just more focus on the sellers that they somehow believe if they make it possible to stop piracy, their sales will go up exponentially, but anyone can easily figure that wouldn't be the case. Either way, great morning post.