Counterfeit Games
Discussion
Why don't we see them anymore, I've no desire to buy them, but when I was a lad everything from carriages for Atari's, NES machines and Megadrives to Cassettes for C64's and discs for PS1's could all be bought from the usual sources.
I would have thought that copying a DVD for an Xbox or Bluray for a PS3 would be a relatively easy task for the great Chinese 'Replica' Industry considering some of the staggering copies I've seen from there.
I would have thought that copying a DVD for an Xbox or Bluray for a PS3 would be a relatively easy task for the great Chinese 'Replica' Industry considering some of the staggering copies I've seen from there.
Chill Curry, he's only asking.
I'd say it's the online gaming side of things. You can easily download and play Xbox games a short while ago, then Microsoft went and banned every one's modded Xbox's from online play (not exactly correct but I ain't 100% sure what exactly happened). This put sh!ts up most gamers as they don't want to be banned from playing CoD, Halo, Forza with their mates. The PS3 cojuld also play these games depending on what version you have but again I'm unsure you could play online with them. I'm sure there's a few other who could explain it a little better than me.
You are right though, there does seem to be allot less people using blag games but that is down to the Microsoft and Sony doing a half decent job at stopping this piracy.
I'd say it's the online gaming side of things. You can easily download and play Xbox games a short while ago, then Microsoft went and banned every one's modded Xbox's from online play (not exactly correct but I ain't 100% sure what exactly happened). This put sh!ts up most gamers as they don't want to be banned from playing CoD, Halo, Forza with their mates. The PS3 cojuld also play these games depending on what version you have but again I'm unsure you could play online with them. I'm sure there's a few other who could explain it a little better than me.
You are right though, there does seem to be allot less people using blag games but that is down to the Microsoft and Sony doing a half decent job at stopping this piracy.
P-Jay said:
Why don't we see them anymore, I've no desire to buy them, but when I was a lad everything from carriages for Atari's, NES machines and Megadrives to Cassettes for C64's and discs for PS1's could all be bought from the usual sources.
I would have thought that copying a DVD for an Xbox or Bluray for a PS3 would be a relatively easy task for the great Chinese 'Replica' Industry considering some of the staggering copies I've seen from there.
Simple fact of the matter is technology has improved. You will need to chip an xbox to get it to play pirate games. BUT once that is done Microsoft will know about it as soon as you go online and ban the machine. Effectivly turning it into a £150 bookend. So it is a far better idea to not do it at all.I would have thought that copying a DVD for an Xbox or Bluray for a PS3 would be a relatively easy task for the great Chinese 'Replica' Industry considering some of the staggering copies I've seen from there.
EDIT: If you look at the terms and conditions of owning an xbox you will see that modding software or hardware will violate the terms and they are within their rights to ban a machine.
It does happen you just need to look in new places. These things are mostly available via torrents etc... ironically, little billy in his bedroom uploading the latest game has damaged the chinese replica game market- not by much mind.
For the record I have never downloaded a game illegally. infact i'm looking at re-buying command and conquer!
For the record I have never downloaded a game illegally. infact i'm looking at re-buying command and conquer!
Technology has moved on and stamped out a major slice of pirate gaming. I remember the days when people used to flog copied PS1 games all over the place. There was even a guide in a magazine once (possibly even the Official Playstation Magazine) about how to make your PS1 read import games once it had been chipped (all to do with blu-tacking a biro onto the inside of the lid to press the disc tray closed button and swapping discs out).
Just so happened this was how people were getting dodgy pirate games to work too, nice of them to provide a guide!
I am glad to see this sort of thing being stamped out. I have loved computer games dearly all my life and I wouldn't dream of buying a pirate game. The developers deserve some recompense for you enjoying their creation.
Just so happened this was how people were getting dodgy pirate games to work too, nice of them to provide a guide!
I am glad to see this sort of thing being stamped out. I have loved computer games dearly all my life and I wouldn't dream of buying a pirate game. The developers deserve some recompense for you enjoying their creation.
You need to factor in the price of games these days. When I were a youngun you'd barely get change from £60 for some games, not just new releases either. These days pricing strategies are alot fairer to consumers IMO, with early adopters obviously still paying the high price tags, but those of us who are more patient can play the same game at a significant discount as long as we're prepared to wait.
Why buy a knock off game when you're only going to save a few quid?
Why buy a knock off game when you're only going to save a few quid?
The main sector for knock off games is the mobile sector .
Handhelds like DS and PSP can be hacked easily and the games can be downloaded from everywhere , it's very simple and due to the lack of online control of these devices a lot of people do it .
Console gaming is a much bigger problem , a few years back a local guy I knew who fixed Red ring of death on xbox's got locked up for his side line of chipping wii's and selling the knock off games. It's just a lot more riskier in today's world and no one can really be bothered.
Handhelds like DS and PSP can be hacked easily and the games can be downloaded from everywhere , it's very simple and due to the lack of online control of these devices a lot of people do it .
Console gaming is a much bigger problem , a few years back a local guy I knew who fixed Red ring of death on xbox's got locked up for his side line of chipping wii's and selling the knock off games. It's just a lot more riskier in today's world and no one can really be bothered.
It has moved away from major console gaming more to handhelds like the Nintendo DS where you can get cartridges that take micro SD cards and the like and then people find the game files for the DS and upload them to the cards. You still see people selling them at places like Blackebushe market and the like. Its not prevalent on things like the 360 and the PS3 as you loose the online play ability.
Chipped Xboxes were great for the youthgroup I used to work with we kept getting games stolen by the attendees so we got a chipped Xbox that enabled us to download the disc onto the hardrive and play them directly from the HD meaning that the discs could be kept safe in the office. other than something like the above their is no legal reason youd want it though
Chipped Xboxes were great for the youthgroup I used to work with we kept getting games stolen by the attendees so we got a chipped Xbox that enabled us to download the disc onto the hardrive and play them directly from the HD meaning that the discs could be kept safe in the office. other than something like the above their is no legal reason youd want it though
Alot of the newer games that are coming out now also have online registrations to get maps, guns, extra levels etc... so copied games are becoming more usless than useful.
It's also showing that further updates that that are needed then exclude copied games because they become incompatible with other users unless an update is done.
Multiplayer / online gaming mode is now the main demand for users rather than the campaign game on many games now.
It's also showing that further updates that that are needed then exclude copied games because they become incompatible with other users unless an update is done.
Multiplayer / online gaming mode is now the main demand for users rather than the campaign game on many games now.
As mentioned above really.
Illegal PC games are readily available to download over the internet, but most do not work online due to registration checks required to play on most servers. A fair few who do download illegal copies on the PC use it to try the game out or do the single player, then buy the proper version so they can play online. Obviously games that do not have online multiplayer content suffer though.
I know two guys who have chipped Xbox's and get nearly all of their games illegaly and sometimes before they have even been offically released...
I was talking to one about it the other day and they said that they can play all of their games online as well, as long as they don't try and play online before a game is offically released. I didn't know it was possible due to DRM etc, but apparently you can.
Illegal PC games are readily available to download over the internet, but most do not work online due to registration checks required to play on most servers. A fair few who do download illegal copies on the PC use it to try the game out or do the single player, then buy the proper version so they can play online. Obviously games that do not have online multiplayer content suffer though.
I know two guys who have chipped Xbox's and get nearly all of their games illegaly and sometimes before they have even been offically released...
I was talking to one about it the other day and they said that they can play all of their games online as well, as long as they don't try and play online before a game is offically released. I didn't know it was possible due to DRM etc, but apparently you can.
MorrisCRX said:
I get all my games on steam. I have no need for cd/dvds. Steam sales take away any desire to pirate. 
I remember the days when Piracy equipment was a tape to tape deck - I'd never condone such a thing though....honest.....
These days though - what's the point of downloading a game torrent if you can buy it of steam for a couple of quid at sale time?
I must admit I am addicted to Steam sales! And PC games have been using CD keys for over a decade to stop piracy - I don't play games offline so would never bother with torrenting a game.
Only occured to me a few years ago that a DS is an SD card - not very clever for Nintendo, any muppet can download a game onto a card and get it to run.
Online play does seem to have helped the game industry combat piracy. The games industry did recently (last year maybe?) overtake the film industry in the amount it is worth, I would imagine increased film piracy / decreased game piracy had a hand in that?
Only occured to me a few years ago that a DS is an SD card - not very clever for Nintendo, any muppet can download a game onto a card and get it to run.
Online play does seem to have helped the game industry combat piracy. The games industry did recently (last year maybe?) overtake the film industry in the amount it is worth, I would imagine increased film piracy / decreased game piracy had a hand in that?
Amusing to see people who don't realise that illegal downloadable games actually have their copy protection ripped out. Thus making them more reliable than the genuine original which can (and do) regularly fail when the company's servers die or lose connectivity. There really are games out there which will stop working when the original company dies, closes, decides to save money or gets taken over. Yes, single player games.
And no, I'm not promoting piracy. I used to work in the industry so I know what harm it can do. But I know that the industry causes itself far more harm than pirates ever did.
More power to places like GOG who licence oldish games, take out all the protection and sell them on download for a very reasonable price.
And no, I'm not promoting piracy. I used to work in the industry so I know what harm it can do. But I know that the industry causes itself far more harm than pirates ever did.
More power to places like GOG who licence oldish games, take out all the protection and sell them on download for a very reasonable price.
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