According to CD Projekt CEO Marcin Iwinski, optimistic estimations suggest that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has been illegally downloaded at least 4.5 million times.
"I was checking regularly the number of concurrent downloads on torrent aggregating sites, and for the first 6-8 weeks there was around 20-30k people downloading it at the same time," he said. "Let's take 20k as the average and let's take 6 weeks. The game is 14GB, so let's assume that on an average not-too-fast connection it will be 6 hours of download. 6 weeks is 56 days, which equals to 1344 hours; and with 6h of average download time to get the game it would give us 224 downloads, then let's multiply it by 20k simultaneous downloaders.
"The result is roughly 4.5 million illegal downloads. This is only an estimation, and I would say that's rather on the optimistic side of things; as of today we have sold over 1M legal copies, so having only 4.5-5 illegal copies for each legal one would be not a bad ratio. The reality is probably way worse."
Despite this, Iwinski is still against DRM and believes in rewarding purchases rather than punishing anybody, which is pretty damn rad. It's just a shame when games that treat customers well are still ripped off like crazy. One day I hope that pirates can at least act a little classier.
The Witcher 2 pirated 4.5 million times [Videogamer]
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Contest:
10:00 AM on 11.30.2011 | 
Great big steaming load of bullshit. Proven.
Here, here!
And yet, they'll come up with some other bullshit explanation.
Always do. Far better to bullshit around the issue than address it directly.
Do you count the players who downloaded the game to see it's any good? My friends did that. And they all bought it afterwards. Mind you, not all people do this, (sadly) but it's still effy to base your opinion on torrent numbers.
Players also had SOME reason to try out the game. I'm not defending the pirates here, but when a PC game is console bound, you are rightfully worried that the product might end up being a stinky pile a' poo.
Like Crysis 2.
So you think games should have intrusive DRM? I wouldn't mind it if it WORKED, but it doesn't, so I really can't justify not being able to play my single player game during a five hour flight because I don't have an internet connection while the guy next to me is playing the same game hassle-free because he pirated it!
Sure they'll try to justify it and sugar coat it but it comes down to a simple truth: you're taking something from someone without paying for it. That's the definition of theft.
So if you pirate, you're a dick. Plain and simple. Just a selfish prick who feels you're entitled to someone else's efforts.
It's not like you have to play games. Sure you might want to, but of you can't or won't pay for the fucking things, and then steal it, you're a piece of scum who could do yourself and the world a favor by nutting up, becoming a decent person and less of a slimy leech.
No I don't. I think they should have unintrusive (is that a word?) DRM. The fallacy here is assuming that any DRM has to be a restrictive, annoying headache. You only think that because in most cases, it has been so far, so I can understand why you feel that way. But, and I'm restating a point I've made a dozen times in the last week and people are probably sick of hearing it, it doesn't have to be that way. We, the paying customers, don't have to accept that any more than we have to accept 4.5-to-1 pirate to purchase ratios.
Games need DRM. They just don't need shitty DRM.
@Damnation02
"Do you count the players who downloaded the game to see it's any good"
Yes I do. They're pirating scumfucks.
@MrFloppyknickers
"So if you pirate, you're a dick. Plain and simple. Just a selfish prick who feels you're entitled to someone else's efforts. "
I love you.
Yea, no worries. Least they aren't the type of preachy self-entitled pirates who will start lecturing you about "feeding the big corporate massive" and how we are "all tools and sheep" and how we should all wear Guy Fawkes masks even though the bastardised symbolism of that has long since became a ironic parody of itself through the support of the company it keeps.
Demoing to see if there computer can run it is the lamest exuse in pirate book UP there with I pirate cause DRM derp If ur so insecure about ur comp then wait for the console version JESUS CHRIST peeple
Almost all music I download is free (and legal), however given the chance I always support the artist. Things get put into perspective when you're one of the guys people can potential be thieving shitbirds to (IE musician).
Feel free to generalize though.
This and that time people pirated the fucking Humble Indie Bundles. I mean seriously, stealing from charity? What the fuck is wrong with you pirates? At that point, you're not doing it because you're poor, you're doing it because you're an entitled piece of shit.
I hate DRM with every fiber of my being, but I know if I had the choice to get rid of either DRM or game pirates forever, it'd be the latter.
"Yes I do. They're pirating scumfucks."
If you're on the fence and the game foolishly lacks a demo, I see no harm in pirating the bitch to see if it's worth sixty whole dollars.I may be a pirating scumfuck in your all-knowing mega brain, but I can rarely say that I'm disappointed in a product that I dropped a shit load of money for. I'd rather increase a pointless ratio than to waste that much cash.
I'm totally sure 75% of the copies played on Xbox are pirated. In fact I'm positive.
/sarcasm
I bought Witcher one and Two at full price and I'm happy I did. Love the map and other goodies. Hell I even pre-ordered two, 6 months before release. It does make me sad to see people torrent. I use to a lot back when I was a teen with no money. Now I just wait for steam sales, because I'm a adult with no money.
The truth is DRM is a failure and companies must abandon it just because does not work, but it is not the reason of piracy as some wants to make it seem. And the truth is that no matter how good the game is or how cheap it is, to millions of pirates out there it will never be good enough to justify paying money, any amount, to the creators of the game.
So if I go to a friend's house and see if I like the game he has or borrow it, doesn't make me a scumbag, but downloading a game and checking it out the same way immediately makes me one?
One sound logic, buddy.
Can you name ONE game that has never been pirated because its DRM worked? That's the whole point. DRM penalizes paying customers and it doesn't even work! So why harass the people who support your business while the pirates are having a good time hassle-free?
Pirates gonna rationalize.
That's what you do. You do not illegally download the fucking thing with the justification of you want to see if it works. You don't get to steal a car from the dealership and drive it around two months before you buy it. You don't get to take nip a fridge off the back of a truck to use awhile to see if it's the fridge for you. That's how the world works, you want a good or service, you pay for the fucking good or service.
ANY justification you try an lay down for why you stole something, no matter if it was temporary or not, is still just an excuse you're pulling out of you ass for you're completely criminal behavior.
End of discussion.
You are still a little scum shit theiving prick who deserves a nice steel toed kick in the balls. You're a liar, a thief, a cheat, and a miserable piece of shit. You Stole. Whatever your reason, you stole and are therefore fucking wrong.
I know you're trolling, but people do this all the time. Derp.
@Robotic
Hypocrites, the lot of 'em. I'd like for them to justify their music collection while calling software pirates "scumfucks". In this day on the internet, it is really easy to get almost anything cheap or free if you know where to look, whether you just need a song or how to build explosives. It's just the nature of the technology.
You missed the entire point of everything I said, broseph. I get that you think DRM is ineffective and intrusive. I'm telling you it doesn't have to be if someone would put forth some effort to make it better.
It never stops at "checking the game out". They already have the game, so why pay for it when you already have it. Stop trying to rationalize being a fucking leech.
PC piracy is easy as hell thats why its such a fuckin DESEASE
How did I generalize? Calm down, brother. I was just saying that most people on the web have pirated.So I don't think it's wrong to call out people who are so damning with their accusations when there's a pretty good chance they've pirated at some point (with 70% of people ages 18-29 have done so*.) I didn't say that was you in particular, though. Simply bringing that concept to peoples' attention.
Like I said, I'm not condoning piracy, but I don't think it's right to jump down others' snatch when they've likely done the same thing.
And I can proudly say I haven't pirated music in like two years.
*http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/11/its-official-america-a-land-of-young-casual-pirates.ars
How do you know if it stops there or not? Of course they have the game, so it's up to them to decide whether they want to pirate it or buy it. Not rationalizing pirating, but demonizing pirating is just as pathetic.
Probably not. It's a conservative estimate. The reality is probably quite a bit higher.
Then PC gamers wonder why ubisoft doesn't want to work with the platform. Sure there DRM is BS, but shit like this proves pirates just want free shit.
Alright, so basically you are saying that games should have DRM as long as it is effective and non-intrusive? In that case, I certainly agree with you. I'm sure 100% of developers, publishers and paying custumoers do as well. The problem is, there isn't any. So far I've only seen 2 kinds of DRM: non-intrusive and non-effective, or intrusive and non-effective! You're saying "it doesn't have to be this way" but you don't provide a realistic alternative. Don't you think if such a thing as an uncrackable DRM currently existed publishers would be using it already?
Oh, and I have no idea what you meant by "broseph"! :(
No, I totally understand that it happens, and in some cases I can even see it being helpful (total stretch though).
If anything, this should just be an indication that current methods don't work.
If I recall, music piracy dropped when iTunes hit and people could get music easily and cheaply (don't have to buy the entire album for the one song you like and so forth).
@Tristix
Steam has proven to work pretty damned well to counter piracy because it offers a way to install the game on any computer you own, has daily sales, and is easier than trying to find a torrent that isn't crap. Also GOG.com works too by offering games for cheap and with bonus content, all in a package that is easy to obtain.
My point is, there has been proven ways of countering piracy. Do they tell you how many copies have been sold on Steam, or is this just a retail figure they are pushing?
What I find kinda weird about this is that he seems pretty happy about those numbers so yay for him I guess? I hope sometime in the future CDP makes a game I would actually want
Comparing software piracy with stealing a car is a bit irrational. For example, with music, you can pretty much listen to entire discographies on YouTube for no money at all. I personally have done just such a thing and found myself buying said discography.
Since developers no longer do such a thing (often enough,) how else are you really going to get a feel for a video game? Obviously there are times when you KNOW it will be good (SKYRIM!) but often enough you're on the fence "Oh, that looks cool... but I dunno..." and you're not gonna throw $60 into something you're so unsure of. I've purchased quite a few games based off of my impressions with a pirated copy (my Steam account has over 60 games. More than I can say for for both my 360 and my PS3.)
...so yeah.
Clearly the numbers speak for themselves.
That 4.5million+ estimated number...yeah...how many of those ended up buying the game? Not even half.
If this "demoing" thing was so benign they would have sold more.
No, such a thing doesn't exist right now. I'm simply suggesting someone smarter than me go out and make it. I realize this all sounds like I'm pointing out that the sky is blue as if it's a revelation, but the fact is, people aren't even TRYING to improve DRM. They're just bending over and spreading their cheeks and biting the pillow.
Take a look at Gabe Newell's statement recently. "Piracy isn't an issue for us." Well considering The Witcher 2 was sold on Steam and was pirated 4.5 times moer than it was bought, yes, it fucking is an issue. And then this guy in the article here, claiming a 4.5 to 1 piracy ratio is "not a bad ratio." I mean... holy fucking christ, ya know? That he considers that acceptable is fucking gut wrenching. I can't even imagine.
So yeah, broseidon. I'm pretty much just stating the obvious here, because apparently it's not as obvious as it should be.