Wow, if only there was a way to distribute games without having to rely on the compromised UMD format. *SIGH* maybe in the future, this could be a possibility. Until then, poor Q-Games, too clever to live in the troubled times you chose.

Alliteration!

That is all.

boffo byline brad

Why can't they give each individual copy of a game its own ID...Like how money has a serial number. I think each dollar has a different number. Anyway, when you logged on to PSN or a game server w/e the fudge, then that number would be reccorded. And if your number matched another number already recorded then BAM! Either get investigated or scrap that mans copy since he either A)ripped it or B) uploaded his copy for ripping.

@Sukes
Wha happens when you loan someone a copy?

He also tweeted: "interesting how my PSP piracy comment was taken out of context - I specifically said "we'll have to see how PJMD does" "

Thank you for being part in this.

Practically perfect posting, pimp. Peace.

Other than chat room chatter, how does he know that the game is pirated? Do they have a check-in system on the game?

I don't know. I can honestly say that I could have hacked out my psp and pirated games, it was something I had considered, but I chose not to so that I could support the system. I'm no white knight, trust me, but I like the PSP and I want it to continue to have games. My reasons for not pirating are selfish, and may prove to be futile, but I'm sticking to my guns.

Another selfish reason, and this may be singular just to me and my many psychoses, is that I seem to appreciate things more when I don't pirate them. I was totally lukewarm on music. When I quit pirating music I noticed that I payed closer attention to what I was getting. That selectiveness that we employ when we go to spend money on things, I think that is part of the enjoyment factor. At least for me.

@Thomas Smith

You left out that last part: These people who would not have bought the game anyway have no entitlement to it. Your argument is also critically flawed in that it attaches no value to the game itself. The product is the code, not the storage medium. A dev team doesn't spend millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours on the disc.

... the hidden cost of piracy. They aren't unusual, other devs have said the same thing and in all honesty I don't blame them for not wanting to go to the expense of creating a game for a platform that seems so riddled with piracy issues.

They had to know going in that people would pirate the game. Its the same with every game on the psp. The thing is not everyone does it and not everyone who pirates the game would have bought it. That all has to be taken into consideration. Its no different than pc games or people ripping 360 games. Not saying its right but you cant just blame piracy for everything.

@RWarrior1CO

The kind of jerk that might not want to purchase a game to support the devs is the kind that either didn't enjoy the game, doesn't play it for more than 20 minutes, or is just an outright pirate.

And it's not "stealing" by law, nobody gets prosecuted for larceny for pirating any type of media (be it movies, books, music or video-games). Instead they get prosecuted with some kind of copyright infringement. Stealing is still reserved for the physical theft of a product. Copying a product without the explicit consent of it's owners or intellectual property holders is Copyright infringement.

Morally it feels like it should be stealing, but you're wrong about the law's take on it.

And the DS sees far more piracy than the PSP, Nintendo's been taking a lot of sellers of the infamous R4 cart to court or at least trying. Unfortunately Sony's problem is the data. But what they're doing now, trying to keep updating the PSP and require new games to require that new firmware is a good attempt. Unfortunately it can't last. Pirates always, always find a way. Most are just bottom feeders, using the work of others to do bad things.

I honestly believe the people who crack these devices we have from the Atari 2600 to the Current Generation of gaming platforms, do it for the challenge and convenience to themselves (not to pirate things but to dump their games onto one cart). And they share it with others with the intent to allow people to play unofficially licensed games, otherwise known as homebrew, which has also been around since the Atari 2600 at least. Or to expand the capabilities of the device to areas not originally intended but the device is more than capable of.

It's just unfortuante that these unsavory characters choose to pirate games, especially games that they enjoy. Some can't afford to buy games, some try before they buy, some collect and some are just downright despicable people who could afford them, and love the games they do pirate but believe that they are entitled to play games for free.

If the law changes, or if Companies could somehow take individuals to court, not for sharing/distributing like they have been getting people who torrent, but instead individuals for just downloading or ripping a rental or whatever they do. Sadly, that would require the invasion of our privacy. But I've always felt that if you had nothing to hide, you should be completely open to occasional audits of your belongings.

But I have to ask, who here has never shared a song with a friend? Not from the internet but just gave your friend a mix tape/disc. Because that too is copyright infringement. So while we can snub our noses at pirates of video-games and movies, we really aren't any less guilty. Unless of course you haven't shared a single piece of media with someone by giving them a copy of it and not the original to borrow. Is copying a game any different then copying a song or album? The law's take on that, is that they are equal infringements.

@RWarrior1CO

Er... the people who bought it upon launch with promises of online services and Gran Turismo as a Launch title? The game was announced in 2004 an dhas just been released minus the actual 'game'.

So these people should have just twiddled their thumbs for 5 years while Sony cocked it up then.

If M$ did the same with the 360 as Sony did with the PSP then everyone's 360 would be hacked.

But no - instead 10-20 million people are payiing M$ £30-£40 per year for access to online play and social features.

I wonder why...?

Personally - I have a collection of 20-30 UMDs, but what have Sony done now... cut me off from considering their new product, just as my launch PSP is showing signs of a fauly analogue nub.

I gave up on their stupidity and unlocked my PSP in 2008 after my God of War UMD purchase.

Shame - Polyphony lose out on a Gran Turismo purchase FIVE AND A HALF YEARS after the original unveiling of the game (May 2004).

Fuck 'em. I hope all of the 3rd parties bail out and make iPhone games until an xBoy comes out.