The Black Box Canned

[entRo]

I pirated Episode 1 and I'm glad, because it sucked.

[K-16]

I wonder if selling the product keys for HL2 and HL2: Episode One is considered illegal in terms of the EULA? It kind of feels like it is (I guess I'll re-read it at some point to double-check). Either way, I'll likely do it anyways, since I have every intention of bringing that darn price down to $40 or so. I'm also wondering if I should even bother going for the retail version since the box art...



Wait, let me start over... I'm also wondering if I should even bother going for the retail version since the box is missing artwork... I'm also under the assumption that there won't be a game manual (no, I don't consider a reference card to be a manual) right? I guess "retail presentation" (if such a thing exists) is not part of the quality in VALVe's products; at least the games stand out from the rest of the industry... I think.



Oh and I'm not going to comment on the piracy topic since I figured it's probably a wiser idea to talk about that (if I were to support it that is) in a different website where such conversations are allowed. Their website, their rules. I have no reason to be against it. If I actually cared, I'd simply make my own forum or whatever.

[Zips]

entRo wrote..

I pirated Episode 1 and I'm glad, because it sucked.

You had your chance.

[Thortok2000]

I'm going with 'their website, their rules'.



If they don't want me to say what I said in my deleted comment, then I won't. But I'll come real close to it. =P



Put it this way, simply, again. I am not going to pay for games I already own.



If that means that I don't get to play a legitimate, legal copy of Episode 2, (or any copy of it at all), then that's less money that's in Valve's pocket. Which is apparently the only possible way of reaching them.

[Fragalishus]

It's not about rules or legality, it's common sense. Merely discussing piracy may not be that bad, but that could lead to discussion on how to do it, which would put the site in legal jeopardy. It should always remain a dirty little secret. Any pirate or leecher's official stance should always be "if you like the product, buy it". So if you don't like it, don't buy it. Simple. You're completely free to tell everyone you're not going to purchase it. But there's absolutely no reason to tell anyone you're going to pirate it.

[Patrick_Bateman69]

Funny thing is, from what I've seen and read about ep2, tf2 and portal, I'd pay $50 each for them. Yes, $150 total. But, I feel a bit scammed paying $50 for all three if it includes something I already have. Nonetheless, $50 is a great deal for all three of these games.

[ALT+F4]

Fragalishus wrote..

Merely discussing piracy may not be that bad, but that could lead to discussion on how to do it, which would put the site in legal jeopardy.

To which I quote the late Lenny Bruce:



"A knowledge of syphilis is not an instruction to get it."



I don't get a sense of legal jeopardy being the issue here at all; rather, it reeks of corporate cowardice and journalistic sycophancy. Like the MPAA and RIAA the software industry is trying to hold on to outmoded concepts and practices in a losing battle against technology and human inventiveness.



More than ever it is foremost to have a product worth buying in the first place and respecting your audience enough not to insult their intelligence or sensibility. The means to fight inequity in a digital revolution are far more accessible to the masses than mere physical force.



Rather than stifle the subject, open-minded debate over ways to avoid its necessity would go a lot further toward alleviating the problem.

[Fragalishus]

Software developers and artists getting paid for their work is not an outdated concept or practice. If you don't like it, don't support artists who are part of said Associations.



No one said you can't voice your opinion about Valve's practices, or what they could do to regain your business. Not all use of copyrighted material is infringement, but copyright infringement is theft. No legitimate site is going to condone illegal activities, nor discussion about the encouragement of such activities.

[peagle]

Edited by [user="95147"] @ [time="1179852778"]

Patrick_Bateman69 wrote..

Funny thing is, from what I've seen and read about ep2, tf2 and portal, I'd pay $50 each for them. Yes, $150 total. But, I feel a bit scammed paying $50 for all three if it includes something I already have. Nonetheless, $50 is a great deal for all three of these games.

I quite agree. I'd assume selling each game separately at $50 would garner most revenue, and neutralize the feeling in this thread that you're getting scammed.

[ALT+F4]

Neither condoning illegal activities, nor discussion about the encouragement of such activities is the point here, nor is the creators getting paid for their work. It's the mere discussion of the subject itself that's being made taboo.



It's been my experience that publishers, more so than developers, have an almost pathological fear of the subject even being mentioned in polite (or otherwise) company. If it weren't so arrogant, ignorant and sad it would actually be funny.

[Snakebyte]

The irony is that if the mods tell us we can't talk about something, that just makes people want to talk about it even more. I can understand not allowing links or instructions, but just merely mentioning it seems a bit unreasonable.

[Zips]

Snakebyte wrote..

The irony is that if the mods tell us we can't talk about something, that just makes people want to talk about it even more. I can understand not allowing links or instructions, but just merely mentioning it seems a bit unreasonable.

They admitted to piracy on a website that has to keep up good appearances given the nature of the site. This is a dedicated fan site to a particular game and company. If someone admits to pirating a game from said company, that isn't going to fly.

[ALT+F4]

Zips wrote..

They admitted to piracy on a website that has to keep up good appearances given the nature of the site. This is a dedicated fan site to a particular game and company. If someone admits to pirating a game from said company, that isn't going to fly.

While your first sentence is a sore test of my gag reflex, your last one begs qualification.



If you're as dedicated to the company as you say, you should at least be curious as to why that person felt compelled to pirate the game. Was it price-related, outrage over content practices, or just malicious I-can-so-I-will? Would Valve not be interested in why a product of theirs was stolen rather than bought, and what they could have done to get a sale instead of a theft? Unless they truly don't give a crap about how their corporate decisions affect the consumer market...



Again, like the MPAA and RIAA, the software industry has a more adversarial than symbiotic relationship with their customers.

[Zips]

ALT+F4 wrote..

While your first sentence is a sore test of my gag reflex, your last one begs qualification.



If you're as dedicated to the company as you say, you should at least be curious as to why that person felt compelled to pirate the game. Was it price-related, outrage over content practices, or just malicious I-can-so-I-will? Would Valve not be interested in why a product of theirs was stolen rather than bought, and what they could have done to get a sale instead of a theft? Unless they truly don't give a crap about how their corporate decisions affect the consumer market...



Again, like the MPAA and RIAA, the software industry has a more adversarial than symbiotic relationship with their customers.

Why should I care why someone committed the CRIME of piracy? Exactly. They committed a crime, they ADMITTED to committing said crime on this site, and I will NOT tolerate it. Period.



Let me restate a rule in our guidelines:

NO WAREZ OR MP3 FILES OR ILLEGAL BITTORRENT DOWNLOADS.

Taken from: http://forums.csnation.net/rules.php



Admission to piracy, an illegal act (let me restate that again), AN ILLEGAL ACT, falls under this rule and will not be allowed here. I don't care why. They can try and explain why to Valve if their account becomes disabled, or the legal authorities if it should come to that (which I doubt it would). Piracy is piracy. It has no place here.

[ALT+F4]

Zips wrote...

Why should I care why someone committed the CRIME of piracy?

Why? Because ignoring the cause of a crime does NOTHING to prevent it from happening again and does NOTHING to contribute to the stability of the community you claim to love. Burying your head in the sand and hoping it will go away is actually Counter-Productive (TM).



You're acting like a spoiled little pussy.