Ubisoft’s decision to basically tell gamers that game ownership is no longer a thing may just trigger a significant rise in video game piracy. We don’t have the numbers to show for it, but chatter on various gaming subreddits, forums and Discords is showing that more and more are considering taking to the digital equivalent of the high seas.
Video game piracy is a contentious topic and many advocates argue they’re merely helping out with video game preservation. As the digitization of data literally threatens the physical existence of information, video games risk being lost because no one has copies of them anymore.
But, pirating video games does come at a cost. Developers, in particular, suffer the brunt of it. Although for certain studios, like, for example, CD Projekt RED’s co-founder and current CEO, Marcin Iwiński, piracy becomes “irrelevant” for great games.
Having said that, piracy remains taboo in the entertainment industry, which is why it’s surprising to see people openly talk about it.
As previously mentioned, Ubisoft’s stance on ownership is central to this discussion. It’s asking gamers to pay for copies of video games they’ll never own. As a consequence, piracy has become an attractive alternative for some who say, “if you don’t own the game you paid for, why bother paying?”.
Gamer’s: “If purchase isnt ownership, then piracy isnt theft” what are your thoughts on digital downloads and the fact you may not own anything you buy on steam, xbox , Psn store?
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This is a trend also seen in the entertainment industry, where the glut of streaming services have triggered a massive rise in internet piracy.
Indeed, gamers have grown tired of having little to no choice about whether they can actually own their favorite games. Of course, other factors, such as the increased costs of video game subscriptions and the actual prices of the games themselves, along with studios like RGG constantly looking for ways to make money off of gamers, also play factors.
Hence, while video game piracy remains illegal for most parts of the world, it’s easy to see why more are considering it.
If it’s any consolation, video game subscription numbers haven’t improved much lately. This might be enough for the big players, like Xbox and PlayStation, to reconsider their initial plans.
