🚀 go-pugleaf

>Actually, it is pretty funny, but piracy is extremely expensive--in many
>way more expensive than buying the actual software. If you consider that
>the really hardcore WaReZ traders usually have dual-channel ISDN, a CD-ROM
>burner and 8 gigs of hard drive space, these costs add up. Even a
>small-timer that just grabs stuff off hotline sites will spend more money
>on online time and disk space than they would have on games. Putting
>WarCraft II on my hard drive takes up $60 worth of space in cost per
>megabyte, VS. $40 for the game itself--and this gets even worse with
>video-intensive games like Wing IV and C & C. I finally talked a friend of
>mine out of prating when he realized that he had bought 3 Jaz cartidges
>(+$300) just to hold a half-dozen games that would have cost him $220 to
>pay cash for.

Piracy isn't costy if you don't get all of that stuff... and especially these 
days, the amount of good games is pretty small... And quite frankly, while I 
DO grab some games from several piracy sources(a lot less than I used to tho, 
since I haven't upgraded my comp and not many games run on a dx2 nowadays), I 
still buy what I consider good. I bought C&C after playing the warez version. 
And I bought RA after playing the warez version. Piracy distributes the games, 
gives you games without manuals that are most of the time really buggy, but 
lets you play the WHOLE versions... I think that you'll agree with me that 
usually demo versions only give you a small portion of the game(most of the 
time the only good part to fool you into buying it), while pirated versions 
give you the whole story. And the cost thing you say about Warcraft 2... I 
don't quite get it. The WC2 rip ONLY is what is installed from the CD when you 
buy the game(with a small patch to make you play past the first levels). So 
when you buy it, it costs you 40$ + the 60$ is costs you in HD space.. Unless 
you are dumb enough to download movies... In that case it can be more costy, 
but usually warez groups these days are smart enough to only release what is 
playable and forget the rest. And let's not forget that piracy is publicity 
from companies.. I would not be surprised if companies would willingly release 
their games to warez groups for free publicity.. If they know the whole 
product is better and lets people who play them want more, it's good for them. 
Don't you think?