Saying that "if X people hadn't pirated the game, then X more copies would've been sold" is incredibly dishonest. You realise that, right?
Yeah, and that dogshit line of thinking started back in... 2000 (?)... with the MPAA and RIAA.
- Many people who pirate things would never have made the purchase in the first place, so while they are stealing, they aren't actually depriving the company of profits. You can't argue for profits from a sale that never would have happened.
- Some people who pirate things are actually taking a "test drive" with the intent to make the actual purchase if they like what they see. This is what spawned the F2P business model.
- Many people are just in it for free products.
There's no doubt that piracy hurts companies. But "how much" has always been questionable. I cannot tell you how many pirated CDs I have that I never, ever, would have spent $18 on. But, as a result of enjoying those CDs I've ended up going to numerous concerts.
Yeah, and that dogshit line of thinking started back in... 2000 (?)... with the MPAA and RIAA.
- Many people who pirate things would never have made the purchase in the first place, so while they are stealing, they aren't actually depriving the company of profits. You can't argue for profits from a sale that never would have happened.
- Some people who pirate things are actually taking a "test drive" with the intent to make the actual purchase if they like what they see. This is what spawned the F2P business model.
- Many people are just in it for free products.
There's no doubt that piracy hurts companies. But "how much" has always been questionable. I cannot tell you how many pirated CDs I have that I never, ever, would have spent $18 on. But, as a result of enjoying those CDs I've ended up going to numerous concerts.
It's just very difficult to quantify.
Of course you can. Ignorance is what fuels the internet!