uulav: Your thoughts about this picture?
My initial and still current thought is that anyone caught distributing games illegally should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. (and then additionally in a back room without cameras).
Being able to afford a game or not does NOT entitle anyone to it. If you want to talk about healthcare or education, I'd agree that the waters can get muddy... but not over entertainment. Especially entertainment that requires a PC and an internet connection. If you can't afford 2.99 for a game, you aren't going to convince me that you can justify the internet connection or the PC. Its pretty black and white when we are talking about entertainment. Its not a necessity. You aren't saving your spouse's life when you pull the CD out of your jacket. If anyone here is as poor as some are claiming... you have my pitty, but you don't have the federal governments permission to steal from someone else... (potentially putting them in your place... all so you can be entertained).
However, with that said, I think a summary of what GOG does helps put this in light.
1. with DRM:
Some people will buy the game.
Some people will steal the game.
Some people will not buy the game because of the DRM.
2. without DRM:
Some people will buy the game.
Some people will steal the game.
The first two points don't really change. People set out to steal a game will steal it whether it has DRM or not. I know that I haven't bought a retail released game since I joined GOG (actually its been longer) so if we are going to count people stealing games that don't have DRM, we need to find a way to add in purchasers who are buying the games simply because they don't have the DRM as well.
(I'm assuming this is a jab at the DRM-free gog games, otherwise its just a post claiming that people steal games ;) )