Buy or download games?

[nightpish 0]

So the question is pretty much stupid but nevermind. Do you buy your games or download them from Torrents/eD2k/DC/Warez? and Why?

[Sonic 295]

I buy my games or get legal copies from the community managers for for free in the case of games like C&C and UaW.

 

Only losers acquire game via illegal means. If you spent 1-2 years (sometimes longer) making a game, how would you like it if someone stole your game?

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Both. If I'm not sure, I'll grab an ISO and try it out. If it's good, I'll go buy it. If not, I wipe the ISO and forget about it.

[TheBlackOut 6]

Both. If I'm not sure, I'll grab an ISO and try it out. If it's good, I'll go buy it. If not, I wipe the ISO and forget about it.

 

Pretty much what I do, besides most games have multiplayer and to tap into that, you have to have a legal key. So basically when I download the game, it's basically the "demo" of it for me. Now if it's a game I can't find anywhere else (stories, internet, etc) then I'll just torrent the little ******, but that's not happened very often.

[Luk3us 63]

If I really like a game I will buy it.

 

The only games I download really are old ones, that are hard to find in stores.

[Saracen 16]

I prefer to buy all my games. I prefer hard copies than digital means.

[Azrael 0]

Well... It always depends... I've downloaded, but legally (like EA's EA Link, the download thingy for expansions, like Battlefield 2:Euro Force and such)... But I often buy the hard copies, since they're no hassle to get. Also, some hard copies have bonuses (like for Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack, we get some DVD comments and such). So, I do both LEGALLY.

[Louis EX 0]

Depends. I don't really buy or download games often...

 

If its multiplayer, I will have to buy it (I bought all Valve games legally). If its just singleplayer, I would just torrent it.

[TheBlackOut 6]

If its multiplayer, I will have to buy it (I bought all Valve games legally). If its just singleplayer, I would just torrent it.

 

Wow so even if it had a great SP you would not... pay for it? That kind of attitude is what pisses me off, if I liked the SP from the torrent, I'll buy it just to support the developer for making such a great game...

[TripleCP 0]

It's sort of a dilemma, because so many RTS titles no longer really give you your money's worth unless your main interest is in multiplayer. For me, though, multiplayer is just icing on the cake if I like a game. Many have told me that C&C Generals has phenomenal multiplayer if I'd just try it, but I uninstalled after a few China missions and have never really had much desire to try it out again. C&C3, despites its heavy emphasis on multiplayer, at least gave SP gamers a good campaign experience, and Kane's Wrath looks like it will broaden SP considerably so I'm happy about that.

 

For all their reputation as the king of multiplayer gaming, Blizzard's products have all delivered great singleplayer as well. I bought WC3 and TFT and enjoyed them a lot despite never playing online. Same for the WC2 and SC compilation packs. I occasionally played Diablo II online with family or college pals, but most of my gametime with that was also offline. (I'll be ****** if Diablo III is an MMORPG-only title.)

 

I haven't heard much of anything good about UaW's SP, and from what I saw of SupCom and WiC those are lacking as well (no Soviet campaign or Conquest mode wtf?!?).

 

I don't pirate games, but it's getting harder to justify spending money on what's out there these days. Maybe if they released $20-30 SP only versions of games with an option to pay an extra $20 later to activate your CD key, but that'll never happen.

[Louis EX 0]

Wow so even if it had a great SP you would not... pay for it? That kind of attitude is what pisses me off, if I liked the SP from the torrent, I'll buy it just to support the developer for making such a great game...

Like I said, I don't torrent much games cause I don't have a good rig for it anyway (example Bioshock). So I torrent old SP games. I'm a poor ****er anyway.

Edited January 28, 2008 by Louis EX

[Guest Rabbit]

Like I said, I don't torrent much games cause I don't have a good rig for it anyway (example Bioshock). So I torrent old SP games. I'm a poor ****er anyway.

 

I downloaded Bioshock just so I could get a single sound file out of it. Turns out I couldn't find the sound file, so I never even played the game, and I don't think I have it anymore.

[TheBlackOut 6]

Ah yes, I remember you saying you wanted the bandito sound?

[Inferno 22]

I only download games for a try-out.

 

For example, I played Bioshock for a few hours, thought it was crap and got it off again.

[Mighty BOB! 5]

I buy hard copies of all my games unless they're not in stores/production anymore and you can't find copies on eBay or Amazon. (Yes I bought original copies of the Dune games off eBay just for a hard copy, box, and the manuals. I like having everything that shipped in the box originally when the game was on shelves.)

 

I downloaded Bioshock just so I could get a single sound file out of it. Turns out I couldn't find the sound file, so I never even played the game, and I don't think I have it anymore.

I did that to grab some of the terrain textures from Battle for Middle Earth for my Tiberium Wars mod.

[Inferno 22]

Yes I bought original copies of the Dune games off eBay just for a hard copy, box, and the manuals.

Me too.

Edited January 30, 2008 by Inferno

[hagren 0]

I buy or download games both very seldomly.

 

[Dr. Rodney McKay 0]

I'm too lazy to download games illegally. Too much clone drive hassle, alcohol, etc. The only game I'd ever torrent is Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire, because it costs about $129.00 and is technologically similar to Red Alert 1. Thank EA and Firaxis for giving it one production run.

 

As for legally acquired games, I buy them like a madman.

Edited February 1, 2008 by Behold the King

[F15pilotX 4]

I don't think I've ever downloaded a game illegally...I've had to use cracks when I've lost keys for some games, but I've bought or been gifted every game I have (probably my OCD in that I MUST have a hard copy of the game or I'll go nuts )

[Doctor Destiny 41]

If I can play it, I don't need the manuals. Like I did with GTA3.

[F15pilotX 4]

Yes but they have such interesting things...like in CnC 3's case, how the rank system works (there was nothing on the forums )

Edited February 7, 2008 by F15pilotX

[Azrael 0]

Yup. Sometimes the manual is even more interesting than the games (like in the case of Shellshock: Nam' 67, the game sucked as hell, but I liked reading the manual, which is the only trace of the ****test game ever in my house).

[Duke 0]

I find that for the amount of effort, time and bandwidth it takes to actually download a whole game it's not really worth it. For me on our crappy NZ internet connections if I'm interested in a game enough to go through the pain to download it then I just go down-town and buy it.

 

That's from a purely lazy point of view. I'm against the downloading of games personally though for pretty much the same reasons Sonic stated. Tbh it's a lot like going down to dickie smiths, slipping the disc out of a game box and putting it down your pants and walking out.

 

It's stealing...really

[Doctor Destiny 41]

Tbh it's a lot like going down to dickie smiths, slipping the disc out of a game box and putting it down your pants and walking out.

Nah. Your method involves effort.

[Luk3us 63]

What kind of moron store has the game discs in the box on display these days? I mean really?