Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!rpi.edu!kudla From: kudla@pawl.rpi.edu (Robert J. Kudla) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: No more Cinemaware stuff for Amiga !!!???? Message-ID: Date: 28 Jul 89 04:28:04 GMT References: <268@nrcvax.NRC.COM> <30140@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <4929@alvin.mcnc.org> <1989Jul24.163632.23920@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Sender: usenet@rpi.edu Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY Lines: 55 In-reply-to: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM's message of 24 Jul 89 16:36:32 GMT In article <1989Jul24.163632.23920@ddsw1.MCS.COM> karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) writes: > Perhaps they are tired of producing a game, seeing 50,000 copies out > there, and only getting paid for 5,000. People, if you want > something that costs money, for cripes sakes BUY it. Don't steal > it. What I saw could have easily amounted to grand theft many times > over - there had to be $50,000 in pirated software there. That is > $50,000 that software authors and publishers DIDN'T receive, but > should have. That's the problem with software piracy- people look at how well their program is selling, and then they go and figure that the 10,000 kids who've illegally copied it would have bought it were it not available under the Jolly Roger. That, I'm afraid, is utterly absurd. Have I pirated? Yeah, plenty, but not much on the Amiga. On the C64 there were thousands of games ( "(c) games" or "warez" I bet they still call 'em) that cost $20-50 a pop, and once you played them five or six times you got sick of 'em. There was no such thing as software rentals 'cause everyone was too afraid of piracy. So, I had a good 300 disks worth of cracked games and maybe 20 legal productivity packages. On the Amiga, I own no commercial software save what came with the thing- all the productivity software I use is PD or shareware, most of which I haven't paid for. During the school year I live on about 75 bucks a week- not conducive to buying PacMania, though I'd love to reward its programmers for their fantastic job. So, when I feel like something pretty to look at or play, I either go ftp a Badge Demo or hoist the Jolly Roger once again. I play the game for a day and get sick of it, and don't play it again. Usually I even erase it to make room for more demos. (Exceptions being Marble Madness and Arkanoid, both of which are classics and which I will buy... right after I can afford that hard drive.) Now, people are going to say "But if you can't afford it and it's not to be had for rent, that's your tough luck! You still can't pirate it." But you're mistaken. If I could afford this stuff, I wouldn't pirate- but I'm not going to go without because someone else is going to get into a moral frenzy either. I get enough moralizing from the queer-bashers, thanks. You learn to shut it out after a while. So, next time you notice fifty grand worth of pirated software in someone's house, go ahead and squeal- but then think to yourself: "Gee, I wonder if this person could have spent the fifty grand instead of cutting into my sales by that much." Chances are, he wouldn't have. Real disclaimer: I am not advocating piracy. I am also not condemning it. I am, however, condemning those who are blinded to reality by imaginary profits..... -- Robert Jude Kudla Pi-Rho America \\ /// Disclaimer: You don't exist. 2346 15th St. \\ /// Troy, NY 12180 /X\ \\\/// keywords: mike oldfield yes u2 r.e.m. new order (518)271-8624 // \\ \XX/ steely dan f.g.t.h. kate bush .....and even Rush