"What's the perfect gift for a Ninja? Gift-Cards!!!"

Ever since I started working at Compusmart, I've had a growing level of dissonence about game piracy . My boss is a huge stickler on any kind of softwar piracy--and I can't really blame him, since software is part of how he pays for his bread-and-butter.

However, for many years now, I have been a game pirate. I mean, console games can be rented, but PC games can't. I mean there are some backwater web pages that will offer it to you, but let's face it: most of those sites are useless. You end up paying more than a regular console game rental, and in my case, if I have to rent the game, I'm probably not going to buy it. Not to mention, there's really no method of blocking any sort of access to a PC game onces it's on your system, save some bullshit like Starforce--which a whole other argument all together. Piracy is just easier. For me, if I download the game, I'll play it for a day or so, test it out, and if I like it, I'll buy it. If not, I'll delete it. No harm done, right?

But of course, it's not that simple. It's a circle really. If games could be returned, I wouldn't need to pirate them. Then again, if pirating wasn't around, returning open software wouldn't be such an issue.

I bring all of this up because, earlier today, I had a customer try to bring back a copy of Oblivion. He claimed that his PC more than met the recommended system specs writtin on the box, and yet, for some miraculous reason, the game froze up on his system. He not only called us liars for missrepresenting system requirements (yes, because I make the fucking box-art, asshole), but demanded that we return the game. Of course, I had to tell him we couldn't, and that we'de exchange it if he's making a claim that it was deffective. Did that suffice? OF COURSE NOT! However, this mentally impaired micro-cruton did not seem to grasp that it is illegal for us to return open software of any kind.

What I'm getting at here is that, piracy is not the type of thing you see in dumb ass movies like Hackers. There's no cyber-punk to it, no Tank Girl hiliarity. Piracy is boring, and mundane, and honestly, the work of the lazy man. The only reason anyone does it is because, frankly, they don't want to pay money for shit they don't want. I mean, maybe I watch a little too much Fight Club, but why the hell should I have to pay for a game like Gun? A 10 hour game that lets me scalp people? WEEE!

A part of it is the industry too. I mean, every game now-a-days that's made by a major developer gets like, an 8.0 or 7.5, when really the game is shit. However, good ratings peak interests, and my curiosity urges me to play these games. But fuck if i'm going to pay for a game I can't rent, or return, just because I broke the fucking seal. I don't know about you, but I'm not that big of a fan of the establishment.

Peace,
Ramin