After some digging, Jeff Rosen (Wolfire Games’ founder) has discovered that roughly 25% of The Humble Indie Bundle‘s downloads have been from software pirates. Apparently some folks decided to post download links to the DRM-free game collection on various forums. Way to go, lame-asses. You’re really sticking it to The Man by taking money away from sick kids and independent game developers.
Jeff has a few theories about this ordeal:
Some users may live in countries where none of our three processors (PayPal, Google Checkout, and Amazon) are accepted. These users might pay if they could, but they feel that they have no choice but to search for shared copies.
Okay, that’s a fairly legitimate excuse but I don’t think this accounts for the majority.
Some users may want to share the bundle with their friends, and decide that it’s easier to just make one donation for a larger amount than it is to make separate gift donations.
Not quite as understandable since you can also “gift” codes to people, but I suppose it technically balances out.
Some users just want to “stick it to the man”, and be edgy and rebellious. It doesn’t matter if they’re sticking it to indie developers, sick children, and online civil liberties… they’re sticking it to someone, so they feel cool.
My sentiments exactly.
Jeff says there are no plans to go after the pirates, as they don’t exactly want to use the proceeds to hire lawyers. Instead they’re just going to stay-the-course. After all, they’ve raised over $800,000 already and could very well crack $1 million before the day is out tomorrow. It’s just a shame that there are so many asshats out there who think stealing from charities is a good idea. You all sicken me, and I can only hope that your (eventual) children never end up in the hospital waiting for chemotherapy treatments.
[Via: Wolfire Blog]
dont get me wrong i pirate software because while some programs may be the best doesnt make for annual releases at @300-400 dollars a pop.
or making me feel like a fool and preordering windows vista ultimate (that is 300+ bucks ill never forget..) but when it comes to indie developers i just dont feel right, i mean its guys like us trying to hold a job and not some faceless corporation a bunch of these games are good stuff to begin with i donated 25 bucks wish i had more to spare but alas these are tougher times…
whats sad is so many games get pushed out now-a-days that are 60 bucks and are “unfinished” and by unfinished how many games have you played in the last year require patches? lets take a look at N64 if a game came out it was tested and checked, sure some had glitches some had bugs but not even a quarter of the amount in lets say everyone’s favorite poster child modern warfare 2. yet here is some smaller games being put out at much lower prices yet people still feel the need to steal. whats your excuse? they dont sell PC games in your country? you cant afford to pay because your financial situation? some people are truly a work of art…
Exactly. They’re taking money away from people who could really use it. In this instance they aren’t Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. They’re Prince John, stealing from the needy because they’re jerks.
It’s bad but the majority of people who pirate stuff like this would never of bought and played the game anyway. At least the game possibly gets exposure to friends and family.
but thats my point lem, its a name your own price sale!!! if you want to pay a dollar ok then fine but to steel something when you could give like 25 cents? really? friends and family? so that the pirate can burn it on a cd/jumpdrive and give them a free copy as well?