This is a very intersting topic, I actually enjoyed reading that article. This is something that I, unfortunitly, had experience with in my younger and stupider years, and since I have found that Stardock tends to respond to player comments and questions while some other companies don't seem to care *caugh* E.A. *caugh caugh* Man...excuse me...but anyways since Stardock seems to respond better...
Years ago I did download games, but that was years AGO. I'm mature now
(20 years old) and a better Christian now that believes stealing is wrong. I had my reasons for downloading games for free, but the main one was I wanted to try the game before I bought it. An example would be NFS Most wanted. They did not make a demo for that game. I downloaded it to try it, I did not like so I deleted it shortly after. I also got lords of the realm 2...I liked and and then bought it. The same is also true of Space Empires 5. Downloaded it first...loved it and then I ordered it.
Another reason I would download games is I wanted to be able to have different language versions of the game. At first I tried asking a game maker (Sierra) if they could make the German versions of their games available and I got a very rude reply saying basically, 'no.' So I downloaded the German Version of swat 3.
Of course now, my thinking is basically this, if they don't have a good demo then I won't download it, but I will also not buy it. I refuse to download games anymore, for any reason and only play games I have paid for and deleted anything I have not paid for. As for getting the games in German, well my German is good enough to privatly contact a German merchant and buy games from her legally. Of course it would be nice if all game makers realized that people do tend to use games in another language as a way of learning it. Yes I speak English, it is my native language, but I am not playing Sins in English.(Which means to date I havn't played Diplomacy yet
) Part of the reason I am successful in language learning is that I am immersed in it and forced to learn it because many virtual lives are at stake. Case and point, we all play SINS so we know of the constant warnings recieved. This constantly immerses you in it and because it is a game it is fun...learning + fun at the same time, it doesn't get much better than that.
But to go back to the trying issue, I chose to buy Sins because it had what I call a 'good demo' and here is what I mean by that. The demo really only restricted playing time, but not much else. If I remember correctly in the demo, while you could only play as one side, the evil TEC, you had access to all their upgrades and ships. That is what I want to see in a demo. It is what 1701 AD did, and it is what Port Royal 2 did(Basically), X3 reunion's demo was similiar in idea, and Freelancer(Greatest simulation game ever!) had a demo that did not limit time, but the star systems you could travel to, but anything for sale in the demo system you could buy and nothing that I remember was restricted in that system. Sacred 2 as well. You had unrestricted access to every mission, item, spell, and so in a pretty good size area of the main map. You couldn't go beyond the bridge at the end and you could only play as one character, but still with only two limits(character and areas you could travel) it was great. It took a couple hours to explore all the places in the area it allowed...plenty of time to try it out. Why do i say that, well because I legally bought every one of those games because they did the demos right. I hate demos where almost everything you click says, 'not available in the demo version.'I would really perfer to be able to play it with as few reminders as possible that it is a demo...except in the case of 1602 ad's demo. The announcer saying, "Your people are demanding that you buy the full version" was just classic.
Also, stardock...great idea with impulse...I love that program, I think I have spent over $100 on games I am not sure though (Gal civ 2 + all expansions and Sins + all expansions) It is quick and convient I love it.
Lastly since I have long since given up piracy I will tell you how I was able to do it so easly, but not in open forum (I don't want lurkers to get any ideas because it seriously was too easy). PM me if interested.
Anyways, cheers from a satisfied, paying fan of your work!
Drew Gray