I pirate because it's more convenient. No launcher, no update, no DRM, no need to be always online. I still purchase games but still play the pirated version.
Yeah, I got GTA V free from Epic years ago and it was so frustrating to have to deal with 3 layers of DRM (Epic launcher, Rockstar launcher, and Social Club) that I just pirated it. Fuck that.
I quite often do this for art books, I find it easier on my eyes reading text on the pirate ebook version (I can make the font as big as I need), but use the hardcopy for eyeing up the pictures
I’ve been pirating for years and am literally just now learning about exactly how bad the launcher apocalypse has gotten. Didn’t even know you needed one for legit Ubisoft games lmao.
I found my home server is sooooo much faster and more reliable than my streaming services. I usually forget I can watch in a legit way. No ads to skip, stupid popups when you pause, or buffering issues.
I ❤️ Local Files!
I've considered this before too. Watching a movie on a streaming service only to see it buffer and decrease quality before more visually intensive scenes. It's pathetic how easily I could find a better encoded rip, stream it to my TV, and actually be able to appreciate those scenes the artists worked so hard on.
I have pirated stuff I know I own because the pirated copy was better quality than what I actually paid for.
I've own GTA 4 on Steam for years but recently sort out a cracked copy because I keep having issues with Rockstars shitty DRM and them removing songs from the radio in updates.
Man, I'll download stuff just because I don't want to dig through all the DVDs lol.
But, yah, I actually have done that a few times. I even did it twice with goonies. I keep forgetting that I got it as a gift on DVD years ago, get a hankering to watch it, and I've got so many files that it's easy for my dyslexic ass to miss one while scrolling.
Did it with several of those older nostalgia movies here and there because of the same reason. But I still never get around to dyslexia proofing my file naming lol.
I bought starsector but I have no idea what my actual key is anymore so I always just use the key from SsethTzeentach's video on it. So it's technically piracy but from what I've heard the Starsector dev doesn't care that people just use that key because that video and the key being released publicly made their sales go way up anyways. They're one of the few devs that realizes that piracy doesn't actually hurt their sales.
More. I downloaded The Last Wish in PDF I think, but I forgot I had bought the book. After a spring cleaning I found a second copy of the book I had bought.
Not what you asked, but I pirated a software because it could only run on one machine. For my second computer they wanted me to buy another license... Unacceptable.
I pirate things I have right in front of me!! Scratched DVD's that won't rip, same for CD's, and sometimes old digital formats that are no longer well supported, or in the case of eBooks, don't re-flow properly. Yes, some of us are still doing weird shit we got used to on Blackberries and Palm Pilots(These days I use Sprint Reader, but I'll also read the material normally when studying for a test).
Some shows or movies I pay to stream don't work well on whatever device I've opted to play them on. Knowing why doesn't magically give me the means to transcode as needed without screen capture; Piracy skips the steps of watching them on a device I didn't mean to just to edit/trim and then have them in a format I no longer need!
GTA: SA. I have a DVD for the official PC version, it's the one with all the music still intact. I often re-download it on TPB and then remember that I made an ISO of my good ol' DVD version ^^
Because I forgot I own it... no. But because I was too lazy go get the physical media and insert into my desktop player, oh yes. To be fair it downloaded probably faster than the time I would've spent looking for it.
I thought I had cyberpunk on steam, couldn't find it so figured I must have pirated it when it launched. I downloaded it and was about to install it when a friend reminded me that gog existed and that was where I owned it.
I have learned it works well enough to integrate into my workflow. Which was why I was looking into purchasing it, when I realized the buy option was replaced with download when I signed in.
I've done that with console games on multiple occasions. I'll own a physical copy and already went through the trouble to back up my own copy with my console but I'll download it anyway
On the off chance the checksum on yours is different, you don't want it somehow noted and flagged by ... anyways, levels of paranoia I get and respect. They can't take that thumb drive if its air-gapped!! Keep it hidden and safe children, its my legacy!
If I could find a dense and permanent enough storage medium, I would take (a copy of)it all to my grave... Feeling like by the time such reaches consumers at a reasonable price, it will also be able to hold a copy of the Pole Shif Survival Guide.
On the off chance the checksum on yours is different, you don't want it somehow noted and flagged by ... anyways, levels of paranoia I get and respect. They can't take that thumb drive if its air-gapped!!
Do you think I'm worried about Microsoft coming after me for backing up my copy of Halo?
How is Serato these days? I moved to Traktor around 5 years ago but have recently been looking to change controllers and not sure if I should stick with Traktor or try moving back.
I just use the sampler as a VST in my daw for some inspiration.
Edit: now that I look they actually have a pretty generous 30 day trial for Sample 2.0 even if you've trialed an older version before. I'm so used to 3 day trials with something like iLok tacked on too.
i often pirate movies from a streaming services that im subscribed
why? well im used to watch movies at 1.10x speed and tvshows at 1.15x i'd been doing this for years now and i cant go back and netflix or primevideo apps in Smart TV dont allow you to set custom speed so i download the movie on my nas and watch it using VLC for android TV/FIRETV
better quality and custom speed.
this is in my bedroom on PC i cant set custom speed using browser
I do that when I need data files for some open source engine recreation. I have multiple copies of Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and Morrowind but can't be bothered to reinstall them for five minutes of use.