Another View Of Video Game Piracy

ArphaRima

http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2007/11/paramount-and-warner-bros-market-3-dvds-in-china.ars

Now take a look at this article.

We pay up to 35 Euro for DVD's on initial release. In China they are selling the same DVD's (with much better packaging -it doesnt mention that above) at 3 USD. They also get them within 2 months of theatrical release.

If they are content with 3$ per sale in China why should we pay over 1000% more for an inferior product?


They are willing to change their business model in these markets through pricing pirates out of existence. Yet here they plan to legislate pirates out of existence.

This cannot work in the long term. Something fundamental needs to change.

gizmo

fluffer wrote: »

We pay up to 35 Euro for DVD's on initial release. In China they are selling the same DVD's (with much better packaging -it doesnt mention that above) at 3 USD. They also get them within 2 months of theatrical release.

In fairness, I haven't seen a new DVD or even Bluray, retail at €35 on launch for a very VERY long time.

fluffer wrote: »

If they are content with 3$ per sale in China why should we pay over 1000% more for an inferior product?

Because what we're paying is more in line with the actual value of the product and because we can afford it with our higher wages and standard of living. These levels are dramatically lower over there and as that Ars article states..

Whatever the price, the studios have come to realize that without affordable offerings in China, they won't make any sales, period. Even just selling a few thousand movies at $3 per disc will be better than nothing.

These companies shouldn't have to just make do with prices which are better than nothing, just like employees over here wouldn't do the same if their pay was treated in the same manner.

ArphaRima

Ok.
Even at the more usual 20 Euro. Thats 25 dollars. In China 3 dollars.

This is a global market.
I believe in capitalism, free markets etc. I'm no hippy who believes everything should be free. I do buy these products to support them and ensure more like them get made.

I am happy with healthy profits, people making a living etc. But when the product to the consumer has an outrageous markup like that I cant help but feel we are being ripped off.

They do not lose money selling at 3$.
Explain why we should pay 25$.

I just believe another model/pay structure needs to be established.

gizmo

fluffer wrote: »

They do not lose money selling at 3$.
Explain why we should pay 25$.

Well I'd disagree with this. Sure they may not lose money based on just manufacturing costs alone, but what about the movie itself? It's easy to point to the big blockbusters who gross more in the theatres than their budgets but what about those which don't, which need the revenues associated with DVD purchases to break even?

fluffer wrote: »

I just believe another model/pay structure needs to be established.

While it may sound odd, I also agree with this. Netflix, for instance, is a fantastic service which I really do wish we had over here. Not the DVD rental aspect however, the streaming service. Paying a flat monthly subscription and having unlimited access to a wide variety of movies is definitely the future and while I can see the studios needing to be dragged kicking and screaming towards it, it's definitely going to happen eventually.

From here one needs to ask the question, what's the difference between paying that flat monthly fee for unlimited streaming service and the same fee for a service where you can simply download the movies for your own use. The first answer I can think of is the danger of one person downloading it and simply sharing it amongst their friends, this is of course where DRM comes in but that's a whole different subject. To be honest actually, I don't think this kind of service would make sense for games until services like OnLive come online and can be enjoyed with same user experience as when playing locally.

noodler

Christ Fluffer,

you actually lived in a foreign country for a few years and you come out with the most ill-concieved arguments I have seen on the thread.

ArphaRima

Christ Noodler,

You didnt offer any argument or opinion at all.

If my argument is ill-conceived then refute it with a valid counter-argument.


Gizmo -
Netflix and the like are exactly the kind of services that should and hopefully will replace our current model.

noodler

Comparing prices in two vastly, vastly different economies without looking at any other variables is so unbelievably simplistic.

.Moosejam

gizmo wrote: »

Column inches in the specialist presses perhaps but outside of those, in mainstream publications, I don't think I've ever seen a whisper about games piracy.

Perhaps I have blinkers and only notice that which interests me but I can't recall many if any instances of record labels b1tching about piracy but never hear the end of game devs doing such.

gizmo

.Moosejam wrote: »

Perhaps I have blinkers and only notice that which interests me but I can't recall many if any instances of record labels b1tching about piracy but never hear the end of game devs doing such.

Gona have to go with the blinkers one here, hell even in the last few days Eircom have announced the implementation of the three-strike policy which was pushed for by IRMA.

paramount

It's very informative makes a lot of sense for me.
Its a good article.