Anti piracy slogan

[yanuart]

Hi, I just wondering if it wise or useful to put some anti piracy message in your game, probably in your nag screen.
The idea is to discourage ppl to pirate your game of course but I don't think "Piracy is a crime" works well. I was thinking of a more subtle and eye catching slogan or approach, in my case since my game is about motorcycle, I'm thinking about adding an animation where there's this pirate riding a motorcycle and crash agains a computer and there's this message "Piracy crashes computers" or maybe something else

What do you guys think ? Do you have better slogan or ideas ?

[ggambett]

"Piracy will make you go blind"
"Piracy will make hair grow in the palm of your hands"

I'm not sure how well did these work in other contexts though.

[soniCron]

Hi, I just wondering if it wise or useful to put some anti piracy message in your game, probably in your nag screen.

For what it's worth, Sam Walton once said, "Only 1% of people are criminals. Don't treat the other 99% like they are."

[papillon]

Be careful you don't just invite raucous laughter and mockery like the sweaty guy with the giant branding iron who tries to threaten you about how horrible piracy is (in the movie theater for the movie you've already paid for).

So just make sure your message makes SENSE. "Piracy crashes computers" doesn't really make sense. Piracy doesn't crash computers. Getting games off dodgy sources riddled with viruses crashes computers! Not sure how best to squeeze that down into a small slogan that's memorable and still correct.

(Or a different visual image - representing a game company/creator as a delicate, artistic structure made out of toothpicks.... then the pirate comes by and snatches one of the supports and runs off with it, making the whole system collapse...)

[svero]

I have a little register your order dialog that comes up and sort of discusses illegal copies. Its all designed to look like you need to put your real name in and entirely psychological. In fact it doesnt matter one bit what you enter when you register.

[HairyTroll]

I hate that I cannot skip the FBI piracy nag screens the first time a DVD is played.

I paid for the damn DVD - let me watch my movie already.

Personally I don't think that an anti-piracy message will make any difference at all.

[Anthony Flack]

"Piracy makes baby Jesus cry" might do the trick. You might want to throw in a "Winners don't use drugs", and help improve society while you're at it.

[Didier]

What about: "Support Creativity. Do Not Steal It."

Didier

[BantamCityGames]

How about "If you are going to pirate my game than at least order the official invadazoid eye patch here: www.invadazoid.com/eyepatch.html"

[Sillysoft]

I have found it useful to put up a webpage that discusses piracy. This way when a user searches for something like 'lux serial' or 'lux crack' he (maybe) sees my message and I have a chance to convert him into a real customer. I have tracked multiple orders that came through this page, so it does work to some extent.

My page is at: http://sillysoft.net/warez/

Also, periodically I will go searching for other serials/cracks for my game. Many of the places where people can request a serial accept comments, so I will just post the URL of my warez page there.

[NuriumGames]

I think the best think you can do about piracy is not mentioning it to avoid giving ideas to potential customers. These who want to pirate will laugh at you and copy the game with a smile in their faces.

Anyway, if you want to put something what about:

'Think that If you like our games Piracy can take us out of business'

'Piracy is never risk free for your computer'

'Windows crashes, nobody knows, get legal software'

'Getting an ilegal copy will cost you al least a couple of hours, how much do you think one hour of your life is worth'

Again I'll avoid any mention/suggestion related to piracy.

[NuriumGames]

My page is at: http://sillysoft.net/warez/

This is a very good idea as only potential pirates and not 'normal' potential customers will see it. I think I'll make one of these

[Abscissa]

I hate that I cannot skip the FBI piracy nag screens the first time a DVD is played.

I paid for the damn DVD - let me watch my movie already.

Whew, that's a real pet peeve of mine, too. (I made a copy of my legal Breakfast Club DVD just so I could skip the unskippable commercials.) That reminds me: I wonder why XBox game discs say "Do not make illegal copis of this disc"? I'd think that they would have to know that couldn't possibly make any difference ("Oh, I was going to copy this, but it says I shouldn't"). So I suppose there must be another reason, maybe...?

As for slogans, there's always "Don't Copy That Floppy" . Or maybe "Piracy be making the parrots go poopoo on yer sholder, yarrgghh!!"

But really though, I doubt the effectiveness of a serious slogan (or a non-serious one, for that matter ). I think they tend to attract more ridicule than anything else. "Give a hoot, don't pollute", "Be cool, stay in school", "This is your brain on drugs", "Just say no", "Only you can prevent forest fires", "The Anti-Drug", "The Truth", "Be all you can be", "The more you know...". I'd be surprised if any of those had been effective. (I woudn't be surprised if a few of them were even counter-effective.)

[yanuart]

thanks guys, I tossed the idea just to make sure what people's reaction about it.

My page is at: http://sillysoft.net/warez/

.. THE BEST !!!

[soniCron]

I have found it useful to put up a webpage that discusses piracy. This way when a user searches for something like 'lux serial' or 'lux crack' he (maybe) sees my message and I have a chance to convert him into a real customer. I have tracked multiple orders that came through this page, so it does work to some extent.

My page is at: http://sillysoft.net/warez/

I hate "me too" posts, but I just had to make an exception for this one. Dustin, FREAKIN' BRILLIANT! Great job! You can betcha I'm jumping on this idea when I launch!

[MrPhil]

Instead of being anti-piracy you could go the positive, support the artist route:

"Each purchase is a vote to make more!"

Buying an artist's work is a form of voting and the more votes they get the more likely they'll make more. If the lack of quality games frustrates you, or the kind of games you like aren’t being made, it is probably because too many people skipped voting for the good stuff.


Feel free to use my exactly words, etc.

[Savant]

I hate "me too" posts, but I just had to make an exception for this one. Dustin, FREAKIN' BRILLIANT! Great job! You can betcha I'm jumping on this idea when I launch!

It's amusing and fun to look at, but is it doing any good? Dustin, do you have any numbers that say this page is converting would-be pirates into customers?

[soniCron]

It's amusing and fun to look at, but is it doing any good? Dustin, do you have any numbers that say this page is converting would-be pirates into customers?

So says Dustin, "I have tracked multiple orders that came through this page, so it does work to some extent." Nonetheless, I agree. I'd like to see numbers too. (Not that it'll stop me from doing it myself, mind you! )

[Savant]

Not that it'll stop me from doing it myself, mind you!

I'd think that through to be honest. A page like that might draw attention from pirates who would otherwise simply be casually pirating your game. If it gets them pissy, they might target you instead resulting in DOS attacks, forum hacking and more aggressive distribution of your game - you know, just for spite.

[Robert Cummings]

I hate that I cannot skip the FBI piracy nag screens the first time a DVD is played.

I can skip all that stuff on my player. I just press "next chapter" button >>... give it a try on yours.

[Savant]

I can skip all that stuff on my player. I just press "next chapter" button >>... give it a try on yours.

That doesn't always work. Some DVDs lock you into the warning screen for X seconds and no button will save you (fast forward, next chapter, menu - all disabled).

[soniCron]

I'd think that through to be honest. A page like that might draw attention from pirates who would otherwise simply be casually pirating your game. If it gets them pissy, they might target you instead resulting in DOS attacks, forum hacking and more aggressive distribution of your game - you know, just for spite.

Hmmm... Very thoughtful idea. I'll consider reconsidering.

[Sillysoft]

It's amusing and fun to look at, but is it doing any good? Dustin, do you have any numbers that say this page is converting would-be pirates into customers?

I track customers using cookies and I have seen a bunch of people hit this page while searching for lux serials/cracks and then end up buying. I have even seen one person just search for 'hacks cracks', hit my warez page and then end up buying Lux.

I guess it's possible that bad such a page could cause bad things from hackers, but I doubt it. In my view it's about positioning yourself in their mind. I say it myself "Lux is not a $600 piece of software created by a big company. Pirating Lux is hurting the little guys." A lot of would-be pirates have no qualms about stealing software from big no name companies. I am honest to them and say that it's a small time operation they are stealing from and to put a personal face on it. It also gives me the chance to tell them the benefits of a real purchase versus pirating (less hassle, it will always work, no viruses, etc). 'Casual pirates' can be convinced to buy if their first attempts at piracy result in this.

Check out this usenet thread for an 'in the wild' example.

[oNyx]

>"Only 1% of people are criminals. Don't treat the other 99% like they are."

Well, with software that 1% figure isn't really correct, but its still the way to go.

I like Dustin's idea, because it won't reach the wrong people. I also like positive things like a "Thanks for your support" unlock messages and credits with "Thank you for playing" at the end, because they give honest customers a good feeling and there is a chance that those people who might change will feel a bit guilty.

Another thing I like is placing text into the programm at a spot where the cracker will see it (when he/she attemps to crack it). I got that idea from mIRC. The author placed something like "editing out the ctcp reply, huh? " next to that reply... so if you edit it there is no way to oversee it.

[Didier]

My page is at: http://sillysoft.net/warez/

Great idea but can't this hurt your SE rankings (if SE robots find out the words "warez" "cracking" "serials" etc.) maybe they give you a lower ranking because of them??

Didier

[Anthony Flack]

That doesn't always work. Some DVDs lock you into the warning screen for X seconds and no button will save you (fast forward, next chapter, menu - all disabled).

Is it the purely the DVD that's responsible, or is your DVD player a co-conspirator? Either way, it's your responsibility to not buy from those scumbags. Who's in charge here, anyway? Not the consumers, that's for sure. But it's our money that runs the whole operation. Bastards.

[soniCron]

Is it the purely the DVD that's responsible, or is your DVD player a co-conspirator?

I believe there's a flag on the DVD that prevents any kind of control. I say this, because I was really excited to find out my old DVD player didn't support that "feature", so I was able to skip whatever the hell I wanted. Of course, it would crash at inopportune times (like looking at cast bios and stuff).

[Abscissa]

I believe there's a flag on the DVD that prevents any kind of control. I say this, because I was really excited to find out my old DVD player didn't support that "feature", so I was able to skip whatever the hell I wanted. Of course, it would crash at inopportune times (like looking at cast bios and stuff).

http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=3641

You're right about the flag

[yanuart]

Great idea but can't this hurt your SE rankings (if SE robots find out the words "warez" "cracking" "serials" etc.) maybe they give you a lower ranking because of them??

Didier

anyone can confirm this ??

[Reactor]

In our manual I wrote,

"Special note about software piracy: If you are reading this manual in an illegal copy of the game, there is no thanks for you. We hope you enjoy the game (because as gamers we hope everyone does) but we frown upon those who possess such a high level of stinginess, that they can't even front up the small amount of cash to support us."

I doubt it'll convert anyone, but it's there anyway. We have another super-secret method of getting pirates to buy the game, anyhow.

I really like your idea, Sillysoft.