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'Deus Ex: The Fall' Prevents Players With Jailbroken iOS Devices From Firing Guns
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No but you can easily find statistics on the rampant pirating of apps from jailbroken devices. There were games in the past that used a server so the server was able to tell precisely the number of games that were actually bought and those that were pirated.
I don't get this. How is it helping Eidos at all?
Basically, case 2 and 3 have no effect and the number of people from case 1 is undoubtely significantly higher than those in case 4. Which means the overall result is lost sales.
My guess is that they're doing it for free publicity, so that their game gets mentionned on tech websites (see, it worked here). I see no other logical explanation.
- Those who have jailbroken iPhones but planned to buy the game will not = lost sales.
- Those who have jailbroken iPhones and planned to pirate the game will not = no consequence on sales.
- Some Deus Ex fans who planned to buy it may remove their jailbreak just to buy it = no consequence on sales.
- Some Deus Ex fans who planned to pirate it may remove their jailbreak just to buy it = sales gain.
Basically, case 2 and 3 have no effect and the number of people from case 1 is undoubtely significantly higher than those in case 4. Which means the overall result is lost sales.
My guess is that they're doing it for free publicity, so that their game gets mentionned on tech websites (see, it worked here). I see no other logical explanation.
I'm highly suspicious that in the case of this game, the jailbreakers that will pirate it are going to be a pittance in the grand scheme of things when compared to purchases on non-jailbroken devices. Everyone I know that has an Android device has rooted it (because it's trivial to do), whereas ones I know that have iOS devices, not one has jailbroken their device. And I know a lot more people with iOS devices.
At the end of the day, I support the developer's actions in this situation.
At the end of the day, I support the developer's actions in this situation.
Piracy is an indirect cost to them if they make software, expecting people to buy it, and people pirate it instead. Pirating software does not directly cost the company anything, no matter how you try to spin it. I'm not trying to convince myself of anything. I know you think that I pirate software, but I don't (with the exception of freeware... which is free anyway).
If you don't gain money, then are you suggesting I'm not losing money either?You can only gain or lose...
Nobody gains or loses money directly. I think we're just referring to different definitions of "cost". Obviously, piracy hurts software companies in a not-totally-direct way.
Yet another reason not to jailbreak. Sucks for people on jailbroken devices who actually pay for their apps -- but that's the minority of users on hacked software. There is going to be a tidal wave of disabled apps soon.
Not any worse than denying jailbroken users the right to play a game that they paid for.
You can pirate a game with or without a jailbreak.
Nope, it doesn't cost them anything, they just don't make as much as they potentially could.
The way I see it, quite a few pirates pirate because they can pirate. They don't do it because they can't afford a game one month, or don't want to pay x amount of dollars for whatever. They do it mostly because they can. They'll never pay for software.
So considering these people are downloading your software just because they can, and wouldn't otherwise buy it if they couldn't get their hands on a pirated copy, how can you consider them a lost sale?
Now don't think I'm defending piracy or anything. I'm not. I think people who download other people's work with no intentions of ever paying for it are the scum of the earth. But DRM schemes such as this aren't the way to go about fixing what's ultimately an unfixable problem. This is a minor inconvenience to a pirate, who only has to wait a couple extra days for a crack. To your legitimate customers, though? It's a massive problem that often does more harm to them that good.
I can't count the amount of times I've had to download a cracked copy of my honestly bought software because the DRM set in place to curtail piracy ended up keeping me from using it.
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This kind of thinking makes *no* sense to me. If I create a game and 1 person buys and 1,000,000 pirate it, how am I going to pay the $400/month server costs to maintain the leader board for 1,000,001 users? How am I going to pay employees who answer support emails from 1,000,001 users; generate marketing material; develop additional levels and features? How am I going to respond to 1 star reviews because 500,000 of those jailbroken users have some add-on installed that causes my app to crash?
There are lots of articles (including some on MR) about developers who made a game that requires server-side. And the number of users accessing the server was nowhere close to the number of people who bought their apps.
Pissing people off is never a good marketing strategy, no matter whether you're legally right or wrong.
Apple barely implements any anti-piracy functions into its desktop software (iWork, Final Cut Pro, OS X) yet lots of people still pay for it and love it. If a company goes the greedy way, people will just start to feel like they don't like that company, regardless of whether they were going to pay or not.
Sure, people should pay for software, but just annoying those who didn't pay won't make more people buy it.
Apple barely implements any anti-piracy functions into its desktop software (iWork, Final Cut Pro, OS X) yet lots of people still pay for it and love it. If a company goes the greedy way, people will just start to feel like they don't like that company, regardless of whether they were going to pay or not.
Sure, people should pay for software, but just annoying those who didn't pay won't make more people buy it.
Kinda reminds me of how Batman Arkham Asylum took away the ability to jump/glide from those who pirated. Granted, I'm sure there are legit reasons for jailbreaking, but will those people be enough of a loss for SquarEnix to notice?
It's like the anti-miandry group boycotting Kraft for their spicy Italian dressing ads. I just don't think it's going to be a big enough PR/financial hit.
It's like the anti-miandry group boycotting Kraft for their spicy Italian dressing ads. I just don't think it's going to be a big enough PR/financial hit.
Wait, that's a new variable. If the company provides free services that cost them monthly to people who own the software, legally or illegally, then that is different. If not, they won't lose money direct, but they'd lose some potential sales.
If people weren't jailbreaking to pirate software, this DRM wouldn't exist to prevent it from happening. There is obviously an issue of jailbreakers (not saying all, but enough of them to require this stance) pirating software.
Let's face it, DRM costs the developer money as well. They don't want to spend the money on put it in unless they figure the costs will be recouped or at least curtailed to make it worth it.
In summary, it's because of jailbreakers this DRM exists in the first place hence why I feel no pity for them.
Let's face it, DRM costs the developer money as well. They don't want to spend the money on put it in unless they figure the costs will be recouped or at least curtailed to make it worth it.
In summary, it's because of jailbreakers this DRM exists in the first place hence why I feel no pity for them.
I have seen those articles, but my question is are these always iOS only? I'm not saying piracy isn't an issue, I understand it is, but I don't think anybody really knows how much truly comes from iOS jailbreakers. Android is very popular too, and it's MUCH easier to pirate using that platform. If devs are losing money on server costs costs due to piracy, does anyone really know if it's iOS jailbreakers causing the issues, or the android users?
This app in question is targeting Jailbreakers. They even say it in their message when you try to fire a gun...
This is a justification, whether or not you yourself pirate software. If someone was going to buy software, but pirated it instead, they have, in fact, cost the company money. Semantics are tricky when discussing digital goods like software. No, you are not breaking into the developer's bank account and stealing money, but you are definitely making them lose out on money they were otherwise entitled to. Also, I'm not aware of any company creating software at this level that doesn't "expect people to buy it", or in some other way recoup their costs, via IAP or some other means.
wow. a completely stupid move on their part and i certainly hope not part of a growing trend.
i am not going to say there isn't piracy on jailbroken ios devices because there is but i'd say the vast majority of people jailbreak to add functionality, or unlock their devices, not so they can pirate a few games they wouldn't have bought anyway.
this isn't the first app to disable functionality and some clever person is only going to write a hack to trick the game anyway, so this is pointless. what they did do is add frustration and complaints from the people who legitimately purchase the game who are jailbroken. i hope the bad karma bites them in the ass big time. i might have had an interest in the game but will steer clear away from it now regardless, and any other such app that i hear implements a similar "feature." vote with your dollars people!
i am not going to say there isn't piracy on jailbroken ios devices because there is but i'd say the vast majority of people jailbreak to add functionality, or unlock their devices, not so they can pirate a few games they wouldn't have bought anyway.
this isn't the first app to disable functionality and some clever person is only going to write a hack to trick the game anyway, so this is pointless. what they did do is add frustration and complaints from the people who legitimately purchase the game who are jailbroken. i hope the bad karma bites them in the ass big time. i might have had an interest in the game but will steer clear away from it now regardless, and any other such app that i hear implements a similar "feature." vote with your dollars people!
Yep. They'd still have DRM even if there was no jailbreaking, but pirates really do make life harder for everyone else. As I mentioned earlier, my Apple TV and cable box think that I'm trying to copy the video output. Then I have to use a workaround box from Cables Unlimited to kill the HDCP, but the box is having separate issues with my TV now, so I'm pretty much mad at everyone.
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My personal experience conflicts with that. Every jailbreaker I know (besides me) uses it to steal paid apps from the App Store.
Id**t devs. 99% of jailbreakers don't cheat in games. There IS a reason for jailbreaking: Apple's stubborness and unwillingness to add even basic features like screen backlight color temperature changing a'la f.lux - no wonder most power users / geeks jailbreak. Now all those players are deprived of enjoying the games they've paid for.