Cities: Skylines publisher isn't overly concerned by piracy

[Scorpus]

Following a successful launch for Cities: Skylines, publisher Paradox Interactive noticed a significant increase in the amount of people who are pirating the game. Rather than giving the gaming world an unnecessary lecture on why piracy is destroying the gaming industry, the company says they aren't that concerned about it.

Instead, Paradox sees that the best method of combating piracy is to continue support for the game after it has been released. Shams Jorjani, VP at Paradox, said that the company's plan is to "make a great game even better through free updates - making it more convenient to use Steam instead." By making the paid experience superior to the pirated experience, Paradox hopes it will encourage people to buy the game.

This method of cutting down the level of piracy has already worked for Paradox. When the publisher released Magicka, continual free updates as frequently as 14 in 13 days saw some people choose to buy the game for sheer convenience. Receiving automatic updates through Steam is, after all, much more convenient than having to manually download each update.

It's great to see a company like Paradox taking such a sensible approach to combating piracy. Rather than slapping on aggressive DRM or restricting the choices of gamers, the company has acknowledged that like Netflix, offering their product in a convenient, easy to use and better way is the key to winning over pirates.

If you haven't as yet played Cities: Skylines, a modern take on a city building simulator, be sure to check out our review here.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/60062-cities-skylines-publisher-isnt-overly-concerned-piracy.html

 

[Guest]

FYI, cracked version can also use mods, but of course someone has to give them, bought the game like 5min into the game. Totally worth it.

 

[madboyv1]

I saw in the review that traffic simulation is terrible.... I wonder if/when they'll fix the logic for it? Does look like a very nice game though, could fill the deep void in my heart for anything after SimCity 3000...

 

[Uncle Al]

Yeah, I'd like to see a follow up interview with the designer to find out how many of the bug fixes they will address in the first update. Still, looks pretty sharp and is on my shopping list ...

 

[Guest]

Well clearly the above posters haven't worked out why the traffic and corpse issues exist... they are bugs. Instead of easter eggs, or dlc as such, and due to many games being riddled with bugs, no one would suspect Paradox of throwing a few in personally, so that they can then use the 20 patches they already have made but are just sat in a drawer on a usb, awaiting uploading to steam servers.

Thus so many large updates "bugging" the hell out of those people pirating games that yes, they fall for Paradox's ruse, and buy the game.

I can actually see their theory. Some game updates are almost as big as the game at like 8gb or something stupid. So who wants to download that time n time again. And it isn't only the patches and the automation customers are buying, when it comes to 20 updates via a torrent site, especially a public torrent site with untrustworthy uploaders, who could alter the cracked files to do their bidding, its a lot safer to pay. Right ?

 

[Guest]

Obviously you know nothing of how Paradox does business or supports their titles.

 

[yRaz]

Dammit, now I have to buy this game because I support this developers views on piracy

 

[psycros]

Steam has driven people I know who always paid for games to START pirating. Online DLC and forced online "communities" need to die - now.

 

[Kibaruk]

Hope it's not "exactly like" Magicka, I mean, a fu...ll ton of mods that add playable "robes", lost count on how many a while ago but it's huge. Hopefully they won't add a bazillion dlc.

Got interested on the view on piracy though, will have to check a couple reviews =P

 

[Kevin82485]

This game is great, and everyone should pay for it to support the crew of 20 people who made it.

Buy it just to stick it to EA for their last Sim City game.

 

[RustyTech]

"Paradox sees that the best method of combating piracy is to continue support for the game after it has been released."
"By making the paid experience superior to the pirated experience, Paradox hopes it will encourage people to buy the game."

THANK YOU! Finally, someone who actually cares to understand. If you make a good game, people will buy it; and if you make a good game great, more people will buy it! ..and if you make a great..well you see what I'm saying!

 

[Westie]

Steam has driven people I know who always paid for games to START pirating. Online DLC and forced online "communities" need to die - now.

I disagree. I used to pirate most of my games. I've been using steam for a few years now due to it just being easier. Haven't pirated anything since.

 

[Guest]

I disagree. I used to pirate most of my games. I've been using steam for a few years now due to it just being easier. Haven't pirated anything since.

You disagree with the fact that his friends started pirating because they didn't like steam?
I think what you meant to say is that you do not feel the same way as his friends?
Anyway, some of us cannot buy downloaded games for various reasons, only disc based games (which we still do). So if I for instance wanted a game only available when paid for within steam, I could not get it and so would have to resort to other methods. Also, what's going on with them charging one country more than another country for the same game?