14 DAY TRIAL // Piracy is a big concern for the video game industry as it is present on almost any platform, not only on the PC as some developers and publishers want the media to believe. Almost every new release is cracked and put up for download on various websites even before it is officially launched.
Now, Ace Team, the developer of the recent first-person brawler Zeno Clash, has taken a very interesting role in the whole piracy issue, going straight to the source and posting a comment on all Bittorrent websites, in which it makes clear the independent studio's position on the illegal downloading of its recently released title.
“We cannot do anything to stop piracy of the game (and honestly don't intend to do so) but if you are downloading because you wish to try before you buy, I would ask that you purchase the game (and support the independent game development scene) if you enjoy it,” revealed developer Carlos Bordeu on a lot of Bittorrent websites. “We plan on updating Zeno Clash with DLC and continuing support for the game long after its release. Thanks for taking the time to read this… hopefully it will make a difference.”
While the announcement may seem like a useless move according to a lot of companies in the video game industry, the feedback from video game pirates has been very positive, with many users revealing that they hadn't bought a game in quite some time but vowed to buy this title from the Steam digital distribution service.
Hopefully more and more developers will embrace this position on piracy and attempt to make gamers buy their titles legally through various promotions and other features that will be available only to those who have original copies of the games in question.