Piracy on PS3: Human Traits Explain Why it Has Not Happened

213w ago - Piracy of computer games is something we have all come to live with over the years. It has been around nearly as long as the games themselves, even being blames for the collapse of some consoles way back in the day. The Commodore Amiga was one such console.

I was amazed when reading a really good article on video game piracy on a website to see that people who steal this stuff, or infringe copyright as they prefer to put it as they get a little squeamish about the word thief, really do think they are justified.

Some of them see themselves as some sort of a modern day Robin Hood, and claim that it is victimless crime. Ask the people who lost their jobs at Commodore Amiga when that console went under if it is victimless.

Anyway big companies such as Sony and Microsoft spend a lot of money trying to beat these thieves and for a while it seems to work, then the pirates crack the formula and it all starts again. It must be said though that the PS3 seems to have been one of the most successful consoles ever at avoiding this problem.

There seems to be some common sense reasons for this, mainly related to things we already know about how people work. Let's take a look at how Sony have used human nature to thwart the pirates.

People are cheapskates: This may seem crazy but it actually makes sense if you think about it. If you attempt to mod your PS3 and it screws it up you are deeply out of pocket, therefore, many are not prepared to take the risk.

Maybe there was method in Sony's 'madness' with their pricing, many believe that the PS3 was overpriced but if this is the result I doubt very much that Sony are crying about it.

People want what they can't have: Games on PS3 are region free. This means that the situation where people can't play a game because it is only released in Japan does not occur.

People are contrary creatures and if they are told they cannot have something many of them are bound to want to desperately, enough even to risk ruining their console to get it. Once they have modified their machine the flood gate ares open.

People have no patience: the much maligned, in some circles,blue ray also has a hand in why piracy is so far giving the PS3 such a big swerve.

The huge size of the files means that it would take someone days to download potentially, well a very long time, anyway. People cannot be bothered. Time is money after all so most folk would rather just got out and buy the game.

Sony have tapped into some vital traits of human nature to keep out the pirates on their system. If you want a top PS3 game, basically, you are going to have to buy it and that is how it should be.