Wired | Pixel Piracy creators offer direct torrent link to would-be pirates

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The creators of Pixel Piracy, a sidescrolling pirate game currently on Steam Greenlight, have set up a direct torrent link for those intending to pirate the game.

 

The link will take would-be pirates (in both senses) to a torrent for the most up-to-date version of the game.

 

Vitali Kirpu and Alexander Poysky explain the decision, saying: "We aren't idiots, we aren't high. We believe that anyone who wants to pirate our game will do so anyways, and feel it's a much safer bet to offer those people the official link to our game in hopes that they keep their computer's virus free."

 

The decision essentially sets up an honesty box system where the only thing obliging gamers to pay for or otherwise support the title is personal morality.

 

"Not everything is about money," explains the official announcement, "and we want to thank those that pirate our title and actually give them the opportunity to do so with our blessing, while giving them an opportunity to actually make good on the piracy itself. Tell your friends about us, share the link around IF and only IF you enjoy the game, and if you DON'T enjoy it at least you didn't have to pay for it!"

 

Pixel Piracy isn't the first game to take a more engaged and friendly approach when it comes to piracy. In 2012 Jonatan Soderstrom, one of the creators of Hotline Miami, dropped in on a Pirate Bay comment thread for a torrent of the game to offer a spot of customer support rather than vitriol.

 

"Hey there! I'm Jonatan Soderstrom, me and my friend Dennis Wedin made this game. We're working on an update that hopefully will take care of any/all bugs, and we'll try to do some extra polish in the next few days. Would be great if you could update the torrent when the patch is out! It'd be great if people get to play it without any bugs popping up."

 

In a further comment he added, "feel free to buy the game if you like it. I know what it's like not having money though."

 

Video game piracy is a complex issues and thus far attempts to prevent it can end up punishing those who actually obtain the game legally thanks to over-zealous DRM. Given piracy doesn't appear to be going anywhere it makes sense to try out new strategies. Hopefully the studies that do explore more friendly approaches won't suffer as a result.

 

-- Wired, December 4, 2013