bben46 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Re: Non Steam copy of a Steam exclusive gameI have been seeing a rash of "I bought this on a disk that does not require Steam so it is legal" type posts. Most likely they bought a pirate disk either at a flea market or on line. Anyone (well, almost anyone) can make an ISO of a pirate version. Then you can get a cheap kit to print graphics directly onto the disk, and put it into a disk jewel case with a printed paper label that can look fairly good. These are then sold in the US for around $5 to $10 I see them on ebay, craigs list, at flea markets and even in low class shops. These are still pirated copies and NOT in any way legal. If caught, the maker and seller can do prison time. But usually end up paying a big fine. The suckers they sold to will have their cheap pirate copy AND their computer confiscated and then be fined more than the cost of a legitimate copy, (typically between $100 and $500 for each pirated game they have) and are left without a computer or a game to play. :facepalm: The probability of being caught is very low though, and not many are prosecuted when they are. :rolleyes: Most of the people that buy these probably suspect they are pirate versions, but think they can get away with it as 'they are not the pirate, the disk maker is.' But as the game maker gets no income they are still guilty of supporting piracy - and their pirated copy will still not be updated by steam or supported by The Nexus. Here in the US that would come under the laws on 'Receiving Stolen Property' and can be prosecuted just as if you had stolen it yourself. :pinch: Another big drawback is the game is stuck at wherever version the pirated disk is. Meaning that the ONLY way to upgrade is through piracy. Many mods will not work with either a pirated or an older version. 3rd party programs such as mod managers may not work at all. So, these people are upset, not at the thief that ripped them off by selling them a bogus copy, but at The Nexus for banning them when they demand help for their pirated game. :verymad: As pirated versions are NOT 'just like' the legitimate version but just don't need steam. The pirates MUST make changes in the game program to bypass the requirement for steam, and these changes will be different with each different pirated version, so there is not just one pirated version, but many - each different and each causing different problems with mods and managers. Along with not supporting the people who don't support the game makers, we CAN"T support the various pirate versions as we don't know what they changed on your particular pirated version. :wallbash: TL:DR - If you do not register your game through Steam, even if you paid for a bogus disk, you are a pirate and not welcome here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanusForbeare Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 This should definitely be pinned before it gets lost in the sea of bans. It's strange how many people don't have a handle on the definition of piracy, or the price that they may have to pay for being guilty of it. By the way, to all the admins, thank you for making bans (and the reference posts) publicly available. I've had many a good laugh surfing through this forum. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVampireDante Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Pinned. This is an increasing issue and many people get caught out by it, so it is definitely something that needs to be kept within easy reach of all who pass through these forum pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawlacaust Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 The suckers they sold to will have their cheap pirate copy AND their computer confiscated and then be fined more than the cost of a legitimate copy, (typically between $100 and $500 for each pirated game they have) and are left without a computer or a game to play. I am not very "updated" with todays copyright laws but is this a fact? Yes. In the US They can take your computer as evidence. Then use anything they find on that computer as proof to force you to pay an exorbitant fine. However, what actually happens is going to vary widely based on the local prosecutor. Possibly they will not take your computer, but just the hard drive. Possibly all you get is a warning and told to remove all that evil pirated stuff. Possibly they will take every computer in the house, whether or not it has pirated material on it. But taking the computer is the simplest thing for them - and they don't care what hardship that may cause you. You will only get the computer back if you are found innocent - and that will take a year or so. So consider, if they find 10 games that THEY think are pirated your fine will probably be between $1000 and $5000, Normally they stop at around $3000 because that is the point where it becomes cost effective to hire a lawyer. At fines below $3000 it will cost you more than the fine to fight it. This is a money making deal for the prosecutor's office, as their cost is reduced by not having to go to court - and if you do force a court hearing, they jack up the fine as high as they can and may add some jail time to for "wasting their time" :pinch: (your time doesn't matter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jitansgate Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I'm Surprised that Bethesda didn't make a Retail Version of Skyrim for those people that have Dial-up out in the Boonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsharaMeradin Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I'm Surprised that Bethesda didn't make a Retail Version of Skyrim for those people that have Dial-up out in the Boonies.There is a retail version of Skyrim. It still requires the download and installation of Steam for it to function. But it does drastically speed up the installation of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jitansgate Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 (edited) Oh, I was talking about a Non-Steam Version like Fallout 3 has. (Games for Windows Live) http://nodoubtweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/51mFPOe6wML._SL500_.jpg Edited November 13, 2012 by Jitansgate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 The retail version of Skyrim has everything you need to play it, you just need to connect to Steam to validate it. Problem is, it'll try to download all the updates. I suppose people out in the stick would be better off waiting for a GOTY finalized version with all updates included. You can most likely forget about ever seeing an official non-Steam version. Thank piracy for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawlacaust Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) Pirates always seem to get around all protections regardless of the game i just dont get whats the point if there just goin to break past the DRM walls anyways? Guess its just the fact there just saying they dont win but its a uphill losing battle Edited November 14, 2012 by Lawlacaust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jitansgate Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 The retail version of Skyrim has everything you need to play it, you just need to connect to Steam to validate it. Problem is, it'll try to download all the updates. I suppose people out in the stick would be better off waiting for a GOTY finalized version with all updates included. You can most likely forget about ever seeing an official non-Steam version. Thank piracy for that. They will Probably make the GOTY Edition after they have made all the DLC's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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