Fallout 3 the latest victim of piracy
by Ross Miller 
{ Oct 10th 2008 at 12:59PM }
Note: Not an actual pirate
When contacted by Joystiq, Bethesda had no comment for the story. According to Parental Guidance, it appears the publisher-developer has already begun sending cease-and-desists to websites who link to it. While we can't prevent you from downloading the game, if you're decide whether or not to fork over $60, trust us, it's pretty good.
Note: We're not going to provide links to torrent sites, and if you do, expect a banhammer in the very near future.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chin-Poh @ Oct 10th 2008 1:06PM
And ironically, its been pirated on the 360 first when so many cry about PC piracy! What happened to make the 360 version leaked first? A leaked review copy? : 0
Mike @ Oct 10th 2008 1:35PM
"Gamasutra speculates that the leak may have come from the manufacturing plant."
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 10th 2008 1:50PM
Admittedly, if they had this for PS3 already, I'd find a way to play it just to play the game three weeks early...
People assume the ones downloading this have no intention of buying. One of the best weapons against this is the same way Eminen handled it, just eliminate the street date.
Chin-Poh @ Oct 10th 2008 1:58PM
Well, Blu-Ray burners and blank discs are much more expensive than DVD burners and discs. : )
DigDug @ Oct 10th 2008 2:01PM
I don't know, but thiose studios that do PC/360 only releases might be regretting not releasing on the secure PS3 platform..
Continued 360 piracy will surely drive developers away from 360, like it's driving them away from PC.
Metal Geario 360 @ Oct 10th 2008 2:18PM
@ Dig Dug
You make a good point but, the ratio of modded XBox's to the unmodded consumer/user is not enough to "deter" developers. Im going to assume. That goes for people that use pirated games on the 360. I dont think its "common" enough to where a developer will just say. Thats it!...No game for the 360.
Anticrawl @ Oct 10th 2008 2:19PM
Well this is just what they get for outsourcing manufacturing to Mexico.
Random Fires @ Oct 10th 2008 2:35PM
Another example why the "disc in a box" method is obsolete. Make new games downloadable from XboxLive, and let real paying consumers have access first before the pirates do. (at least give that option and let consumers decide if it works)
Gaming has always been about,"The next game", not the one your currently playing. Only second to this is, who's the first on the block to play it.
The industry needs to address this, putting products in the hands of gamers/consumers first, and to be the fastest. (at least before p2p)
The digital landscape may be here, but it is still being bottle necked by publishers unwilling to convert.
From an environmental view, all these games should have remained digital, never going to disc ages ago... Use paper and pen for mailing people lately?? How'd that stamp taste? Oh yeah, that thing called e-mail...
There will always be piracy, but when pirates have better, quicker access to games then the paying customer, those pirates will continue to grow in numbers. Right now, online game services(mulit-player/chat/camera features) is stemming the tide. Hence the eventual extinction of the solo player game in the same efforts to combat piracy.
ahac @ Oct 10th 2008 2:35PM
@ Metal Geario 360
Not yet! But lets say more developers stop making PC games. Will the pirates just stop gaming? Ofc not. They'll move to the next best thing (xbox) and pirate there... and that will cause xbox piracy to become more and more accessible to everyone else.
It might be a bit harder than PC piracy but it will still be easier and cheaper than buying the game in a store.
alu @ Oct 10th 2008 2:46PM
@ Random Fires: good idea.. except it's just in time for my 250gb monthly cap from Comcast.
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Oct 10th 2008 2:53PM
@Random Fires
First, a 2 Kb email is different from a 4.5 Gb video game.
Second, digitial distribution ridiculous. There is no way in hell I would pay $60 for a digital copy of a game, laden with DRM, that I can't sell, loan, or throw like a ninja star. In six months these games will be $20-30 with physical copies, but I guarantee that will not happen with a digital copy.
Marrvia @ Oct 10th 2008 5:07PM
Nah, Xbox 360 piracy is not THAT easy. PC piracy is simply as easy as downloading and installing a game and replacing a file. 360 is a lot more complicated. Yes, piracy existed in 360 but only a very small fraction do it, PC on the other hand is probably 50% or more people do it. This is not going to slow developers down from making games on 360. On the other hand, if an HDLoader program as easy to use as PS2 has comes out, that might change.
stjimmy69 @ Oct 19th 2008 9:11AM
i reckon this is just to show how far piraters will go to get what they want
After the announcement of crysis being pirated before release and then ea games talking of only releasing subsequent sequels on consoles, i think the piraters must have decided to target consoles to show how far they will go. Its not like any of the big names in games like EA and Ubisoft are going to stop making games altogether because of pirating and the piraters know it. I reckon if they had wanted to they could have easily pirated the PC version and stuck that on torrent but they have been a bit crafty with this one.
AT the end of the day though, even if the companies victim of piracy lost 20% of business due to it (way more than was lost when crysis was pirated), the companies would still make a huge profit if the game is any good because of the honest buyers out there
KeenCommander @ Oct 10th 2008 1:07PM
Yes, because we need to provide links since people are TOTALLY too stupid to use Google and find the torrents on their own. Except...not...
It won't be long for the PC version, anyways, I'm sure. I'll probably just buy this one anyways, seems worth it unlike *cough* Spore *cough*.
kojo87 @ Oct 10th 2008 1:25PM
i use the google real good
KeenCommander @ Oct 10th 2008 1:47PM
Why was that downvoted for a. pointing out the obvious and b. saying I wasn't going to pirate it? Unless Joystiq readers want me to steal the game...
TomCo @ Oct 10th 2008 2:05PM
Perhaps you were downvoted because there's no need to point out the obvious. Obvious, no?
Or are you obviously oblivious?
Anticrawl @ Oct 10th 2008 2:22PM
Not to be cruel here but maybe... it's because you're a known douchebag?
Mischa @ Oct 10th 2008 5:00PM
Yep, anti-crawl's got it :)
KeenCommander @ Oct 10th 2008 5:33PM
AKA Fernando syndrome, ok - got it.
BananaBoat @ Oct 10th 2008 7:28PM
There is a difference between a douchebag and a fanboy.
I forget why....but it's true.
linkman26 @ Oct 10th 2008 1:07PM
ARGH!
Titanium_Orchid @ Oct 10th 2008 1:08PM
Has anybody else noticed that Fallout 3 will feature Giant Enemy Crabs that you can hit for Massive Damage?
riggs @ Oct 10th 2008 1:15PM
nooooo stoooopppp. please.
Dante G @ Oct 10th 2008 1:25PM
Chuck Norris eats giant enemy crabs for breakfast.
Titanium_Orchid @ Oct 10th 2008 1:41PM
I got down voted for mentioning an enemy in the game?
Meliv @ Oct 10th 2008 1:11PM
Yup, PC is the only platform with piracy issues. Am I right?
tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 10th 2008 2:27PM
well yeah, even though you were trying to be sarcastic you're still right. There just isn't nearly enough modded 360s out there to make piracy an issue. This game will still sell in the millions easily.
Vcize @ Oct 10th 2008 2:45PM
There are around 500 peers downloading the fallout 3 torrent right now. Keep in mind this is 3 weeks before release, so even people that still plan on buying the game may be involved in that 500, and they have an added incentive to do it because there's no option to buy it yet.
500 people.
By comparison, there are 100,000 peers downloading the spore torrent.
A Fallout 3 PC torrent will go up eventually, and it will be downloaded a huge amount more than the 360 version. Meanwhile, the 360 version will probably sell quite a bit more than the PC version. Not tough to add up what's going on there...
Ghen @ Oct 10th 2008 3:05PM
People just don't know how easy it is to crack the 360. Hardest part is finding a torx head screwdriver and learning how to plug in an SATA cable.
mismajor99 @ Oct 10th 2008 3:23PM
Vcize, it's not 500, it's far more then that, try a few thousand seeders now, first off. That also doesn't count the majority of people that download then don't seed, which is the majority of the downloaders on all torrents. Also, there are now numerous torrents for this file, not just one. This will still sell well, just like AAA PC games sell well, even with all the piracy, Spore hitting a million sold in days, despite one of the most downloaded games. It just proves that there are far many more PC Gamers out there, just a lot of gamers that don't like paying for games. The PC is by far the most played on platform, and advertising in games like it's done in Asia is the future. You've got literally hundreds of millions of PC Gamers, torrents show a good slice of that.
Lastly, there are far more people, far more, that play games on PC, and is why there are far more pirates on PC. It's simple math. There are a ton more PC Gamers that are Fallout fans than 360 owners. The only reason why the 360 would sell better then PC, is the simple fact that a lot of PC Gamers, like myself, also own a 360, and might consider playing this on a console since it's been lead on 360. The mouse and keyboard are obvious advantages, but since this is a semi-FPS, using the controller won't be a big deal. BUT, one of the main reasons why most PC Gamers who have a 360 might buy this for 360 is: the lack of a toolset for Fallout 3. This is something that would have made the PC version a must buy. This is one of the main reasons why Oblivion PC was FAR better then what was on 360(I have both versions).
The fact that Bethesda is making us PC Gamers use GFW live a pay for DLC (that the modding community usually takes care of) is a bit bothersome. The only thing I'm willing to buy DLC wise is an expansion campaign for F3, not slight little upgrades like horse armor or dog armor like I'm sure we'll see.
Vcize @ Oct 10th 2008 6:37PM
"Vcize, it's not 500, it's far more then that, try a few thousand seeders now, first off. That also doesn't count the majority of people that download then don't seed, which is the majority of the downloaders on all torrents."
I was counting the number of people downloading right now, not total downloads. There are more than 500 people that have downloaded it, but there are more than 100,000 that have downloaded spore as well.
I compared them both using people currently downloading. I figured it wasn't fair to count total downloads or seeders (which are just people that have downloaded it) since spore has been out so much longer. If anything, I expected using the current downloader metric to make the fallout 3 number higher comparitively.
We can compare using the method you suggest if you want, but when we do the same with Spore the disparity is only going to be even bigger.
Linkdead @ Oct 10th 2008 1:13PM
Please stop posting these. Of course games are going to get pirated. YES they almost always release on the torrent sites before they get to stores.
Mischa @ Oct 10th 2008 5:02PM
This is what I was going to say. While they're not direct linking to the torrent, posting a news story like this is pretty close to doing just that, isn't it? This is only going to help the pirates.
Daniel @ Oct 10th 2008 1:12PM
somebody on ----- says, it is a review copy because of the edit date. f***ing game press?
nidx @ Oct 10th 2008 4:00PM
it is very doubtfull it is a review build since those will only work on debug 360's (microsoft has to sign the executable of every game for it to be playable on a 360 - even priated ones) but I would not go on xbox live with it just yet (easy to ban if you know for sure people are pirating) .... btw I am downloading the torrent and have odered the collectors edition (some games are just worth it/have cool lunchboxes)
Juno @ Oct 10th 2008 1:13PM
People suck. How hard is it to support something you enjoy?
The strongest voice any of us have is where we spend our coin.
It's kind of a moot point though... It's not like you have a modded 360 so you can boot linux...
Xizer @ Oct 10th 2008 1:36PM
Pretty damn hard these days... go ahead, try buying all the top-notch games coming out this fall. At $60 a piece, you'll easily find yourself spending thousands of dollars. That's not easy when economies around the world are plummeting into recession.
E.J. @ Oct 10th 2008 1:47PM
@Xizer
I hope you're not justifying piracy because you can't afford it.
Guess what, people: GAMES ARE NOT A NECESSITY. I know, it's hard to admit, huh?
Food, security/shelter, water, and medecine are necessities. And guess what? Game developers make and sell games so they can earn money to buy these necessities.
Don't steal their bread and butter!
Juno @ Oct 10th 2008 1:56PM
See that's part of the problem.
You don't need to own every new game.
You can rent and borrow. Play a demo (if available) see if you really want it. Check out reviews and purchase the games that you know you will enjoy. We are all suckers for marketing but that doesn't mean we deserve every game that we want. Just because I cant afford a BMW doesn't give me the right steal one, then buy a civic.
MDRL @ Oct 10th 2008 3:14PM
Xizer, first off, if video games are the only thing that makes you happy you're absolutely pitiful. Second, I'll address the practicality of waiting six months to play a game and buying it for $30 then, since you wouldn't even have time to properly enjoy this season's release schedule all at once.
"Heh whatever" THAT, moron.
ihateemo @ Oct 10th 2008 3:07PM
@ Xizer:
Haha, if video games are the -only- things that make you happy then yours must be a sad life indeed. Try going out and making some friends.
Ryan LN @ Oct 10th 2008 3:39PM
@Xizer:
First of all, your math is off: it would take the purchase of at least 17 games to get over $1000, and I'd be pretty stunned to learn that there are 34 "top notch" games that any one person would be interested in that are coming out prior to the end of the year. Additionally, who the hell says that we're entitled to whatever we want just because we want it? I'd like a new Maserati, so does that mean I can walk into the dealership and walk off with theirs, or, perhaps, take yours? Sex with Scarlett Johansen would also make me pretty happy- does I need to earn that by getting her to consent or is it okay if I just knock her ass to the ground and take what I want? The problem is you're a tool, and it's partly because of tools like you that we all pay $59 for our games, get screwed on our home owners and renters insurance, and have to go through seven levels of security when we make any kind of financial transaction. This, of course, makes this entire comment irrelevant- nothing I say will stop you from being a tool or doing toolish things. But don't think for a minute that everyone doesn't see that it is people like you who are the real problem.
arkweld @ Oct 10th 2008 3:51PM
so don't fucking buy them until the prices drop Xizer and learn to live with it. Do something else with your time. That's solved that dilemma.
"Wahhh, I can't afford to buy every PC game that comes out so I'm going to contribute to the downfall of the platform as a gaming medium."
If you're a PC gaming pirate now, knowing the state of the platform and how many developers are ditching it because of piracy - you are a fucking tool.
Eh @ Oct 10th 2008 4:10PM
Stealing physical items vs stealing digital items is a horrible comparison. If you steal a car then the company loses thousands of dollars in raw materials and manufacturing costs. If you download a movie or game that you were NEVER going to buy anyways, then who is losing money? If its something that you WOULD buy then they are losing money, thats the key difference between physical and digital items. Am I stealing money from the cable company everytime I watch a movie someone else ordered from On Demand using my TV's QAM tuner that picks up unscrambled digital stations? The movies might interest me enough to watch them but theres no way in hell I would ever pay money for them like my neighbors did when they ordered it. Its not always black and white with digital things, sometimes it really doesnt hurt anyone, sometimes it does, it all comes down to if you would or wouldnt have bought it (I think in Fallout 3's case most people WOULD buy it).
Pathie @ Oct 10th 2008 4:17PM
A false sense of entitlement doesn't lead to happiness.
LaughingTarget @ Oct 10th 2008 8:20PM
Theft is theft regardless of the source. Just because it is easier to steal code due to its liquid nature doesn't mean it is alright. The vast majority of the money in our system is just code. You could just add more to your bank account via computer by just copying more into it, but you'd get chucked in jail right quick.
Tangible or not, it is still stealing and you're still an asshole for doing it.
Juno @ Oct 10th 2008 8:32PM
@Eh
Are you serious? What about ideas? Is it ok to take one persons essay and pass it off as your own? It doesn't HURT them but it is still THEFT and thus it is still wrong. Sure you're not passing the game off as your own but the point is it fits your logic.
For the record, yes stealing that digital movie is still theft. If you didn't want to watch it you WOULDNT. Simple as that. You're excuse "I wouldnt pay money for it so it doesn't even matter I steal it any way". That just means you're cheep and lying to yourself. Look up, cognitive dissonance.
(I did it for you)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
Ryan LN @ Oct 10th 2008 8:36PM
@Eh:
No, it's absolutely not unfair- there is practically no difference between stealing digital vs. physical items, only that it's way easier to steal digital stuff and people feel a hell of a lot less guilty about doing it. It is a completely fair comparison, because while one person downloading one copy of one item has an almost unmeasurable effect on the industry as a whole, it's the combined efforts of the pirating community taken together that cost the industry a significant amount of money and serve to inspire companies such as EA and the like employ draconian DRM tactics in their merchandise, ass fucking the rest of us. While *you* would never buy that game, all kinds of douchebags never buy *any* games because it's just so damn easy for them to steal. I would never pretend to be perfect- before the advent of iTunes I used Napster and "borrowed" in spite of the fact that it was illegal- but it was stealing; I was using and enjoying the fruits of other people's labor without paying them any money. The world didn't end and I wasn't prosecuted, but it wasn't right and I knew it. In the end, all you have is your conscience, and mine is eased greatly by paying 99 cents a song- and by buying the games that I only kind of want used on ebay. It's just one of many choices you get to make in your real life- asshole, not an asshole; person contributing to our hobby by monetarily supporting those who make cool shit for us, or self-important, entitled douchebag who sponges off the rest of us and forces us to deal with the EAs of the world as a result. It always hurts, but not in the ways that you might think it does, but for me, as a former douchebag, the unintended consequences to the rest of us far outweigh any monetary loss on part of the industry.
Eh @ Oct 11th 2008 12:24AM
I never said it wasnt theft, I asked who was losing money. Of course its still stealing, hence why I said "stealing digital items." People were making stupid comparisons, one that hurt people and one that didnt.
"That just means you're cheep and lying to yourself. "
Right, more black and white logic. I managed to get by for several years without access to those stations without buying a single movie or downloading one. So no, I wouldnt have bought those movies or paid to watch them since I simply dont care about movies very much. Just because I would watch them over a rerun on regular TV doesnt mean I will pay to watch them had I not had access to unscrambled On Demand channels. Money doesnt grow on trees, I would rather be bored watching a rerun of Friends than spend money and be slightly less bored watching Iron Man, its what I did my whole life before buying an HDTV with a QAM tuner. The cable company is not losing money from my actions so Im not hurting anyone regardless if its considered stealing.
It comes down to the individual to determine if they are actually hurting someone. People cant all be like Juno and buy everything in the world that they want, there are people who actually dont care about things enough to spend money on but would still take it if it was offered to them for free.