Other than being ethically correct, what are the benefits of playing with original game CDs?

My friend has a quote he loves to say after I complain about something: "First world problem."

Many of us in the US or EU quickly forget that the majority of the world isn't as well off as we are. While looking down on Piracy is a common social norm in western countries, once you head out to countries like China, Piracy starts to become the norm. One of the problems companies like Microsoft have is their inability to remove legacy software (like IE 6) because of the wide spread proliferation of piracy (ie. Windows XP). So I think it's worth taking the time to go back over why we like to pay for things.

Obviously there are moral reasons, but when you're making minimum wage (or are a starving college student) it's understandable that your morality is "flexible." However, one of the most compelling reasons I have for paying for video games is actually applicable. I call it: Voting with your Wallet.

I understand the principal is fairly capitalistic, but I've believed in it since I was very young. I buy the games I like and in turn the companies who made those games get more money to produce more games. Games I don't think I'll like, I don't purchase, I soon return them or I tell my friends not to buy them. The net result is that poor games (in my opinion) receive less cash flow.

Do you think there would be a Modern Warfare 2 if Modern Warfare wasn't a financial success? Companies are designed to thrive on profits and by selectively buying the games I want, I'm encouraging the companies which produce products I like to continue to produce those products (and others to imitate). Companies who's games don't yield profits are unlikely to continue their franchises.

Ever wonder why the greatest game ever made, Sacrifice, never had a sequel? Because no one bought it. It doesn't matter how good a game is on it's own merit, but rather how much money it yields is a far better indicator of the success of the franchise. Sure you can point to games like Starcraft and the wide spread piracy, but you have to remember that game was a huge financial success long before the days of napster and limewire.

So my reason for buying the "original CD"? Voting with my wallet

I'm hesitant to post anything that might be misconstrued as being "in favor" of pirating games, but I don't think its really possible to appreciate the disadvantages of pirating games without also looking at the other side of things.

First up, the advantages of piracy:

• Its cheaper (duh)
• It can be difficult to find places that still sell older games
• Many games are not available for online download legally (which is irritating as an impatient "I want to play it now!" sort of person)
• Many DRM systems have an activation limit which players may legitimately reach if they change or reconfigure their PC often. Obviously pirated games have no such limitations.
• There have been instances of DRM system failures making games unplayable, sometimes for days. Again pirated copies were not affected.
• Some DRM systems also required an internet connection in order to play, again pirated copies had no such restrictions.
• For games that require that the CD be present pirates can use a mounted CD-ROM image instead.
• Certain invasive DRM systems have even been reported to introduce security vulnerabilities and performance issues (however I'm not aware of any cases where these were actually exploited)

The reasons why you should buy your games:

• Its a hassle to install priated games
• Pirated games are often impossible to update
• Pirated games come from an untrusted source and may contain viruses or other harmful software
• Certain platforms (e.g. consoles / iPhone) require that the platform be "chipped" or "jailbroken" in order to run pirated games. This can be risky, prevent you from running legally obtained games and will invariably invalidate your warranty.
• Online multiplayer is often not possible with pirated copies
• You don't get any manuals or other "merchandise" with the game (also think about games like Guitar Hero)

Price is obviously a compelling factor as to why people pirate games, but many of the other advantages of pirated games are related to invasive and over-zealous DRM systems - Console games generally don't have these problems and I think the situation is improving for PC games (admitedly after a wave of bad press over games like Spore).

Systems like Steam and the AppStore are also doing a lot to incentive the would-be pirate into paying for their games by providing demos, easy online purchasing and download of games, and (in the case of Steam) standardised high-quality DRM systems that are less invasive for the user.

Another big plus in favor of buying your games is online play - Online play is difficult (if not impossible) for most modern pirated games. Also pirated games can be difficult to obtain and install.

The other big plus in favor of paying for your games is that you are supporting the developer. As others have already mentioned gamers benefit in the long run by voting with their wallet - in the past when money has been short I fully admit to having copied games, but I've always made sure that I go back and pay someone some money for the games that I enjoyed.

The one thing that turned me away from using any kind of pirated software (particularly games) is the issue of trust. How can you trust running software that has been modified by individuals who are willing and able to break through all the complicated layers of security to basically steal someone's product for you. What are their intentions? What else did they modify while they were adding the no-cd crack. It's not like I am keeping any state secrets on my computer but I would hate to think that someone is key logging my online activity or stealing precious bandwidth in the background. Even if the cracker has my best interests at heart, how do I know that it is stable and doesn't break something else?

I began to think of purchasing games as an investment: a couple of days work and I can afford to buy a something that gives me months, maybe years worth of enjoyment. Plus I know that the people who committed thousands of hours into creating the product I am enjoying are getting their well deserved pay check and have reason to make more games.

Ultimately, video games are no different to any other goods or service. Anything can be stolen given the right tools. The reason we don't steal everything is because there are consequences to doing so.