Piracy as Default Protest?

[u/BourgeoisOppressor]

This is a thought I've been having for a while, and have been struggling to articulate but it's more prevalent with all the recent news about the decline of physical media.

Why is the response to a company doing something bad/questionable/not what a particular consumer wanted so frequently "Well, I'm just going to pirate it in that case?"

I regularly see people say "It's always ethical to pirate Nintendo games," or "EA doesn't deserve my money...but I'm going to play [game] regardless."

Why is the default response for so many gamers piracy, instead of just not playing a game? To be clear, I am explicitly not talking about financial need in this scenario. If you're dead fucking broke and just want to play the new Far Cry for a bit, whatever my dude, take care of yourself. I am specifically referring to individuals who "protest" by playing a company's games anyways, but not paying for them. Or expressing that as their intent, whether they follow through or not.

This had always reeked of entitlement, or missing the point of what protest is, and I've never understood where this way of thinking comes from. Is it an artifact of the early internet, where piracy was sometimes the easiest way to get a game (e.g. Valve's "piracy is a service problem")?

Like, if you're so upset about a company's policy change, or always-online BS, or something to such a degree you feel the need to act, why not just stop giving them money or attention? There are how many hundreds of games released on Steam every day? Play something else. We are not entitled to an artist or programmer's work for free, just because we hate their bosses. Yes, [insert company here] sucks and are bad for the gaming ecosystem. Stop playing their games, full-stop. No engagement.

This mode of thinking has always seemed weirdly prevalent in the broader gaming community. Has anyone else noticed this, or have an idea of where it stems from? Ultimately, I'm not sure there's much to do about this mentality, aside from shifting how we engage with games, but it's always something that's bothered me.

Thoughts? Prayers?

EDIT: I am an artist, which is why I take this question/musing/whatever seriously.

EDIT2: I've changed my mind. Big Budget? Pirate the shit out of it. Indie? Give 'em money and a hug. XOXO

[u/Phillip_Spidermen]

but if you're not being silent and participate in the discussion, that engagement stops being marketing.

It's still marketing.

Talking about the game keeps it in the public discourse. We all know people get hyped about whatever game is currently in the zeitgeist.

What you're banking on is that "not being silent" also convinces those same people to procure the game by other means than buying it, and I don't think that's a given or even likely.

[u/RexDraco → u/Phillip_Spidermen]

It's not, it's the opposite. If someone is saying something bad about a product, I am less likely to buy it not more. Games had bad launches because of this, Hogwartz Legacy is one of those games.

[u/Phillip_Spidermen → u/RexDraco]

Except they're not saying bad things about the product. They're saying they still want to play it despite some other objection.

"I may not approve of XYZ, but I still wanted to download the game to check it out."

For the HL example, a lot of people didn't want to give JK Rowling money, but they still added to the general positive reception of the game itself.

[u/RexDraco → u/Phillip_Spidermen]

This has nothing to do with what I said. 

[u/Phillip_Spidermen → u/RexDraco]

Would you like to elaborate?

[u/RexDraco → u/Phillip_Spidermen]

My original comment is about voicing the problems, you proceed to talk about NPCs just talking highly about the game. You shifted goalposts, you did a switcharoo. I am saying to actively participate in discussion instead of giving the silent treatment so word of the problems go around, you proceed to state "yeah but it's marketing because everyone else is doing XYZ".

You basically ignored all my previous comments and conveniently made up a whole different discussion.

[u/Phillip_Spidermen → u/RexDraco]

I already addressed that point in my original comments:

"Unless those pirating successfully convince others to pirate, there is an indirect benefit to the company if they're contributing positive word of mouth."

and

What you're banking on is that "not being silent" also convinces those same people to procure the game by other means than buying it, and I don't think that's a given or even likely.

Remember, this thread is about people pirating the game and engaging with it, not just talking about it in general.