As we wait for confirmation of GTA V on PC, a developer talking off the record to PCgamesN has said companies are terrified of PC game piracy damaging sales. This is why they sometimes delay the PC release until console games have brought in sales.
“The internet will hate us”
It’s not just fear of piracy – developers also feel that if they express this view publicly they will get attacked on the internet, drowning out any positivity towards their game. Forums, comment sections, and social media can become so heated, the public debate about the game becomes ‘why does developer x hate PCs’, and developers can’t control the message about the game. With millions of dollars spent and shareholders to keep happy, companies are understandably nervous about upsetting gamers.
The gaming community certainly has a fierce reputation online. Some gamers get extremely aggressive when they see something they don’t like, even going to far as sending developers death threats. Fear of the community has become a real issue in 2013 for developers, and although the debate about how to deal with it has only just started, there’s no obvious solution.
It is a problem for PC gamers and the platform as a whole if developers feel it’s safer to hold back on releasing a game because of piracy. Not all developers feel this way. World of Goo developer 2D Boy reported a piracy rate of up to 90% of that game back in 2008, but said they didn’t believe piracy had harmed sales (if you can’t pirate a game, you will not necessarily buy it).
Is it fair for developers to delay PC releases because of a fear of piracy?
Does PC gaming makes you angry online? Check out our article ‘How to avoid online rage.’
