The war against piracy in the videogame market is usually based on 4 pillars:
1) deter users. Example: if you mod your device you will be banned, you will lose your legit digital content, you won't be able to play online or to use online services, you will lose warranty, you won't be able to update your legit software or to buy new games.
2) Deter developers, by hook or by crook either with legal threats, like in the cases: Sony vs Geohot (hacking) and Sony vs Graf_Chocolo (linux on Ps3), Nintendo vs Bung (copying devices), Activision vs Brandon Wilson (reverse engineering), with continues updates, like in the cases of Xbox One, PS3, 3DS, WII etc. or with a bounty programs to encourage "responsible disclosure".
3) Deter the modding itself with non moddable consoles, like the Xbox One, the Xbox 360 Winchester or with console that weren't modded for the most part of their commercial life, like the PSVita or the Wii Mini.
4) Deter third parties, like Nintendo & Sony vs Lik Sang (reseller of modchip), or taking legal action against sites with pirated content, like Emuparadise or Romshepherd.
In the market of other digital goods like books, movies and music, enforcing the point 1 - 3 was almost impossible and the point 4 impractical so the industry decided to provide contents that was easy to access and cheap, often with a subscription. Services like Spotify, Kindle unlimited and Netflix were born. You won't have everything but you will have enough content (of variable quality) to keep you amused.
On the Xbox One forum here on GBATemp almost every month there is someone asking if it is possible to load backup on Xbox One (answer:no) and someone else responding: with Xbox gamepass, piracy is not necessary.
Let's see if it's true.
The Xbox game pass offers about 230 titles to play on your local console (no streaming). The quality is variable: from good AAA titles to decent indie games there is enough stuff to keep you busy.
Let's assume I am able to "pirate" Gamepass by extending the expire date by keeping the console disconnected from the network (note: it's not possible but let's say there is a method to do so). I will need to download all the 230 games and buy an 8tb hard drive only for that (I think they should fit in 8tb) for 151 euro/dollars (amazon price). 3 years of gamepass ultimate (with gold included) cost 150 euro/dollars (it's 50 euro/dollars/year for Live gold and 1 euro con convert it to gamepass; the offer it's not always available but it was on black friday).
After 3 years I break even. What are the total costs?
Legit subscription for 3 years = 151 euro/dollars
Total games available in 3 years = at least 300 (games are added and removed so it's an estimate but probably you will be able to enjoy even more titles)
Total games available with games with gold (quality is...not great but they add up anyway to the final number) = 144
Cost for each game game 0.33 euro/dollars each (total: 444 games playable in 3 years)
At the end of the 3 years I can keep on my account 72 Xbox360 games, received as part of gold, playable without any further payment. Value of those, about 60 euro/dollars (I will be happy to pay less than 1 euro/dollar for whatever shitty game on xbox).
Plus: I can still receive game updates, still buy and play legitimate games, still use the online service of Xbox marketplace and still use Netflix :-)
Pirating costs for 3 years = 151 euro/dollars (8tb hard drive)
Total games available in 3 years = 230
Cost for each game game = 0.65 euro/dollars
At the end of the 3 years I can keep the 8tb hard drive with a possible value of 60 euro/dollars used
Minus: I cannot use the Xbox as a streaming media device, I cannot update my games (pirated or legit).
Xbox game pass vs piracy it's a win for Microsoft because piracy is going to cost you more...
The 5th pillar against piracy is: provide a good amount of average decent content for a good price.
If the users are not interested in piracy anymore because they have an easy and cheap way (actually even cheaper than pirating) to enjoy their console the first 4 pillar became useless.
This could be the final nail in the coffin regards to piracy on consoles? Will be the same on PCs?
1) deter users. Example: if you mod your device you will be banned, you will lose your legit digital content, you won't be able to play online or to use online services, you will lose warranty, you won't be able to update your legit software or to buy new games.
2) Deter developers, by hook or by crook either with legal threats, like in the cases: Sony vs Geohot (hacking) and Sony vs Graf_Chocolo (linux on Ps3), Nintendo vs Bung (copying devices), Activision vs Brandon Wilson (reverse engineering), with continues updates, like in the cases of Xbox One, PS3, 3DS, WII etc. or with a bounty programs to encourage "responsible disclosure".
3) Deter the modding itself with non moddable consoles, like the Xbox One, the Xbox 360 Winchester or with console that weren't modded for the most part of their commercial life, like the PSVita or the Wii Mini.
4) Deter third parties, like Nintendo & Sony vs Lik Sang (reseller of modchip), or taking legal action against sites with pirated content, like Emuparadise or Romshepherd.
In the market of other digital goods like books, movies and music, enforcing the point 1 - 3 was almost impossible and the point 4 impractical so the industry decided to provide contents that was easy to access and cheap, often with a subscription. Services like Spotify, Kindle unlimited and Netflix were born. You won't have everything but you will have enough content (of variable quality) to keep you amused.
On the Xbox One forum here on GBATemp almost every month there is someone asking if it is possible to load backup on Xbox One (answer:no) and someone else responding: with Xbox gamepass, piracy is not necessary.
Let's see if it's true.
The Xbox game pass offers about 230 titles to play on your local console (no streaming). The quality is variable: from good AAA titles to decent indie games there is enough stuff to keep you busy.
Let's assume I am able to "pirate" Gamepass by extending the expire date by keeping the console disconnected from the network (note: it's not possible but let's say there is a method to do so). I will need to download all the 230 games and buy an 8tb hard drive only for that (I think they should fit in 8tb) for 151 euro/dollars (amazon price). 3 years of gamepass ultimate (with gold included) cost 150 euro/dollars (it's 50 euro/dollars/year for Live gold and 1 euro con convert it to gamepass; the offer it's not always available but it was on black friday).
After 3 years I break even. What are the total costs?
Legit subscription for 3 years = 151 euro/dollars
Total games available in 3 years = at least 300 (games are added and removed so it's an estimate but probably you will be able to enjoy even more titles)
Total games available with games with gold (quality is...not great but they add up anyway to the final number) = 144
Cost for each game game 0.33 euro/dollars each (total: 444 games playable in 3 years)
At the end of the 3 years I can keep on my account 72 Xbox360 games, received as part of gold, playable without any further payment. Value of those, about 60 euro/dollars (I will be happy to pay less than 1 euro/dollar for whatever shitty game on xbox).
Plus: I can still receive game updates, still buy and play legitimate games, still use the online service of Xbox marketplace and still use Netflix :-)
Pirating costs for 3 years = 151 euro/dollars (8tb hard drive)
Total games available in 3 years = 230
Cost for each game game = 0.65 euro/dollars
At the end of the 3 years I can keep the 8tb hard drive with a possible value of 60 euro/dollars used
Minus: I cannot use the Xbox as a streaming media device, I cannot update my games (pirated or legit).
Xbox game pass vs piracy it's a win for Microsoft because piracy is going to cost you more...
The 5th pillar against piracy is: provide a good amount of average decent content for a good price.
If the users are not interested in piracy anymore because they have an easy and cheap way (actually even cheaper than pirating) to enjoy their console the first 4 pillar became useless.
This could be the final nail in the coffin regards to piracy on consoles? Will be the same on PCs?