This is in response to the original topic subject - being tired of stealing games.
I too have had the 'crisis of conscience' every once in a while. After all, the people who introduced me to computers when I was very young were all involved in piracy, so I got involved and have always been involved. When I want a song, I download it. A shareware application? I won't even download it without access to the crack/serial keygen. A game or application? Downloading is the first thought that comes to mind. Same with books and magazines. The content is all available to download within moments of it being available authentically, so why am I going to waste time and effort heading to a store when all the content I want is available at my fingertips instantly without even leaving my computer?
Where the 'crisis of conscience' comes in is that essentially content is worthless to me. I don't value the content as purchaseable or valuable goods. I walk into my local electronics stores and make note of what's on the shelves as to what I've downloaded and what I want to download. Actually buying most of the stuff never even enters my mind. I do buy video games. In fact, I buy a ridiculous amount of them, because I love gaming, and I will always love gaming. I'm aware that my purchases contribute to the developers and continue to ensure that games continue to be made. That's not the ultimate reason why I purchase the games though. I simply like the boxes on my shelf, and the convenience of not having to worry about which flashcart the game will work on, which media to burn it on, or playing 1/2way through and coming back later only to find out my save wasn't stored. I get joy out of owning the original. That is my choice. I still pirate an ungodly amount of games, including the ones that I own, but that is also my choice. Some of the games that I purchase are still valueless to me, because the mentality is hard to shake, but at least I am more likely to spend the time completing the games I purchased because I take pride in doing so.
What I don't do is make excuses for my behaviour, nor do I try and preach from a higher moral ground. If I didn't steal all of the content I enjoy, would my consumption habits be different? Absolutely! If I purchased every piece of content I enjoyed I would be worse than flat broke. However, I do not feel entitled to the content. A lot of people falter in their arguments because they use excuses such as "I can't afford to watch/play/listen, so I steal." Piracy is theft. No, you are not entitled to steal for any lame-duck reason, including your ability or lack thereof to afford the content.
What you are entitled to in just about every corner of the world is your own choice. There is no need to apologize for your choice, or to make excuses for it. The only thing a pirate can do to improve their experience with whatever content they pirate is to try and enjoy it more. That's it. Converting from a pirate to a law-abiding citizen is difficult thing to do. A damn near impossible one. Try paying for a Windows license for each of the computers in your family, rather than using muBlinder to bypass Windows Genuine Advantage. Hurts a little, eh? Maybe you feel a little better karma-wise on the inside, and it's enough to justify it to yourself. Hey, that's OK. Do what's right for you.
Don't make what's right for you right for everyone else.
