kyogen: Of course, there's always this argument:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2653-Piracy The vids of Neil Gaiman and Gabe Newell make good points, too, but here's a slightly different view.
Ooookay.... despite some points are interesting and arguably agreeable, after reading the comments below the video, the answers can be pretty much summed up like this:
1. Distribute games free of DRM to build and maintain the customers' trusts and care. Make them feel connected, respected and heard.
2. Set prices based on region. This is the key trick, I think. Fact is fact: $60 in US is NOT the same as $60 in Panama, for instance. Much less in Asia.
3. Provide demos that are *really* and *actually* representing the end product.
What do you think?
Granted that none of the options / solutions above are easily implemented, or even cheap. But hey, at the very least this would greatly reduces the excuses for people resorting to piracy, and for the [big] publishers to stop bullshitting their customers under the pretext of piracy--aka, used games business.
Thus, it actually still comes down to the people. The best the industry can do is to provide the mechanisms by which they'd learn, appreciate, and choose. Fairly and honorably.
Utopia? Not so much. It can be done. Starting with faith. And action.
I think.