Let us agree to disagree.

You're talking from a practical short-term perspective and I'm talking from a long-term idealistic perspective.

I think we'd agree that these will conflict.

If you enjoy the games, and you don't mind the DRM, by all means, I can't argue that spending the money is wrong. In your case, it's obiously the right thing to do.

In my case, it's not.

My "opinion" doesn't amount to nothing because it's really a strong statement: here is someone who bought Diablo and Diablo 2, but won't be buying Diablo 3... who bought Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, but won't be buying Mass Effect 3... who bought Morrowind and Oblivion, but won't be buying Skyrim.

Of course gaming companies are going take note, because it is a little more serious than not attracting a new customer... they're losing an existing customer.

If you can name one thing that leads to you thinking this trend will reverse over time I will listen, but I doubt you can. The market has accepted DRM on both PC and consoles, I see nothing reversing that other than perhaps Xbox Live, PSN or Steam closing forever, but even that would probably be hand-waived as long as it happened long after their prime.

If you represented any kind of significant number they would listen, but you don't.

And finally we got the real problem. Most people.

Most people what?

He means people are the problem, not the companies, which is more or less accurate. I'm not sure I would call a differing set of beliefs and priorities a "problem" but it doesn't surprise me the passionate see it that way.

Oh, right. I just thought he posted before he finished typing or something.

Depends on the beliefs and priorities. To quote a less controversial example, various countries have tabloid newspapers that basically spit on common decency, journalism ethics and the absolute truth, be it the Bild-Zeitung here or the Daily Mirror or The Sun in the UK. They're the sorts of newspapers that are considered a social scourge across the political spectrum, yet "most people" read and accept them.

His point is, just because "most people" accept it, doesn't make it good, proper or right. It's the people's acceptance of this and their ignorance of the ethical problems that are the problem.

The funny thing about that "most people are stupid sword" is that it cuts in both directions.

But then changing people is even harder a task. Or do you want to force them? For the greater good... or something similar comes to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUpbOliTHJY

Well we're all flawed fuckups and we all have bad taste in some arena. That's just humanity. I think the general point here is that expecting people to rally and educate themselves on an issue as relatively insignificant as video games when they barely do it for politics and world affairs is kind of silly.

And as long as the DRM is not to intrusive, most people would not even notice it - or think it is a issue at all, while we after all politics is linked to the pay check. (if it makes any sense...) For most users, DRM is a non-issue.