Claire FountainIf you’re a gamer, chances are you’ve seen (maybe even played!) a stolen game or two making the rounds on Reddit or notable piracy sites.
And if you’re a game developer, it may be one of your biggest fears to find the indie game you worked so hard on redistributed with someone else making money off of your hard work.
Let’s dive into what video game piracy is and how you can prevent it.
Reclaim Your Stolen Content
Our content was stolen! So, we found an anti-piracy expert to reclaim our lost rankings and stop unauthorized copies. Now you can work with him too.
- Avoid lost revenue when others monetize YOUR content
- Stop brand damage when your name is used on shady websites
- Prevent pirated copies from appearing above you in search results
We offer this website completely free to our visitors. To help pay the bills, we’ll often (but not always) set up affiliate relationships with the top providers after selecting our favorites. However, we do our best not to let this impact our choices. There are plenty of high-paying companies we’ve turned down because we didn’t like their product.
An added benefit of our relationships is that we always try to negotiate exclusive discounts for our visitors.
What Is Video Game Piracy?
Video game piracy refers to the unauthorized distribution of a game without the original game creator’s knowledge or consent.
It’s a hot topic in the gaming community, as there are arguments for (it allows gamers to play games they can’t afford) and against (it’s illegal, and it can be regarded as amoral since it is unethical use of an original piece of art) participating in video game piracy.
Ultimately, it has been, is currently, and will likely always be, illegal. And it sucks when it happens to one of your games.
Impact of Video Game Piracy
There are many different ways that piracy can negatively affect a game’s reputation and more.
Some of the most notable impacts of video game piracy include:
- Loss in revenue
- Worsened user experience
- Unfair play/cheats that make the game less fun
- User data leaks
- Damaged reputation of the game creator/developers
- Overwhelmed customer support teams as they deal with complaints from gamers using the pirated versions
A pirated game is a threat to your reputation as a game developer, to your customer service team, and to your wallet.
Methods to Prevent Video Game Piracy
There are things you can do when making and releasing your game to make it less likely to end up on a pirate site.
Here are some of the most effective methods to prevent video game piracy.
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
One of the most popular ways game makers prevent video game piracy is by using Digital Rights Management software.
DRM is a system that prevents piracy using things like encryption, unique product keys, or activation codes and manages licenses so that only users with valid licenses can play the game.
This also includes region-specific restrictions that ensure that games are only played in certain areas.
The key to using a DRM is to use it well. Some DRMs can interfere with gameplay, cause lags, and even bug out from time to time. To ensure a positive experience for players, make sure your DRM is functioning properly.
Encryption and Server-Side Authentication
Another good way to protect your game from piracy is to use encryption and server-side authentication.
Encrypting game data means that only authorized parties (ie paying customers who have activated their accounts online) can access it.
Server-side authentication checks can be built into the game to regularly check in with the server as the gamer is playing the game.
Updates & Patches
Providing regular updates to fix bugs and provide new in-game content and enhancements means that pirates have to work overtime to provide gamers with the latest version of their authentic game.
Connect with the Community
Building a community around your game kind of humanizes the content and gives players a vested interest in the creator of their favorite game’s success.
If you create a sense of community around your game, gamers will want to support your game by buying it from you.
Hire a Service
If you want to stay on top of keeping your game safe and finding and removing pirated copies of it, consider hiring a DMCA takedown service so that they can provide ongoing protection, monitoring, takedowns, and support.
Online content creators of all kinds are using DMCA takedown services to keep their IP safe from piracy.
As course creators, we know firsthand how frustrating it is to fight off online pirates, which is why we started our own DMCA takedown service.
Monitoring for Video Game Piracy
How do you know when your video game has been pirated?
There are a few proactive ways to monitor the internet for pirated versions of your game and even notice when your game may be ripped off during play.
One of these is online authentication checks where the gaming system checks in with an official server periodically. If it can’t reach the server, it’s likely copied.
You can also monitor common pirate sites and forums to see if you can find any illegal copies of your game.
Lastly, you can track your own analytics using in-game tools to see where people are playing your game and look for any red flags that could signal a possible pirate.
Video Game Piracy Enforcement
Is there anything you can do if you find a pirated copy of your game?
Yes!
Piracy is illegal, and as the original creator of content that has been stolen, you have rights.
Filing a DMCA takedown is often the first step to enforce these laws. To do this, you’ll need to collect information that proves you are the original developer of the game and URLs of any place you have found the pirated game distributed.
Legally, the pirate is required to remove the content promptly, but you will likely need to follow up again. This is why we recommend using a service so that you don’t have to deal with it.
If they don’t remove the content, you may have to escalate things. In the end, you could end up suing pirate sites for stealing your content.
Reclaim Your Stolen Content
Our content was stolen! So, we found an anti-piracy expert to reclaim our lost rankings and stop unauthorized copies. Now you can work with him too.
- Avoid lost revenue when others monetize YOUR content
- Stop brand damage when your name is used on shady websites
- Prevent pirated copies from appearing above you in search results
Frequently Asked Questions
How do games prevent piracy?
Games prevent piracy by using DRM systems, encryption, authentication, and integrity checks to prevent game piracy.
How do games detect piracy?
Games detect piracy by tracking in-game analytics, server-side authentication checks, watermarks, and even hiring a monitoring service to find pirated copies.
Can you go to jail for pirating games?
Yes, you can go to jail for up to 5 years for pirating games.
What is considered game piracy?
Game piracy refers to the illegal copying, ownership, and distribution of a video game.
