'Sims 3' piracy rates higher than 'Spore'

'Sims 3' piracy rates higher than 'Spore'
Two weeks ago we reported that the game The Sims 3 by EA had been leaked two weeks early to P2P, and according to new data figures compiled by research firm BigChampagne, the pirated version had been downloaded over 180,000 times in just four days.

2008's most pirated game, EA's blockbuster Spore, saw 400,000 downloads in its first 10 days, so Sims 3 is on pace to beat that.



EA is saying however that the pirated version is not the final release.

"The pirated version is a buggy, pre-final build of the game," EA's Holly Rockwood said. "It’s not the full game. Half the world - an entire city - is missing from the pirated copy."

The game is set for legitimate release on Tuesday.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 May 2009 18:56
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  • 23 comments
  • Amak

    And it will still sell many copies, even with this recession.

    30.5.2009 20:16 #1

  • Hopium

    BigChampagne doesnt even have a company info page all information about this site must be obtain by email, why? because its prolly owned by the mpaa and they are prolly pulling numbers out of their ass

    30.5.2009 20:31 #2

  • b18bek9

    i'm sure it was downloaded by many but i bet it sells way more then spores also. No matter what piracy will never stop but die hard gamers and certain genre fan will always shell out money for a good game. I'm one who will play a game 2 weeks before it comes out as well but will also purchase it when it comes out if its a good game saves me having to return the game later if it sucks or at least trade in.

    30.5.2009 20:48 #3

  • nervuli

    Yes EA is right about one particular version floating around the net. The other one though is the real deal, full final version.

    31.5.2009 02:37 #4

  • Lothros

    Well, I think this will be more pirated than Spore for the simple reason that they Lied. They claimed they were not gonna use DRM, when they have CD Keys, SecuROM AND online Activation.

    31.5.2009 03:30 #5

  • Amak

    Originally posted by Lothros: Well, I think this will be more pirated than Spore for the simple reason that they Lied. They claimed they were not gonna use DRM, when they have CD Keys, SecuROM AND online Activation.A CD key is understandable...but the SecuROM and activation need to go...these companies, ESPECIALLY EA, love feeding the pirates don't they? :D

    31.5.2009 04:55 #6

  • PeaInAPod

    Sims 3? What difference is there between this and Sims 2? Do the people live differently? Do they finally move out of Sunny Valley or whatever fake place they live in? I honestly don't see how people can buy the Sims 2 for $50 all the expansion packs and then be excited to get the Sims 3. It's the same game!

    31.5.2009 13:14 #7

  • Lothros

    Originally posted by PeaInAPod: Sims 3? What difference is there between this and Sims 2? Do the people live differently? Do they finally move out of Sunny Valley or whatever fake place they live in? I honestly don't see how people can buy the Sims 2 for $50 all the expansion packs and then be excited to get the Sims 3. It's the same game!Play it for yourself and find out. It's the same gameplay, but in no way the same game.

    By your logic, why bother Playing GTA 4 when you have GTA 3!

    31.5.2009 14:10 #8

  • dragnandy

    better graphics? i havent looked into it but im sure there are new features, and plus there are fans out there who simply get it because its the next installment in the Sims series.

    31.5.2009 14:11 #9

  • PeaInAPod

    Quote:Originally posted by PeaInAPod: Sims 3? What difference is there between this and Sims 2? Do the people live differently? Do they finally move out of Sunny Valley or whatever fake place they live in? I honestly don't see how people can buy the Sims 2 for $50 all the expansion packs and then be excited to get the Sims 3. It's the same game!Play it for yourself and find out. It's the same gameplay, but in no way the same game.

    By your logic, why bother Playing GTA 4 when you have GTA 3!
    I haven't played GTA 3 or 4. But I know there are gameplay differences. Tell me what changes from Sim game to Sim game?

    31.5.2009 14:33 #10

  • Lothros

    Quote:Quote:Originally posted by PeaInAPod: Sims 3? What difference is there between this and Sims 2? Do the people live differently? Do they finally move out of Sunny Valley or whatever fake place they live in? I honestly don't see how people can buy the Sims 2 for $50 all the expansion packs and then be excited to get the Sims 3. It's the same game!Play it for yourself and find out. It's the same gameplay, but in no way the same game.

    By your logic, why bother Playing GTA 4 when you have GTA 3!
    I haven't played GTA 3 or 4. But I know there are gameplay differences. Tell me what changes from Sim game to Sim game?
    Quite a lot. The Major One in sims 3 is the fact the world is no longer broken up into lots, but is one full flowing Game World.

    31.5.2009 14:47 #11

  • B33rdrnkr

    Maybe they should sink some money into some anti piracy techniques so that they cannot be pirated....

    31.5.2009 15:54 #12

  • Gradical

    How is it exactly 180,000 in four days higher than 500,000 in 10 days??

    180,000 / 4 = 45,000

    45,000 x 10 = 450,000

    do you even do the math befor repeating what an mpaa site says, if not, at least you should title the news piracy rates higher than spore according to BigChampagne firm, dont you think?

    31.5.2009 22:00 #13

  • Pop_Smith

    Originally posted by B33rdrnkr: Maybe they should sink some money into some anti piracy techniques so that they cannot be pirated....They have put money into "Anti-piracy" tech, except that it bit them in the behind. Spore was loaded to the maximum with it (On-disc copy protection, CD-Key, and Online activations limited to 5 times.) and yet it was pirated to death anyway.

    I will probably put up the cash for this game and get it because I enjoyed the Sims 2. I won't be buying all the crazy expansion packs, however.

    1.6.2009 00:28 #14

  • bryguy12

    Quote:How is it exactly 180,000 in four days higher than 500,000 in 10 days?? Because it's exponential, not linear? Now, I'll agree that this 'counting the chickens before they hatch' math statement they're making may not prove to be true -- but I doubt it will be proven wrong at the end of the 10 days, no matter who provided the numbers.

    Just like normal P2P, there's only so many seeds with only so much bandwidth.... by the second day there's 2000 seeds (perhaps)... by the third day those 2000 have quadrupled into 8000... fourth into 50000, etc. It all depends on interested downloaders, how many seeders and bandwidth, etc.

    Again, these reported numbers could be coming straight out of their asses... just to drive the interest in the 'upcoming' release, just to sell a report back to EA, just to get your name written into news reports... who knows, who cares. If it's actually an important number to you then just wait the 10 days and celebrate it afterwards.

    1.6.2009 00:33 #15

  • DVDBack23

    Originally posted by Gradical: How is it exactly 180,000 in four days higher than 500,000 in 10 days??

    180,000 / 4 = 45,000

    45,000 x 10 = 450,000

    do you even do the math befor repeating what an mpaa site says, if not, at least you should title the news piracy rates higher than spore according to BigChampagne firm, dont you think?
    Ah, very good...I misquoted the source, should have read 400,000, not 500,000, its been edited...although I find it very plausible for Sims 3 to break 500,000 by the 10-day period. We shall see then.

    1.6.2009 02:55 #16

  • emugamer

    Above and beyond my understanding. I remember having to put my guy in a taxi for work, then wait for him to get back with some $$$. Then make sure that diapers were changed, and the garbage was taken out. I had flies all over my Sim house because I was too busy trying to keep up with my own house chores. And there was a virtual wife nagging me. Who wants to subject themselves to another family after the real one goes to sleep? I'll stick to adventure games.

    1.6.2009 12:32 #17

  • nintenut

    Originally posted by Hopium: BigChampagne doesnt even have a company info page all information about this site must be obtain by email, why? because its prolly owned by the mpaa and they are prolly pulling numbers out of their ass
    Because the Motion Picture Association of America deals with software?

    1.6.2009 14:25 #18

  • ThePastor

    Originally posted by emugamer: Above and beyond my understanding. I remember having to put my guy in a taxi for work, then wait for him to get back with some $$$. Then make sure that diapers were changed, and the garbage was taken out. I had flies all over my Sim house because I was too busy trying to keep up with my own house chores. And there was a virtual wife nagging me. Who wants to subject themselves to another family after the real one goes to sleep? I'll stick to adventure games.Ahhh, you're playing the game all wrong...

    Create a "family" with three girls and a guy. Give the guy the lifetime wish of "have 10 different girlfriends"... make the three girls work hard and keep the guy unemployed.
    Hire a maid (easy girlfriends)
    Don't "make a baby" with any of the three girls who are working for you...
    Sit back and enjoy the cashola!

    1.6.2009 15:06 #19

  • Lothros

    Quote:Originally posted by emugamer: Above and beyond my understanding. I remember having to put my guy in a taxi for work, then wait for him to get back with some $$$. Then make sure that diapers were changed, and the garbage was taken out. I had flies all over my Sim house because I was too busy trying to keep up with my own house chores. And there was a virtual wife nagging me. Who wants to subject themselves to another family after the real one goes to sleep? I'll stick to adventure games.Ahhh, you're playing the game all wrong...

    Create a "family" with three girls and a guy. Give the guy the lifetime wish of "have 10 different girlfriends"... make the three girls work hard and keep the guy unemployed.
    Hire a maid (easy girlfriends)
    Don't "make a baby" with any of the three girls who are working for you...
    Sit back and enjoy the cashola!
    The Sims 3: Mormon Edition?

    1.6.2009 15:14 #20

  • Pop_Smith

    Originally posted by Lothros:
    Originally posted by ThePastor:
    Ahhh, you're playing the game all wrong...

    Create a "family" with three girls and a guy. Give the guy the lifetime wish of "have 10 different girlfriends"... make the three girls work hard and keep the guy unemployed.
    Hire a maid (easy girlfriends)
    Don't "make a baby" with any of the three girls who are working for you...
    Sit back and enjoy the cashola!
    The Sims 3: Mormon Edition?
    Na, that sounds more like The Sims 3: Pimp Edition.

    Peace

    1.6.2009 15:37 #21

  • ThePastor

    Guilty conscience

    1.6.2009 16:38 #22

  • nintenut

    Quote:Originally posted by Lothros:
    Originally posted by ThePastor:
    Ahhh, you're playing the game all wrong...

    Create a "family" with three girls and a guy. Give the guy the lifetime wish of "have 10 different girlfriends"... make the three girls work hard and keep the guy unemployed.
    Hire a maid (easy girlfriends)
    Don't "make a baby" with any of the three girls who are working for you...
    Sit back and enjoy the cashola!
    The Sims 3: Mormon Edition?
    Na, that sounds more like The Sims 3: Pimp Edition.

    Peace

    Or how I imagine most anime fans play the game.

    1.6.2009 18:22 #23

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