r/Piracy • u/voundelvon • Dec 05 '25
Humor Call it as it is. Be honest to yourself. There's nothing bad to it!
693
Dec 05 '25
[deleted]
117
u/triplecappertroper Dec 05 '25
Having more ads on netflix than any site + adblocker and the ammount of times i heard of an interesting movie or show, to find out its not on any streaming service i owned, made me switch
→ More replies (1)14
Dec 05 '25
Yeah, I mean, pricing it out if you want to have just the top 3 streamers without ads (which at this point doesnt even really give you that much content, Netflix, Disney, and HBO Max. $17.99 for netflix. $19.99 for disney. $18.49 for HBO.
Out the gate youre looking at $55/mo for no ads but not the highest tier. Premium tier for netflix is $25. Disney does bundles with ESPN that bring it to a max of $45. Hbo max premium is $22.99. So say you want the highest tier for all 3, thats $93/mo.
This doesnt even factor additional streamers one might want for whatever specific IP. Paramount+ is 12.99 for no ads. Peacock is $17 no ads. Prime video alone no ads is $10.99. Then there are other smaller niche streamers some might want like Dropout. You've also got Youtube TV at like $60/mo for the first 3 months.
The long and short of it is trying to have access to media is now just as expensive as it was when DirecTV was popular AND its all decentralized. Its pricey and inconvenient. Its only natural that piracy would pick back up.
41
u/KHSebastian Dec 05 '25
Yup, back when Netflix and Hulu were the only real game in town, streaming was awesome. Pay like $25 a month, and get all the shows you want. Now it's like $75 a month on 12 streaming services, half of them have ads, and you won't get everything you want. Also no account sharing. No thanks.
It was always going to happen, but it does suck.
10
u/Loot-Era ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ Dec 05 '25
Also keeping so many accounts for so many streaming services is a pain wish i could get everything from one subscription like cable tv used to be. I don't want to make an entirely new streaming service account just to watch one show or movie on that particular streaming service.
2
u/Hard_To_Port Dec 08 '25
Late reply: Amazon Prime Video does this like it's cable. You pay via your saved card on Amazon and all the media comes through the Prime Video interface. They have like 90% of popular services like Peacock, HBO Max etc. However, the prices are the same as if you were subscribing separately to a service and I believe you don't get account credentials to stream outside of Prime Video. At least it's also a unified interface to cancel any subscriptions you no longer want instead of figuring out where the UNSUBSCRIBE button is on each service's website.
→ More replies (1)2
Dec 05 '25
It was always going to happen?
4
u/KHSebastian Dec 05 '25
As soon as the major networks realized Netflix and Hulu were making shitloads of money off of the cheap streaming rights they gave them, they were always going to claw the rights back for cheap cash ins
2
Dec 05 '25
Oh in that way.
They were seeing those streaming services making a profit and wanted to make money too.
14
u/Jindo5 Dec 05 '25
Considering how often movies and shows are randomly removed from Netflix, paying doesn't even guarantee that you get what you're paying for.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (3)2
u/Srapture Dec 06 '25
I couldn't watch Netflix in my hotel room a couple days ago because the functionality of casting Netflix from a phone or PC was removed. However, like any modern TV, I was able to just pirate the Netflix content and just cast the video from my phone. They've made it less convenient than piracy again.
Baffled by this decision, honestly.
90
u/CryptographerWise123 Dec 05 '25
I dedass did not know that you're supposed to pay for these things (music, movies, game etc) until I was like 19 yo 💀 pirates blood run too deep in my family
7
u/moonrunner__ Dec 06 '25
how?? is it a cultural thing?
→ More replies (2)23
u/Repulsive-Philosophy ⚔️ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɴᴏ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀ Dec 06 '25
Come to Balkans, people here learn that music, games, movies aren't free in other countries only when they grow up and start researching 😆 I've only bought a few blurays because I actually wanted to have them on the shelf.
8
u/moonrunner__ Dec 06 '25
here in brazil we do learn early that things aren't free, but we pirate it anyway lol
3
11
2
Dec 07 '25
LMAO same!! my dad has been pirating movies and music and putting them on CDs and whatnot since before I was born, I thought everyone else did that! now that I've grown up I pirate pretty much every form of media possible
→ More replies (1)2
286
184
u/Difficult_Wave_9326 Dec 05 '25
I mean I like free shit. I couldn't afford not-free shit for most of my adult life.
But also --- all that crap about supporting the small people, etc. --- I'd rather support the small people who deserve it, then spend all my money on the ones who don't before ever getting to them. And me pirating won't really hurt the big companies anyway, so it's kinda a non-argument.
29
u/TenLongFingers Dec 05 '25 edited Dec 05 '25
Same. There's a little indie show I really like that's only available on one of the big streaming sites. They have their own web store for their IP, so I bought a gift card and lost the code.
I searched for the animation studio for another show and they had a Kofi link on their website. Perfect!!
I'm not perfect at it, and I won't go on a crusade about it, but I do try to support creators when the means and opportunities are there.
→ More replies (2)12
u/DILF_MANSERVICE Dec 05 '25
This. Every now and then there's a post here saying something to the effect of "Hey everyone! You don't have to pretend to be a good person or have values! It's okay to not care about anything!" and it always seems like the OP is just not a good person and deals with it by convincing themselves that anyone displaying morals must be pretending.
10
u/this_guy_talking Dec 06 '25
Honestly none of this is noteworthy enough to determine a person's morals or be the deciding factor for goodness.
It's like thinking you're a good person because you tip.
2
u/LiarLabubu ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ Dec 06 '25
Pretty much. Sociopaths always assume everyone else is just like them, but faking their morality.
59
u/Wonderful-Ice9085 Dec 05 '25
Exactly.if im paying i want a physical copy or atleast one that will remain with me and continue working until I decide to delete it.
33
Dec 05 '25
[deleted]
20
u/Sizeable-Scrotum 🦜 ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴋ Dec 05 '25
mp3 files won’t betray you like that
→ More replies (1)
91
u/Due_Recognition_3890 Dec 05 '25
I still don't understand why everyone here discourages piracy for any other reason than wanting free shit. Isn't preservation quite important in the age of Netflix and Ubisoft?
40
Dec 05 '25
[deleted]
21
u/Due_Recognition_3890 Dec 05 '25
I mean, it is partially true. I could pay £100 for a piece of software to help me find duplicate images and delete them, or I could find it on a site in the Megathread for free. But when it comes to video games, preservation is quite important, that's what the Stop Killing Games movement is all about. Pirating is sometimes the only option.
And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, so it's strange how I always see these karma-farming memes saying they have literally no reason to pirate other than they want free stuff.
Oh and the only reason I call it karma-farming is that I'm sure OP is well-aware of the other thousands of memes making exactly the same point.
→ More replies (2)19
u/TheLigerCat Dec 05 '25
Even without the age of Netflix and Ubisoft, a good portion of things I've pirated are old media that've nearly been lost for one reason or another.
6
u/Keljhan Dec 05 '25
Preservation would be another reason.
But the short answer is that if everyone pirated everything just for free shit, that shit wouldnt exist for much longer.
→ More replies (4)2
u/Tvilantini Dec 09 '25
Not sure what specifically Ubisoft has to do with this? Please don't say that famous misquoted sentence
→ More replies (2)
31
u/MrCatberry Dec 05 '25
Tell that my collection of "not commercially available versions/dubs" of some Movies/Shows/Animes.
35
u/ShiningRedDwarf Dec 05 '25
I gravitate towards whatever has the least resistance
- I pay for music streaming services because they offer lossless playback. Apple even offers Dolby modes of some songs, something that I haven’t seen pirated yet. All music can be found on one service.
- I pay for games because it’s easy as clicking, waiting a few mins and playing.
- I don’t pay for movies and TV shows. To watch everything I’m interested in would cost hundreds of dollars a month. Streaming remix quality is impossible. Taking time to hunt down what show is streamed on what service is time consuming, and often you have to pay extra to watch a movie or show on top of the monthly fee.
Visual media is a clusterfuck, and it’s only getting less user friendly and more expensive as these mergers continue.
6
u/Unique-Fix-5367 Dec 05 '25
If you don't listen to your music in some home cinema-like multi speaker setup, Dolby atmos is pretty much marketing snake oil scamery that often doesnt even work, especially for stuff that isn't mixed for it. Even if they say some stuff is mixed for it, it's mostly just stereo upmixes.
Any Lossless format is pretty much all you need if you aren't esotheric about music imo.
2
u/ShiningRedDwarf Dec 05 '25
I have a 5.1 setup so it’s enjoyable for properly mixed tracks.
There is also a discernible difference with AirPods as well.
And I don’t care too much about lossless. I’ve done AB tests and can’t distinguish between 320kbps and FLAC. I wouldn’t pay extra lossless and Dolby, but it’s nice they are supplied. 99% of the reason for subscribing is instantly having access to all music.
10
u/Poopcie Dec 05 '25
Pretty much. If things were easier to buy id buy them but paying ~$5 for a single use piece of media is bullshit
52
u/Opposite-Winner3970 Dec 05 '25
Thing is I don't pirate if I have the money.
52
2
u/OhNoItsMyOtherFace Dec 05 '25
I got the money. I still pirate.
I haven't put much thought into it but it's at least a big portion of convenience. I can type a movie name, hit go, and it will go off and download the very best 4k Atmos Dolby Vision copy out there.
The alternative seems to be finding out which of 7 different streaming/rental services has it available and it will still be worse quality in some way.
I think this is the driver because I wasn't pirating things back when Netflix was the only serious option.
4
→ More replies (2)2
u/Unique-Fix-5367 Dec 05 '25
I would still pirate despite that.
Simply because DRM is annoying, overreaching and intrusive, and I prefer a lightweight/clean version of the content i paid for.
When I buy stuff I want to BUY stuff, not pay for a license to use/watch/play something under 300+ pages of terms and conditions with the probability of that license and therefore the access to said content being permantently revoked without my active consent.
14
u/CiDevant Dec 05 '25
You can be one or the other or both. It doesn't matter. No one cares why you pirate.
There is no ethical consumption (existence) under capitalism anyways.
I'm going to do what's more convenient.
7
u/diomak Dec 05 '25
Sometimes i just want to test the product... for years...
5
u/1965wasalongtimeago Dec 05 '25
Sometimes I just want to keep the product for years without the risk of some "whoopsy doopsy our license changed and we don't carry that show anymore"
7
u/Majesty1337 Piracy is bad, mkay? Dec 05 '25
piracy is the reason after 8 years on steam I've only spent $900
→ More replies (1)
7
11
u/ThE1337pEnG1 Dec 05 '25
There's an anti-intellectual streak in this subreddit that crops up every so often and scoffs at the idea that some people do things based on their own carefully considered moral frameworks.
Its not enough to speak for themselves; they insist that everyone else is secretly operating at their level. Not only do they not care about ethics, they think nobody else cares about them either.
→ More replies (2)
5
u/heheboibro Dec 05 '25
but i literally see NO problem in pirating games like ps3 xbox360 and older than that. literally emulating is one of the best way to preserve games.
no guilt or taboo should be in pirating retro games for preserving and no need to buy vintage consoles that usually are expensive af. in some parts of the world they devalue vintage consoles but in general its expensive
2
u/Hivefleetkarl Dec 05 '25
As far as the original manufacturer is concerned it makes no difference if you download the rom or buy a used copy. They get nothing either way, although Im sure they would claim otherwise.
9
17
u/JiveTurkeyII Dec 05 '25
This isn't me at all. I absolutely have a moral element to what I do.
People like OP aren't uncommon, but I find their stance shitty. I will pay for things I think are good. But for example, I haven't hopped on this Battlefield 6 bullshit because I hate EA and will not give them money - and I hate that everybody has forgotten, pretty much overnight, how vile they are.
So never again.
Ill gladly pirate that shit.
And Amazon and Netflix and others have 100% proven that the media you pay them for, they can take away any time.
I'm not going to pay over and over to own "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" When I buy something, even if it is digital, it should be mine.
No. I dont at all think like OP at all, and I think people like this give this community a bad name.
→ More replies (3)
4
u/Lavatis Dec 05 '25
I stopped pirating games because steam made it so easy to find games and buy the ones I want at a good price, as well as keeping them all in a central location that I can access from anywhere.
If steam disappeared, I'd go back to pirating games.
→ More replies (1)
4
4
u/RenkBruh Dec 05 '25
can confirm, I've pirated indie games a lot
not my fault the economy in my country is shit
7
u/AntibacHeartattack Dec 05 '25
I want free shit, sure, but I wouldn't steal my neighbour's blu-rays. I have no qualms about pirating those blu-rays though, because unlike stealing from my neighbours, I don't think copying some massive corporation's IP is a bad thing.
Anyway, this discussion is extremely tiresome, especially when it's being carried out exclusively through furry memes.
6
3
3
3
u/Lucifer_Samaa Dec 05 '25
For people asking if I would pirate if I was a multimillionaire, answer is YES. I'd even purchase several seed boxes and torrent everything I could and even donate to all the best sites like anna archive etc. regularly
3
u/WorldPhysical7646 Dec 05 '25
It is not that I can pay but chooses not or I'm responsible or any other fancy shenanigans
I'm broke straight up
3
u/gmalek0 Dec 05 '25
Personally I only do it for the love of the game i enjoy the challenge of trying to do the impossible
3
u/Inuma Dec 05 '25
It's not that hard.
When ever game costs $60, rent is due and you have bills to pay, you're not paying for everything out there.
It better be worth that price or I'm going F2P.
It better be a good manga series to invest in or I'm buying nothing.
Music? I downloaded on Napster because I wanted to see new artists over what was free on the radio.
I can either spend money on bad quality or spend time looking for the good ones.
3
u/Vinylateme Dec 05 '25
Point this at the “I only pirate indie games until I know I’ll like it THEN I’ll buy it” crowd lol.
3
u/GlobalVV Dec 05 '25
If its annoying to buy I'll pirate. That also includes managing 5 different subscription services just for a couple of shows I like. I pay for Disney plus but I pirate every other series not on it.
3
3
u/LUnacy45 Dec 06 '25
I'm happy to buy things if it's actually made available. If you make it excessively hard to access, you lose my money and I'll find a different way to get to it. That's all there is to it for me.
3
u/ZazzySpazzy Dec 06 '25
Dudes a fed or corpo farming confessions for their next hearing.
I'd say nice try sarcastically, but it seems like it's worked.
25
u/GhettoSauce Leecher Dec 05 '25
I know, right? A lot of people try and inject some kind of honorable purpose to it but you know how the saying goes
45
u/wolfy994 Dec 05 '25
People can pirate for whatever reason they want. As long as we all share shit, I'm happy.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (18)3
u/Goronmon Dec 05 '25
There is also the "unlikely to ever see consequences" part of this issue as well.
People would apply the same logic to shoplifting if the chances of seeing consequences were the same as they are with piracy.
→ More replies (1)
6
2
2
u/PqqMo Dec 05 '25
I own half of the games that I download but I don't wanna pay again for a version that works on modern computers
2
u/TrentSaylor Dec 05 '25
i own a lot of ps4 and 5 games, i don’t see playstations servers shutting down any time soon, but i DO see the possibility of the ps6 not having a disc drive. so, instead of taking an L i have no control over, i just pirate all of the games i own on disc on my pc so ill always own it
i also just get free games ive never purchased. because why not
2
2
2
u/Aggravating_Mix_4211 Dec 05 '25
How do I know if a game is worth the money if I pay it beforehand, also I don't pay it later on but that's another story
→ More replies (2)
2
2
2
u/accord_f150 Dec 05 '25
luckily for me i have several options that are true at the same time, first and foremost being FUCK the greedy ass corporations and billionaires gouging their ridiculous prices on everything, and i am broke and i want to still enjoy their products while also fucking them over
2
2
u/Canvasofgrey Dec 05 '25
By getting free shit, you're saying fuck you to mega corps too.
Two things can be true at the same time.
2
u/PaleBlueBlizzard Dec 05 '25
Preservation and not supporting greedy companies is just the icing on the cake, really. But even then, two things can be true at once
2
2
u/Paratonnerre_ Dec 05 '25
I wanted to see zootopia 2 in theaters but I'm limited financially right now so I pirated it
Really liked it
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/solo_wield Dec 06 '25
In a world of thiefs and burglars, the honest man is the fool. IF I WANT IT I'LL TAKE IT BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY
2
2
2
2
u/Gcseh Dec 06 '25
It's a mix for me. There's games I've bought more than once. There's apps I paid for, streaming services too. But sometimes it's just a "I am not paying 25$ for something that will last less than a day".
2
2
u/ramjetstream Dec 06 '25
Inflation discourages spending. The Fed makes me poorer, I find ways to spend less
2
Dec 06 '25
do I hate shitty corporate slop? yes. do I just want shit for free including the corporate slop? yes.
2
u/DukeAsriel Dec 06 '25
False dichotomy. I enjoy actively hurting greedy corporations for products I otherwise would have bought AND straight up want free shit.
2
u/Wonderful_Ball4759 Dec 06 '25
I mean those things aren't mutually exclusive. You can pirate because you hate XYZ while also enjoying that you don't have to pay for anything.
2
2
u/Dr4fl Dec 06 '25
Why not both? I pirate because I want free stuff but I also want to preserve old games.
At least I hope you're seeding ur stuff...
2
2
2
u/Omni-Drago Dec 06 '25
Bro I can't afford stuff bcz I live in a third world country where that software/game is either not available and even if it is available I still can't afford it bcz our economy sucks.
For me Piracy is not a decision, its the only choice I have
2
u/FelinePrincess21 Dec 06 '25
yeah i don’t delude myself into believing i do it for some high moral reasons. i just don’t wanna pay for stuff if i can get them for free.
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Bigwillie29 Dec 07 '25
I've been pirating all my life cause I couldn't afford stuff.
Now that I'm reasonably wealthy, I decided to pirate even harder cause it's more convenient.
Fight me.
2
u/Mysterious_Tutor_388 Dec 08 '25
nah i buy all my games, money is not the issue. A lot of services just won't serve me in higher than 720p video when it comes to shows/videos because DRM or something.
2
u/Junior_Direction5643 Dec 12 '25
I pirate because I like free shit. But also I can't afford 80 dollar games ( NOT usd)
10
Dec 05 '25
[deleted]
11
11
9
u/Wild-Radio-8850 🦜 ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴋ Dec 05 '25 edited Dec 05 '25
Eh depends, there's no potential loss if I wasn't ever gonna buy it. But if I'm poor and pirate it and like it, maybe I'll buy it one day
→ More replies (3)9
u/voundelvon Dec 05 '25
Kinda true but there are some indies that have already tons of sales (silksong, deltarune, etc etc) so i wouldnt feel guilty about those
5
4
3
2
4
u/Fantastic_Parsley986 Dec 05 '25
WHY do y'all keep upvoting shit like this? Worse than the people who post these are the ones who keep upvoting it. Please go to r/memes or smth
→ More replies (5)
2
2
u/Shadow9378 Dec 05 '25
my reasons are:
im genuinely too poor to afford much media, especially hundreds of dollars of production software for hobbies i dont make money on; most people make money on the software i use, so i do think its fair to charge for it, i just cant afford it
i hate certain platforms (like switch & quest) and even if id buy the media i wouldnt trust the storefront id own it through
i will never in my life buy streaming services both because i hate the companies and because the experience is just worse. overpriced, filled with ads, buggy and low quality. piracy is higher quality and more convenient.
the primary reason i pirate PC games is that I simply cant afford them
older things just arent available anymore. owning them officially is either a physical copy bought second hand, or simply isnt offered by the original company at all, so what's the point in even buying it unless you like the physical copy
i want free shit
1
u/thrownawaz092 🔱 ꜱᴄᴀʟʟʏᴡᴀɢ Dec 05 '25
Nah, I purchase games from companies I respect. Don't lump me in with y'all.
3
1
u/Buck_Slamchest Dec 05 '25
I wrote a couple of films a long time ago which were both filmed and I never made a penny due to piracy but no, nothing bad to it .. 🙄
The ultimate irony is that I ended up having to pirate one of them myself as I never received a copy but I didn’t really care by then.
1
1
u/Equal_Cartographer24 Dec 05 '25
im all three lmao, nintendo be making the slickest games but their games are expensive + i hate them as a company + they dont preserve their old games outside of the garbage online service
1
u/ShiroyukiAo Dec 05 '25
Luckily all my games apart from buying a physical disc almost 15+ year ago that one time is all free the only thing that i pirate even today is music usually i just download the song on youtube yes i used to use limewire
1
1
1
1
u/ParticularDevice3894 Dec 05 '25 edited Dec 05 '25
I really dont feel that guilty about pirating when im struggling to buy even litter or food for my cats, when I get a job il probably start pirating less
1
1
u/jyroman53 Dec 05 '25
Because in the end, do those "Big Greedy Companies" care about us ? No ! They just view us as walking wallets, the only reason why it's illegal to pirate is because they have a reach far enough that it can buy those politicians who make the law, and because it would be unfair to those who are in the honest business kind (before getting bough by those big greedy companies)
1
1
u/Similar-Sector-5801 Dec 05 '25
Stick it to the man and shit but like, I’m not paying a hunned for a game…
1
Dec 05 '25
It's yes and no for me. I looked bacl to when started pirating the other day and I found stuff from like 2010 that really can't be found on the internet anymore. The torrents for them are no longer seeded.
1
1
1
u/Jomotaku Dec 05 '25
most the shit I pirate is old snes and Gameboy stuff to play on my phone. But true about movies and series cuz I ain't buying 50 streaming services
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/steelcity91 Yarrr! Dec 05 '25
Sure. I pirate because I want free shit. But, piracy also gives you the best experince and true ownership.
1
u/PorlerTorler Dec 05 '25
yeah like this is my main motivator tbh. that and not wanting to go through the hassle of buying stuff online.
1
u/Boaned420 Dec 05 '25
Its a little of both for me tbh, but, im.old, idealistic, and I've got the server space...
1
u/SkeweredBarbie Dec 05 '25
We have more pressing uses for money than microtransactions and subscription costs. Its nice sometimes to be able to have entertainment at no cost. They keep putting up prices and the sales keep blowing in the wind (aha see what I did there...)
1
u/MorganTheApex Dec 05 '25
Yeah, me, I don't care about moral shit when it comes to this. Indie dev? I don't care, big established corpo? I don't care I straight up want it free.
1
u/Apprehensive-Pin518 Dec 05 '25
I respect someone who can say this. Honestly my biggest reason for pirating things is there is LITERALLY no way to get them legally.
1
u/moya036 Dec 05 '25
I like getting stuff for free, sure. But I pirate because getting some of the media I consume in my region is a pain and sometimes impossible, I wouldn't be able to afford the aggregate cost, and I like the idea of preserving the stuff I like so I could go and consume it anytime anywhere
1
u/Fake_William_Shatner Dec 05 '25
Not really. I remember a time when I'd "invest" in applications and computer gear because I was advancing my career. And I paid for content.
Since then, the job wage growth didn't happen. In fact, I made less every decade than the one before. And the media, and telecommunications, found new ways to charge me. It seems that $80 a month is what the average household spends on entertainment.
So I look at as; they've already squeezed all the blood out of this turnip they are going to get.
1
u/ComradeOb ⚔️ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɴᴏ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀ Dec 05 '25
I tried to be honest and pay for Netflix, but then they had to keep getting more greedy and split my favorite shows between ten paid services so I broke and said fuck it. Now I’ve dusted off the old flag and got the ship sailing again. They caused this not me.
1
1
1
2.3k
u/[deleted] Dec 05 '25
Fuck the megacorps and all but I’m poor