Pathways Smash XI November

[Zivilyn Bane]

Music and video games are two totally different worlds though. I couldn't imagine downloading an album before it releases can be as harmful as downloading Zelda.

 

[Zantetsu]

It's Nintendo. They're such a family company that any amount of piracy wouldn't effect their sales. I mean, if they were really concerned about piracy, they would find a way to make their security like the PS3. I really don't think piracy is a big concern to Nintendo, so that's why I don't feel as bad when I download their games.

Now, if I had a job, that would be a different story. If i downloaded a game that was amazing, like Skyward Sword is said to be, then I would probably end up buying it. Im not a fan of buying a game you have never played before because it's like a random drawing on if you will like it of not. I'd rather confirm myself that the game is good before I buy it and reviews and gameplay videos don't cut it.

 

[arbustos]

Maybe the big difference is that I tend to play indie games and listen to bands that actually need the support. Some of the bands I listen to are on labels that use a donation/pay-what-you-want style for downloads, which I agree is the future and should be more widely used than it is. I personally don't have a problem paying $10 every now and then for a good album, though I know it's out of budget for a lot of people and I haven't even had the spare money to buy an album for a few months. I think that Spotify does a good job replacing piracy, though the paid version might be a little steep. As for artists making their money from concerts, I think that's only a valid excuse if you personally go to their concerts and buy merchandise (the other big revenue source), in which case excuse away. There are bands that can't afford to tour or are unable to for other reasons, so that doesn't universally apply.

To make a point about why pay-what-you-want is awesome, one of my favorite bands is on a label of that style, but needed funding to record a new album. They managed to raise over $3k (their goal) through donations using Indie GoGo (kind of like Kickstarter). That's pretty awesome.

tl;dr bands still need money

Hm yeah I agree. But hasn't online downloading opened up a whole new world of exposure for the indie acts? Music blogs abound with recommendations and a free download link, and 4chan's music board is basically the free download extension for everything Pitchfork reviews (and more). Artists that never had a chance are building fanbases and even album sales by being open with the net. A lot of them have realized the advantage to be had by utilizing Soundcloud or Bandcamp.

I guess it's a two-way street?

@Ziv: The volume of downloads is different too. Many many times more people are likely to download an album than a game, especially a current game. I really don't think it hurts their sales (not that I do it), except in the case of the PC. And they're taking steps to mitigate the damage, like the Maple Story/Team Fortress free-to-play model and Steam's crazy sales all the time.

 

[Terral]

Hm yeah I agree. But hasn't online downloading opened up a whole new world of exposure for the indie acts? Music blogs abound with recommendations and a free download link, and 4chan's music board is basically the free download extension for everything Pitchfork reviews (and more). Artists that never had a chance are building fanbases and even album sales by being open with the net. A lot of them have realized the advantage to be had by utilizing Soundcloud or Bandcamp.

I guess it's a two-way street?

@Ziv: The volume of downloads is different too. Many many times more people are likely to download an album than a game, especially a current game. I really don't think it hurts their sales (not that I do it), except in the case of the PC. And they're taking steps to mitigate the damage, like the Maple Story/Team Fortress free-to-play model and Steam's crazy sales all the time.

The ability to listen to music for free definitely makes it so that indie bands can get exposure much more easily at no cost to them, but that's even more reason I want to buy the music. I want to make sure I support them with something tangible. A lot of the bands I've found (and, in fact, a few entire genres of music) that I've ended up liking I discovered through massive piracy a few years ago, and mostly all of the others I've listened to on YouTube/Facebook/MySpace/Spotify/etc for free before I bought anything.

As for games, I feel about the same way. It doesn't matter much to me if other people pirate them, it's more that I want to personally be contributing. I think that if I like a game enough to want to play it, then giving up a bit of cash is the least I can do. Free-to-play models can be great, though the best example is easily Team Fortress 2 considering that it's amazing. I guess I paid for that when it was new, though. Steam sales are where about 95% of my games come from.

You should come hang out with us in the Springfield topic: http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=298346



On-topic: awesome tournament, everyone. I've uploaded the results to AllIsBrawl and I plan on having the results thread up later today, once I get a good chance. Though, really, the only result that matters is that Yes! and I beat Michael and Terry in doubles.

 

[_Yes!_]

^ Yes! likes this post (o.o)__b

 

[Terral]

Results thread is up: http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=314474