software piracy- Scenario in India

[skeletor]

chk this out: Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 7, Buy Windows 7 Online at Microsoft Store


and this is the current price of windows, when it was launched the prices were around 20k, thts y i mentioned above. ok?
you'll not buy battlefield3 after a year for 299inr cuz it is rt nw costing 1499inr, do you?

Flipkart gives you a cheaper price. Nehru Place retailers quote a cheaper price. Buy from them.

Regarding Battlefield 3.

*i.imgur.com/Q18bb.jpg

 

[digitaltab]

Please, even if you forget Linux. A Windows license costs less than ₹4k, and an Office Home and Student Edition comes for under ₹4k. That makes the price less than ₹8k for Windows and Office combined. A price to pay over 3-4 years, since you can use your software for a LONG time and it's supposed to be bought once. Since people use their computers for over 3 years, this is like < ₹250 per month in average. Please don't tell me you can't afford less than ₹250 for two piece of software which you depend so much to do work.

Aside from Windows and MSO, you don't have to buy any other software if you're short on cash. Microsoft themselves provide Microsoft Security Essentials, the best AV IMHO. As for Image Editing/Management, you can use Irfanview and GIMP for advanced image editing. There's Paint.NET to do the job.

For students, you get most development tools for free. Netbeans, Eclipse, MonoDevlelop, Microsoft VIsual Studio Express, MySQL, what not.

All of these can be done with staying with Windows and Microsoft's office formats. And you always have the option of FOSS to replace any of them.

finally u did sm meaningful talking here, I COMPLETELY AGREE WD YOU, we can buy them for 8k.
but do tell me two things, as i've asked it earlier also, first, in 8k, u'll just get basic editions, 2nd, why any1 would go for basic editions in 8k, when he can get all these in pirated @ very less price.

the point is:
LETS TAKE AN EXAMPLE, GTA4 WAS LAUNCHED FOR 499INR on the launch date in India, and i personally confirm, by talking to those who do piracy, that the genuine copy was sold out in a huge quantity than any other game costing 999inr,
you know why?
cuz, pirated comes at 250inr, people think its worth to buy genuine while adding 250 more, than to buy pirated,
but when taking same case in other games , say battlefield 3, or cod mw3, costing 1499inr, people will think to buy genuine one as this gap becomes higher.
thats what m trying to say here...
ACCORDING TO ME, ONLY THIS GAP CAN REDUCE PIRACY, NO OTHER WAY EXISTS, CUZ THOSE WHO USE WINDOWS WILL NVR TURN TO LINUX FOR SAKE OF ANTI-PIRACY.
AND THIS STATEMENT I HAVE REPEATED IN ABOVE POSTS BY GIVING EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS THINGS....
TOPIC OVER....

 

[skeletor]

Why not use LibreOffice rather. It is free and works well.

 

[digitaltab]

Flipkart gives you a cheaper price. Nehru Place retailers quote a cheaper price. Buy from them.

Regarding Battlefield 3.

I AGREE WITH OTHER GAMES PRICE, BUT

CHK OUT THIS LINK BELOW:

Flipkart.com: Battlefield 3 (Limited Edition): Game: PC

 

[Liverpool_fan]

Don't use caps.

If you need more features, you should be ready to pay for them, no? I mean if you want a faster processor, you'll pay for it. Faster GPU, you'll pay. More RAM you'll pay. Why not do the same for software, pay more for extra features?
For ₹10k you'll get Windows 7 Home Premium + Microsoft Office Home and Student. More than sufficient for most people. Pay more to do any more. And I don't think people require more than that. 99% at least don't.
Secondly why should people buy for lesser software when they can pirate a better software, well the difference is you'll not break the law in former.

Pricing is important yeah. Games should be priced logically. For instance Portal 2 was priced ₹650, excellent work there. On the other hand, MW3 is priced ₹2500, way too much. In those cases, I suggest Boycotting them. BF3 is actually ₹1k (not the Premium version). That's fine for me.

 

[skeletor]

Flipkart.com: Battlefield 3 (Limited Edition): Game: PC

Battlefield 3 is a good game. I'm not buying it for playing single player. Might play the multi-player probably for more than 200 hours (when I get time). Money well spent.

The normal Battlefield 3 is Rs. 999. Price is okay. As far as I know, only Activision prices their games high in India.

Portal 2. Rs. 650 in India. $60 in USA at the time of release.
Battlefield 3. Rs. 999/1499 in India. $60 in USA.

 

[Krow]

Shivam24, kindly stop typing in capital letters. We can read very well otherwise.

Don't use poverty as an excuse for not buying original software. The poor people of India can't dream of buying software. Food would make more sense to them. Even the cheapest of laptops come bundled with some version of Windows. It is original and a lot of people use these. Free and Open Source alternatives do things as well as their proprietary counterparts. You need to do some research before talking.

Also if you want a certain level of performance, then you pay for that kind of hardware. So why not pay for the same software if you want that kind of experience (which free alternatives can't give, according to you)?

 

[gopi_vbboy]

@shivam ..I am thinking of another fitting analogy for u to understand the situation.He could not understand the indian problem still.

And piracy is not a legal problem in many countries

 

[digitaltab]

Shivam24, kindly stop typing in capital letters. We can read very well otherwise.

Don't use poverty as an excuse for not buying original software. The poor people of India can't dream of buying software. Food would make more sense to them. Even the cheapest of laptops come bundled with some version of Windows. It is original and a lot of people use these. Free and Open Source alternatives do things as well as their proprietary counterparts. You need to do some research before talking.

Also if you want a certain level of performance, then you pay for that kind of hardware. So why not pay for the same software if you want that kind of experience (which free alternatives can't give, according to you)?

well ok, i was just putting my views thr, and all i concluded is what i have wrote above, pricing should be logically correct so that it fits for rich as well as medium level gamers, poverty doesnt meant thr like food hunger poverty, it was like the "average pocket money of a teenager in India, does it afford buying genuine games if he/she is a gamer".... u took it wrong.
and at one place, i told about farmers, well that was correct,
i know it cuz i hv seen it, feeding their family nad themselves is a higher priority than other things, but this sentence was just to specify the economical condition of India in comparison to Americans, or western countries.

and yes u r right, we buy hardware, and spend money, but its a one time investment, buying games is not a one time, as in this month, a gamer will have to spend for bf3 + cod mw3 + nfs the run + assassin's creed + batman arkham city + l.a. noire + others = a few thousand, >5k...

every month is launched a game or two, so evry month spend= 2-3k,

cuz on an average , almost all games are priced at 999inr.

 

[RCuber]

I had a discussion with some of my colleagues, One person had vista preinstalled, currently using Win7 non genuine, another person had bought Windows XP, and not willing to pay for Win7, but he can pay for games.

No one in my office is willing to pay 6-7K for Windows 7

I work in a reputed software company and we all have healthy salary. This is the current situation in India.

I myself don't own a copy of Win7. But apart form that all other software's I use in Win7 is FOSS based or Free Editions(OOo, 7Zip, Paint.NET, VS Express 2010 etc). I use Win7 mostly for games and for rest of the tasks I use Ubuntu.

Possible solution.

1. If companies start suing customers for using pirated software/movies/games/MP3 then people will buy it.

2. The source of the Piracy should be stopped. i.e., the guys releasing the pirated software. If there is no way to get pirated stuff then people will buy it or just carry on with their life.

 

[Krow]

No man, we all have to cut corners. You buy BF3 now and play it. When you are done, buy MW3. No need to buy both at once. I am sure one game will last you a month if you play online as well. Buying these games just for a short single player campaign makes no sense.

Anyway, those are not the only games in the world. There are pretty good independent games as well. Gamers can enjoy these for cheap too. See humblebundle.com and indieroyale.com.

 

[RCuber]

a gamer will have to spend for bf3 + cod mw3 + nfs the run + assassin's creed + batman arkham city + l.a. noire + others = a few thousand, >5k...

every month is launched a game or two, so evry month spend= 2-3k,

cuz on an average , almost all games are priced at 999inr.

BF3 Limited Edition = 1499
MW3 = 2499

 

[Liverpool_fan]

well ok, i was just putting my views thr, and all i concluded is what i have wrote above, pricing should be logically correct so that it fits for rich as well as medium level gamers, poverty doesnt meant thr like food hunger poverty, it was like the "average pocket money of a teenager in India, does it afford buying genuine games if he/she is a gamer".... u took it wrong.

They can buy games if they really want to. If they can afford 10-15k on a graphics card. They can spend 3-4k every year on games as well.
I've seen insanely rich lads in this forum owning PS3s, Macbooks, super powerful rigs while upgrading gfx every year, pirating games. Don't be under the impression that piracy is just due to bad pricing. It's more due to the fact people get away with it.

and at one place, i told about farmers, well that was correct,
i know it cuz i hv seen it, feeding their family nad themselves is a higher priority than other things, but this sentence was just to specify the economical condition of India in comparison to Americans, or western countries.

People suffering from poverty, farmers, poor people, etc. have nothing to do with software piracy. They can't afford the machines in the first place.

and yes u r right, we buy hardware, and spend money, but its a one time investment, buying games is not a one time, as in this month, a gamer will have to spend for bf3 + cod mw3 + nfs the run + assassin's creed + batman arkham city + l.a. noire + others = a few thousand, >5k...

every month is launched a game or two, so evry month spend= 2-3k,

cuz on an average , almost all games are priced at 999inr.

You don't have to buy every damn game. Read the reviews, buy only those games with favourable reviews, and which fit your gaming style. Fill rest of your time playing MP games. An average gamer won't need to spend more than 3-4k a year (forget about Activision, only an idiot will buy/play their games). More than that, then you're being way too greedy.

 

[gopi_vbboy]

I see lot of game review threads in tdf with lot of posts and doubt if all of them have bought those particular games.Just asking.

 

[Krow]

I see lot of game review threads in tdf with lot of posts and doubt if all of them have bought those particular games.Just asking.

Not all. Some buy.

 

[Liverpool_fan]

I see lot of game review threads in tdf with lot of posts and doubt if all of them have bought those particular games.Just asking.

Don't forget this is an Indian forum. Many will be first to criticize piracy but they will be the first one to torrent the latest game.

 

[skeletor]

Much is down to the Indian mentality and lack of civic sense. This is because of no enforcement of rules. Indians are idiots right from you me, to Sonia Gandhi to Anna Hazare to L.K. Advani. No idiot knows how to drive a car but most middle class fellows own it. I can go on how we Indians and this country India is full of idiots but don't want to turn this post into a rant.

Been to New York and I've seen hippies + broke people sitting on the pavement with a banner + a box in front of them (near Times Square). They won't come to you to ask for money, that's another story. Stop thinking the western countries are the Earth's equivalent of Utopia.

Their income is high, but so is there expenditure for basic needs. Let me tell you one thing, a plumber over there will end up earning more than a doctor/teacher/engineer. $400 for an hour's work i.e. fixing a chimney because of Hurricane Irene.

Stop complaining that we have XYZ poor people and we are a poor country so these games and softwares should be priced low. Indian middle class has enough money to spend on a one time investment - Windows and Office. But they won't as they suffer from a cheap mentality lol. No one has told you to buy every game and play every damned game.

heck, just like you are complaining Rs. 999 is a lot for a game, they also complain $60 is a lot for a game. My father's friend's son bought the whole Age of Empires (1, 2, 3 and Mythology) pack for $5 and he was surprised to know that I bought only AoE 2 for Rs. 2500 ($50) 8 years back. I played that game for more than 600 hours. Money well spent, I'll say.

 

[Zangetsu]

@Shivam24: u will know the answers to all your questions slowly & steadily...so don't worry..

 

[digitaltab]

i completely agree with charan, thanks for specifying some possible solutions.
and this was what i trying to say,
you cant convince them to play all games on linux, ...
this is the practical condition in India...

 

[skeletor]

For an average person who uses his home computer for basic purpose - Internet, e-mails, documents and printing i.e. no gaming. Ubuntu is the best OS. Easier to use and works out of the box. You don't have to get to the level of pirating Windows.