5 Game Developers Who Turned Piracy into Opportunity
Over the years, a number of developers have used the controversial torrent index to connect with players
Last week, Polish indie developer Acid Wizard made headlines by offering their survival horror game, Darkwood, for free on The Pirate Bay.
The three-man (and one-dog) development outfit, based in Warsaw, said the decision to upload Darkwood to The Pirate Bay was made partly out of sympathy for gamers who were unable to afford the game. However, the studio also expressed frustration over fraudsters posing as members of the press in order to score free game licenses to sell through contentious key re-selling websites.
To get in front of the problem, Acid Wizard resolved to upload the game to the notorious file-sharing website. That way, players who were able — or willing — to pay could do so via traditional methods. Meanwhile, those who weren’t wouldn’t have to resort to, in Acid Wizard’s own words, “feeding the cancer that is leeching off this industry.”
Acid Wizard is the latest developer to adopt use of the Pirate Bay as a kind of honor system, but they certainly aren’t the first. In fact, a number of developers have reached out to players through the controversial torrent index throughout the years, turning a situation typically considered catastrophic into a clever bit of marketing. Let’s look at a few!
McPixel (2012)
Mikolaj ‘Sos’ Kaminski’s parody puzzle game has the distinction of being the first video game to ever be endorsed by The Pirate Bay. When Kaminski discovered his decidedly ludicrous game had been uploaded to the popular torrent index, he didn’t freak out. Instead, he capitalized on the exposure by working with The Pirate Bay to turn the whole thing into a promotional event. “I know that not everyone can afford entertainment. But everybody needs it,” Kaminski wrote on the homepage of The Pirate Bay, which was transformed to feature the game for an entire weekend. “Even though I make games for a living, I am most happy just to see people enjoy them.”
Paradigm (2017)
Just a few days after Jacob Janerka released his post-apocalyptic adventure game, Paradigm, a cracked version appeared on The Pirate Bay. Jacob’s response? He took to the comment section to provide free, genuine keys. “If you like the game, please tell your friends and maybe even consider buying it later,” Janerka posted. Speaking to TorrentFreak, Janerka was understanding of the reasons behind piracy: “I know for sure that when I was a young kid, I was unable to buy all the games I wanted and played pirated games. And when I actually got that disposable income, I ended up buying sequels, merch, and extra copies.”
Hotline Miami (2012)
Best known for its high-octane gameplay and hypnotic soundtrack, Hotline Miami’s immediate popularity meant its appearance on file-sharing websites was inevitable. When Jonatan Söderström, developer at Dennaton Games, found the game listed on The Pirate Bay, his first response was to offer suggestions and technical support: “We’re working on an update that will hopefully take care of any/all bugs […] Would be great if you could update the torrent when the patch is out!” Söderström later clarified he would prefer players paid for the game, but his initial reaction — ensuring everyone experienced the game at its best, regardless of how they accessed it — made a lasting, positive impression.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
CD Projekt Red is one of the larger studios to have reached out to players via The Pirate Bay. It sounds surprising at first, but makes more sense when you consider that CD Projekt are the same people behind GOG, the self-described ‘gamer-friendly’ digital distribution platform that focuses on offering DRM-free games. A developer working at the studio took to the comment section to provide players with a bug-fixing launch-day patch. “I really do hope you enjoy the game, no matter if you buy it or not,” the developer wrote. “I will however really, personally appreciate it if you purchase it.”
Anodyne (2013)
Sean Han Tani and Joni Kittaka’s “Zelda-lite” adventure game had been available to purchase for 10 days when the duo decided to run a promotion for it on The Pirate Bay. The move cost them just $7 and netted the developers $12,000 in sales over a 72-hour period. In a Reddit post, the developers explained: “piracy is inevitable so it’s better to embrace it — plus, it gives lots of people who couldn’t normally afford the game the opportunity to play it — and I think when you’re a small group of developers, it’s better to have lots of people able to experience your game.”
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