Listmania: Top Ten Most Torrented Games of 2008
Top ten lists are a dime a dozen, especially around this time of the year. But one that's just a little bit different is TorrentFreak's list of the 10 most downloaded PC games on BitTorrent during 2008. To nobody's surprise the list includes some of biggest titles of the year, like Spore and Fallout 3, but a few more surprises like 2007 titles like Call of Duty 4 and Assassins Creed still taking top spots. But the biggest shocker on the list has to be The Sims 2 still dominating all but one title. It's interesting to note that not only does Electronic Arts "earn" the majority of top spots here, but it did so by taking the top five positions. I'm just happy that we're not seeing World of Goo up on this list.
[#, game, number of downloads, released date]1. Spore (1,700,000) (Sept. 2008)
2. The Sims 2 (1,150,000) (Sept. 2004)
3. Assassins Creed (1,070,000) (Nov. 2007)
4. Crysis (940,000) (Nov. 2007)
5. Command & Conquer 3 (860,000) (Mar. 2007)
6. Call of Duty 4 (830,000) (Nov. 2007)
7. GTA San Andreas (740,000) (Jun. 2005)
8. Fallout 3 (645,000) (Oct. 2008)
9. Far Cry 2 (585,000) (Oct. 2008)
10. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (470,000) (Oct. 2008)
[Top 10 Most Pirated Games of 2008] TorrentFreak
Game-Boy
Posted to Video Games on 8 December 2008
· Comments (7)
Other stuff like this: drm, ea can't win, list, piracy, torrents
I often forget so many people still actually use torrents.
The list looks about right, I'm surprised Bioshock isn't there, as I and just about every man and his dog took that one coz of the DRM.
Same with Spore, pirated it, got bored within 20 minutes, £35 well saved. £35 the shop would have had, if they listened to the consumers, still [Including Usenet] they lost about 3 million downloads [1 million actual buyers]
I picked up Assassins Creed for £7 a couple of months back on 360.
I wonder how this plays considering people here [The author of this article?] consistently tow the pirates steal everything line as opposed to the actual most pirates in fact spend more on media as they try more, and like more by proxy.
But yeah, well done guys, keep punishing everything with DRM, they'll give in eventually, it does hit sales, and enormously, contrary to what people seem to think.
Keep towing that line though, it makes discussion interesting you might convince someone you're right eventually. What goods discussion if one half isn't buried in the sand.
It's a shame there aren't more like the greatest company in gaming, Valve. Outspoken against DRM and thriving because of it, and quality titles.
GTA4 will be on the list soon, given the problems they're having with that, it'll take months of patching to sort out.
Off subject but I have that book. It's awesome!
Well, Valve and Stardock do have DRM to a degree (Steam/Impulse), but it isn't draconian or hindering or debilitating.
People hate DRM, SecuRom to be more specific which EA games are full of.
Spore does not surprise me at all, I'm sure that's what started the new torrent movements, what i don't get is how come San andreas is still on the list? Nostalgia hits you like a brick i guess...
These numbers disgust me to no end. People who pirate video games are just... wrong. This is exactly why they are creating DRM, because you people won't keep trying to pirate their stuff. DRM is your own fault, know that and be mad at yourselves. Pirates make me sick.
Wrong, DRM doesn't bother pirates, and it never, ever will, DRM is used to punish consumers, and make them into theives.
To remind them, and hit home that you don't own what you just paid for, and to covertly gather usage information and install all sorts of shit through the backdoor onto innocent peoples computers.
When I [and countless others, given these numbers] are made into worse criminals and our own technology compromised by a company utilising what is a sinister invention in computing history for their own gain, when we spend out own money on a product.
I condone downloading DRM ridden atrocities. Punish the developers, keep doing it, let a few go under.
It's indy games I don't approve of copying, and DRM free ones, but as evidenced contrary to the faux outrage from authors here it just doesn't happen on a significant scale.