Piracy--Not Just on the High Seas Anymore

Yesterday while casually browsing the web I found an interesting article that explains how some game companies combat piracy.  I have to admit that most of them are quite clever.  Unbeatable monsters that kill your character every time it spawns, a wavy "drunk effect" that makes you so nauseous that you can't play, and even guns that shoot chickens.  Chicken guns actually sound fairly entertaining.

Piracy can be a tough moral issue for a lot of people.  I personally can afford to buy games, but can understand the temptation for someone who cannot.  Plus, we all know that big game companies make millions of dollars in profits every year--what's another $40-50?  Morally I do think it's wrong, but I have a hard time when it seems like there is so much collusion and effort to just make money.  For example, every time I have purchased a new computer it has not come with any productivity software included.  To add it would cost another $300 or more.  Sheesh.  Because of this, I have to admit to being a pirate.  I've pirated software for work before (the programs that require the purchase of a license to use--then you just use the same # on every machine).  Am I a horrible person?  Or are the companies that keep their prices sky high the bad guys?  Why don't I feel bad about pirating work software, but would feel bad about pirating a game?

In the good 'ol days before everything was done online you could just swap the game disks with your friends.  I am glad to see that distributors like GOG are making an effort to return to the DRM-free days of yesteryear.  It really feels like every time I buy a game there is some sort of third-party software that must be installed.  I already have Steam, Origin, and Battle.net!  I don't need any more.