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[bootski]

It's one of his tweets.



https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/693202734703472640

Some fun stuff there.

you know, judging from that tweet and the guy who responds to him, it's questionable if he actually CAN spot a pirated copy. the streamer with 3mil views responds and blow "no comment"s him and the guy posts up his steam receipt to prove he bought it. lower in the comment thread, blow says outright that they didn't add any funny business into the game for pirates.

 

[bombshell]

Good on Blow and eveybody at Thekla.

Although, I do wonder how much was Braid's total budget relative to the witness. Correct me if Im wrong but the witness total budget is around 8 million dollars, isn't it?

He said 6 million on the push the button launch stream.

 

[Dremark]

Lol. Now lets think of all the posts claiming PC release shouldnt have happened or later.
Game is currently sitting at 40k on Steamspy, twice more than when the outrage started.

Piracy still sucks though.

Half of that would be 20k which is the number of people who got it from the torrent screenshot earlier.

Maybe Blow's tweets convinced everyone who had pirated the game to buy a legit copy to support him and the other devs who worked on it

 

[patapuf]

True but even if 10% of the people that pirated it actually bought the game that's still a couple thousand sales missed

10% is way to high of a percentage. Also, 20k seems like a really low number to me. The game wasn't even pirated much.

 

[Golgo 13]

Glad to hear this sold well. We need more variety in our games -- in terms of development teams, genres, and budgets, and it's great to see The Witness succeed.

I didn't buy The Witness because it's genuinely just not my type of game, but I'm glad to hear people seem to be (mostly) loving it.

 

[Steel]

Half of that would be 20k which is the number of people who got it from the torrent screenshot earlier.

Maybe Blow's tweets convinced everyone who had pirated the game to buy a legit copy to support him and the other devs who worked on it

Again, it takes awhile for steamspy numbers to be accurate at all, Blow himself has said that the actual number is way higher.

 

[The Real Abed]

The fact he's made multiple tweets about it is enough to show that it seems like he's upset about it.

He's used to it. He said Braid was pirated just as much when it came out too, and it still made a lot. He's just disappointed is all. Especially with that one streamer with 3 million views that was streaming a pirated copy. He was just disappointed that not only was this super popular streamer, who probably makes a lot of money from subscriptions, was too cheap to spend $40 for a fucking game, but also that he was making money from people watching him play a game he stole off the internet. That's enough to get disappointed.

You're trying to make it seem like he's lingering on it. He's not.

 

[Zeyphersan]

If he had a way to detect when the game is pirated, he should have done some more creative fuckery. Like someone in the Twitter chat said, move puzzles around and make it harder to solve. Maybe he actually does. It's something most people wouldn't expect. Maybe he made it so on pirated copies, the puzzles look different. Not too different, but just different enough for Blow and company to know when they see it, but other people wouldn't really notice because to them it would just be a puzzle. That would be amazing and I bet that's what he did.

This seems like it could be right. The puzzles being ever-so-slightly different between legit and non-legit copies are going to make for some really fun forum posts in the coming months

 

[johnnydrama]

I'm so happy to see this game succeed. Easily the most innovative, most creative game I've played in years. Congratulations to Blow and team, and I hope this game goes on to sell a lot.

 

[Huge Succeeded]

10% is way to high of a percentage. Also, 20k seems like a really low number to me. The game wasn't even pirated much.

there's more than one torrent for the witness out there, and there's more than one torrent tracker in existence. i'd at least triple that 20k number as a baseline guesstimation of how much this game is actually being torrented beyond that single share.

and why is 10% way too high of a percentage to consider again? why is the idea that people who might have otherwise spent money on an experience they feel they'd value, could instead choose a simple and free alternative where the moral impact is easily relegated to the back of their minds, such a mindboggling concept to so many of you?

 

[SRTtoZ]

Its good to see but I'm still waiting for a sale.

 

[The Real Abed]

you know, judging from that tweet and the guy who responds to him, it's questionable if he actually CAN spot a pirated copy. the streamer with 3mil views responds and blow "no comment"s him and the guy posts up his steam receipt to prove he bought it. lower in the comment thread, blow says outright that they didn't add any funny business into the game for pirates.

There are probably plenty of streamers with 3 million views. Doesn't necessarily mean it was the person who replied. If he couldn't actually spot it, why would he bother trying to say someone did? There's no reason to make up a story like that just for the hell of it. Plus we all know it's possible to make your game detect when it's pirated. It's not a stretch to say he has his methods.

 

[Renekton]

But I bet some butts are still hurt.

Do kids still say butthurt?

Salty now.

 

[Dremark]

have you... read the tweets?

if so...

i'd really like you to point to the part where he's 'really upset' like you characterize him as being. like, go ahead and repost the tweets here in a quote for everyone to see. if you're as sure as you seem then the tweets in context should only corroborate your point. right?

I have read the tweets. He is pretty clearly upset about the whole issue and even put a sad face at the end of one of them to further demonstrate it.

 

[NinjamicWZ]

The fact he's made multiple tweets about it is enough to show that it seems like he's upset about it.

I have read the tweets. He is pretty clearly upset about the whole issue and even put a sad face at the end of one of them to further demonstrate it.

*person momentarily displays relatively minor emotion and concern*

->

"u mad, bro?"

 

[Huge Succeeded]

I have read the tweets. He is pretty clearly upset about the whole issue and even put a sad face at the end of one of them to further demonstrate it.

...

It seems The Witness is the #1 game on a certain popular torrent site.
Unfortunately this will not help us afford to make another game!

I'm glad that a lot more people will be experiencing the game! But I also want to be able to make another comparable game next! Just sayin'.

oh yeah, look at all that salt. that's a 'very upset' person.

i can't imagine how you perceive actual aggression.

*person momentarily displays relatively minor emotion and concern*

->

"u mad, bro?"

right?

i almost forgot that as the face of a game company he's not allowed to express human emotion no matter how tame

 

[ramoisdead]

It's priced however the developer wants it priced.

Also, glad that J. Blow is seeing some profit faster than his previous title. Hope he and his company does make another game in the future.

 

[The Real Abed]

I have read the tweets. He is pretty clearly upset about the whole issue and even put a sad face at the end of one of them to further demonstrate it.

Okay. So? Why do you care? I'm sure every developer who makes a game gets upset when people pirate it. Are they not allowed to show some brief disappointment?

 

[patapuf]

there's more than one torrent for the witness out there, and there's more than one torrent tracker in existence. i'd at least triple that 20k number as a baseline guesstimation of how much this game is actually being torrented beyond that single share.

and why is 10% way too high of a percentage again?

I say that i doubt even 10% of pirates would buy the game (at launch) if they couldn't torrent it.

Usually a big portion comes from china, russia and other low income territories and generally people that pirate either can't or won't pay for the games they pirate or they simply collect. None of the habitual pirates i knew as a student has ever paid full price for a game.

I don't doubt that there's more trackers out there. 20k Would have been a really low number.

 

[YianGaruga]

There are probably plenty of streamers with 3 million views. Doesn't necessarily mean it was the person who replied. If he couldn't actually spot it, why would he bother trying to say someone did? There's no reason to make up a story like that just for the hell of it. Plus we all know it's possible to make your game detect when it's pirated. It's not a stretch to say he has his methods.

There's a DRM free copy of the game on humble, which is most likely what is being torrented

how do you detect who bought it and who didn't?

 

[demosthenes]

But I bet some butts are still hurt.

Do kids still say butthurt?

Pirating the game is still wrong.

Glad for Blow. Haven't gotten the game yet but plan to in april when my busy season is done.

 

[Huge Succeeded]

I say that i doubt even 10% of pirates would buy the game (at launch) if they couldn't torrent it.

and i say that I don't buy that for a second, although it's really hard to gather actual numbers to back these arguments with so it'll all boil down to conjecture and guesses. i just feel like that's a really, really convenient way to just handwave away any possible impact that piracy and the ever-expanding pirate community has on the game industry as a whole. i mean i've lived to see piracy and its convenience do immense damage to previously healthy console ecosystems several times, anyone gaming who was born before the year 2000 has. i cannot be convinced so easily that piracy is simply relegated to the down and out, like cheapasses don't exist in droves.

 

[Dremark]

Again, it takes awhile for steamspy numbers to be accurate at all, Blow himself has said that the actual number is way higher.

I was joking. I wish we lived in a world that people would atone for doing something wrong so easily.

He's used to it. He said Braid was pirated just as much when it came out too, and it still made a lot. He's just disappointed is all. Especially with that one streamer with 3 million views that was streaming a pirated copy. He was just disappointed that not only was this super popular streamer, who probably makes a lot of money from subscriptions, was too cheap to spend $40 for a fucking game, but also that he was making money from people watching him play a game he stole off the internet. That's enough to get disappointed.

You're trying to make it seem like he's lingering on it. He's not.

The guy was upset about it, I'm not saying it's not justified or that some unbearable sadness the guy is carrying.

And for what it's worth if Blow was being honest about the streamer (It was brought into question earlier in the thread, I'd have taken the guy's word for it otherwise) if he got paid for 3 million viewers and couldn't drop $40 on the game he's/she's scum.

 

[NightOnyx]

Very happy that the game is doing well. Blow and his team deserve every sale that they get as far as I'm concerned. I've played a good amount but I'm not even close to finishing the game and I already feel like I've gotten my $40 worth. It's not so much about the amount of stuff in the world though, although it's super impressive, it's more about the quality of the puzzles and the world that are just amazing to me. There is a lot of games I really love, but it really excites me when I find a game that truly sucks me in and that I obsess about and the Witness has definitely been that for me.

 

[bootski]

There are probably plenty of streamers with 3 million views. Doesn't necessarily mean it was the person who replied. If he couldn't actually spot it, why would he bother trying to say someone did? There's no reason to make up a story like that just for the hell of it. Plus we all know it's possible to make your game detect when it's pirated. It's not a stretch to say he has his methods.

i doubt there would be that many streamer streaming at that specific time with 3 million views. it's also weird that the guy who does respond because ppl were accusing him, blow responds with "no comment". why wouldn't he just say "nah man, it wasn't your stream" and clear the guys name right then and there.

lastly, as i mentioned before, he specifically says they didn't add any piracy detection into the game, so how would he spot it?

 

[Fried Food]

Congrats and Thanks, Jon!

Yesterday I did nothing but play The Witness and Churchill Solitare. Today will hopefully be no different.

 

[The Real Abed]

i doubt there would be that many streamer streaming at that specific time with 3 million views. it's also weird that the guy who does respond because ppl were accusing him, blow responds with "no comment". why wouldn't he just say "nah man, it wasn't your stream" and clear the guys name right then and there.

Note: On Twitch, Views does not equal "People watching right now". Views is total views since they started streaming on the site.

 

[Megatron]

Units? Maybe he means revenue? That seems more likely to me.

 

[XBP]

The most popular torrent on KAT says 20.6 K in 5 days so it seems piracy is taking a good chunk of potential sales.

A very significant majority of those people would never buy this game. Or any game in general.

 

[CaptainGyro]

The guy was upset about it, I'm not saying it's not justified or that some unbearable sadness the guy is carrying.
.

ehh you basically said he was butthurt (by saying "like Blow's?") and then later said said he was the only one mad about anything, so you made it seem like he was more angry than he actually was

 

[Huge Succeeded]

A very significant majority of those people would never buy this game. Or any game in general.

you sound so sure.

why?

 

[Dremark]

...


oh yeah, look at all that salt. that's a 'very upset' person.

i can't imagine how you perceive actual aggression.

right?

i almost forgot that as the face of a game company he's not allowed to express human emotion no matter how tame

Like I explained previously the only one I've seen emotional about the game's sales in Blow. If people here are going to try and make it look like people who didn't buy the game because of it's price are butthurt, I'm going to freely point out that Blow is the only one I see upset about it.

 

[mdubs]

Even if Blow is upset he has every right to be. He worked hard to make that game and people are stealing it

A very significant majority of those people would never buy this game. Or any game in general.

That really doesn't make it any better.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

So he was just being facetious about the whole "if you pirate games I'll be broke" thing?

 

[Huge Succeeded]

Like I explained previously the only one I've seen emotional about the game's sales in Blow. If people here are going to try and make it look like people who didn't buy the game because of it's price are butthurt, I'm going to freely point out that Blow is the only one I see upset about it.

while i can't say i see your point i also can't say you're wrong. but it's his place to express disappointment in the fact that his game is being pirated, and it's not like he got anywhere close to overstepping any boundaries in doing so.

 

[kiguel182]

Fantastic news. It's a great game and we need more people like Blow being successful.

Now if only I had time to play more of it...

EDIT: Also, can't believe people are giving him shit for tweeting about piracy. Some of you are unbelievable.

 

[Mr. Mister]

Happy that it'll work out for him in spite of pirates and the parade of "I'll wait for a sale" people.

I've played and enjoyed it well beyond the price that was asked.

 

[Luq]

The only "problem" with the pricing is the fact, that this game gets compared to Braid all the time. Because of that, most of the people think about The Witness in "small, indie game" category which in their eyes isn't worth more than 10$.

It's just a theory but if nobody knew that it's Blow's game ("that Blow who created Braid?") we wouldn't be hearing about the price at all.

 

[hal9001]

Worth it. GOTY 2016 so far.

Also in artistic terms the best since Journey.

 

[CaptainGyro]

Like I explained previously the only one I've seen emotional about the game's sales in Blow. If people here are going to try and make it look like people who didn't buy the game because of it's price are butthurt, I'm going to freely point out that Blow is the only one I see upset about it.

Lots of people were complaining about people pirating the game in the other thread, and shitloads of people were complaining that the game cost too much, so I don't see how Blow is the only one who was upset by anything

 

[THRILLH0]

michael92 am cry.

 

[Skux]

didnt he just say piracy was ruining his sales

Yeah, so much so that he wouldn't be able to make another game if it continued at this rate.

Guess not.

 

[TyrantGuardian]

Note: On Twitch, Views does not equal "People watching right now". Views is total views since they started streaming on the site.

I do think its a bit disingenuous to cite that number rather than the number of people currently watching. Makes it sound like a way bigger deal than it is, even though I agree its scummy as fuck if said streamer can't even bother paying for the game. Then again, neither do review outlets, and at this point its highly arguable which of these provides more marketing value at this point. Please note that I am not equating publisher review copies with piracy, I am just saying that whether a high profile streamers buys a copy or not, it will most likely lead to quite a few of the viewers to end up buying the game that otherwise would not have. So there's that.

Also I love the game and am really happy to see it performing well!

 

[bootski]

The only "problem" with the pricing is the fact, that this game gets compared to Braid all the time. Because of that, most of the people think about The Witness in "small, indie game" category which in their eyes isn't worth more than 10$.

It's just a theory but if nobody knew that it's Blow's game ("that Blow who created Braid?") we wouldn't be hearing about the price at all.

if nobody knew it was Blow's game, i can guarantee you we wouldn't be talking about The Witness at all. I only heard of it thru hype on here and that was all because it was blow's new post-braid project.

 

[patapuf]

and i say that I don't buy that for a second, although it's really hard to garner numbers to back these arguments with so it'll all boil down to conjecture and guesses. i just feel like that's a really convenient way to handwave away any possible impact that piracy and pirate culture has on the game industry as a whole. i mean i've lived to see piracy and its convenience do immense damage to previously healthy console ecosystems several times, anyone gaming who was born before the year 2000 has. i cannot be convinced so easily that piracy is simply relegated to the down and out, like cheapasses don't exist in droves.

I guess? The PSP and DS were heavily pirated and at the same time the most successful handhelds ever. The PS2 had tons of modded consoles, again, a huge sucess. Similar story with the 360 and the Wii (which even had an emulator running while it was still current gen). That's all post 2000 obviously.

On PC there's certainly especially mid tier games that suffered because of piracy. But considering the trajectory platforms like steam have taken in terms of sales i do think piracy is less of an issue than it used to be. Convenience is less of a factor for example, prices are lower as well (and very importantly, steam and co also have regional prices in regions were piracy is very high, CDPR has quite a bit of success with that strategy as well).

It's Obviously something companies want to prevent and rightly so but i also think it's something they can live with.

 

[Dremark]

ehh you basically said he was butthurt (by saying "like Blow's?") and then later said said he was the only one mad about anything, so you made it seem like he was more angry than he actually was

I questioned that he was the one who was butthurt over it as he is is literally the only one I've seen upset about how the game is doing.

It was a question, if it made him look like he's angrier than he actually is that's largely the result of the guy who was trying to paint everyone who felt the price wasn't justified to then as angry haters.

Odd how it was cool for him to do that when I've literally seen no one angry about the price, but pointing out that Blow was complaining about piracy i'm somehow out of line.

 

[CaptainGyro]

I questioned that he was the one who was butthurt over it as he is is literally the only one I've seen upset about how the game is doing.

It was a question, if it made him look like he's angrier than he actually is that's largely the result of the guy who was trying to paint everyone who felt the price wasn't justified to then as angry haters.

Odd how it was cool for him to do that when I've literally seen no one angry about the price, but pointing out that Blow was complaining about piracy i'm somehow out of line.

You haven't seen anybody angry about the price? where have you been? It's been everywhere. Ok maybe not everywhere, but people have complained about it here, steam and ign and gametrailers podcasts have been talking about people complaining about the price. It's not a big secret

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Worth it. GOTY 2016 so far.

Also in artistic terms the best since Journey.

He he. Isn't just about the only significant release of 2016 so far? It's GOTY by default.

 

[Dremark]

while i can't say i see your point i also can't say you're wrong. but it's his place to express disappointment in the fact that his game is being pirated, and it's not like he got anywhere close to overstepping any boundaries in doing so.

Never said it wasn't his place.

 

[Heel]

Worth every penny.