Some game developers aren’t afraid to show pirates the middle finger in some pretty creative ways. From slowing down gameplay to introducing extra horror elements, they’re definitely not messing around when it comes to punishing pirates.
The 2014 indie hit The Talos Principle is a puzzler that takes players through various environments filled with ruins, natural greenery and futuristic machinery. Throughout the game, the player will hear ominous noises that slowly get louder and more terrifying. This is an effective way to make sure the player remembers that they piracy a video game and that they shouldn’t do it again.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 was another game that used anti-piracy tactics to discourage piracy. The developers would pixelate the player’s visuals after thirty seconds of playing, which made it incredibly difficult to continue. It was a great way to punish pirates and let them know that they’re not wanted by EA and Crytek.
ARMA 2 was another well-received game that included anti-piracy measures. Croteam, the developers behind the game, decided to add a very unforgiving punishment for pirates by adding an immortal scorpion boss that moves at lightning speed and shoots deadly machine guns from its pincers. The immortal scorpion was a brilliantly designed anti-piracy measure that was also fun to play against.
Despite the fact that pirates can still enjoy these games, they’ll never be able to experience the full experience. Many of these games include messages that tell the player that piracy is bad for business and will eventually cause their studio to fail.