Let’s be honest — piracy is just too convenient. Saying that might sound irresponsible, but if we’re going to talk about the issue, let’s not sugarcoat it.
Piracy is a temporary solution to a much larger problem: rising subscription costs and fragmented content access. With dozens of streaming services, game subscriptions, and exclusive content deals, even spending thousands a month doesn’t guarantee access to everything you want to watch or play.
The Economics of Subscription
If you’ve got Netflix, Prime, Disney+, Game Pass, PS Plus, and a dozen more. Stack those subscriptions up, and you’re easily dropping a small fortune every month. And still, that one favorite movie? Yeah — not available anywhere. You’re expected to rent or buy it again.
This is where piracy feels like the logical, even justified, alternative:
- It’s free.
- It’s convenient.
- You get to keep the content.
And hey, those corporations make billions — so what’s the harm, right?
Well, here’s what really happens behind the scenes when you download pirated content.
How Torrents actually work
You don’t download pirated content from the site you visit. Sites like The Pirate Bay don’t host the content themselves — it’s too illegal and expensive. Instead, they provide magnet links that connect you to a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
Here’s the simplified process:
- A cracker rips the movie/game and packages it.
- That file is shared using a magnet URL.
- When you click the link, your torrent client contacts a tracker server, which gives you a list of peers who have the file.
- You become a leecher, downloading bits of the file from multiple seeders (people who already have the file).
- Once downloaded, you’re supposed to seed it back… but most users don’t.
So who’s doing the heavy lifting?
Who’s keeping piracy alive?
There are entire server-like seedboxes dedicated to seeding pirated content 24/7. These aren’t run by generous fans — they cost money and are often operated by:
- Hackers
- Dark web users
- People transferring illegal data
These folks keep the network alive not for free entertainment, but to blend malware, spyware, personal data dumps, and even worse things with media files. There’s zero moderation, and you’re relying entirely on anonymous uploaders who could easily be embedding malicious software.
The Decline of Torrents
In 2006, torrents made up 70% of the internet’s traffic. Today? That number is down to 4%.
Why the drop?
Because we’ve finally developed alternatives:
- Spotify, YouTube revolutionized music streaming.
- Netflix, Hotstar, and other platforms brought shows & films online.
- Game Pass, PS Plus offer huge game libraries for fair monthly prices.
- DRM systems like Denuvo make games harder to crack.
- And more people today prefer clean, ad-free, safe experiences than shady sites with pop-ups and malware.
The Moral Dilemma of Piracy
Yes — piracy might seem victimless. But it’s not.
Just to give an example, after their public funding fell short, one of the lead developers behind Raji sold her house just to fund the development of this game. Imagine doing all that and then finding out that your game has been pirated and you wont get a penny for people experiencing it.
And no — stealing from big corporations still counts as stealing.
Ethically, piracy undermines creators at all levels. Whether it’s a massive studio or a small team of developers, you’re consuming someone’s work without compensating them.
So, What Can You Do?
Not everyone can afford every subscription — and that’s valid. But here are a few solutions:
- Pooled subscriptions: Share family plans or group subscriptions.
- Bundled plans: Many mobile recharges and ISPs offer entertainment bundles.
- Sales & discounts: Platforms like Steam, Epic, and GOG often have massive sales.
And hey, you still can’t pirate a whole computer — that’s where we come in.
Conclusion
If you want to play games legally and support creators, consider building your next gaming PC with us.
Drop a comment below: What game are you planning to buy next?
Until next time — support art, support creators, and stop pirating.
