Video Game Software Piracy In The Philippines

If you ask the regular gamer who lives in the Philippines which he would prefer to receive as a gift – a PS3 or and Xbox 360 – he would more likely support the latter.

And if you ask that same person what was the major factor in choosing the Xbox 360 he would most likely say some variation of the following phrase:

“Because I can buy fake games for the Xbox 360, and I can’t for the PS3.”

Indeed software piracy has been a huge issue in this country for the last couple of years. The government has made well-publicized efforts to stop the proliferation of bootleg video games, DVDs, CDs, and the like – but they have failed in this task.

No matter where you live in this country, there is bound to be a nearby mall vendor or street vendor from which you can buy these pirated software.

And when you compare the price difference between an original and fake video game, you will see why Filipinos of all ages prefer buying the fake versions. Take this for example:

A brand new original Xbox360 CD of Dragon Age Origins can cost anywhere between US$49.99 to US$59.99. That would cost around 2,300 pesos to 2,800 pesos in local Philippine currency. Meanwhile a fake disk will only cost you between 70 to 120 pesos per CD.

And since the entire Dragon Age Origins for the Xbox360 is sold in a single CD, you only have to pay US$1.5 for the bootleg copy.

You can have hours of fun playing this RPG game even without the online gaming perks, so why would you spend US$49 on something you can buy for a buck or two?

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Just for your information:

• When I use the term 'Filipinos' I mean people living in the Philippines in general , (including the Chinese, Spanish, Americans, Koreans, etc.).
• When I use the term 'CDs' I am referring to all kinds of bootleg software including DVDs, VCDs, CDs, and so on.

1. “How good is the quality of a fake CD?”

Interestingly enough, you can finish an entire RPG game using one bootleg CD. If ever it breaks, you can just return it to the shop and they will give you a brand new fake CD as a replacement. It helps to befriend the vendor by purchasing from them again and again. Then they will call you their “suki” or loyal customer.

Then you can get special discounts for buying games in bulk. They will also give you a text when bootleg versions of the latest games are now available.

2. “Don’t Philippine gamers care about the future of the gaming industry?”

Unfortunately, for most gamers, the answer is ‘not really.’ I mean it’s not that they don’t care. It’s just that they believe their buying pirated software doesn’t really affect the gaming industry that much. And besides, plenty of Filipinos can’t really afford to buy original CDs. Still, the richer Filipinos also buy bootleg CDs, so it's still a problem.

3. “Don’t fake CDs damage the lens of video game consoles?”

Many people – especially those who are against gaming piracy – swear that these bootleg CDs will destroy your gaming consoles. But why would gamers continue to buy these products if they are so damaging and dangerous? Perhaps the damage is just minimal and replacing the lens might be cheaper than buying an original CD (will research on this further).

Well one thing is for sure – software piracy in the Philippines is here to stay – at least for the time being. And as long as gamers keep supporting vendors of these bootleg video games, they will keep on producing and selling more of these.