I get that the problem with being a liar is that nobody believes you when you are telling the truth.  I could even be called a monumental hypocrite for this post.  But, I don’t believe that any of my past actions deprived anyone of anything.  I didn’t have the money to give them even if I had wanted to.  No, that didn’t give me any special right to have their products for free.  I look at it like public urination.  (stick with me on this one)  Peeing in public is illegal most everywhere that I know of.  But, I challenge you to find one instance of a back country backpacker getting fined for defecating in the woods.  Everyone knows they do it.  It’s not like they can hold it in for days on end.  But, it doesn’t hurt anyone so nobody cares.  I sat alone in a dark bedroom listening to electronic music and pirated games.  I don’t see the difference or the problem.

No, I didn’t buy Spore.  It’s a toy, not a game, certainly not worth $50, and it has DRM.

No, I didn’t buy BioShock.  DRM.

No, I didn’t buy Mass Effect.  DRM.

No, I don’t buy music on iTunes.  DRM.  I do buy music on Amazon though.  No DRM and they have good quality tracks.

Yes, DRM matters to me.  I have enough problems with my machine to introduce another point of failure.  Also, I am not interested in renting games.  I want to own a license.  An irrevocable right to use said product as long as the product is usable.  It seems to work well for every other software market, why doesn’t it work for games?  Why should we be different because we are “playing” instead of “photoshopping”?  Also, in the dwindling instances where I choose to be a paying customer, why should I have to go through more work and problems to get something that would be easier to get elsewhere for free?  It would be like paying $50 for a gallon of gas, having to sign 5 pages of paperwork, and having to carry it 5 miles from the gas station to my house instead of getting a gallon for free from my neighbor.  I think DRM is costing the publishers customers and money.  I know for certain it has cost EA at least 1 customer and about $150.