Huggable-looking 16-bit critters? Yeah, that's not what I'd have expected to find on the front page of a certain famed torrent website either. Yes, it's a videogame promo for Zelda-esque indie adventure Anodyne, but it's also sort of an interesting remark on the state of videogame piracy.
Over at the Pirate Bay, the front-page message from developer duo Jon Kittaka and Sean Hogan reads:
We'd like to make a living by making games that will give people memorable experiences, but we know not everyone can afford them. So that's why you can download a torrent of our game, Anodyne, and if you'd like and are able, also purchase the game!Just like all gamers, I'm frustrated by the limiting DRM slapped across most modern game releases. Sure it reduces piracy -- but it also reduces one's ability to just enjoy and play the damn game.
That's why I really appreciate this little message from Anodyne's developers, who've acknowledged the piracy problem but made their game available on the site anyway. It suggests not just faith in the quality of their product, but in the gamers who'll be playing it as well -- and just because of that, I've felt compelled to chip in some of my pocket money.
I highly encourage you to get over to their promo page and throw in a couple of bucks, too -- the suggested minimum is $1, though you can add however much more you like, and you'll get a Steam key if their Greenlight campaign succeeds, too.
So go on -- support some fab, understanding developers and encourage indies to keep making fun games for us to enjoy.