10 Anti-Piracy Measures In Video Games That Were Total Genius

Game Dev Tycoon lets gamers step into the shoes of developers, as they take risks in the hopes of making big profits with their indie game company. It focuses more on the business side of the trade.

The punishment for swiping an illegal copy of the game is quite unique and meta. Picture the scene: sales look steady, the word is getting out about your new shooter/platformer/carrot simulator/whatever. It looks like things will be steady from hear on out...

Or, so you'd assume. An intriguing message will pop up: “Boss, it seems that while many players play our new game, they steal it by downloading a cracked version rather than buying it legally. If players don’t buy the games they like, we will sooner or later go bankrupt.”

And that's exactly what happens in the game. The money will totally run out, resulting in a depressing bankruptcy.

The message here hits hard, but it's still quite amusing to see Greenheart Studios shove a dollop of bitter medicine it back into the mouth of the pirates. Stealing games is bad for business, and unless you buy the game like a good citizen, you're going to realize this the hard way.