I've never pirated a game.. But it's been pulled from all retailers

hey all,

So I’ve been on an old school wolfenstein kick, just beat RTCW in one session last night - but as some of you may know, Wolfenstein (2009) has been pulled from retailers both digital and physical - I haven’t had access to the disk in years…

I suppose I’m asking for general (and if available, specific for this game) advice because downloading something I’m unable to buy seems to me to be absolutely ethical 椅内ゆ

Looks like you can get it for around $40 on ebay with shipping (depending on where you live)…

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=wolfenstein+2009&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xwolfenstein+2009+pc.TRS0&_nkw=wolfenstein+2009+pc&_sacat=0

Thank you. the reason I’m asking about torrenting/etc is that I don’t want to spend $70 on ebay for a game that I bought 9 years ago. If it was a $5 key on G2A that would be one thing…

Pirating abandonware is still technically illegal. Whether you find it amoral is, of course, up to you. I certainly would have no problems sleeping at night myself.

7 Likes

There are some for $40 if you scroll down.

If, hypothetically, you were to clone the disc and then resell the retail pack, I’m not sure there’d be any way for anyone to know.

That said, it has been over a decade since I ran a game off of a disc, so there could be roadblocks that I’m not aware of…

dude this thread is not about buying the game on ebay

I only meant to offer it as a viable alternative.

7 Likes

What is this thread about? You said you were just asking for general advise, but didn’t say on what specifically, so I’d assume you mean on the general situation or on your ethical debate on the matter.

Someone offering you a place to get the game legally after you claimed it could no longer be done through retail seems like pretty appropriate advise.

Aside from that, you could get it for the PS3 for $30 new, or probably find it at gamestop or another local game store for $5-$15 used.

Or, just wait a bit. When games like that (which aren’t really that old) come off steam and elsewhere suddenly, it’s likely they’ll be back soon enough and there’s just something going on. If it were a bit older, I might say Bethesda is looking to release the game for free like they’ve done with Elder Scrolls games, but it’s possible they are just preparing to release a pack of the game with something else or a remastered version or some such thing, or there may be some dispute right now with the licensing or other rights disputes that may work themselves out soon enough.

2 Likes

Activision owns the game but Zenimax/id have the rights to release it. It’s a 9 year old game that didn’t exactly set the world on fire when it was new. I wouldn’t hold my breath on it being legitimately available any time soon.

it’s been unavailable for years, and Bethesda people have said that, according to them, it’s not canon (despite carrying over characters)

I’m in the same situation, i really want to play NFS Underground 1 and 2, but i can’t find the PC port anywhere, they just don’t sell it anymore, i knew theisozone had ISOs of all the discs from both games, but as of lately no longer have it, i wonder why…

@Spacejamflam

Do what you have to do. If it’s not on the shelf physically or digitally, then just do what you have to do. lol. Is it that hard to pull the trigger on the only option available to you? Same advice to everyone in the thread who is trying to cope with the decision of over paying for a game on ebay that isn’t available anymore. come on, brehs’.

1 Like

Might be because of licensing stuff. Lots of racing games have a limited lifespan. Couple codemasters titles are even gone from steam. I can still download and play them but they are gone from the store.

It’s not like anyone has/needs to play this game, or any other particular game. And, as has already been shown, there are multiple options open, so the question about pulling the trigger on the ‘only option available to you’ is based on an invalid premise.

Just pirate the game and be done with it @Spacejamflam . Do it before @djindy injects more logic into this simple thread. With that, I will quietly put this thread on mute and move on. Good luck with this conundrum all.

1 Like

Is it?

You have no right to play this game, its not your property, it belongs to the person who owns the rights to it, and if they decide not to release it that’s their right.

That you lost your copy of the game might not be enough to save you under ethical grounds, you don’t go into a book shop to steal a book because you lost yours?

So i’m not sure you could favourable argue that downloading it would be ethical.

There’s plenty of other games out there to play, go play them, or pay up and buy a copy that doesnt exist. That’s your ethical options.

6 Likes

Ethical? Probably not.
My advice, Yarr! :skull_and_crossbones:

1 Like

Playing devils advocate here: If you have a “blank” and you lose said “blank”, then its ok to go take “blank” somewhere else if you find it right?

Insert blank with the thing you lost but want back and ask if its ok.

Copyright infringement is not theft. Both things are illegal, but they are not the same thing.

If I had previously paid for and subsequently lost “blank”, and “blank” == “a digital copy that does not transfer ownership away from the source”, then yes I find that morally acceptable.

If “blank” was no longer available for legitimate first-hand purchase, and “blank” remains a digital copy, then yes I find that morally acceptable also.

YMMV in this case stands for Your Morals May Vary.

Then whats the point of this thread, you’ve justified it to yourself, right or wrong.

2 Likes