by Nick Breckon
Following the announcement that several game companies are filing suit against PC video game pirates, former Microsoft VP and current EA Sports head Peter Moore said that he expects the measures to be ineffective toward thwarting further file sharing.
"It didn't work for the music industry," said Moore to Eurogamer. "I'm not a huge fan of trying to punish your consumer."
Atari, Codemasters, Reality Pump, Topware Interactive and Techland have hired law firm Davenport Lyons to file suit against 25,000 file sharers on their behalf. The lawsuits demand the pirates pay GBP 300 (US $557), or face trial.
While Moore recognizes that constructive solutions to piracy are scarce, he would rather the industry look for some than run to the courts.
"Albeit these people have clearly stolen intellectual property," he continued, "I think there are better ways of resolving this within our power as developers and publishers."
Several EA Sports games, including Madden 2009, did not see PC releases this year, with Moore citing "serious business challenges" as the reason. Moore has said that the franchises will return to the platform next year, but bolstered with "meaningful" online connectivity.
"I think there are better solutions than chasing people for money," added Moore. "I'm not sure what they are, other than to build game experiences that make it more difficult for there to be any value in pirating games."
