MPAA Fears Economic Downturn Will Boost Piracy

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
The MPAA says that they are worried that the recent economic downturn will boost movie piracy. Seriously? The MPAA thinks that good people will just go insane and start stealing stuff, rioting and illegally downloading music and movies because the economy is getting worse. I think they’ve been watching too many of their own movies.

Following the banks and the car companies, the movie industry might be the next to be hit by the economic downturn. No bail-out plan has been suggested as of yet, but MPAA chairman Dan Glickman is worried that piracy will grow to a new high during the current financial crisis - and he might just have a point there.
Click to expand...
 
If anything causes piracy it is the fact that it cost the best part of a $100 for a family of four to go see a movie nowadays.

1 ticket @ $9.25

1 soda + 1 treat = $10

X 4

$77


….and 80% of the time the movie BLOWS ASS.


Maybe they should CURE that *ahem* problem before worrying about piracy.
 
How are they interpreting a "boost in piracy"? By raw numbers of downloads? By "lost revenue" (however the hell they gauge that)? By ratio of downloads versus purchases?

On one hand it makes sense. On the other hand I can't help but think the RIAA's blaming their reduced revenue (as a result of the economic downturn obviously) on piracy and using that to further justify their litigation and anti-consumer-rights campaign.
 
last time i went to the movie theater was to see 300. and i can't even remember the movie i saw before that one. maybe it was xmen 3 but i dunno.

i agree most movies suck and now that we have hulu and on-demand stuff, going out and seeing a movie or even buying a DVD is ridiculous and a waste of money. piracy is the last thing they should be worrying about right now....
 
I thought people who download pirated material never did it because they couldn't afford it, and if they wanted it that bad they would have made compromises. Atleast that's what anti-piracy groups have been pushing in the past because otherwise some lawsuits would have deducted that no sales have been lost.
 
Yeah, those cinema are certainly overcharging. Sometimes the food and drinks sold there for a person can cost more than the ticket itself.

Each time I go to the cinema, the only thing I bought is a drink, nothing more.
 
No bail-out plan has been suggested as of yet
Click to expand...

Is anyone else concerned about that little comment?

If they go to congress to ask for a bail out, then people need to riot. There is no way that the entertainment industry needs a bailout :mad:
 
maybe it's just me... but it's like the RIAA and MPAA can never admit that maybe... just maybe... they might be at fault for their problems.

E.G. : back during the Kazaa years. Media sharing was costing the industry billions of untold dollars... but as a couple of radio stations found out... the most popular tracks burning up Kazaa's lists were also the hottest selling tracks... and the hottest requested tracks on radio.

Rather than using such information to their advantage and finding out what people actually WANTED to listen to, as I remember, the RIAA moved in and had the radio station shut dow on licensing violations.

The reality is for me is that I haven't bought a music cd from Wal-Mart or Best-Buy in years. I will admit that some of the music I have was purchased from AllofMp3... for one reason. I don't listen to secular music. I listen to stuff like White Heart, Whitecross, Idle Cure, Liaison, and Petra. These aren't bands you would have found being pushed on Itunes or Amazon.com when they launched. Amazon.com has gotten much better in their selection as I was able to pick up both of Mastedon's Albums from Amazon...

The reality is for me is that I turn on the radio to the current popular-rock station and I'm assaulted with lyrics of sex and drugs. Today's secular music is just downright depressing... and nobodies buying.

If my memory serves correctly, this came up with AC/DC's recent Album. AC/DC refused to do any online single sales, and the only way to get their album was to buy it from Wal-Mart.

Well. All insult intended, AC/DC can't do a whole album of good songs. In fact, very few, if any, secular artists can. I remember a couple bands admitting in interviews surrounding the AC/DC launch that many of their albums had one or two songs they actually liked... and the rest was filler.

Which makes sense. Think of the rock'n'roll greats like The Police, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Stryper, and so on. How many songs can you actually name that they did? How many songs do you actually like listening to?

For a quick biased check on real song popularity, look up such bands in Itunes or on Amazon.com, and check out the download rates. Most bands have 5 or 6 songs with heavy downloads, then the numbers suddenly drop off.

The way forward for the Music industry is to just junk the album concept. Rock Band and Guitar Hero are good interactive steps, and if some reports are to be believed, more profitable, for some bands.

Rather than coming to terms with the changing nature of digitial distribution, and using it to their advantage, most RIAA members have clung to the album concept... and sales have crashed there... while sales of online singles and actually good songs have taken off.

***

Okay. I realize the news post was about the MPAA, and that part was about the RIAA, so here's where it comes together.

The MPAA is in the same situational boat. Directors and producers never seem to be willing to admit that theater sales are down because they just can't make something people want to go watch.

Movies today continue to push the envelope in terms of graphic violence, language, and sexual encounters... sometimes pushing all 3 at once. That's a large turn-off when it's realized that the average G rated movie rakes in more than a PG-13 movie, which rakes in more than an R-rated movie.

It's almost scary when it's noticed that the best movies over the summer came from the pages of comic books, a movie genre not known for it's stellar acting and engaging plot lines.

I don't think the movie industry, well, I know the movie industry, doesn't understand their markets, much like the music industry. The MPAA and it's members want to dictate what they think people want to watch, as well as when and how people watch that content.

What they don't seem to get is that consumers also have the option to say No, and take their business elsewhere.

Piracy is just a drop in the bucket for the MPAA. People who are going to pirate content are going to pirate content. It's the same thing with putting a lock on a door. It's there for honest people. Somebody who isn't honest isn't going to care.

I wish I could say that it's worrying about how out of touch with basic economics the MPAA is, and how concerned I am with how they perceive the market.

But hey, if the MPAA wants to believe that all consumers are clinically deranged liberal-democrats who hate the president at the time of posting as much as they do... that's their choice.

I have the choice to disagree and walk away. And it's my choice to state that the MPAA and it's members are out of their minds.
 
Lost revenue to the *aa's is nonsense. Apparently no one has told them of the untold billions of dollars spent on music and movies that are not only shitty to hear, but even shittier to look at. How in the wide world of all things unholy does a movie producer have the balls to sit in front of a studio flunky and ask them for untold millions to make a piece of a human waste like Surfer Dude.

I can see the picture now, Hollywood Jackass A sits in a meeting with Hollywood Producer B and pitch a movie concept to Studio Head C about a C-list actor (Mathew McConaughey) who is a surfer is trying to find himself while he has personal issues. And that Studio Head C sits there and thinks about it and says, "Yeah, I like that and in our even harder times, here is a few million to make it. Go forth and produce more garbage."

Yes, I can see how the **AA's are just worried sick that they will lose loads and loads of cash on this kind of auditory and visual swill.
 
Steve said:
If anything causes piracy it is the fact that it cost the best part of a $100 for a family of four to go see a movie nowadays.

1 ticket @ $9.25

1 soda + 1 treat = $10

X 4

$77


….and 80% of the time the movie BLOWS ASS.


Maybe they should CURE that *ahem* problem before worrying about piracy.
Click to expand...


Not to be a lemon here.

But you don't need to buy a drink+pop and those prices are controlled by the picture house (movie theater), not the MPAA.

However, it's a contribution of the shit that they have been pushing out and the ridiculous prices that they have been pushing on media.


And to disagree with you further... I'd say 98% of the movies suck ass and that they can save money by stopping to pay these actors gobbles amount of money.
 
Last movie I saw at the movie theater was Pearl Harbor. Paying $10 each for a ticket just makes it not worth it when I pay $6.25 to rent a Blu Ray to see with my friends, especially as we can split the cost.
 
obviouslytom said:
Is anyone else concerned about that little comment?

If they go to congress to ask for a bail out, then people need to riot. There is no way that the entertainment industry needs a bailout :mad:
Click to expand...

I think they were joking.

Though I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the RIAA execs asked the government for money while showing up in a Rolls Royce with diamond studded trimming.
 
Hollywood can bail themselves out. It's ridiculous that it costs $100M+ to make a movie that can be done at home. It shouldn't cost $10 a person to see a movie then another $10 per person for drink and snacks, plus getting food afterwords. Then to have to spend two to three hours at a noisy, dirty theater leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I would rather wait a few months and catch it on BD and watch it on my own big screen at home, with my own snacks.

I remember Comcast talking about the ability to have first run movies delivered via HD to the home via a PPV model. I would prefer to do this than going to the theater. Hollywood needs to learn how to adapt unlike the Music Industry.

Oh yeah if Hollywood even tries for a bailout there should be a major Classaction lawsuit against them for all the crappy movies we had to go through.
 
95% of modern music/movies/etc. put out by the **AA companies is garbage. That's the reason for lost revenue, not piracy. Though it's not like the public is helping. Shit still makes big money with the unwashed masses.
 
Wolfkin said:
Last movie I saw at the movie theater was Pearl Harbor. Paying $10 each for a ticket just makes it not worth it when I pay $6.25 to rent a Blu Ray to see with my friends, especially as we can split the cost.
Click to expand...

Holy crap, you pay $6.25 to rent a bluray?!
 
i get pissed off when i watch a bad movie that i didnt even pay for. when i buy a dvd for $16 and it sucks ass, the feeling that overcomes me is "torrent first, buy if its good".
 
djBon2112 said:
95% of modern music/movies/etc. put out by the **AA companies is garbage. That's the reason for lost revenue, not piracy. Though it's not like the public is helping. Shit still makes big money with the unwashed masses.
Click to expand...

dont most movies made still make them money though? even if its shit, all they do is advertise like its a movie of the year and everyone bites the first two weeks. by then they already made their money...
 
Going to the movies sucks not only because tickets are outrageous (and the theater makes nothing on them), but everyone's crunching or playing with crunchy wrapping. If theaters allowed good-behaving patrons to BITCHSLAP the jackasses, I'd pay full price.

Why anyone buys popcorn to eat during a movie is completely beyond me. Not only is your crunching annoying the piss out of me to where I'd like to kick your throat, but you can't hear anything either.

You can't go to any movies with a rating less than R, otherwise you'll have the pleasure of screaming babies or texting, giggling preteens not even paying attention.
 
Seriously people... be honest with yourself. Of course people will pirate more when they don't have money than they would if they did have money. So now with that out of the way, you can argue (or violently spew incoherent forum postings) about how much of that is actually a lost sale, as opposed to people just cutting their budgets, regardless of piracy availability,

Freezebyte said:
No fucking shit sherlocks :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

What this guy said.

Keiichi said:
It's ridiculous that it costs $100M+ to make a movie that can be done at home.
Click to expand...

That is so retarded it makes my head hurt. I think you need to adjust your exaggerations a little.
 
Just don't call it stealing, God damnit. :rolleyes: Calling it stealing is ignorant, and just plain wrong.
 
I just netflix everything. $10 a month and I get to watch a least 3-4 legal Blu-Rays a month and all the streaming content I want. Much better then spending that money for one person to go to a movie in the theater.
 
I think they have a point, less money to spend on games will mean more games will have to be downloaded because gamers are not going to stop playing games just because they can't afford them.
 
Steve said:
The MPAA says that they are worried that the recent economic downturn will boost movie piracy. Seriously? The MPAA thinks that good people will just go insane and start stealing stuff, rioting and illegally downloading music and movies because the economy is getting worse. I think they’ve been watching too many of their own movies.
Click to expand...

When will Hard OCP get a decent news guy? I've read Hard OCP fairly often since '04.. and when Steve came into play with the news his commentary on everything always had a very high chance of coming off as stupid/naive/annoying.

Here is just another example of that. It would take an IDIOT to not realize that of course there is going to be increased 'piracy' with the economic downturn when ol' Joe Blow can't afford to go buy the $20 DVD or $12-$15 showing for the movie he wants to see when he could just click his mouse a few times, wait a little, and see it that way; all for free.

I also thought it was pretty cute how he added in the "good people" on that segment as if people who choose to both waste their time AND MONEY on the majority of the completely shit movies that have come out of Hollywood recently are your model citizens with shit that smells like cinnamon buns.
 
krupted said:
dont most movies made still make them money though? even if its shit, all they do is advertise like its a movie of the year and everyone bites the first two weeks. by then they already made their money...
Click to expand...

Yes.

djBon2112 said:
95% of modern music/movies/etc. put out by the **AA companies is garbage. That's the reason for lost revenue, not piracy. Though it's not like the public is helping. Shit still makes big money with the unwashed masses.
Click to expand...
 
PoopsMacClaude said:
When will Hard OCP get a decent news guy? I've read Hard OCP fairly often since '04.. and when Steve came into play with the news his commentary on everything always had a very high chance of coming off as stupid/naive/annoying.

Here is just another example of that. It would take an IDIOT to not realize that of course there is going to be increased 'piracy' with the economic downturn when ol' Joe Blow can't afford to go buy the $20 DVD or $12-$15 showing for the movie he wants to see when he could just click his mouse a few times, wait a little, and see it that way; all for free.

I also thought it was pretty cute how he added in the "good people" on that segment as if people who choose to both waste their time AND MONEY on the majority of the completely shit movies that have come out of Hollywood recently are your model citizens with shit that smells like cinnamon buns.
Click to expand...

Really?

Comments are quite surprising to me seeing as Steve has always stated what needed to be said instead of glazing it over with sugar infused honey and shit covered lips.
 
we've actually started to go see more movies in theatres lately...the costco here has started selling packages where you get 2 adult admissions 2 pop and 1 popcorn for 22 bucks after tax....it's not too shabby and can be used at any time (not just "cheap days")

that being said though....we didn't go to very many movies before that, and yes we "resorted" to piracy to watch movies...however....if you see our DVD/HDDVD/Blu-ray collection....there would be a VERY hard sell on trying us in any court...because we don't just buy the single disc cheapo version....if we like it we buy the best version out there...and we've got 600+ (must be close to 700 by now...) movies/tv shows

now if only we could do something about the cost of bluray titles.... LOL
 
PoopsMacClaude said:
When will Hard OCP get a decent news guy? I've read Hard OCP fairly often since '04.. and when Steve came into play with the news his commentary on everything always had a very high chance of coming off as stupid/naive/annoying.
Click to expand...

wow...steve is one of the main reasons i keep reading this site....i'm sure they'll be fine if you choose not to read the news...i think there are enough people here that you won't make much of a difference
 
Ugh, I just got a bad vision of GM taking advice from the MPAA and suing everyone who's bought a used GM or received someones old car as a gift in the past 10 years instead of buying a brand new one...
 
You would think the MPAA members would figure out that people aren't going to pay $30 for a BluRay when the same on DVD can be had for $14. There isn't $16 worth of difference.
 
It is funny to see how human beings are the same in spite thier social or economical "status". Imagine a Sony Exec worrying about how he can't go skiing to sweeden because his Bonus was splitted in half because of "Piracy". While Joe's are worried if they children would see their grandma because he doesn't has enough money for the trip.
For anyone who is interested go to the site www.stealthismovie.com and see what they have to say.
 
No bailout has been suggested yet...

Yeah- bring it on. Go to congress and ask them for tax payer money to help the movie industry. And while you are at it- go fuck yourselves.
 
They can bitch and complain as much as they want, but until they stop suing companies that give us software to put our DVDs on hard drives and charging $20 a DVD then I am just going to continue and rent my movies for cheap from Netflix and buying my movies used on eBay.
 
I think this just shows alot of hubris. Not everyone is so addicted to media that they must have the latest by any means necessary. Also in a down economy its more likely that you will be scrambling to make ends meet or working AND furthering your education so you can come out stronger. W.A.L.E. isn't reality yet!:rolleyes:
 
i don't think a bail out would even come close to being a reality....

i mean think of it...just how many people does the auto industry support? from parts manufacturer's to mom and pop repair shops...it's ALL from the auto industry

who does the RIAA/MPAA impact that badly? when you take into consideration the video game industry, the stores that sell video media/music won't go out of business...they're business models adapt (like a real company) and sell what people want

auto industry = millions of jobs
RIAA/MPAA = MAYBE hundreds of thousands of HIGH DOLLAR jobs....ya know, the kind that should be able to make decisions to follow marketing trends....like real companies
 
sounds like their admitting that piracy really doesn't affect revenue in a truly significant manner. I mean the economy is shit therefore people won't be spending money on movies... but oh they'll download what they wouldn't ordinarily buy..... tsk tsk MPAA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top