You're right that nobody HAS to pay for anything but you're incorrect on your options.  You can either have the object and pay for it or not have it all.  Saying well I wasn't going to pay for it anyways is no way a valid excuse and is very often just something people tell themselves to justify pirating.  If they take the effort to download it and then put the time into it to play it, they want the game.

Now lets pretend that the person *really* wasn't going to buy the game and nothing really wasn't lost because of that person.  You still have to remember that someone did get the game and pirate it to enable jerks like that to download the game.  Sure, that's one copy but since there's a demand someone is filling it and stopping sales of the game.  The people that supposedly would not have bought the game are supporting the people that originally pirate the games.  So yes, even if they really weren't going to buy the game, they are still contributing to the problem and are just as bad as everyone else. 

So why should the people making said media get punished for someone else not being able to afford it?  I'm not being heartless towards people that don't have money, I just believe that people should get payed for their work.  When you pirate (even if you wouldn't otherwise buy-- which is still a bullshit excuse) you are taking money away from the people that put a lot of work into that project.  

People who make games don't live a rockstar life.  Saleries are good but they aren't that good to live the uber awesome life.  I definitely make enough money to get buy and still afford some things like my games but that's because I work pretty hard for it and I save.  That being said, my fiance makes about 2/3 more than I do in an entry level job.  Except for those special people like Cliffy B, developers don't live rock star lives.

If you can't afford a Ferrarri and more than likely never will be able to does that mean you should still get one for nothing?

 There's lots of room there. 

Dude, I already said I don't personally pirate GAMES, look at my profile and all the games I actually OWN. I already said games deserve to be purchased more than movies and music. However, I will say it once more, pirating does NOT cost the companies money, period. You can try to explain it 50 different ways, it still doesn't change the fact that you are just plain wrong.

 I never said you pirated games.

And yes, like I explained it does.  I'll make it simple this time.

1. People say they were never going to buy the game but that's just them justifying the pirating. 
2. Even if they weren't going to buy the game, they are still supporting the practice and supporting those people that make the pirated games available.

You Are A Pirate

That is the biggest bullshit argument ever, and TOO MANY pirates use it.

It's cause and effect, or something like that. You wouldn't buy a mediocre movie...but you're OK with downloading it and watching it?

So the question is: Are you downloading a movie because you wouldn't buy it normally?
or is it: Do you not buy a movie because you're downloading it? You have the ability to download movies for free...why the hell should you pay?

Too many people say its the first question...but really, you're lazy and cheap, and don't feel like shelling out the money that you owe for watching a movie...and since you can download a moive easily, you don't buy it.

Again I'll say, I download movies sometimes, but I don't try to justify it with crap arguments like that. It's not, "I would never buy The Professional, so I downloaded it this week and watched it," it's, "I don't want to buy The Professional, and I'm not going to buy it now or any time soon, I'd rather just download it." So that's what I did...and that's one less The Professional sale.

I hate pirates especially on PSP, but I gotta admit I have ripped off a few games for PC and also some movies.

Stealing is only bested by murdering and child molestation as the shitty crime of crimes.

Anyone that steals should look no further than the ten commandments. Nowhere does it say, "No stealing, except when it does not cost the company money."

And I am not a religious man either, I just think it is morally wrong and culturally it should be unacceptable. Anyone that tried to justify stealing is just as bad as a theif. Maybe even worse. I mean, would that work with murder or child molestation?

"Well, child molestation is not something I do but..." I better not even finish that. Come on guys, this is a site for video games hardcore and we are the people that thee industry relies on. And some of those people are biting the hand that feeds them. It drives me up the wall.

I think piracy is fine, if you can find what you want online then i feel its our right to take it. Everything that i have is stuff i would never buy to begin with, i don't see a problem with all the movies and TV shows and music i have downloaded over the years. Even though i can find most of what i want online, sometimes i still buy it in stores, like my family guy, Simpsons or trailer park boys collections.

Yeah, if by some miracle pirating suddenly stopped and became impossible would anyone really believe those people would sit at home with no games, movies, or music and just twiddle their thumbs?

Of course not, they would actually go buy those games they're pirating.

Don't call me lazy and cheap. I own hundreds of games, movies AND CDs. However, I don't buy CDs anymore and I only buy DVDs that on sale or really cheap. I buy ALL my games, I don't pirate those at all. Also, I have NEVER shared anything over the internet with anyone else ever. I have also never made any money off of someone elses work. I do believe that CDs are not worth anywhere near what the companies charge and refuse to buy those anymore. Also, movies are not worth $20+ either, so I buy them only when they are cheap. I always prefer to have the original of anything, but I am not rich and cannot afford everything I would want to have so I download stuff sometimes, but I still spend thousands on the real products. Do not lump me in with the guys that spend all their time pirating.

However, I still think it is naive to believe that those billion dollar companies are really losing any money to pirating. I definitely don't feel bad for pirating something here and there, those companies are NOT hurting at all.