If it's not available legally. If the pirated version is better than the legal version (e.g. because of DRM). If I already own it.

That's the basic cases. I'm sure there are others too.

EDIT: Also when I wouldn't buy it otherwise (at least yet) but care enough to try. In those cases, I often buy it later though. In the recent years this has become increasingly rare for me though, because I have way too little time even for the games I've bought, let alone pirated games.

Thats because modding your console is not illegal. You just lose your warranty. Not everyone uses it for pirated games.

You can't justify piracy but you can understand the reason why people resort to it. Some people live in underdeveloped countries where games are very expensive and not everyone can afford them. I can understand those people (i was one of them).

It should be noted that these countries have absolutely no control on piracy too. So one can download terabytes of illegal content with no problems at all.

No, I'm the guy who wants to try my games(interactive entertainment products don't fare very well for just looking at pictures, reading descriptions, or looking at videos) before buying them.  You'd think they'd have at least benchmark tests available for AAA on PC by now.

But if you want to draw parallels to ripping out packages in supermarkets or some such nonsense, then be my guest.

1) The game is more than 5 years old.
2) You already own the game.
3) The game is unavailable where you live (illegal, heavily censored, lacking features etc.)
...
4) The developers make every effort to make the experience as uncomfortable for paying customers as possible.

The last one I think is still immoral, but I can't be mad at people for doing it.

As a software engineer -- there is practically no excuse for piracy to be legitimate, unless the software is simply unavailable without jumping through some insane hoops.

Before completing college, I worked in International licensing for Microsoft Dynamics (business applications). MS had an interesting price structure where the price would increase or decrease depending on the particular country we were selling to.

The problem with applying this structure to video games is that you develop a black/gray market. Customers buying MS Dynamics software are spending $15-400k, whereas customers buying a video game are spending $40-60... Its drastically easier to import games than to import a massive software suite that has region tracking.

I'm sorry, but just because you come from a lower PPP nation -- you are not excused to just steal a game. Gaming is a luxury even in the west, and shouldn't be considered any form of entitlement. Just because you are a college student -- you shouldn't feel entitled to steal software. Many of us have been where you are, and from the sounds of it -- worse off than it sounds like you were (focus on bills rather than toys while studying).

Well, I guess I cannot live up to the moral standards of most of the people in here.
I regularly download:
- Episodes of series I enjoy to watch, or entire series when available. I do not feel like waiting 6-12 months (or never) for my country's TV station to buy it and broadcast it. And I don't feel like adhering to their schedule of broadcasting.

- I regularly download movies I want to watch, because I don't have time to go to the movies, find babysitters etc. And this way I watch them when I want and pause them when I feel like it.

- I don't download music because I have no interest in it. But in case I read or hear about an artist that sounds interesting, I download the album to listen to it. Most of them I end up deleting.

But then, I pay $200 for NFL Season Pass to watch games, because it is much more convenient to me than seeking those files on torrents.
I pay $60 per year for Crunchyroll, because sometimes anime that interests me is not available on torrents.

It is all about convenience. Basically, in order to have me pay money, they need to make that payment seem like it's worth it.
I have no moral dilemmas about torrents, and will continue to use them indefinitely.

I'm pretty sure all the people disgusted at the justifications are first-worlders =P

Granted, piracy is obviously wrong, of course. And you are right in saying it's not justifiable. But you'll never understand what it is to live in a country where games can cost 100+ dollars. Over here, it's better in these last few years. But you guys can walk into a store and buy a 6-year old game for 5 bucks
I'd have to pay, best case scenario, around 20-30 dollars =P

Or, fuck, what about something like Suikoden II? Until recently, it wasn't on the PSN, so you'd have to pay upwards of FIFTY DOLLARS for a very old game. What exactly would Konami be losing if you downloaded the iso of the game...?

So your government over taxing (tariff) a game justifies you stealing from the developer/publisher?

I didn't say that. Like I said, it's not justifiable, okay.

But if not for piracy, me and many others would have NEVER played games like we did. There are cases and cases. Thankfully, nowadays, at least in my country, it's perfectly reasonable to buy original games. Not to mention, there's always Steam.

But 10 years ago? It was either piracy, or nothing.