Videogame pirates take the wind out of new releases' sails

On the eve of the release of Halo 2 for the X Box, the Associated Press (cited in the MIT Technology Review) has taken a look at the growing problem of pirated, often incomplete versions of new game titles being released on file-sharing networks before the official version hits store shelves.

In the case of Halo 2, the French-language version appeared on file-sharing nets in October. For Half Life 2, scheduled for release in November, unplayable game code was stolen from the developer and posted on the Internet, says AP. And in the case of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, an illegal version of the game as well as manuals were posted before its release date.

The industry has blamed international piracy syndicates for the trend, but some experts point the finger at insiders involved in game development. They reason that many people handle the game prior to release, from artists to coders to marketers, that it's inevitable that illicit copies will make it onto the Internet.