"Chipping" is simply the term used in the region of Spain where I live to refer to the process of unlocking the console to accept downloaded games.
Our positions appear to be opposed, but there is common ground and the truth probably lies somewhere in between, certainly the fact that hardware modification proves unnecessary on the pc suggests that piracy is an easier process on this platform; however, once a console owner witnesses what an unlocked console can do, only their moral fibre and economic possibilities dictate whether or not they will avail themselves of this option. In any event, we can agree that those wishing to pirate consoles are faced with very few real impediments.
We agree that the companies blame piracy too often and for too much. House prices have fallen, purchasing power is on the decrease and yet we are faced with games released at €60 with additional DLC content that only adds to this cost. I firmly believe that if the companies took a more realistic approach to pricing they would convert many pirates into paying customers and would probably increase profits. That isn't an apology for pirates nor an attempt to depict them as Robin Hood, it just appears to be common sense given the current economic climate and the reductions witnessed in other industries.
Where the major companies fail to adapt to the present situation and continue to focus on consoles, I feel that we will witness more and more independent companies rising to the task of filling this void: good pc games at affordable prices. Where there is a market, there will always be someone willing to satisfy demand and whilst I admit that gaming on the pc could be healthier, I affirm that it will adapt and transform before it ever dies.
Undoubtedly, but the pc gaming industry once had a thriving secondhand market; however the big companies killed that off via DRM, purportedly invented to combat piracy and yet, based on the figures you are publishing, it never once served this purpose.
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