The Occasional Solipsist

As reported by Joystiq earlier today, the eagerly anticipated new movie based on one of Square's highest selling Final Fantasy games (FFVII) got leaked onto the net this week.

And is anyone surprised by the leak? I doubt it.

Gamers are almost or more crazy about their fandom than scifi nuts, and we all remember that copy of Episode 3 that went around the net until the FBI squashed that party.

But I have a unique perspective on the kind of people that would download a rip of a movie that hasn't come out yet. I don't think they're real fans at all, and I''ll tell you why:

If a person really enjoys something, be it a movie, videogame, whatever, I'm of the opinion that they don't mind paying for the real thing, with all of the perks that go along with that purchase. DVD extras, etc.

Its the casual fan that doesn't want to shell out for the privilege of owning something that they're not really that into anyway.

Now don't get me wrong. I am a loud, proud supporter of filesharing. I never turn my bittorrent client off, and I think of kazaa when I hear a song I like rather than run to the nearest music store.

I'm just saying that in the case of something that a person really wants to own/watch because of a visceral connection to that material, especially a movie made based on a killer video game, its somehow wrong to get a stripped down version of that movie.

And with japanese subtitles no less.

So in as much as it pains me to have to wait a little longer to see what Cloud and the kids have been up to, and if Aeris will somehow enter into things, I am content to wait until the real deal is out so I can own it in all my scary fanboy glory.

Labels: gaming