Microsoft Says It Won't Be Disabling Pirated Games On Windows 10
Microsoft’s privacy concerns continue to worry privacy advocates, with the most recent report claiming Windows 10 will automatically disable pirated video games.
The actual agreement focuses on Xbox and Xbox Live, meaning games outside of the Windows 10 store will not be disabled. This has been used by Microsoft for a long time, stopping Xbox customers from downloading pirated games.
Bringing it to Windows 10 could outline plans by Microsoft to start disabling pirated PC games. This isn’t in the agreement yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was added in the next iteration of Windows.
Disabling games might be a way for video game developers to recuperate losses on PC. It might also lead to smarter ways to get past piracy blocks, the same thing that has happened in the film industry with apps like Popcorn Time.
Video games on PC regularly note large amounts of piracy, with some games hitting over 80 per cent. Some developers tackle this with DLC and microtransactions, but there is no clean fix.
Microsoft has not commented on the report, but the state of transparency on Windows 10 is rather worrying. There is little control over things like Cortana and updates, making some users feel unsafe and unhappy with the update.
That said, the majority of customers are happy with Windows 10. Usage has spiked to almost five per cent in a month, and continues to show strong numbers compared to Windows 8.
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