The gaming industry has witnessed a revolutionary shift in the wake of cloud gaming. It started back in 2003 and made playing video games easier and more convenient for everyone. Then, in 2010, the tech exploded into the mainstream: OnLive announced a subscription-based service for 23 popular video games, and its rival, Gaikai, had already raised $10 million for research and development of its own online service. Today, cloud gaming is a $2 billion global industry, with experts expecting it to grow to $96 billion in the next 10 years.
However, with this new trend comes a fresh set of challenges, particularly with respect to digital piracy. Below, we’ll explore how piracy impacts this emerging platform and the unique risks it poses to both users and the gaming industry at large.
Understanding Cloud Gaming: A New Era of Digital Entertainment
Cloud gaming, also known as gaming on demand, allows users to stream video games directly to their devices without the need for powerful hardware or large storage capacities. Instead of running games on local devices, cloud gaming platforms run the game on remote servers and stream the video output to the user’s screen. This approach gives gamers instant access to high-resolution games on a wide range of devices, from Android and iOS mobile devices to smart TVs, as long as they have a stable internet connection.
Simply put, players no longer need to invest in expensive rigs or game consoles to enjoy the latest titles. This level of accessibility has made cloud gaming incredibly popular, with research estimating that there will be approximately 455.4 million cloud gaming users in 2025.
In the past, users had to maintain physical collections — like PC games or Xbox and Sony PlayStation discs — or use memory on their own hardware to store digital versions. Cloud gaming bypasses these issues, so users don’t have to waste time and money on new games and downloads.
The Impact of Piracy on Cloud Gaming
Despite the many advantages of cloud gaming and the ease of access, this technology has not escaped the issue of digital piracy. One of the biggest drawbacks to cloud gaming is that the users do not own the games they are playing. According to the blog site GamerWelfare, 67.5% of gamers don’t like the idea of cloud gaming. Such feelings have given rise to the now viral mantra, “If buying isn’t owning, piracy isn’t stealing,” which encourages scammers and downplays the prevalent risks associated with pirated content.
Even though some people get frustrated with certain gaming issues, piracy is illegal and can lead to serious legal consequences. Cloud gaming piracy can include things like accessing games without permission, sharing leaked versions, or bypassing proper streaming methods.
Piracy hurts game developers and companies by causing big financial losses, which can slow down the growth and improvement of cloud gaming. It can also overload game servers and slow things down, leading to worse performance and longer wait times. On top of that, pirated games can be unsafe — they often come with harmful files like viruses that can steal your info or damage your devices.
Challenges Unique to Cloud Gaming Piracy
Cloud gaming brings some new challenges in stopping piracy. To deal with these, both game services and players need to be extra careful and find creative solutions.
Technical Vulnerabilities
Cloud gaming relies heavily on complex networking infrastructure and streaming technologies. However, a larger network means more potential points of entry for scammers. Vulnerabilities in streaming protocols or weak server configurations could be used to intercept and redistribute game streams illegally.
Credential Stuffing
With cloud gaming services often tied to user accounts, credential stuffing attacks have become a significant concern, hitting 193 billion attacks globally across industries in 2020. In these attacks, hackers use stolen username and password combinations from other breached services to gain unauthorized access to cloud gaming accounts. This highlights the importance of having strong cybersecurity practices at home.
Streaming Manipulation
Some pirates attempt to manipulate the streaming process itself, capturing and redistributing game streams without authorization. This can involve intercepting video streams, bypassing digital rights management (DRM) measures, or exploiting weaknesses in the video compression and transmission technologies used by cloud gaming platforms.
Subscription Fraud
Subscription fraud is rampant in the digital space, and cloud gaming is no exception. According to the Merchant Risk Council, approximately 60% of subscription-based businesses reported an increase in account takeovers. However, subscription fraud also extends to much more common behaviors, like exploiting free trial periods or even password sharing.
Risks and Consequences of Piracy in Cloud Gaming
Piracy in cloud gaming doesn’t just cause money problems—it affects many parts of the gaming world:
Impact on Game Developers
Game developers are often the hardest hit by piracy. Lost sales due to illegal distribution can significantly impact a developer’s revenue. In 2023, the ROM site holder Dstorage was ordered to pay Nintendo $484,000 for providing illegal access to its games. In 2022, the company won $2 million in damages against RomUniverse for similar actions.
However, this revenue isn’t always recoverable and can jeopardize future projects and innovations. This is particularly critical for smaller platforms and indie developers who may rely on the success of a single title to fund their next project and do not have the resources to pursue legal action against bad actors.
Legal and Security Risks for Users
If you use or accidentally access pirated cloud gaming content, you could face serious legal and security issues. Watching or playing pirated games, movies, or TV shows for free can lead to legal trouble with copyright owners. Plus, pirated content often comes with hidden malware, which can steal your personal info or harm your device.
Quality Issues With Pirated Content
Pirated cloud games often offer a poor gaming experience. These unofficial copies might not get updates, run poorly, or be full of glitches. Plus, if you’re using pirated games, you’ll miss out on cool features like official support, multiplayer options, and the high-quality experience that comes with using legitimate cloud gaming services.
Why Cloud Gaming Piracy is Growing
The rise of cloud gaming piracy can be attributed to several factors that make it an attractive option for some users:
- Accessibility: The distributed nature of cloud gaming creates a large network that is more likely to contain weak links or unprotected points of entry for pirates to exploit.
- Reduced Hardware Requirements: Since cloud gaming doesn’t require expensive hardware, it lowers the barrier to entry for both legitimate users and potential pirates.
- Instant Access: The allure of immediate access to a vast library of games without purchases or downloads can tempt users toward illegal options.
- Lack of Alternatives: Depending on the region and the game itself, legitimate cloud gaming options may be expensive or altogether unavailable. PC Gamer reported that a staggering 87% of classic video games are no longer accessible to the general public.
- Lack of Awareness: Many users may not fully understand the risks and consequences associated with accessing pirated cloud gaming content.
Preventing Piracy in Cloud Gaming
Combating piracy in cloud gaming requires a multifaceted approach, and everyone needs to do their part:
- Security Measures: Cloud gaming providers must implement strong encryption, secure authentication protocols, and real-time monitoring systems to detect and prevent unauthorized access.
- Advanced DRM Technologies: The importance of developing and implementing sophisticated DRM solutions specifically for cloud gaming environments cannot be overstated.
- User Education: Raising awareness about the risks of piracy and the benefits of legitimate services can help deter users from seeking out pirated content.
- Legal Enforcement: Strengthening and enforcing copyright laws in the digital realm can serve as a deterrent to large-scale piracy operations.
- Improved Accessibility: Making legitimate cloud gaming services more accessible and affordable can reduce the incentive for users to seek out pirated alternatives.
How StreamSafely Can Help You Avoid Piracy
At StreamSafely, we are committed to promoting safe and legal access to digital entertainment, including gaming, streaming, and more. Our platform offers a wealth of resources to help you navigate the world of digital piracy. We provide up-to-date information about online piracy, safe streaming, password sharing, and more to help you ensure your accounts and personal information stay protected.
