# Game Piracy Costs Publishers a Whopping 20% in Revenue! 💸

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/game-piracy-costs-publishers-a-whopping-20-in-revenue/293235>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** piracy, gaming\
**Created:** [October 10, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/game-piracy-costs-publishers-a-whopping-20-in-revenue/293235 "2024-10-10T21:12:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/game-piracy-costs-publishers-a-whopping-20-in-revenue/293235/1 "2024-10-10T21:12:51Z")

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**Summary:**

1. **Significant Revenue Loss**  
A new study reveals that game piracy costs publishers an average of **19%** of revenue, particularly when digital rights management (DRM) protections are circumvented.

2. **Research Methodology**  
The study, conducted by **William Volckmann** at **UNC** , analyzed **86 games** using **Denuvo DRM** on **Steam** from 2014 to 2022.

3. **Impact of Cracks Timing**  
Cracks appearing within the first week of a game’s release can lead to a **20%** revenue loss, while cracks that surface after six weeks result in only a **5%** loss.

4. **Data Proxies Used**  
Volckmann utilized **Steam user reviews** and player counts as proxies for sales data to gauge the financial impact of piracy.

5. **Insights on DRM Effectiveness**  
The findings emphasize the challenges that game publishers face in protecting their revenue, especially in the early stages of a game’s launch.

**Read more at:** [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/10/the-true-cost-of-game-piracy-20-percent-of-revenue-according-to-a-new-study/)