Torrenting, Adverse effects or Free Publicity?

I dont condemn or condone torrents or illegally downloading of anything. Lets face it though, its not going away. Torrents are a way for people to get what you worked hard to create. It enrages some it annoys others, but what does it really do ?

People who torrent, are mostly people that are familiar with computers. You don't have the soccer mom going home to torrent your movie or game. Doesn't happen. What does happen, is that gamers or other computer literate people have a few things to deal with. For simplicity and as a medium I am most familiar with I will say games, but this is inter changeable with music or movies or any for of torrent-able material.

1. They are unsure if they want or would like your game.
2. They don't have the financial means to purchase it if they do.
3. They just don't wanna spend the money for what ever reason.

I think thats the 3 major base type of people that torrent games. Lets start with the first one and work through the rest.

1. If they are unsure of your game and if they want it or not, they will torrent it and play our game for free. The HORROR! I know, you didn't get that 50 bucks and if everyone did that you'd go broke. As a hopeful upcoming Game Designer , I don't truly understand the breadth and the impact it truly makes, and I wont try to pretend to. What this does do for you as a Designer / Development team. Is give your game to some one who was semi interested in it. Yes they didn't pay for it, but if your a decent Dev Team, this wont be your only game. Maybe he liked the game, and now hes interested in other games you made or will be making. You have just made a new follower / fan. Whats stopping him from just torrenting the rest of your games? Nothing, nothing except you, The midnight releases, and item giveaways and hype YOU build for the game makes the masses come out. I remember when I stood inline for Gears of War 2. There was a massive line of people there. In fact I know a handful of people there that were in line, that had already played and beaten Gears from torrenting it. Why were they there then? Collector's Edition, In game Items, T-shirt or code giveaways, just to support the developers they love. It happens, trust me as a Avid Game and as of right now I am more a gamer then I am a Designer, it happens a lot more then you think.
2. This is quite a bit simpler. If they don't have the cash, what makes you think they will buy your game anyway? With the economy they are not going to be able purchase your game in the first place. So that 60 bucks, you would not have seen anyways. Once again what torrenting does for you as a Dev team, is get your game into the hands of a possible fan, or follower who might not have had the funds at the time to buy your CURRENT game, but lets face it this isn't your last game hopefully. So maybe when they get some more cash when your next game comes out they will be able to purchase it.
3. These people aren't going to give you their parents hard earned money no matter what you do unless you crap out a golden egg. So you shouldn't be expecting cash from them anyways. There is no positive outlook on this one. Its just the lose lose situation.

What to take from all this, torrenting is illegal and still detrimental to the game community, but its not as horrible as people make it out to be, in my opinion at least. As I become closer to achieving my dream of being a game designer, my activity in this seedy area, dwindles drastically.

Keep making your games, but also worry about how purchasing your game can become more beneficial to the consumer then torrenting. If you want to be furious at something that takes away from your pockets, turn to Game Stop and the new trend setting into buying used games, where the developers don't see a penny of it, is more harmful then torrenting, in my opinion.

Just my thoughts on the matter.