Why are some game studios reluctant to take cheating and piracy seriously?

venturebeat.com:

Presented by Denuvo by Irdeto

In 2021, there was an estimated 2.7 billion gamers globally, in a gaming market that is valued at $300+ billion. The opportunity for developers is huge — but so is the temptation for fraudsters looking for ways to take advantage of the revenue that’s pouring into the industry. But according to the recent Denuvo Global Gaming Survey, many developers don’t fully know how cheating, tampering, and piracy has impacted their revenues — or don’t think they’ve been affected at all.

When players recognize cheating in a game, they often simply quit, because after all, there are an endless number of titles available. Engagement then tanks, and so does a game’s reputation — especially when developers’ social media accounts are overrun with complaints and demands that the issues be fixed.

Tampering and piracy, which usually go hand in hand, undermine a game’s sales, player engagement, and retention, particularly in the first few weeks of a game’s release. While PC and mobile operating systems are more vulnerable, consoles can still be hit, especially because so many games have co-op modes and live updates. For free-to-play games and games that offer in-game items, tampering can also directly impact monetization.

When asked to put a hard figure on the revenue loss attributable to cheats and pirates, respondents from companies of every size dramatically underestimated the impact.

The Irdeto survey reached out to a wide range of companies of all sizes, device types, and geographic locations, for a look at the reality involving game fraud — from cheating to tampering and piracy, and how developers are protecting themselves and their players.

While only 16% of respondents believe they’ve been entirely unaffected by