[pc86]

Does 80% really qualify as "some level of piracy?"

Clearly there is a group of people who will always pirate what they want, regardless of the price or what it is (movies, TV shows, games, Photoshop). If that's the case, then I think it's also fair to say that there is a certain group of people for whom even the smallest bit of DRM would cause them to either go without the movie/show/program (I think the most likely) or buy it outright.

[i_cannot_hack]

    > even the smallest bit of DRM would cause them to [...] 
    > go without the movie/show/program (I think the most likely)

And this would benefit the producer how? It would only serve to reduce the userbase, and thereby dampening the word-of-mouth spread and the perceived popularity the game, thus harming the sales of the product.

Of course, it those people bought the game instead, it could make up for it. But you said it was the less likely scenario.

[Nursie]

"I think it's also fair to say that there is a certain group of people for whom even the smallest bit of DRM would cause them to either go without the movie/show/program"

Really?

Because the pirate 'products' I've seen tend not to come with any DRM. DRM only affects the legit versions.