Corey Tamas posted an editorial at MacGamer at the end of last month that commented on the software piracy issue underlined by MacSoft's decision to require the Halo CD to be in the drive in order for Mac Halo to launch. It's entitled Back When I Stole Games, although "back when" seems to be not that long ago, as the most recently-copied game Tamas cites is the original Unreal. The article ends with Tamas discovering the error of his ways and chucking his illegal copy of Unreal. Oddly enough, he doesn't mention ever having bought a copy of the game he'd had for years; I guess he figured just throwing away a disc of a seven-year old game he'd doubtless already played through was good enough.

However, now that flexible morality is hovering nervously over the table like a postmodern movable feast, I thought I'd dredge up a recollection of my own. Among those I've known who willfully and knowingly pirate software, nearly all have had certain sacred cows-- companies whose software they would not copy, but would only buy, and that they would not allow their friends to copy as well.

Back in the Apple ][ days, it was Beagle Brothers. For the Amiga users, it was Psygnosis. For many people I've known who use Macs, Bungie has always been one of those sacred cows.