I thought this was a good analysis, though the author seemed to think the 'Integrity Dollars' were constant. In reality, they seem to be different per person.
Also he did not mention Value-Added bucks, which would be a benefit you get for playing the real version that you can't get with the pirated version.
The author does address the subjectivity of the integrity dollar value:
""The $I cost is the most subjective of the four and depends on how much stock a player puts in "doing the right thing," (so to speak) or whether they even see any moral integrity in the choice at all.""
I agree on the value-added point though, there are often services game makers can provide which make the official copy more attractive to players.
The time is different per person too, depending on tech-savvy-ness. Pain-in-the-butt-ness also is dependent from person to person. Even price is not a constant if you consider coupons, discounts and price drops.
True enough. After all, I like the features provided for me by Steam (cataloging, cloud, achievements, friends, etc.), so what some would consider a cost (in terms of DRM) I would consider a benefit.
Also he did not mention Value-Added bucks, which would be a benefit you get for playing the real version that you can't get with the pirated version.