As we all know, video game developers are at the top of the list when it comes to creativity. They love subtle (or not so subtle) easter eggs to create complicity with the player. But some have also used their talents to have a little fun with pirates and prevent them from playing pirated versions of certain games.

One of the best-known bugs was in Arkham Asylum, where Batman couldn’t hover if you were playing a pirate version, making it difficult to get through certain parts of the game and practically unplayable.

In the FPS Serious Sam 3, the player using a pirated version was harassed by an extremely fast and rather disgusting, but most importantly, persistent and almost unkillable scorpion. It would follow you everywhere and usually end up killing you, forcing you to restart a game… where it was still there.

In GTA IV, some major parts of the missions wouldn’t work if your copy was pirated, but there were also some much more amusing anti-piracy features: at random times, cars would accelerate to completely uncontrollable speeds, or  engines would start smoking and break down. Since it’s possible to drink (and get drunk) in this series of notoriously politically incorrect games, people playing a pirated version would also randomly get drunk, causing the camera to blur out of control. Except that they hadn’t consumed any alcohol…again, the game was almost impossible to play because of all these variations.

Perhaps the most relevant of all is Dev Tycoon, a simulation and management game in which players take on the role of game developers. If you play the pirate version, no matter what, you’ll eventually start losing money; the reason? Piracy, of course. Your fictional video game business becomes unprofitable due to massive piracy. Your profits will be eaten away at any cost, and the company will eventually go under. A fun way to teach the pirates a lesson.