When top-down shooter Danger Gazers released on Steam earlier this year, it didn't make much of a splash. A week later, the developer, Shota Bobokhidze, uploaded a torrent of the title on The Pirate Bay, noting that "there's no catch here, no Steam only features, just the fully functional game." In return, they asked players who liked the game to consider buying it at full price. Bobokhidze told Polygon that they estimate the gambit resulted in a 400% sales increase.
You can see it in the Steam reviews for the game, where players note that it became an "instant purchase" the second they say that the developer released a torrent for players who couldn't afford it.
"The game itself is not my cup of tea, but I'm happy to support the dev," one review says.
Bring back demos!