This is during the era when the N64, PS1, SNES, Dreamcast or Sega Genesis were popular. Games back then were released physically via disc or cartridge, meaning distributors or publishers would’ve implemented anti-piracy (like Lenslok) measures onto physical copies but some knew how to tamper with anti-piracy if they have a computer using other sources of capturing data (floppy disks).
Also, games at the time were ‘simple’ to torrent but with a catch (dial up was still a thing at the time meaning downloads could take a while if you have a PC). Discs were more straight forward than “torrenting” cartridges (unless you have connections with the manufacturer on smuggling circuit boards). Like with movies, games that came on discs were “torrented” through CDs by using a PC.
I was a Mac girl back in the 90’s and there were not many of my friends who also used Macs, so pirating was not much of a thing until I discovered emulators. I really enjoy NES games particularly Super Mario Bro’s 1 and 3 so I had emulators to play those. My parents would not let us get a system until I was in like high school, but I also became disabled before grade 8 so I got a Windows laptop and let me tell you did I ever pirate stuff then, in the early 2000’s.
Then I grew a conscience thinking artists made money from sales of their music, and I started paying for stuff. I understand things so much differently now a days, so I have gone back to the high seas!