Of course they knew what they were doing, but do you really think that this is a honest statement? They wrote this, so they don't get into legal troubles.
Also, piracy often isn't about the money. Often its because people don't want to support unethical companies. Also, why should I play a game on a small screen with 40fps ,if I cab play it in 4k with 60fps on my PC, even if I have the switch.