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Game copy protection...

Started by Chandler, April 30, 2008, 13:46 hrs

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Chandler

Copy protection on games must be one of the most pointless things ever conceived.  A couple of years ago I purchased GTA San Andreas for the PC.  It worked fine for the most part but I decided to install the patch for it because there were a few little issues.  At this point it failed to start because it classified AnyDVD as copy protection circumvention.  Actually, no, it couldn't care less about copying computer games - AnyDVD is for circumventing immoral region coding present on all commercial DVDs and I need to in order to play my legitimately purchased DVDs.  Anyway, the solution to that was to use a No-DVD cracked executable for GTA.  The game functioned perfectly.  I never saw another crash, I could actually START the game, and as a bonus I didn't even have to put my DVD in to play.

This week I purchased Thrillville and again the same problem.  This time it appears that either AnyDVD or VirtualCloneDrive are what upsets it.  Again, completely legitimate usage for both applications and again problem resolved completely by downloading a No-DVD crack.

At this point one might start to think "why should I even bother to buy my games anymore?".  If you buy a legal-boxed game on CD/DVD, you are subject to unfair restrictions and end up being Ã?£20 out of pocket.  If you just downloaded it the game plays right away and it didn't cost you anything.  I'M NOT CONDONING PIRACY BUT I WANTED TO MAKE A POINT THAT THESE COMPANIES ALIENATE THEIR PAYING CUSTOMERS WITH CONSTANT HASSLE AND ACCUSATIONS OF TRYING TO PIRATE THEIR GAMES, YET ILLEGAL DOWNLOADERS GET NONE OF THAT AND HAVE A SMOOTHER EXPERIENCE.

It's kind of like those insulting trailers at the beginning of most UK DVDs, saying that you wouldn't steal a car, you wouldn't steal a television, you wouldn't steal a movie...  I don't know what I find the most insulting - the fact that they point out clear as day that stealing is against the law, or that as their customer I've already PURCHASED the movie, so why the hell would I want to then go and DOWNLOAD it?  Complete crazyness.

scuzzy

#1
It's hard to argue with you, since I pretty much agree. I can't understand why software companies are so determined to punish their customer base for having the audacity to purchase their product.

Scuzzy; Thieves beware. Poasters is protected by landmines.
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Chandler

#2
Looks like I can't play Sam & Max Season 1 either since Sony's stupid SecuROM copy protection classifies Process Explorer as some kind of evil piracy tool.  It's so tempting to just boycott buying games altogether in the future.  Maybe once everyone starts to download rather than pay for the software these companies will see the error of their ways.

I for one will be boycotting any game protected with SecuROM.  SafeDisc is a fair copy protection scheme.  I'm not saying I support it, but at least it's not intrusive.  These companies just don't get it do they?  They wonder why sales are down.  They'll put it down to the "global economic crisis" but come on, if you buy a car would you accept unfair restrictions such as "you can only drive this car as long as you're not wearing white running shoes?"

Edit: I discovered that an updated version of Process Explorer works around SecuROM's buggy copy protection, and I have to say that Sam & Max is one of the best games I've played since Grim Fandango.