Copy? Right...

Discussion in 'Reviews & Articles' started by Dashken, Sep 6, 2007.

  1. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    Copyright measures are increasingly becoming bothersome to some gamers. A recent example of this was the recently launched game, BioShock.

    When do we as consumers draw the line? At what point does it become too much of a hassle. And how is it in our interests when all we are getting in return is even more inconvenience?

    Here's a quote from the article :-
    [​IMG]

    Link : Copy? Right...
     
  2. PsYkHoTiK

    PsYkHoTiK Admin nerd

  3. The_YongGrand

    The_YongGrand Just Started

    Sheesh, copy protections has a history too. Take a look at Sierra's Adventure game series, they have some of the in-game 'verifications' which you need the manual book. Another one is the LucasArts' X-Wing's password entry in the start of the game.

    Nowadays, copy protections are getting much silly, other than being manual-book dependent. Other than needing the DVD in the drive, you might need the Internet connection to activate the game and all the other strange methods.

    I got an original HL2 copy, but the MOST annoying thing next to the Steam is, I couldn't put the HL2 in my another computer, just for offline LAN play (well, offline LAN play means both computers are not connected to Steam servers). And worse, I can't save (or manually download) those updates like in Half-Life 1, where you can even get the 1.1.1.0 patch directly, or 1.0.0.5 to 1.0.0.6.

    I'm not complaining about Steam, instead, I loved the HL series too much that I think the VAC is a godsend, but not these online activation (verification is okay for online play, but not the whole game) and unflexible updates.

    Online activation is troublesome for dial-up users because well, you know, is plainly insufficient.

    I hate to say this, but the more they (game producers) do this, the more the customer tries to bypass (or circumvent) it. Remember a saying from a Chinese scholar, "The more rules the Government trying to impose, the more the citizens revolt" (or something like that!).

    edit: I hope the Valve won't put all the silly protection system like limit no. of installs in the new Orange Box.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2007
  4. Chai

    Chai Administrator Staff Member

    LOL, you should see those Lucas Art adventure games. You need the manual to get into the game! Or a piece of cardboard, something like that. Those were the days. :haha:
     
  5. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Yeah, most games in those days required flipping through the manual to look up some kind of symbol, or twisting a cardboard wheel to obtain the keyword or symbol to show authenticity. Easily "cracked" though. Counterfeiters just had to print the same thing. :haha:
     
  6. upperme

    upperme Newbie

    I am new to this forum, but I sure am glad I found it. Amen to the below-linked post from that other forum. I however, am infuriated that I didn't bother to inspect BioShock before I let Sony put another damn rootkit on my brand new gaming rig. I will NEVER support ANY Sony product or related product again. They can slide under a gas truck for all I care. I will be happily torching my gaming machine tonight and reloading.

    Thanks for the bandwidth,

    Jim
     
  7. The_YongGrand

    The_YongGrand Just Started

    Meanwhile, the Bioshock's copy protection makes the game producers feel too insecure about their own security. Well, is sharing the game with family a crime as well? :haha:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2007
  8. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Well, this is copy-protection taken too far. Next, they will be implementing a biometric scanning method to make sure that YOU and ONLY YOU, will be able to play the game.
     
  9. PsYkHoTiK

    PsYkHoTiK Admin nerd

    That would not be suprising. And they'd probably say oh its nothing Draconian... :p
     
  10. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Hehe.. Imagine the game shipping with a biometric scanning dongle. Now, that would be the ultimate DRACONIAN measure! :haha:

    Only the person buying it can scan his/her retina/finger and only that person can play. It would make it virtually impossible to resell the game, or even let your family play. :roll:
     
  11. The_YongGrand

    The_YongGrand Just Started

    I heard of that biometric-dongle thingy, but it's only for locking up computers! Oh man, maybe they could make that Bioshock game for Family of Five package, or Single person, or something else... :haha:
     
  12. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Eh, they already have biometric dongles??? I was just conjecturing... :think:
     
  13. The_YongGrand

    The_YongGrand Just Started

    Fingerprint-scan dongles. These are for real! I read it in a PC magazine, that you can lock the computer with the dongle. Sounds like Star Trek! :haha:
     
  14. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    The article has been updated! :wave:

    Copyright measures are increasingly becoming bothersome to some gamers. A recent example of this was the recently launched game, BioShock.

    When do we as consumers draw the line? At what point does it become too much of a hassle. And how is it in our interests when all we are getting in return is even more inconvenience?

    Here's a quote from the article :-
    [​IMG]

    Link : Copy? Right... Rev. 2.0
     
  15. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Well, many notebooks have biometric scanners but I have never seen a dongle yet.
     
  16. PsYkHoTiK

    PsYkHoTiK Admin nerd

  17. sgt

    sgt Newbie

    I'm too old for all this...

    I just do not have the patience that's required to mess with all the copyright protection that these companies put on...so...I go the other route :roll:

    At 72 years of age, if a game gives me one bit of difficulty, out it goes. Honestly? I will only purchase a game if it gives me no difficulty at all!!! To do otherwise is to defeat the intent of my playing...

    I play for relaxation and enjoyment, not frustration and aggravation.
     
  18. PsYkHoTiK

    PsYkHoTiK Admin nerd

    Exactly! A game is something done for leisure. Not for for dealing with all of that horse shit.
     
  19. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    We should be allowed to just play the games and not worry about all this. Hmm.. It's actually less of a hassle to play using a pirated/hack game than the actual game.

    In other words, they are creating more of a hassle for the genuine buyer, than the pirates or those who buy/download hacked games.
     
  20. DarkUltra

    DarkUltra Newbie

    OOhhh.. I wish more people where idealistic. Online Activation and checking is a world I don't wanto live in. Recently Lost Planet for PC forced you to be online if you wanted to play single player. It was fixed in a later patch.

    I think Microsoft began all this with their WPA, and as people don't have much of a choice to Microsofts monopoly, there were not much of an outrage or customer loss.

    Also why didnt the author mention DRM? DRM, fritz-chip, TCPA, this thing can lock down the PC good, and Microsoft is on a good way with Vista and it's protected kernel.
     

Share This Page