Do you buy all your games? if so, bend over....

[JIMINATOR]

You know, I am all for people making money on their stuff, but IMO they are really going over the line. This shiz needs to stop. It does not prevent piracy, who will hack the security, but it does punish the honest people who pay for their games. It is just more along the lines to where the ignorant pretty much have no control over what is installed on their systems. I mean installing games today will load versions of these drivers. Do you remember being notified about the side effects in something other than tiny text that you did not read?

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30447

REPORTS are claiming that DRM maker Starforce has released a copy protection system that reboots your PC if you do something it doesn’t like.
According to Futuremark the DRM installs a driver that gets the highest level of access to your PC system.

This gives it access to the PC’s hardware and when it spots something that it doesn’t like, it forces the ‘puter to reboot.

It doesn’t give any time for a save of any applications and is the DRM equivalent of a Blue Screen of Death.

Another 'feature' of the DRM is to interfere with some of the system’s device drivers so that they run in legacy PIO mode instead of DMA. This slows down the PC and hogs PC resources.

Futuremark thinks this is because the DRM gains RING0 access and it will run whether you are using a game with Starforce DRM or not.

[BobtheCkroach]

Yeah, I've had just about enough DRM for my lifetime. I understand the desire to protect your work, but it's really getting out of hand. Like you said, JIM - it doesn't stop anyone. I remember when Blizzard was the king b/c you could burn the CD, but the game wouldn't work after install...those all fell by the wayside w/ 1 quick no CD crack.

You'd think these people would learn their lesson after all the crap Sony went through last fall :(

[ME BIGGD01]

Jim, I just read a bunch about this before noticing your post. I honestly am sick to my stomach from this crap. As if the last thing with sony was not enough. It only goes to show that our Gov't is nothing more then a corporation. The sad thing is this does not prevent stealing the software or copying it. What it does is takes control and tells you what it can and can not do. It puts limits on other software you may own and totally screw up a machine. I think if this is the case, all software companies should be held responsible for anything that their software does to anyones pc. I can not see how a contract or right is passed only one way. If they have rights to protect their property, why don't we?

I think it is time all hackers start making an example out of all of these people or companies. Let the good times role and let them shut down as much as they can until laws are made to protect the consumers rights and property. I think all people should do what they need to to prevent this BS.

A warning should be sent to this gov't or all hell will break loose. They are all scumbags.

[JIMINATOR]

probably one of the side effects of this is that paying customers will probably go to the internet to find 'solutions' to this problem. Teach a man to fish....
I think it is going to bite them on their ass.

[Sirc]

That's one nice thing about buying MMORPG games. No copy protection because there's no need for it. In fact you can download the WoW client for free with the 7-day trial - it's the same client software that you'd get on the game disk.

In this case you're paying for the keycode and not software.

[EXEcution]

Unfortunately all games cannot be MMO. Otherwise I would no longer PLAY games. But Sirc has a valid point, instead of paying for the game pay the company directly via online and then lay. But that brings up many issues as well.


I think it is time all hackers start making an example out of all of these people or companies. Let the good times role and let them shut down as much as they can until laws are made to protect the consumers rights and property. I think all people should do what they need to to prevent this BS.

A warning should be sent to this gov't or all hell will break loose. They are all scumbags.
Actually it's the hacker's fault that the companies are taking these measures. So how about everyone stops hacking and trying to cheat the system and pay for their software then everyone will be happy. Even though almost everyone who logs onto the internet probably has a good share of downloaded games and apps on their PC's I can honestly say that I have actually purchased software online.

Maybe this is why consoles are becomign more like the PC online wise. The fact that developers can make their games and copy them onto protected disks which play only on the specified console would definitely make me wanna be a console game dev.

[MassacreAL]

everyone should be unlimited king of his computer, or its not fun. acts like this will only reduce popularity of computers in wide population

[JIMINATOR]

exe, you can't blame the hackers and crackers. you are always going to have that. the game companies like to think that if they make a game, and x people buy it, and y people download it, then all of the y people have cheated them out of money, and use that number to talk about losses and software piracy, implement security measures, etc. I think that is all bogus. honest people will buy the game. simple existing security measures will keep people honest people fairly honest, i.e., not being able to burn your buddy a disk, or requiring it to be in the drive. any more than that, and the game companies are just screwing their customers. The companies have in their heads that they will be able to make uncrackable games. That just isn't so. No matter how smart they are, there is always someone smarter. Abusing the people that actually buy the games, that is just no good.

[Sauron]

I agree with Jims above post and would like to add that probably 90% of the y ppl that download a game wouldn't have bought it in the first place. They just downloaded it because they could download it . Thats my opinion on that.

I don't mind Copy protection like having the CD needed to play (can be a pita but bearable imo) but if it touches my system and affects any other programs/games/whatever i run its goin too far.

[SALvation]

It's only a matter of time before they are sued if auto reboots are true. Imagine I have 10 hours of code on my machine or business critical documents open. If my machine rebooted directly as a cause of trying to play a game I legally own and I lost all of that, my next call would be to my lawyer.

[ME BIGGD01]

Jim, I agree with the above statement you made.

Today they charge 40-60 dollars for a game. This game usually has bugs upon release and is most of the time unplayable. Mention the top 5 games released and sure enough there has been patch after patch. Ok, that is fine, there are bugs but most bugs should of been caught before release. Now today, it is not that easy to copy a game. If you do, you usually can not play it online which may defeat the purpose of the competition if you can not get ranked. I think far less are stealing the games the 5 years ago. It's just easier to buy the game then waste hours downloading or whatever besides being able to get patches. Today the games are not being manipulated as it was due to the online accounts and registrations of accounts to play. In the past they said that because of the bootlegging the companies would need to charge more because of it. This is not the case anymore as anything over 40 bucks is a ripp off for any game especially when they are not finished before release. Take Sam2 for an example but better I think EA should be mentioned because this is the case for all of their games.

Today the game companies are selling advertising in game along with making money in other areas. They are makingmore money now because more people have computers in their houses and consoles. The copyright blocking is much better these days which stops 75% more bootlegs. Yet they are charging more and more for the games, they are usually broken and need to be patched which sometimes takes weeks or never happends. Now they are putting software on your pc without your permission that screws up your pc or opens it up to holes that people can manipulate and gain access through viruses.

So who is winning and losing? Who gets ripped off? Why are prices going up when they are making 100 times the amount they did?

The only answer is from the advice of an old Italian "you have to keep people honest". What needs to happen is like the music industry where they have been robbing people blind for decades, people need to stop buying games and doing what ever they need to and prevent these people from ripping us off. I think everyone needs to be paid for their work but I believe that consumers need to get what they are paying for. The only way these people understand is in their wallet. I also think to stick with a game company that does the right thing and keeps their standars high. I know a few of them but too many are just greedy bastards that need to be shot.\

Ofcourse writing your congrssman is a smarter solution.


And Salv, are you familiar with the results from Sony's settlement with the last fiasco? They settled that anyone who was affected would be allowed 14 dollars of free downloads of their site. So make sure you have a better attorney;) .

[madkillers]

i have been reading this and i find that most ppl dont like bootleggers and hackers and i can honestly say i am a persont that bought all my games frome the store so if there is a lot of money being lost they get 70% of the money they pay to make it by the store they sell it to so the ppl like me who do buy it are geting ripped like said up there and i do think the hackers need to keep the uptight littel ppl working for drm proctection compines in line and for the installing stuff on my comp with out me know my attourny is going to be notified about this but to all the hackers are doing is helping put them back in line witch they need and for the sony thing i was on of the ppl that go 14$ OR MERCHINDISE u know what i got to replace my damages a memory card so thats total bs and the hackers have on there site If you enter this site you are not agreeing to these terms and you are violating code 431.322.12 of the Internet Privacy Act signed by Bill Clinton in 1995 and that means that you CANNOT threaten our ISP(s) or any person(s) or company storing these files, and cannot prosecute any person(s) affiliated with this page which includes family, friends or individuals who run or enter this web site. By continuing to enter this site, you are expressly and impliedly agreeing to all terms as stated above, and affirm that you are in compliance with all federal, state and local laws concerning the content of this site. By entering this website you are claiming that you understand the terms set before you. If you do not agree to the terms, do not enter and leave NOW. so by all right they can upload wat they want and if u dont like it dig up bill clinton and yell at him