Ghost Down Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I'm sorry mur'phon, I didn't notice the 2 other posts about hacked executables. I just woke up, so I hope you can forgive me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantzen Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Im pretty sure it's illegal. I did a discusion thread about that way back, and someone throw up a paragraph that said something about you not allowed to have a cracked exe. But that's maybe is diffrence from game to game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth333 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Hmmm.... So what about buying MEPC and then getting the hacked .exe so you can play the game whenever, wherever, and on whatever hardware you want? Just a thought. As much as I was eager to play that game, I won't buy and won't play it as a matter of principle...as for the hacked .exe, any discussion about the circumvention of security measures is a no no here How do publishers/developers achieve their goal of only allowing legitimate installations of their PC games to be played?If regularly monitoring my own use of the game is their solution (and using that info for god knows what other purposes), then they lost me. There's got to be some balance between privacy, fair use and copyright protection. Users have rights too. When pirates get a better gaming experience than the legitimate users, we have a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Down Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I'd rather have them use StarForce then SecuRom, atleast StarForce doesn't require an active internet connection to validate the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mur'phon Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 But starforce have this nasty habbit of sometimes causing your computer to crash, so I'm not bying anything with it on. Besides, once Stardock turned down an offer from SF to have them "protect" Galactic Civilizations2, SF raved on about how they where helping pirates, and then linked to pirated versions for the game............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth333 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 There are different SecuROM solutions. Not all of them require a constant check with the server: http://www.securom.com/solution_discbased_drm.asp As an example, Oblivion, Kotor, Jade Empire and numerous other games used SecuROM too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Char Ell Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 As much as I was eager to play that game, I won't buy and won't play it as a matter of principle... Fair enough. As for myself I don't think I would let the principle get in my way on this one. Since my gaming PC is connected to the Internet though I don't expect I'll need to even go there with MEPC. I didn't have any problems with BioShock so I don't expect I'll have any problems with MEPC either. If regularly monitoring my own use of the game is their solution (and using that info for god knows what other purposes), then they lost me. According to Mr. French the only data that will be transmitted to EA's SecuROM servers is the key and a hardware signature. I'm thinking the date needs to be in there somewhere as well. There's got to be some balance between privacy, fair use and copyright protection. Users have rights too. When pirates get a better gaming experience than the legitimate users, we have a problem. Indeed, but I was looking for a solution that met the criteria you provided. Providing more detailed criteria for a successful solution doesn't equate to the solution itself. Of course it doesn't seem like anyone has a great or even good solution for the problem now does it? Hence the reason why I said legitimate users are made to suffer while developers and publishers try to find a way to only allow legitimate users to play their PC games. In other words devs and publishers are having to experiment with methods of dealing with the piracy problem. What I believe you're pointing out is that whatever anti-piracy measures publishers choose to implement in their PC games have to be acceptable to their paying customers. You don't find this method acceptable and while I don't agree I do respect your decision to not purchase MEPC as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth333 Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 According to Mr. French the only data that will be transmitted to EA's SecuROM servers is the key and a hardware signature. I'm thinking the date needs to be in there somewhere as well. If at some point someone finds out what the packets that are sent contain and the info is truly limited to what Mr. French indicated I might reconsider my decision (but I don't think it will because I dislike a system where I have to constantly prove my innocence and the 3 activations limit which I think meet normal consumers expectations of the use of such a product) .The thing is that I have a hard time trusting Sony (SecuROM) with that due to some past events (XCP fiasco anyone? the MicroVault USB stick?) and the fact that they don't seem to hesitate to use that info for marketing purposes too (see the report in my post above, pages 50 - 52, well 60-62 in Acrobat reader). They ask us not to use copied software and yet they don't seem to care much about their own legal obligations and the individuals' rights when it comes to "protecting" their products... In any event it is interesting to read the perspective of CD Projekt's VP of PR & Marketing on the DRM and piracy issues: http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2008/04/16/cd_projekt_interview/ Edit: and Stardock's CEO opinion: http://draginol.joeuser.com/article/303512/Piracy_PC_Gaming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Char Ell Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Well D3, you should be somewhat pleased to note that the objecting voices of the disenfranchised have been heard. Jay Watamaniuk announced earlier today that MEPC will no longer require the game to re-authenticate with EA's SecuROM servers every 10 days. - MEPC will require a one-time activation with EA's SecuROM servers after installation and before the game can be played. - MEPC will still be limited to 3 activations per game copy. EA support will need to be contacted for additional activations. I'm still trying to determine whether or not reinstallation of MEPC on a PC using the same hardware configuration as it was when MEPC was originally installed constitutes an additional activation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceAlex Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 "MEPC will still be limited to 3 activations per game copy. EA support will need to be contacted for additional activations." - If they remove the limit, I'm sold. I refuse to call anyone in order to be able to play the game. I have no need for a game that will stop working when I change enough parts in system, or when I reformat my drive a few times. Maybe they should start calling it MEPC OEM (they would have to lover the price, though ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Down Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I knew Bioware would listen to their fans, I bet EA was the one who wanted the copy protection system in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantzen Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 This isn't so much about Mass Effect, but more of a rant about gameprotection in general. I started to think alittle about this with gameprotection, and came to the conclusion that there isn't any profit, whatsoever in having protection. They can only lose customers, not gain any. Let's see it this way. It will take max a week before gamecrackers release a working game, without the protection. And a week is a pretty naive number, it usaly just take a few days. Do you think people that was going to download the game, will go and buy the game instead just because they need to wait a few more days ? The answer is no, they will wait those extra days, then download it and play it without the gameprotection. And what about those buyers ? They will suffer with the activation things and other stuff the gameprotection does. And in some cases, people that was sure they would buy the game won't do it because they feel it's not worth all that trouble or other reason (One of this people is Darth333). So the conclusion of this is that they only lose customers, not gaining. But then people say, but they are protecting the first days of sales. But that is wrong, because those people that downloaded still woulden't buy it. See the above argument Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slayer93 Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 All this talk about ME makes me want to fire up my 360 and finally finish my third game... playing on hardcore and sitting on level 54... trying to hit level 60... long story so I take it there is a addon for it coming? cool and who cares if it costs money I think I have 600 MS pts sitting there doing nothing so what's another 3000 or what not... lets go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scatter Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Really, is there anything Jennifer Hale HASN'T done? I guess I am the only one then! *chortle* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Monance Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 That the 10-day check was removed is definitely good news, though I'm still pissed off with the 3 installs limit. I'm not going to call EA to get additional installs. I'm not sure I get this game, even though I was looking forward to playing it for months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scatter Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 what's this ten day check and three install limit stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Down Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Bioware and EA wanted to ship Mass Effect with a new SecuRom protection, which requires an active internet connection to validate the game each 10 days. Alot of people became pissed by it and ranted on the official forums. Bioware and EA removed the 10 day revalidation, but they didn't remove the 3 times install limit. If you want to know more about, check the official Mass Effect PC Forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sith'ari Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 very nice, but its rather pointless for me since i already have the game for the 360. still, at least it will be easier to snipe and pull of headshots by aiming with the mouse. i just wish Bioware was going to add something more to the PC version aside from an improved/optimized GUI (as stated in the announcement). if there's some nice mods out there, i'll probably pick it up eventually, but otherwise, its a rather moot point for me. I read from somewhere that the biggest difference's gonna be the ability to issue individual commands to squad members. From 1up.com : "Perhaps the most welcome change in the game is the ability to issue separate commands to individual squad members. The 360 version limited players to issuing a single group command, causing both backup members to behave the same. This made little sense when your party consisted of, say, Wrex and Tali -- the former being a powerful melee meat-shield type, while the later is a fragile hacker who specializes in sniper rifles and other ranged attacks. Regardless of how you issued their orders, that particular group configuration would never perform optimally, as one or the other would be placed in a position that made poor use of their skills. That won't be an issue in the PC version, as you're now free to send Wrex or Ashley charging into battle while fragile support types like Tali and Kaidan can hang back and fight more cautiously." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantzen Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Think only time i used the squad attack was in "Bring down the sky" at the minefield. Those snipers on the other side of the field annoyed me when i tryed to navigate the mines, and then i notice my squad didnt set of the mines ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serpentine Cougar Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Edit: and Stardock's CEO opinion: http://draginol.joeuser.com/article/303512/Piracy_PC_Gaming Nice article; I think this guy's on to something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corinthian Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 'Course he is. It's Stardock. The man is a walking prophet, preaching the sheer idiocy of DRM. Now, all we need to do is pit the incarnations of Stardock and Starforce in some kind of arena and have them fight it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Char Ell Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 At 10 days from release, Mass Effect for PC has gone gold and is now in manufacturing. I've never paid close attention before but 10 days to make disks, package them, and ship them to retailers seems to be rather... compressed. As long as I can pick up my game at my local retail outlet on May 28 though I'm good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Down Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 Meh, atleast you can get it around the 28th. I have to wait till the 6th of June, but my local game shop said they will start selling Mass Effect on the 4th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Joker Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I fully understand that desire of developers/publishers to protect their investment, but the security measures on this thing cross the line. The three activation limit, especially. Call me crazy, but I think I'll take a pass on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Down Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Meh, stop bitching about the damn copy protection. Be glad they are releasing it for PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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