2024-11-28, 01:06 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
 
Wirehead Studios > General Discussion > Entertainment > Gabe Newell is a genius/madman ("pre-empts" warezers)
Pages: [1]
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: Gabe Newell is a genius/madman ("pre-empts" warezers)  (Read 11132 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Assamite
 
Hans Grosse
*******
Posts: 271
« on: 2004-11-18, 22:27 »
Saw this on PHL. Apparently, Valve released a "warez" version on the BitTorrent network so they can track down warez kiddies' IPs and ban them from ever using HL2/Steam again.

Very smart move against piracy, but brings up privacy concerns.
Logged
Tabun
Pixel Procrastinator
 

Team Member
Elite (3k+)
******
Posts: 3330

WWW
« Reply #1 on: 2004-11-18, 23:11 »
How much proof is there to back this rumor up? Doesn't sound like a Newell thing to me.. perhaps if some Valve marketing moron thought it up and put it in motion all by himself..
Logged
Tabun ?Morituri Nolumus Mori?
shambler
 
Icon of Sin
**********
Posts: 999
« Reply #2 on: 2004-11-18, 23:21 »
Do you not change your IP when you log on? or reboot your router etc?
Logged
Phoenix
Bird of Fire
 

Team Member
Elite (7.5k+)
*********
Posts: 8814

WWW
« Reply #3 on: 2004-11-18, 23:27 »
It would be interesting if it's true.  I don't think there's any law against releasing a bombed version of your own intellectual property freely for the purpose of cracking down on piracy.  It's dirty and sneaky, yes, but so are the cheaters.  Cheaters suck, and only the warezers and cheaters (who are usually the same people) are getting shafted, so I've got no problem with it.  It certainly beats the RIAA's approach to dealing with piracy.
Logged

I fly into the night, on wings of fire burning bright...
Tekhead
 
Elite
*
Posts: 1110
« Reply #4 on: 2004-11-19, 00:06 »
Well, there are the dynamic IPs that are given to internet subscribers by their ISP which can change, but there is also a hard-coded address on every network card produced which doesn't change, which is called a MAC address (Media Access Control). It is possible to block specific MAC addresses from trafficking across a network at the router level, so it's also probable that HL2/Steam bannings could use the same method of identifying warezers.
« Last Edit: 2004-11-19, 00:07 by Tekhead » Logged
ConfusedUs
 

Elite (2k+)
**
Posts: 2358

WWW
« Reply #5 on: 2004-11-19, 02:24 »
It's possible to spoof MAC addresses via most routers these days.

It's not even hard. My router has the option to broadcast its native MAC address, or to send a specific one of my choice.
Logged
Hedhunta
 
Chton
*******
Posts: 231
« Reply #6 on: 2004-11-19, 02:57 »
anyone think that its so people dont just have to download on steam but can use bittorent which at times is probably way faster? afaik, you still have to have a steam account with hl2 enabled to even play it.
Logged
Makou
 

Team Member
Icon of Sin
*************
Posts: 753
« Reply #7 on: 2004-11-19, 04:51 »
Check that first post again, Hedhunta. The version supposedly being transfered via BitTorrent is a "bombed version" that may be being used to track down software pirates.

Honestly, I think it's a great idea. Too bad there are always workarounds for IP bans.
Logged
If you see a "Rona Altana" out there on the internet somewhere, that's probably me
Woodsman
Icon of Booze
 

Beta Tester
Icon of Sin
***********
Posts: 827
« Reply #8 on: 2004-11-19, 07:28 »
For the record bittorrent is not faster than steam.
Logged
Phoenix
Bird of Fire
 

Team Member
Elite (7.5k+)
*********
Posts: 8814

WWW
« Reply #9 on: 2004-11-19, 08:45 »
http://halflife2.filefront.com/news/;13907

Quote
We're running a bit of an experiment. We're keeping track of the accounts that do this and will be shutting them off.

I would imagine this is shutting off the STEAM accounts for the offending persons, thereby preventing them from playing on the network.  Since the STEAM accounts track more than just IP or MAC address, I imagine that once shut off it'll be a bit more involved to reactivate them than just obtaining a new IP or changing a router's MAC address, especially if special registry entries or hidden files are placed on the computer.  You'd have to reformat AND do all of the above if you didn't know where to find the hidden entries.  Even if you could, you'd have fun re-registering, etc.  Someone might figure it out eventually, but for now that's one dirty trick and promises to put a crimp in the warez people's style.  Phoenix is pleased.
Logged

I fly into the night, on wings of fire burning bright...
Assamite
 
Hans Grosse
*******
Posts: 271
« Reply #10 on: 2004-11-20, 22:44 »
Shh... loose lips sink ships... or in this case, companies. Someone would find a workaround eventually, but did you really have to explain it in detail like that?
Logged
Tekhead
 
Elite
*
Posts: 1110
« Reply #11 on: 2004-11-20, 22:56 »
I think those who would attempt to go around this anti-piracy effort already know this, as they tend not to be idiots themselves.
Logged
Assamite
 
Hans Grosse
*******
Posts: 271
« Reply #12 on: 2004-11-24, 06:53 »
Well, not in the "lack of intelligence" sense, anyway.
Logged
Phoenix
Bird of Fire
 

Team Member
Elite (7.5k+)
*********
Posts: 8814

WWW
« Reply #13 on: 2004-11-24, 07:24 »
Well, the way I figure it is if someone reads this and thinks "Ooooh, I can get around it by reformatting my harddrive!!!" and it doesn't work then I've just scored a few for the good guys by making them reformat unnecessarily, but since they don't know if it will or will not work they're bound to try ANYTHING.  We get a page hit regardless, so either way I win.  Slipgate - Wink
Logged

I fly into the night, on wings of fire burning bright...
Pages: [1]
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to: