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Author Topic: BIOSHOCK who's looking forward to it  (Read 17088 times)
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Tabun
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« Reply #20 on: 2007-09-11, 22:36 »

Played a bit of it -- so far it's fantastic. Takes Art Deco seriously and it runs acceptably. Gameplay could be better, but I'm enjoying it more as a Art Deco meets Jules Verne type world to explore. Some effects are rather unrealistic, but others are great (they've spent a lot of work making water look nice). Thumbs up, I'd say.
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scalliano
 

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« Reply #21 on: 2007-09-25, 16:47 »

Having sorted out my PC issues (turns out one of the SATA ports was fried) I discovered that my x600 WAS PCI-E so I now have a spanking new GF7300. Not much faster than the x600 but it has the important ingredient: SM3.0! So I now have the game, however I bought it in the knowledge that I'd be biding my time until 2K Games come good on their promise to sort out the game's frankly deplorable DRM issues.

I'm not installing it until then. It wouldn't be an issue if that meant 2 simultaneous installs on separate PC's, but it means Two. Installs. Ever. Even if they've upped it to five, no finite amount of installs can ever be enough without a means of online deactivation in the event of uninstall/system recovery/purchase of a new rig. I bought it on Friday, so 2K should have their cut of the ?29.99 I paid for it by now. It's their turn to get their fingers out.

I appreciate the need for copy-protection, but mark my words, this game Will be beaten by the Jolly Roger, so all this serves to do is make life harder for us paying suckers.

Sorry, didn't mean to turn the thread into a piracy rant.
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« Reply #22 on: 2007-09-25, 17:03 »

Wait... 2 installs for the life of the game?  I was thinking about looking at this game, but I'm not even going to bother with the demo now.  They fix this and maybe I'll consider it.  I'm fed up with all this "You have to have our permission to use what you already paid for" crap.  How about this - find a way to stop piracy without treating legit users like criminals.  More carrot, less stick please.  I don't react well to being hit with things.  Slipgate - Exhausted
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« Reply #23 on: 2007-09-25, 21:26 »

It wouldn't be an issue if that meant 2 simultaneous installs on separate PC's, but it means Two. Installs. Ever.

No, re-read the article.  It means two simultaneous installs.  You make a good point about PC's whose software is beyond recovery though.  An activation/deactivation tool is a good solution for now, but what about the long term?  What if 2K Games goes out of business?  Are you SOL?  This is why I hate online activation and digital distribution.  (It's also why I will not purchase games through Steam anymore.  It's better to purchase the game at retail so I can get a physical copy as well as the Steam license.)
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scalliano
 

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« Reply #24 on: 2007-09-26, 21:19 »

Even if it is 2 simultaneous installs, that means I can only ever run it on my current PC and my next. That's not a good outlook, considering that I'm on my third PC in 5 years (which could very nearly have been my fourth). My last PC was a victim of Starforce, so it would not be the first time I've been burned by dracionian copy-protection measures (plus, Bet On Soldier ended up being a pile of shite anyway).

I don't use Steam at all. I'm no stranger to online activation (XP, anyone?) so when my mate originally told me the deal with his initial install of BS my immediate reaction was: hey, at least it's not Steam. How wrong I was, as it turns out.

Long-term, sadly, the only real solution would probably be a hack, crack 'n' repack. Dubious, I know, but in the event that 2K did go bust, there wouldn't be much else. Besides which, by that stage it's likely that no one would care (the company's bust). The same goes for Valve with Steam. I don't condone warez, but if worst came to worst, my conscience would be clear. I've paid my way.

Another thing that occured to me, what measures are 2K going to put in place to ensure that this revoke tool can't be used by some warez monkey to hijack some poor bugger's legit CD key for their own use? Unless there's some unique piece of encryption on every disk (which I doubt) I can see that happening. Whilst not as apocalyptic, that actually happened to me with both my Q3A keys. I can't play on a server that has sv_strictauth enabled, despite having 2 legit copies of the game (Q3A and Q3Gold).

Ultimately, when I pay £30 for a game, I want to be able to wear the disk out if I see fit. Or, install the game and put the disk away in a nice neat corner, only ever to be used again if my PC screws up (once again, I'm no stranger). This is why I appreciate id enabling no-CD/DVD in their update patches, so you can play the game without the disk, providing you have a unique key Slipgate - Wink Like Pho said, more carrot, less stick.
« Last Edit: 2007-09-26, 21:28 by scalliano » Logged

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« Reply #25 on: 2007-09-26, 21:38 »

I was also a victim of the "INVALID CD_KEY/MISTTYPED CD_KEY?" problem a while back, despite the fact that I have 3 legal copies of Q3A and have never given out a CD key, nor had a spyware infection that might steal them.  Face it, the keygens will win, the crackers will win, so the stick is only going to hurt legit users.  I hate to do this, but I must cite a real life example.  Look at gun control laws.  Do they ever, ever stop the criminals from being criminals, or do they just limit people who intend to follow the law in the first place?

You wanna cut down on piracy and encourage legitimate purchases?  How about some swag?  I remember when Wing Commander 3 was released in a movie film tin with some extra goodies in there, like a calendar, novel, shirt, and I think a poster.  Of course the coolest part was - it was in a movie tin!  That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about.  Release the game with a bunch of goodies for the first X number of people who pre-order or buy the game retail.  Consider that your "marketable" audience.  After that run, you sell the game at a reasonable price with a reduced goodie set, then at a bargain bin price afterward. All the people who are willing to pay for the game will have done so, and by that time the pirates will be hard at work and won't care anyway.  They want to pirate?  Fine, they get no booty.

If anyone thinks this business model doesn't work... I pre-ordered the last three Wing Commander games.  I've got the tin, I got the hint book for WCIV which was sent as swag without me even knowing it in advance.  Prophecy didn't really have any swag, but it was enough eye candy and solid game play I didn't care.  Origin had it right back then, and I think game companies are trying too hard to sink pirates and they're starting to take on Cutler Beckett's tactics to combat them.
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