Copy Protection Company Encourages Piracy?

[Jeremy Charette]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6145864&page=0' target='_blank'>http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6145864&page=0</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In an ironic twist last week, a moderator on the forums for copy protection software StarForce made it easier for people to pirate a game, posting a link directing users to a site from which they could download illegal "warez" copies of Stardock Systems' PC strategy game Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords. In response to a user's remark that Dread Lords has been experiencing strong sales despite a lack of copy protection (other than a serial number used to download updates), StarForce forum moderator JM posted a link to a Web site and a message saying that several thousand people were downloading the game illegally. He suggested that the game's success was despite the lack of copy protection, and not because of it."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/overvi1.gif" /> <br /><br />For those who aren't familiar with StarForce, <a href="http://www.glop.org/starforce/">read about it here</a>. Apparently these companies will stoop to any level to "prove" that copy protection is necessary, when in fact, the marketplace is demonstrating otherwise. Stardock Systems is giving customers what they want, rather than treating them like a potential pirate right from the start. Consumers are responding with their wallets. Companies like StarForce depend on the fear of their customers (content providers) to stay in business. Success like this creates serious doubt that copy protection is in fact needed, and that threatens their business model. I'm a pragmatist, and I believe that it is nearly impossible to legislate human behavior. Give people the motivation to do the right thing, but don't take the choice away from them. Some people will always do the wrong thing, no matter how hard you try. That's a fact of life, and of nature. Trying to stop people from pirating content through DRM and copy protection is a losing battle, and I just wish content providers would understand that. If they did, perhaps they might see the same resounding success that Stardock has with Galactic Civilizations II.

[Outlaw94]

But without piracy to blame for low cd/video game/dvd.etc. sales what other reason could there be?

Oh wait, maybe no one buys it because the product they released is crap? No that can't be it because all the music, movies, games, and software that these companies produce is worth the price they over charge you for it. :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

Copy protection sucks. On my little P7020 laptop, I always run with both batteries in there, so I don't want to have to put in the CD drive just to have to play the game! Yeah, I know I can do virtual drives, but I've always had bad experiences whenever I've tried to do that.

&lt;shrug> Maybe it doesn't even matter any more - the past couple of games I've played were way too quickly finished in single-player mode, I felt ripped off. I think everyone wants to build MMO games now and no one cares about making quality single-player offline games.

[Jeremy Charette]

The biggest reason I hate having to put the CD in to play a game: noise. With 52X CD-ROM drives in most PCs these days, a spinning CD drive sounds like a small jet on takeoff! The noise is incredibly distracting. Same goes for the Xbox 360. As soon as I quit playing a game and go back to the dashboard, the noise goes down by about 75%. Why they can't offload the data to a hard drive and run it from that I don't know.

[Jason Dunn]

The biggest reason I hate having to put the CD in to play a game: noise.

Ugg. Yeah, I agree completely - it's insane how loud CD and DVD discs make a system when they're spinning full bore. I asked the Xbox 360 guys about this, and they said the problem is that with the HD content, they need every bit of speed the optical drive can manage...but you're right, they should do some smart hard drive caching. Hell, it would probably help sell more hard drives...

[jmulder]

While it's a special case, I have a tabletPC without an internal CDROM drive. So now I have to attach the USB CD drive...and plug in the drive's AC cord, just to play a game?

[Jason Dunn]

So now I have to attach the USB CD drive...and plug in the drive's AC cord, just to play a game?

Yeah, there's some extra suck factor for you. :? I wish these idiotic game publishers would realize that with LESS restrictions they'd sell MORE games. Frickin' morons. :evil:

[jmulder]

So now I have to attach the USB CD drive...and plug in the drive's AC cord, just to play a game?

Yeah, there's some extra suck factor for you. :? I wish these idiotic game publishers would realize that with LESS restrictions they'd sell MORE games. Frickin' morons. :evil:

Actually, I've gotten rid of the extra suck factor by getting a nice new DualCore 2500 laptop. :D

I've also gotta say that I've been a Stardock customer for years (ObjectDesktop), and they're one of the more reasonable companies to deal with in general. They've got a fairly relaxed licensing attitude, allowing users to install products both at home and at work.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

See, that's the reason why I crack my games, despite them being originals. I can't stand having to go and hunt for the DAMN CD/DVD just to pass the copy protection at the start. Rest of the time the CD/DVD is just inside the drive collecting dust. -_-

Jeremy, the games for PCs generally only require the CD at the start for copy protection if you did a full install. Can't see how the noise would be intrusive.

Jason, Oblivion's coming out. Might want to prepare your dollars (and hardware) for that one. :P If you play RPGs, that is.

[Jason Dunn]

Oblivion's coming out. Might want to prepare your dollars (and hardware) for that one. :P If you play RPGs, that is.

I'm waiting for D&amp;D Online to show up at my door, that will be my game for the next while. Well, unless it sucks that is...

[Gary Sheynkman]

Jason,

how much bat. life do you get from you P7020?

Lets say with wifi on browsing and using office.

[Jason Dunn]

how much bat. life do you get from you P7020? Lets say with wifi on browsing and using office.

With brightness set at around half? I'd say a good 9-10 hours with both batteries in there. That's exactly why I bought it - awesome battery life, no battery hump like the Sony has.

[Gary Sheynkman]

wow that is awesome...

this is going to be tough

I want to get an ultraportable sometime during the summer

Its going to be the x60 or maybe the P7120...so this helps out.


Do you think your notebook will handle Vista?

[Jason Dunn]

Do you think your notebook will handle Vista?

All the eye candy? No. But the OS itself? Sure.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Oh this is just brilliant. I really should take greater care in remembering what I read. I've got a game with the blasted Starforce thingy in it, and I'm not pleased. I'm down a game I really want to play, and on days like this it makes me want to go buy the pirated version instead of the original version. -_-