Yeah, all this casual copying gets on my nerves, too. All the time people ask me if I can copy a game for them. (I have a burner, mainly for backing up stuff like downloads)

I generally don''t use copied games - I download demos of games that sound interesting and if I get hooked on the demo I buy the game.

I understand that companies (try to) copy-protect their games, and I don''t believe that sales go up from warez. I can somewhat follow that theory with MP3s and Audio CDs but games, no. I mean, if someone has an illegal copy of a game I doubt they''ll buy it legally.
The only working copy protection I know of is the combination of these - and it only really works in (internet) multiplayer mode:

1) Have a metal ring laid into the CD (dunno how this works exactly - Settlers 3 has this) and require the CD to play.
2) Have a serial number LINKED TO ONE nickname
3) Have the game make a checksum of the .exe file - this will kick out any cracks. (ideally record the IP address hehehe)

Everything else would require some kind of hardware copy protection.


- JQ
pmjordan@gmx.at

lead programmer,
PWC Software

You know, the scary part of this is that we''re game makers talking about pirating. (My hands aren''t clean, BTW, though my excuse often is extra disks for multiplayer.)

It''s hard to get people to value intellectual property. The same folks (again, me too sometimes) who wouldn''t think to steal a car from a car company don''t have any qualms about CD copying. I wonder why this is. Is it because we don''t see the hard work because it''s not a physical object?

This kind of thinking has dire consequences for the future of independent development and distribution on the net, btw. It''s damned difficult to add value when you''re a poor a$$ indie trying to sell shareware.




--------------------
Just waiting for the mothership...

Copy protection kicks ass! Companies should do everything possible to get consumers to pay for their over-priced products. Feed the greed!



"I'd say pants, but this is a family publication."

quote: Original post by jonnyfish

Copy protection kicks ass! Companies should do everything possible to get consumers to pay for their over-priced products. Feed the greed!



"I''d say pants, but this is a family publication."

Overpriced?!?!?!? How much should they be? We demand excellent graphics engines, voice acted dialog, tons of textures, kickass AI, top quality sound, etc., etc., etc. or else we won''t buy it. How much should they charge for this? If not $40-50, then what? $20? $10? $5? Are you gonna play games with 8-bit graphics? Text instead of spoken dialog? Icons instead of 70 frame animated objects. Heck, sprites instead of poly models? Didn''t think so...

Sorry for the vehemence, but this really pisses me off and proves my point: Most people have no f*cking CLUE what it takes to actually build a game, and so ripping it off is no thing (Hell, I''ve worked in the industry and make excuses myself from time to time, but it''s still lame)



--------------------
Just waiting for the mothership...

quote: Original post by JonnyQuest
The only working copy protection I know of is the combination of these - and it only really works in (internet) multiplayer mode:

1) Have a metal ring laid into the CD (dunno how this works exactly - Settlers 3 has this) and require the CD to play.
2) Have a serial number LINKED TO ONE nickname
3) Have the game make a checksum of the .exe file - this will kick out any cracks. (ideally record the IP address hehehe)

Okay lets break these down one by one:
1. This prevents you from making your LEGAL backup copy in case your media fails, therefore it is not feasible, and very unpleasant to your customers.
2. This prevents you from changing nickname, or from playing when you forget your nickname. It also prevents you from moving the game onto someone else who wants another nickname.
3. You can circumvent the checksum, and pad the crack to achieve the exact same number. Binding to IP addresses will automatically rule out ANYONE using DHCP on a variable-IP server ( and trust me, this happens, I''m one of those people! ).
Binding to your MAC-address doesn''t work either, because the hardware might fail and you will need to change MAC address.

And then there are privacy issues...

So - this is certainly no catch-all solution. Why do you think Intel got shot down in flames when they tried to put a unique ID in each processor?

I stand by my original point:
You cannot prevent copying. The only thing against it is providing added value for those people that actually BUY the game.

( and on the issue of copied games not increasing sales: I played a pirated copy of DukeNukem3D on the campus network for a long time, and then bought the game, even though I couldn''t play it at home, because I thought it rocked and deserved to be supported ).


People might not remember what you said, or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~

I agree there should be some kind of anti-piracy protection, but it ain''t working.

Have you been to a third world country recently? I have, you can get all kinds of software for hella cheap. It pisses me off. I''m with anti-piracy protection all the way, but it dosen''t work .

quote: Original post by CodePlayEatSleep
Have you been to a third world country recently? I have, you can get all kinds of software for hella cheap. It pisses me off.

Do you realise that the price differences aren''t always due to piracy? Some companies sell software more cheaply in third world countries, and still make a profit, ''cause over here in the west, "we can afford to pay a bit more."



People might not remember what you said, or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~

quote: Original post by CodePlayEatSleep

I agree there should be some kind of anti-piracy protection, but it ain''t working.

Have you been to a third world country recently? I have, you can get all kinds of software for hella cheap. It pisses me off. I''m with anti-piracy protection all the way, but it dosen''t work .

I live in a third world country. Yes you can get all kinds of software for "hella cheap". Ok. But WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK MOST PEOPLE DON''T BUY SOFTWARE HERE?
Possible answers:

1- Bad software. I''d never pay for windows. My machine is happy with Linux.

2- Overpriced software. Most. Why the hell I have to pay half the price of a computer for a Microsoft Office? Damn them to hell. I won''t. And period. Where they''re selling Microsoft Word? I never saw. They just sell the bundle to force us to buy.

3- Taxes and monetary conversions. I''d gladly pay for Diablo II, but it would cost me a lot more money than if I lived in US.

4- Fears. I wanted to buy Ultima IX, but thanks to reason 3 I didn''t. Thanks god, because the game(apart from the graphics, that are among the best I''ve seen in a game) really sucks.

5- Distribution problems. I wanted to buy Fallout 2, but I couldn''t find a single damn store selling it here. Same for older software, like Ultima VII Serpent Island. Try as I might, I can''t seem to find it anywhere anymore. So if I come across it I WILL COPY IT.

So why do you think people pirate that much? I do, although I have a lot of legit software(the entire C&C series, for example, and my father bought Win98 to use at his shop). I really wanted to support good companies, but this is not that easy.

Gaiomard Dragon
-===(UDIC)===-

I have a fixed budget wich allow me to buy one game every month (if I dont buy something else), what when the game I bought sucks (I did buy U9 ), what if there are three games I want this month ? I cannot pay for these extra-games, so shall I choose not to eat to be able to play ?

I recall a trick that a company did a long time ago. They made their own pirate version of their game which stuffed up at crucial points in the game. They then released the pirate version a few weeks before the game hit the shelves. The pirate game flooded the piracy rings which stopped good pirate version from getting to anyone because the piracy networks were saturated with the bad version of the game. As i understand, it actually worked quite well. There's one for the books

I love Game Design and it loves me back.

Our Goal is "Fun"!

Edited by - Paul Cunningham on September 13, 2000 11:57:24 AM