Video Game And Software Companies

CptSternn · 10-09-2007, 02:11 AM

So I am getting fed up with video game companies and other software companies.

I bought Bioshock for the PC. I couldn't install it because of all the copy protection they put on it. they website states you have to disable your antivirus because the copy protection they use, secure rom, installs a ROOT KIT on your system which allows them to access your computer at any time, the most protected files, even in Vista, and change them if they want.

Thats just insane. I of course returned the game and then just rented it for my XBox and it only cost me a fiver (I beat the game in a day).

I had a similar issue with Adobe CS3 software. I had Premiere CS2 and some other CS2 software, but CS3 has some conflicts and you have to uninstall all CS2 software first before installing CS3.

So when I upgraded Photoshop to CS3, I could no longer use Premiere CS2, because of their new copy protection scheme that keeps it from installing next to old software.

In fact, they had to release a whole 'cleaning' package plus a list of other software you can't have installed when you put on any CS3 software.

The only fix? A cracked, pirated version came out with a new installer that lets the software run perfectly next to anything.

It just seems game companies and software companies are putting way to much time into copy protection and not enough into their software these days. It also appears that they only hinder the legitimate customers, as pirates will find a way around the protection, they always have and always will, meaning only people who shell out money for legitimate copies end up getting burned by all this crazy protection stuff.

I personally like playing games on my PC, I just do. I always buy games for it first. If the company puts crazy protection on it, I merely return it and then rent it for a few nights for a fiver and just beat the game. I also now have a group of lads in my own town and we throw a few bob into a hat and buy new games, then pass it around for a few days (most games can be beat in a day or two by us).

It's our way of rebelling against the companies which seem to continually penalise us as customers, for no good reason (to date, they haven't stopped any pirates, so why do they continue to screw the end users?)

Anyone else have similar horror stories about such companies or products?

Cyntrox · 10-09-2007, 03:49 AM

Heh, I know what you mean... Not only that, but I've also seen a lot of unfinished games/software lately. Seriously, when a patch has to be released less than a week after the game release, there's something wrong. Why couldn't they just have waited that week with releasing? The fans would have been much more happy, and I'm sure the people making the game doesn't like releasing it unfinished either... I'm talking of Ubisoft's Splinter Cell: Double Agent. They released one more patch, then left it for the next game in the series. A lot of people, myself included, couldn't finish the first few levels due to bugs. Just search for it on youtube, and you'll see.

It seems to be everywhere these days. The management is pushing the developers to release unfinished software so that they can earn more money. There used to be a certain art about computer games, but I haven't seen it in a long time.

CptSternn · 10-10-2007, 03:37 AM

They had a similar issue with Dead Rising - and that was for the XBox360! A few of the missions you couldn't do because of bugs, so you had to have a xbox360live account and broadband and download a patch else ye couldn't finish or even get a few missions critical to the game plot.

They released the patch a few weeks after the game release.

Luckily, I have everything setup on broadband - but I had mates who had to drag their hard drives to my gaff and patch their system so they could play the game.

Demyx · 10-10-2007, 08:09 AM

I had problems like that when I was installing NeverWinter Nights 1, though they were pretty minor. Had to mess around with the firewall settings for a bit and whatnot. I don't think Gaming companies should give out such specific release dates for their games...then maybe they wouldn't be scrambling to get it done/disappoint people if it's like a year late.

Or worse-release it and it's not even completed.

CptSternn · 10-11-2007, 01:09 AM

I also had issues with Neverwinter 1 - the game patch they release fixed the issues with the game, but then deactivated it and you had to mail your original packaging to America for a new copy. I was like WTF?

Honestly, I just downloaded the crack instead of paying all that international shipping to install the damn game I bought.

Their modules for that game all has similar issues - from Shadows Of Erintide to Kingmaker - all had issues and the patches caused more problems than they fixed due to all the copy protection. In fact, the add-on REQUIRED you to go online EVERY TIME you started the game so it could check your key against their database. I remember at the time only having dial-up, and you had to have it on CONSTANTLY as it kept checking your key as you played the game. It wasn't an online game, they just made you dial-up and waste hours online as their game kept checking your key to make sure you weren't pirating it.

In Ireland, you pay by the minute for dial-up. It cost almost seven euro and hour to play the game LEGALLY, or you could download the crack and play it for free.

Guess what most people did here?

Steppenwolf · 10-12-2007, 01:42 PM

What I''ll never be able to understand is WHY record corps. put shit on music cds : The "copy protection" that means you can't do your own security copy (That's a right in european law for every consumer , if Im not much mistaken!) .

So , the story : I buy my copy of "PLaying the angel" , 14 euros (good girl , huh) , then I go to my dvddrive and ... Awwww ... shit ... i blame myself for not quitting the autoplay before that ... Why for god's shake i have to suffer their horrid player+spyware and god knows what more?????

Then comes the fun : How I rip the tracks to mp3 ... I had 3 computers , so if one is infected it's not a tragedy , but I feel that nowadays I have no rights : What I buy is MINE , and NOBODY should stop my freedom to copy it (and even more : THE COPY IS FOR MYSELF) .

Then , what the hell I'm buying? Who owns MY CD?

The worst case was with the Peter Gabriel's "Up" . It took me 3 days to figure out how to rip it ......

I thank the music record corps. for force me into knowledge , but there's a lot of people out there that simply don't want to complicate themselves ... And WHY SHOULD WE?

The day we got some asociation to protect our rights , Im gonna be one of the first on sign it ... You can write emails to the CCC , and maybe one or two "rebels" will publish your winning on a magazine only a few people reads and nobody takes seriously .

So , then they had no right to punish me if I download illegal music . At least that music is MINE FOREVER , to play wherever I want , to copy one or two times , and not to break my head anymore ...

If this shit goes on , I'm the opinnion we should return to vinyls and casettes ... Digital sucks ...

Steppenwolf · 10-12-2007, 01:43 PM

thanks for reading this shit :o)

CptSternn · 10-13-2007, 01:17 AM

Yeah, CD's with all that crap on them suck as well, that being said if I buy a CD with all that protection, I take it back and download it on principle alone.

TopHaggardDoll · 10-13-2007, 01:49 AM

Vinyl makes everything sound better.

We should go back to it.

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 10-13-2007, 02:19 AM

My main complaint that I have right now is the fad of bloated, inefficient software that's being released. It should not take 2 minutes to start up a PDF reader, and an operating system doesn't have to take up 1gb of RAM, besides being a piece of crap (I haven't used Vista -still on XP- so I don't know first hand, but everyone who knows anything about computers that I've talked to has panned Vista). Photoshop CS3 is considerably slower than CS2, and most of the new functions I *actually* don't use. I'm considering switching back. Less system hogging.

*hugs Linux* If only GIMP did as much as Photoshop....

Metabolik · 10-13-2007, 07:49 AM

Thats why I stick to console games...PC is just too risky for me...I usually fuck it up with all the mods and shit.

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 10-13-2007, 01:27 PM

What IIIIII really hate is food (or other) companies that think it's funny to make their packages impossible to open.

Steppenwolf · 10-14-2007, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBelleDameSansMerci

What IIIIII really hate is food (or other) companies that think it's funny to make their packages impossible to open.

why man , you have your teeth ...

Steppenwolf · 10-14-2007, 11:47 AM

I use foxit to pdfs , and the win2000 is much better than xp .
Oh , and you don't need to change anything on the harddisk to try linux ...