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Alchemist
#101 Old 9th May 2008 at 2:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by nixie
Apparently it is already in The Sims 2 Bon Voyage O.o

what the hell, they put stuffs in my computer without telling me, I am going to kill them

http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/communit...tem.127,item.23

There's no online validation for Bon Voyage unless you did digital download to get your game

Quote: Originally posted by audioromance


I don't think you realize how hackers work very well. If it's possible for them to get into your machine and grab info or send it without your permission it's pretty damn possible for someone to abuse this (and some anti-virus software wouldn't even allow this). You also have no idea what they have access to while doing this...it wouldn't surprise me if they also decide to collect cookies on your PC for "survery" purposes. It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened. Funny enough this method also allows for easier theft of Key codes (so paying customers will again be victims yay!) and believe me I'm SURE someone will take advantage of it.

I'm lucky since I paid good money for my anti-virus software. The game would have to ask my permission to use the net just like all my other software.





Audio we'll have to agree to disagree. My firewall would alert as well, but that's not my point. My point is I shouldn't have to give up ANY control of my PC and spend $50 doing so
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world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#102 Old 9th May 2008 at 3:07 PM
Silver - If you go to their site they have ways to contact them there, rather than through email. You'll need an EA login.

Tzigone - I think a handwritten letter would mean more. If they're just getting form letters it's not going to be as big an impact as if they get many different letters - just as I don't think something like a petition would mean as much as a bunch of different people contacting them.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Lab Assistant
#103 Old 9th May 2008 at 4:27 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Spudjuice
This scares me as well.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet, too, is the fact there's a pretty big business for preowned games. I buy a fair few preowned games myself. What about these people? What if...

Oh, person A installed it on both their computer and their laptop only to fall into a bit of a problem later on money wise, and need some quick cash to get them through until payday. They take it to the gameshop to sell.

Person B buys it preowned, but a month later sees a game that better catches their interest, and so they trade in for it.

Person C is completely screwed if they buy it now as it's already been installed on three systems...


Which publishers hates because it does not generate revenue for them. The retailers get the proceeds and not the publishers. The retailers are effectively selling the same game more than once.

If you read the EULA, it should say the license is non-transferable. This makes the re-selling illegal by the terms of the EULA. However, the publishers can only make vocal complaint because the retailers have advantages over the publishers. Annoyed them too much and they will not promote your game.

So in effect this could allow them to control the reselling of games. I am sure they could see the benefits in this area as well.

Ultimately, they would like to lock the game per user. This is so differently to books, DVDs or CDs where you can share them.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
#104 Old 9th May 2008 at 5:36 PM
Quote: Originally posted by audioromance
Since you don't seem to understand what she meant then I'll fill it in for you she meant that she would have to call EA after she's installed it 3 times or buy a new one. The former costing her in overseas phone bills. While I don't live overseas I don't agree with only letting me install it 3 times i'll go through that in a year and I don't want to have to call up anytime I want to install it on a new machine or again. That's damn annyoing when you gotta do it for XP let alone a freaking video game.


I did understand, hence why I said it in my post that you quoted.


Quote: Originally posted by audioromance
I don't think you realize how hackers work very well. If it's possible for them to get into your machine and grab info or send it without your permission it's pretty damn possible for someone to abuse this (and some anti-virus software wouldn't even allow this). You also have no idea what they have access to while doing this...it wouldn't surprise me if they also decide to collect cookies on your PC for "survery" purposes. It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened. Funny enough this method also allows for easier theft of Key codes (so paying customers will again be victims yay!) and believe me I'm SURE someone will take advantage of it.


This system sounds very much like browsing a webpage. You just go to a site, check the text on it, and close it down. If the page comes back with a "False" then it doesn't activate.

I know perfectly well how hackers operate - I am, after all, fairly good at reverse engineering things. It just doesn't strike me that this activation system would even allow incoming connections - it's all outgoing to check something.

Think of it like the version checker in vBulletin, or the version checker in S2PCI or the version checker in QXpress. It's a simple call and then thats it.


Quote: Originally posted by audioromance
I'm lucky since I paid good money for my anti-virus software. The game would have to ask my permission to use the net just like all my other software.


Not if they use 3rd party DLLs like the ones from OPSWAT. I work for a company writing software thats deliberately designed to not prompt the user and allow applications through firewalls.

Quote: Originally posted by audioromance
How many times have YOU had to reinstall since you've had the sims 2? I can bet it's probably more than 3 times. Having to call up for each time? yeah that's a pain in the butt and for some people we work, take care of kids all day, and go to school. I don't have the time to spend 8 hours on hold for it.


I've never had to reinstall it. Mostly becuase I don't play it - but then, I'm a fairly typical gamer, and not a fairly typical Sims player.

Quote: Originally posted by audioromance
People are allowed to be upset even if you don't agree. Trying to tell them they are illogically or should not be is well kind of rude and uncalled for. If you are okay with this by all means buy the game, but others can have different opinions.


They are perfectly allowed other opinions - but a lot of what is said here is illogical - and isn't pointing out those facts part of what a debate is all about? This is the debate room, after all, and people can not like my opinions just as much as I might not like theirs.

Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.
#105 Old 9th May 2008 at 6:39 PM
Personally, I don't like intrusive software of any kind. I'd rather just have the CD in the drive then having to validate every ten days. It's not that it's inconvenient, because what's convenient is what makes us lose our freedoms, it's that I have no control over my PC in regards to the game I just bought. So, I guess I'll save my money for something else.
#106 Old 9th May 2008 at 6:45 PM
HP
The obvious difference is... once your buy a book/movie/cd, you no longer have to prove it's yours.

Could you imagine your ipod asking for a code every 10th time you listened to a song? No. It would be ridiculous, and no one would use them. Which, I suspect, is what eventually will happen to games such as this.
Mad Poster
#107 Old 9th May 2008 at 7:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Delphy

They are perfectly allowed other opinions - but a lot of what is said here is illogical - and isn't pointing out those facts part of what a debate is all about? This is the debate room, after all, and people can not like my opinions just as much as I might not like theirs.


Why are people's concerns over how this software will affect their gaming experience illogical? They draw conclusions based on the facts we all know already and make speculations on those same grounds. Coming here and saying hey it's illogical to fear that our gaming experience will be crappy or that we will not be required to call EA helpdesk to reactivate the crappy game is a risky endeavour since you don't know that for a fact and it still is a very valid possibility. And even if facts are wrong one can still draw logical conclusions.

Faithlove, good point with the books. We can share them with our friends and take them with us on vacations and such. Having to reactivate the game and reconfirm your license for it as often as every 10 days is annoying. Just imagine that Windows stopped running after 10 days because your intenet connection is down and you can't reactivate it. No one needs hassle, and we buy the games to relax not to get frustrated over their not working.
#108 Old 9th May 2008 at 7:51 PM
I thought the person was talking about phones in the cases of having no internet.
Like calling a number and saying "I need to reactivate my game" in the times where there's not internet connection.

How is this illogical?
#109 Old 9th May 2008 at 9:00 PM
I read about this yesterday...
That activating every 10 days is just like with the EA-Link/Downloader.
There will be ways around it within days of its release, there is bound to be a leaked version before official release date.
GTA4 was on the net before it was officially in the shops.

I've also read of instances with Vista, innocent people have been locked out of their legally perchased Vista OS because of pirates. So theres chances of it happening with Spore..
Forum Resident
#110 Old 9th May 2008 at 10:00 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Delphy
Not if they use 3rd party DLLs like the ones from OPSWAT. I work for a company writing software thats deliberately designed to not prompt the user and allow applications through firewalls.


You made an excellent point on why you do not trust companies especially those companies that wants to access your information then send it over the web to their server. I know I cannot prevent everything and I'm never 100% safe, but I won't deliberately make myself a victim or unsafe.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
#111 Old 9th May 2008 at 11:50 PM
Something that might interest people:

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/52618

Quote: Originally posted by From the article
BioWare Responds to Copy Protection Outcry, Removes 10-day SecuROM Check for the Troops

by Nick Breckon May 09, 2008 2:45pm CST tags: BioWare, Electronic Arts, Spore, Mass Effect, Piracy, Internet Rage

BioWare producer Derek French recently caused an uproar after announcing that copy protection on the PC editions of Mass Effect and Spore would require online validation every 10 days in order for the games to continue functioning.

In the face of increasing pressure, BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts today relented, updating the official Mass Effect PC FAQ to note that validation will now only be required when the player downloads new game content.



croco, I guess what I was trying to say is that the "facts", as presented, tend to get blown out of all proportion. Somebody says one thing, somebody else picks up on it and suddenly it's a "fact".

Faithlove, it's not illogical. I've already pointed out that I made an error in assumptions about that particular topic. Why is this still an issue?

Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.
Alchemist
#112 Old 10th May 2008 at 12:39 AM
Incredible, Delphy, thanks for the post. That was quick!!
#113 Old 10th May 2008 at 2:58 AM
Yey
All Is Well
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#114 Old 10th May 2008 at 3:39 AM
Wow, so this validation plan is getting canceled, I read it from SimPrograms before it was posted here. But I read that it was only partially canceled, so there may be some of it to come, like a new version of Securom or something. I guess communities were in enough havoc to have EA cancel the plan for this. We'll see what they cook up next.

I will also update the first post with the cancellation.
#115 Old 10th May 2008 at 3:41 AM
Lol.

I bet they were like "woah!!!!" whenever all the angry feedback came back.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#116 Old 10th May 2008 at 3:46 AM
I updated the first post with the removal of the validation! However since it seems to only be a partial removal, the part where our games would cease to work, who knows what we would have left as the other part. We'll see!
Alchemist
#117 Old 10th May 2008 at 3:52 AM
Now the for the negative side: best thread here in a while is useless!! hehe
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#118 Old 10th May 2008 at 3:55 AM
I still want to know what we are in fact expecting. Sure, the malfunctioning/error part of it is removed, but what isn't removed now?
Moderator of Extreme Limericks
#119 Old 10th May 2008 at 5:43 AM
Since it looks like the situation regarding this issue has changed pretty dramatically, I'm going to go ahead and lock this thread. If someone wants to open a new thread debating the revised registration policy, that's fine by me. I just thought that changing the topic five pages in like this might be a bit confusing.

:locked

There's always money in the banana stand.
 
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