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No technology will deter the big guys, not now, not ever.

Simply because a copy-protection system can be cracked doesn't mean that it won't deter piracy. Although a fence around my yard won't prevent someone determined from entering, it will keep most people out.

So, any sort of burden you set up will be absorbed by the honest guy.

If activation is handled properly (which Microsoft doesn't do) it provides no burden whatsoever. For example, the racing simulator Live For Speed uses an easy, painless activation scheme to deter piracy. Activation need not be a burden.

When a computer gets "revoked" after I PAID my cold hard cash with...

I wonder how often that happens to legitimate copies? Unless Microsoft isn't careful with its database of activated clients, I'm not sure how this could potentially occur.

Uhuh.

If you think GT? is a simulator and you have a PC and wheel (yes, your Driving Force Pro works with the PC), try out Live For Speed

It really is worth it. The only thing you'll be wanting is a motion platform, which is something that LFS can output to :)

Looks like you've never tried LFS or rFactor.

Well everyone makes mistakes. I had no idea that my system was under someone else's control. I had an occasionally on wireless connection through my neighbors high speed connection. Windows Firewall and Avast anti-virus, plus SpyBot-SD were always running whenever I connected the machine to the net. Windows Automatic Update is turned off, but I update the machine weekly.

I finally got my own DSL connection last week. Within a few minutes I noticed my machine was running really slowly. My mouse was moving slower than I thought it should. Then a few emails disappeared (including my login email AT&T sent me). Ouch, I think I've been taken over.

So I restarted the machine with Ubuntu, logged into my AT&T account manager via a dial-up connection to change all my passwords etc. and then proceeded to download ZoneAlarm and read up on making my Linksys router more secure (beyond WPA). So I got busted despite my best intentions by letting down my guard. Hopefully not too much personal data was stolen. Fortunately I do very little on the 'Net beyond spending time on online forums and playing http://liveforspeed.net/ so the only passwords stolen will be my logins to Slashdot and such.

Live and learn. Pay attention to all this security stuff, even when you think you are secure.

How many copies do you need to turn over, or dollars do you need to make to be call "a hit". The http://www.liveforspeed.net/ racing game is an excellent sim, and pretty damn popular and uses a fairly unique bit-by-bit sales model.

Initially they produced Section 1, sold it cheaply which allowed further development, then produced Section 2... etc. etc.

By the time they finish, the racing public will have paid a total price similar to todays mass market games, but spread out over a year or two.

They win brownie points with me by using ogg vorbis for their sound files. :)

For more of this fun playing around:
http://forum.rscnet.org/forumdisplay.php?f=186

And for a GREAT game to drive it:
http://www.liveforspeed.net/

which supports output of true force data (acceleration / cornering G forces, suspension deflection, etc) to a real motion platform, such as:
http://www.force-dynamics.com/

Idea for a cheap source of high-torque motors (<$15):
http://homepages.which.net/~paul.hills/Motors/Star ters/StartersBody.html

This is not easy (or cheap) stuff to do right, but I'm quite sure when you do, it's well worth it for the look on people's faces :)

Oops, should've been a link of course:

http://www.liveforspeed.net/

Some people only pay about $20.

If you want arcade fun, then GT4 certainly sounds the business. But for serious racing, even 7 years after its release there's still nothing like it for accuracy and immersion - although LFS and our own favourite open source project Motorsport are getting close.

Don't make the mistake of thinking this is a nostalgic sympathy vote for a game that would look dismal to fresh eyes. See for yourself. If you're seriously into driving, you owe it to yourself to spend the $10 or so to check it out. If you're up for the challenge, start with this.

Aegilops

well, pc games have pretty much always been priced as high as someone is willing to buy them for - the price has had absolutely nothing to do with how much it cost to make and how many games they are going to sell.

the price hike is because they have deduced from market research that they'd sell about the same amount even with a 20$ higher price(and that they can sell the game at 20% off or something similar, making it seem like a great deal when in reality you're paying the normal amount for a game).

of course, then there's gems like live for speed that are sold for 12£ (no, i don't really care for paper manuals).

I've mentioned this game before, but I'm going to do it again. There's a racing sim called "Live for Speed" that was released as its first retail iteration a bit over a year ago.

This is about as indie as it gets. Three guys have been working on this for some time and have produced a seriously top shelf product. They decided not to go with physical distribution; you download the game and purchase a registration key for a very reasonable GBP12. They've been approached by a number of publishing houses with offers of finance/distribution which they've turned down in order to retain total control over content. This allows them to listen to the incredibly enthusiastic online community that has sprung up around this game and incorporate feedback quickly and effectively.

They're just about to release the next installation of this game and that same community (including myself) has been waiting with bated breath, wiping the dribble from their collective chin for the past few months.

Go download the demo. If you like driving sims, you'll more than likely shell out for the full version with a huge grin and join the rest of us in waiting for the next edition. Note that I have no personal interest in this game other than the fact that I play it regularly and thoroughly enjoy it.

In short,a small group that codes for the love of it, no corporate support, wide reaching, low cost distribution model...that's indie.

And assuming Valve goes out of business and noone is supporting HL2, your objections to using a crack are what, exactly? They're not moral. (who's being injured?) If you're worried about someone prosecuting you over cracking a game that's now longer part of a business model and which you legitimately purchased, and which, incidentally, is now several years old, then I suggest you cut back on the cocaine. So...what exactly is the problem you see here?

Incidentally, for those of you that wonder about the viability of online distribution, I suggest you take a look at Live for Speed. This is a remarkably good, independently developed racing sim which has NO physical distribution channel at all, which requires online authentication, and which has a thriving online community which is waiting for the next installment with enthusiasm that is approaching fever pitch. A community which, I might add, has a significant number of dialup users.

An excellent racing sim - still "in development" but with very accurate physics... Live For Speed. It's not OSS, and for Win32 only.

For OSS racing sims, there's Racer, or TORCS.

Realistic racing sims like LFS are a great tool for teaching a new driver, IMHO, because they'll teach respect for control of your vehicle. and that there are consequences to bad driving... unlike some of the "arcade-y" driving games where it's not even possible to get go off the track.

Another good "simulator" game - Live For Speed. It's a racing sim with an emphasis on realistic physics. Teaching kids how to handle a car in an accurate race simulation will help them learn to handle a car in real-world emergency situations. As opposed to other racing games like GTA where bad handling has very little in the way of consequenses.

Live for Speed is being developed by an independent team. See their web site for info.

Would have been nice to see a little variety - as otthers mentioned, there are a lot of similar games here - and some that are just new versions of older games.
How about Live For Speed? It's a great independent race sim game.

One example of an indie game that's turning out to be a very good product is "Live For Speed". They're keeping it as an independent product, and seem to be doing OK. I don't know what their sales figures are, but based on the # of online players, it can't be too bad.

I find it amusing when people make a big fuss about not being able to go indie - when others just do it.

p.s. Anyone remember Doom?

Look at something like Live for speed.
An online racing sim with a complex 3D world, very high real physics modelled cars and great netcode. Has a decent following, great online races. AI that learns and doesn't cheat. Plus it's currently only at Stage1 (s1) of 3, with improvements always coming. The 3 man dev team (ex - black & white programmers) work hard to help there users.. and they only charge 12($20).
Well worth checking outing!

...go play Live For Speed. Version S1 was just released. If you want the full game, you download the expansion to the demo (or just the full game), pay online (~$20) and get a key to unlock the game. This allows you to race online, the website collects statistics,...

In a word: awesome. Force feedback is the best, bar none (and yes, I'm using a M$ wheel - the only decent thing they made).

One such game. This game is great, download the demo!@

A realistic driving sim models:
a) tire temperatures/wear curve/slip curve
b) aerodynamic drag and downforce (very important for simulating slipstreaming effect)
c) weight distribution (shifting fuel load, engine placement and ballasts)
d) suspension geometry (camber and toe changes, caster angles, and the effect of anti-roll bars)
e) suspension dynamics (damper rates and spring rates)
f) powertrain
g) drivelines (differentials, gear ratio, clutch)

The parameters listed above are not reserved for some pie-in-the-sky simulation program written in the academia. Every *realistic* driving simulation games have had those parameters modelled, and in some case user-modifiable, since 1998.

Here is a list of realistic driving game:
1) Grand Prix Legends
2) Nascar 2003
3) F1 2002
4) M3 mod & GTR2002 mod for F1-2002 (free)
5) Viper Racing
6) NetKar (free and add-ons)
7) Live for speed (free during beta testing)
8) Racer (free)

My personal favorite these days? M3 mod for F1-2002.