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UbiSoft Blocks Virtual Drives With Raven Shield Patch

Posted by simoniker on from the virtually-annoyed dept.

Thanks to EvilAvatar for their story discussing UbiSoft's new patch for PC stealth action title Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, which "checks PCs for ANY clone or virtual drive programs and then fails to launch the game if such devices or programs are found." The article explains: "What this has, in turn, done is disabled thousands of consumers who use programs like Daemon Tools, CloneCD or Alcohol 120% from playing their UbiSoft games even if they have their own physical CDs in an actual drive." The writer is furious, pointing out: "Irregardless of what the virtual drives or virtual clone programs on your system are for, you will not be able to play Raven Shield with patch 1.5 unless you remove them completely off your system", and wondering whether this action is allowed under the EULA for the product. There are also similar discussions on the official UbiSoft forums for the game, though many sympathize with UbiSoft's anti-piracy efforts "telling you that in order to use the product you have to keep the CD in."

15 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Re:the usual deal.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Why are you whispering?

  2. That's not a word! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Irregardless of what the virtual drives or virtual clone programs on your system are for, you will not be able to play Raven Shield...


    Usage Note: Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so.

    1. Re:That's not a word! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      You know what that sort of talk reminds me of? Modern art lovers.

      Who are you to say what words are okay to use and which are not? Our language has evolved over the centuries, and the current form of our language is no better or worse than when we used "thee" "thou" and "thine".

      There are many quirks in the english language that make no sense. So what's one more? Quirk itself is a quirk. Why does every word that has a Q in it also have to have a u immediately following the Q? That U is completely pointless. The Q should imply the U sound.

      I find your position on this matter inconceiveable.

    2. Re:That's not a word! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      Get over it! English is a living language it changes and grows. Irregardless has been in the dictionary for the english language for almost 100 years. (91 to be specific) Furthermore since when are users comments meant to be in the formal style?

      Regardless Versus Irregardless

      Irregardless first appeared in print in 1912 as an item in the American Dialectal Dictionary and later in the 1923 Literacy Digest article Is There Such a Word as Irregardless in the English Language?

      The Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage felt so strongly about lawyers using the correct term that the editor listed regardless and irregardless. The dictionary clearly explains the correct usage for both of these words. Regardless (=without regard to) should not be used for despite (=in spite of). E.g., The appellants voted to reject the plan, reiterating the grounds for their suit against Martin; regardless of [read despite] the appellants vote, the plan was approved by two-thirds of the creditors voting for the plan. Irregardless is a semiliterate word formed from irrespective and regardless that should long ago have been stamped out. Irregardless is common enough in speech in the U.S. that it has found its way into judicial opinions. The U.S. Supreme Courts Chief Justice William Rehnquist upbraided a lawyer who used irregardless, saying: I feel bound to inform you there is no word irregardless in the English language. The word is regardless. Linguistic Fastidiousness is no less important in oral than written argument.

      The American English Usage Dictionary based on Fowlers Modern English Usage briefly chastens the word irregardless. Nicholson says the word seldom gets in print, but is occasionally heard in speech from people who should know better. She strongly suggests that the readers use the word regardless in its place.

      The Encyclopedic Dictionary of English Usage states that irregardless is an incorrect form of regardless. The correct form, regardless, is an adjective and should be used with the word of.

      The Concise Dictionary of American Grammar and Usage compactly states that irregardless is a faulty mixed construction made from irrespective and regardless.

      The Readers Digest Success With Words: A Guide to the American Language defines irregardless as a nonstandard or humorous usage. Another Readers Digest word book Write Better, Speaker Better, states categorically, There is no such word as irregardless . . . The usage writer offers judgments and recommendations, and behind statements that such words as irregardless, normalcy, or hopefully dont exist, you must always understand an implication that in the writers opinion they should not exist because they are bad English. Mr. Davies recommendation is: Dont say or write irregardless unless you dont care what your audience may think.

      The third edition of the American Heritage Dictionary lists both regardless and irregardless. It states that regardless is an adverb that means in spite of everything, anyway: continues to work regardless. As an adjective, it means heedless; unmindful. Regardless of is a preposition that means in spite of, with no heed to: freedom for all, regardless of race or creed. Irregardless is listed as a Non-Standard adverb and gives one of American Heritage Dictionarys famous USAGE NOTES:

      The label Non-Standard does only approximate justice to the status of IRREGARDLESS. More precisely, it is a form that many people mistakenly believe to be a correct usage in formal style but that in fact has no legitimate antecedents in either standard or nonstandard varieties. (The word was likely coined from a blend of irrespective and regardless.) Perhaps this is why critics have sometimes insisted that there is no such word as i

    3. Re:That's not a word! by jpmkm · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      People still sound like damn morons when they use it though.

    4. Re:That's not a word! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      whew! nobody tell this guy about "Killographic" He might bust a forehead vein!

  3. Irregardless? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Note to writers: when trying to write a good-sounding "mad as hell" note, refrain from using words that make you look really dumb.

    e.g., "irregardless".

    1. Re:Irregardless? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Take the quiz. Note question #5

  4. Whee Google by Dr.+Smack+PhD · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Buqsha....Buqshas....Burqa....Burqas
    Faqir.....Fa qirs.....Inqilab..Inqilabs
    Mbaqanga..Mbaqangas..M uqaddam.Muqaddams
    Qabalah...Qabalahs...Qadi.....Q adis
    Qaid......Qaids......Qaimaqam.Qaimaqams
    Qal amdan..Qalamdans..Qanat....Qanats
    Qasida....Qasid as....Qat......Qats
    Qi........Qibla......Qiblas.. .Qigong
    Qigongs...Qindar.....Qindarka.Qindars
    Qi nghaosu.Qinghaosus.Qintar...Qintars
    Qis.......Qiv iut.....Qiviuts..Qoph
    Qophs.....Qwerties...Qwerty ...Qwertys
    Sheqalim..Sheqel.....Suqs.....Talaqs
    Tranqs....Tsaddiqim..Tsaddiqs.Tzaddiqim
    Tzaddiqs. .Umiaqs......Waqf....Waqfs
    Yaqona....Yaqonas

  5. get it through your thick skull by eWarz · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    IRREGARDLESS is not a word.

    1. Re:get it through your thick skull by WhiteBandit · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=IRREG ARDLESS

    2. Re:get it through your thick skull by beders · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Got to agree with you there, whats the point in using a longer and harder to pronounce word that means the same as a word that is almost exactly the same (Regardless)

      --
      Brocklesby Park Cricket Club
    3. Re:get it through your thick skull by Grab · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Dead right - glad someone else gets annoyed by assholes who can't speak their own language.

      "Regardless" = "without regard to"

      So I suppose "irregardless" would be "with regard to"? Who knows? And more to the point, which asshole came up with that corruption of the word in the first place, bcos they deserve to be killed with a sharpened dictionary! ;-)

      Grab.

    4. Re:get it through your thick skull by kgbkgb · · Score: 0, Offtopic
      Dead right - glad someone else gets annoyed by assholes who can't speak their own language.
      ...
      And more to the point, which asshole came up with that corruption of the word in the first place, bcos they deserve to be killed with a sharpened dictionary!

      Then you're probably also annoyed by people who can't write their own language. So I'm sure you were just joking when you stuck a question within a statement (which asshole came up with that corruption of the word in the first place) without capitalizing the first letter of the first word of the question -- not to mention the fact that even with the capitalization, you can't mix a question and a statement like that in one sentence. I'm sure you were also joking when you put a question mark at the end of a statement that isn't a question (So I suppose "irregardless" would be "with regard to"?). Is that really a question? How should we know if you suppose that?

      And if you weren't joking, I'm sure it won't affect you, because you probably live criticizing everyone else's mistakes but discount anyone who points out yours.

      Get off your high horse.

    5. Re:get it through your thick skull by kgbkgb · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Maybe you need this explained to you slowly so you'll understand this.

      I.. am.. only.. correcting.. him.. because.. I.. was... annoyed.. at.. the... fact.. that.. he.. felt.. the.. need.. to.. correct... someone.. else.. and.. insult.. them.

      Does that make sense, or do you need a picture-book to understand it?