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Controversial StarForce Copy Protection Creators Quizzed
Thanks to FiringSquad for its interview with the creators of the StarForce copy protection scheme for PC videogames. The author explains: "In recent months there's been an increasing awareness and alarm over StarForce copy protection. It's actually a driver that installs itself with the [Windows] games that come shipped with it, and originally it didn't uninstall when the game was uninstalled." StarForce's Abbie Sommer argues the advantages of "driver-level copy protection", explaining: "The drivers are what prevents the use of kernel debugger utilities such as SoftICE, Cool Debugger, Soft Snoop etc. Also the drivers prevent emulators from spoofing a drive, and thwart burning tools such as Alcohol 120%." The author concludes by injecting a little personal opinion into the mix, arguing: "PC games will never go away, but if the market keeps shrinking due to the increasing ease of piracy... then the number and quality of games will almost certainly decrease."
In my country there is problem,
And that problem is transport.
It take very very long,
Because Kazakhstan is big.
Throw transport down the well
So my country can be free
We must make travel easy
Then well have a big party
In my country there is problem
And that problem is the Jew
They take everybody money
And they never give it back
Throw the jew down the well
So my country can be free
You must grab him by his horns
Then we have a big party
If you see the Jew coming
You must be carefull of his teeth
You must grab him by his money
And I tell you what to do
In my country there is problem
And that problem is the Jew
They take everybody money
And they never give it back
In my country there is problem
And that problem is the Jew
They take everybody money
And they never give it back
Seriously all I hear is bitchin and moaning. If you don't like the product then STFU already.
The game companies are in a tough situation, damned if you do and damned if you don't.
When warez copies outnumber "legit" copies, it all makes sense. Hey, you think I like having to drive 55? It's because of aholes that I have to. That's the price to pay. Don't like it? Don't drive !!
People don't mind swapping discs in consols because they are designed to only play one game at a time. However, computers with their vast hard drives, are able to store thousands of programs at a time without needing to insert a cd. You don't see Photoshop asking you to put in the install cd. The reason why sights like Gamecopyworld.com are so popular is because people don't want stupid limitations that aren't there for technological reasons, but because the developers deliberatly wanted to be a pain in the ass.
Piracy will always be here. Since software is only a collection of electrical impulses, I can always make a set of impulses which is exactly the same as the original. What we need is to move away from selling the software and toward the service model (perhaps not in is current form, but something like it). This works even for PC games.
Software is free, whether you want it to be or not. Forget the moral bullshit arguments. This is the way it IS. We've got to find some other way of making a living.
-Dave
6th Street Radio @ddombrowsky
Some of us have grown up and stopped playing games. Easy solution to having to guess which may or may not be protected ;-)
take 'em to small claims court for it
Get a job instead of pestering honest companies, asshole.
Cause he's a fag from fark.com.
I worked hard for my PE license. Im my state, only licenced PE's can call themselves "Professinal Engineers". Just a warning before you get yourself in more trouble!