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Valve Cracks Down on 20,000 Users
An anonymous reader writes "Valve have disabled 20,000 steam user accounts belonging to users who have been caught using a pirated version of the game, or have attempted to use a cdkey to bypass the securom protection found on the retail version of the game. The Steam Forums have been swamped with people now claiming they are unable to play, many claiming they have had their accounts disabled for no reason. A Valve spokesman says, 'The number of people who actually had bought HL2 and used the CD key cheat was VERY small. VERY small. Most people just tried to rip off the game and not bother buying it.'" People are discovering that when you buy any product that is subject to "activation", you haven't really bought anything.
Please, do not post your plea or your story or how sorry you are on the forums. If you follow the link in the post above to the FAQ document, you will find information on just how you can contact Valve if you wish.
I find this to be an arrogant/childish statement. It goes hand in hand with their recommendation that if your mother, brother, or cousin did it you should speak to them... Yeah, people who are cracking your CDs are being stupid but that doesn't mean that you have to act like a bunch of assholes about it.
People are discovering that when you buy any product that is subject to "activation", you haven't really bought anything.
They bought something but that doesn't mean that they own what they bought. People knew what they were getting in to when they just HAD TO HAVE HL2. Personally, I'm glad that I have no interest in the product. It seems like an awful big hassle to deal with the fucktards that apparently inhabit Valve.
Me for one. It took two hours to register and steam NEVER connects on the first try. In addiont steam takes a while to load and the game wont launch until steam is up. Add in the fact that I dont WANT spyware on my system and I have to realise that steam adds nothing that I want or need, so why should I put up with it?
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
I guess it doesn't effect me because I make it a policy not to install software requiring activation (such as Win XP). I don't care if there is a readily available crack or not.
I won't even download a bootleg version, since the company benefits anyway (market share and the ability to fuck me over later).
I do make an exception when needed for work or school, but that's a last resort after I've tried to get a waiver and I've put a best faith effort into first using someone else's copy, and if I cant, getting a bootleg version. So far this year, I have not even had to go so far as bootlegging, no less actually paying for something.
Once I get a job and a little money, I'll be willing to pay money for a good game, but any company that engages either in copy restriction (I don't care how trivial) or activation (once again, no matter how trivial) won't get my money, and there's enough choice out there to find anothber title.
Will the grocer give you a discount because you had to go to the trouble of getting to the store?
Will they sell you a can of peaches that when you get it home turns out it contains no peaches and instead has a money-back guarantee that you can get your purchase price back if you like? Is that practice okay? I'd say no - and that is exactly like what is happening when you buy a piece of software that doesn't work unless you also sign on to a service, and don't find this out until you get it home.
Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.
Wow! That would be a great analogy!
If:
1. Valve were selling empty boxes.
2. Valve hadn't made it abundantly clear LONG before the game came out that you would have to activate it.
Idiot. You are effectively whining that you haven't made even the tiniest attempt to understand what you're purchasing, because Valve let it be known quite clearly that you would have to activate the game.
People like you are those "poor, victimized" members of society who sue fork makers because they don't print "DO NOT PUT IN EYEBALL" on every single fork they produce. Quit your bitching. If you don't like the terms, you don't play the game. Simple enough. If valve had tried to conceal the fact you'd have to activate it, you might have a point. But they didn't, and you don't, so quit crying.
Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
People like you are those "poor, victimized" members of society who sue fork makers because
I've decide to stop responding to fucking liars who claim to have ESP.
Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.
Lots of whining for something that isn't required in your life.
I bought some peaches last week, but it turned out that I could only use them once, and then the can started prompting for a registration code whenever the can opener got within three inches of the lid.
Will it never end? I'm going to have start looking for a GNU brand of peaches.
You must be heaving really bad luck with having programs revoked from you. It appears you have had all of your spell checkers revoked as well. Any idea when you'll be getting those back?