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The Problems With Game Copy Protection

Next Generation has a piece looking at the sometimes overly enthusiastic copy protection schemes used in PC games. From the article: "In the late '80s and early '90s, the games industry could do little more than ask nicely that you not pirate their wares. These days, however, copy-protection software is ubiquitous, and any PC game bought at retail is going to have it embedded on the game disc(s) in one form or another. I'm okay with that in theory, but some of these anti-piracy software programs are so potent that they cause issues for legitimate game buyers. One of the leading brands, StarForce, is notorious for not only making it difficult for a small percentage of legitimate users to load up StarForce-protected games, but also for leaving potentially problem-causing StarForce software behind on your PC, even after you've deleted the game it was protecting."

8 of 439 comments (clear)

  1. Haha! The 90s... by Dr.+Eggman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ahh, the 90s.

    "Now geek, don't you copy this game!"

    It's like saying...

    "Now Homer, don't you eat this pie!"

    --
    Demented But Determined.
  2. Ahh, reminds me of the good old days... by wowbagger · · Score: 5, Funny

    This reminds me of the good old days - the late 80's to early 90's, to be exact, when games came on floppy disks and companies like Psygnosis were well-known for the execution-protection, err, copy-protection on their games.

    In fact, my friends and I had a saying - "Psygnosis - Latin for won't boot".

    Good to see the youngsters will get to enjoy that experience. Of course, back in the day, when you were done playing the game you rebooted your computer and the system was back to normal - you didn't have the games leaving little turdlets behind like they do now.

    Kids today. Always have to go us old farts one better.

  3. Re:Old methods of copy protection... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Its a simple way to do it and if you dont have internet well that sucks (but then again you wouldnt be reading this...)

    I have the Slashdot website archived and sent to me by tape, you insensitive clod!

  4. This is why I no longer by protected games by morryveer · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've got stuff on my PC that is far more valuable than this $50 game. There is now way I'd buy a copy protected game for fear it'll damage my photos, financial files, and the like. If there is any sort of worry, on my part, that it'll make my system unusable, I don't want it even in the same room as my PC. Just in case it also has airborne viruses. /gotta go make some more backups.

  5. Re:Galactic Civilizations II by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hot damn! Can you make us a torrent?

  6. Re:Uninstall? by Eccles · · Score: 4, Funny

    My user number is the same as my bank account balance. Woo!

    Me too... :-(

    --
    Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
  7. Re:Old methods of copy protection... by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 2, Funny
    I have fond memories of Bard's Tale codewheels, and laughed for a solid ten minutes when I bought a re-released package a few years back of the old games and found the publishers themselves had added codewheel hacks to these legal, purchased versions of the games to avoid having to print up new ones.

    I wonder if they used a crack written by somebody else. If so, they may have infringed on some poor pirate's copywritten software!

    The bastards!

  8. Take it back by mindaktiviti · · Score: 3, Funny

    Take the game back, and if they don't let you, make a really big scene at the store, I mean a *really* big scene for a good 30 minutes, and then they'll give you your money back.