EA Editor Criticizes Command & Conquer 4 DRM

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EA Editor Criticizes Command & Conquer 4 DRM

Posted by Soulskill on Thursday March 25, 2010 @10:29PM from the preach-it-brother dept.

Command & Conquer 4's DRM hasn't garnered Electronic Arts as much bad press and fan outrage as Ubisoft's scheme, despite being very similar. Nevertheless, it's been causing problems and frustrations for some users, including EA.com's own editor-in-chief, Jeff Green. An anonymous reader points this out: "Green wrote on his Twitter account late last week: 'Booted twice — and progress lost — on my single-player C&C4 game because my DSL connection blinked. DRM fail. We need new solutions.' He continued later, 'Well. I've tried to be open-minded. But my 'net connection is finicky — and the constant disruption of my C&C4 SP game makes this unplayable. The story is fun, the gameplay is interesting and different at least — but if you suffer from shaky/unreliable DSL — you've been warned.'"

266 comments

Give that man a new job by santax · 2010-03-25 22:32 · Score: 5, Insightful

Because A) he is surprisingly honest and B) he will be needing one.
1. Re:Give that man a new job by montyzooooma · 2010-03-25 22:41 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "@probib1 great. :) thatll do wonders for my employment! . McDonalds--here I come!"
  His reply on twitter when someone pointed out his original comment made the D*gg front page. He's @greenspeak
2. Re:Give that man a new job by Swifti · 2010-03-25 23:19 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Jeff Green used to be part of 1UP's editorial team as a former video games journalist. Very frank guy, very funny guy. Even if he gets fired from EA because of this, which I doubt, there are tons of games publications needing an accomplished and insightful editor or game publishers wanting Jeff's charisma for their public/community relations.
3. Re:Give that man a new job by khraz · 2010-03-25 23:30 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  For example you still cant download Assassins Creed II and it has been out for almost an month already.
  
  On the other hand, C&C4 is already cracked and readily available.
4. Re:Give that man a new job by sonicmerlin · 2010-03-25 23:48 · Score: 1
  
  Ya know, I remember a post where Bill Gates honestly complained about how convoluted and messed up Microsoft's website is, and how annoying and misleading many of the files used on the site are. It's one thing to be honest in a casual setting like twitter, another thing to do it on the job.
5. Re:Give that man a new job by Rogerborg · 2010-03-25 23:58 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  you still cant download Assassins Creed II
  
  I may download a couple of copies tonight just to prove you wrong. Don't worry, they're going straight to /dev/null.
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
6. Re:Give that man a new job by santax · 2010-03-25 23:59 · Score: 1
  
  Well he did the same about windows 95 or 98 I believe. I have once read a email from him and he was real harsh, frustrated even. Made me giggle cause a lot of things that were irritating him, were the same things I was running into. But I don't think his job was in any danger when Gates did it :P I think it was more the other way around, that the senior management knew at that point it was their jobs, that were in danger :P
7. Re:Give that man a new job by jo_ham · 2010-03-26 00:02 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Gates is well known for stuff like that. He is (or was, since he's semi retired now) passionate about a good product. He is driven in almost the same way as Steve Jobs - they just went about it in different ways. The fact that so many people had just cause to call Windows "annoying and convoluted" would have been very troubling to him - especially since he faced the same issues when using it himself.
8. Re:Give that man a new job by Borealis · 2010-03-26 00:21 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Jeff Green is the former excellent editor of Computer Gaming World magazine. He's always been on the level.
  
  --
  Unbreakable toys can be used to break other toys.
9. Re:Give that man a new job by Bad+Ad · 2010-03-26 00:47 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  For example you still cant download Assassins Creed II and it has been out for almost an month already.
  http://www.rlslog.net/assassins-creed-ii-crack-v2-wbb/
  
  This link says different.
10. Re:Give that man a new job by sopssa · 2010-03-26 00:55 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  If you read the comments, it says this:
  
  this crack doesn’t work and the rlslog admins should delete this post. you can explore the city but won’t be able to start missions, also when you use the animus the game will freeze. what’s the point in speading a crack that does nothing good but let you play 5% of the game)?
  and also
  
  Silent Hunter 5 is not 100% functional. No missions only training
  So it's practically useless, and win for DRM.
11. Re:Give that man a new job by Rennt · 2010-03-26 01:06 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  So it's practically useless
  No different to the retail version then?
  I understand that there are save packs doing the rounds that work around these issues, but to be honest that is besides the point. This is not a win for DRM, its a loss for the consumer.
12. Re:Give that man a new job by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 01:07 · Score: 0
  
  If he was so passionate about a good product, explain Windows to us...
13. Re:Give that man a new job by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 01:43 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  If Ubisoft is remotely rational, the test of their DRM is not whether the game is available for pirate download, but rather whether the game's sales were higher with the DRM than they would have been without it.
  Given the immensely bad buzz around ACII because of it's draconian DRM, I doubt that they were.
14. Re:Give that man a new job by djnforce9 · 2010-03-26 01:47 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  The only difference here is that while Ubisoft succeeded (so far) at keeping (fully playable) pirated copies from surfacing, EA has not. If you look around, you will even find a scene release of C&C4 which from what I read, uses a server emulator to handle all the basic requests/calls made by the C&C4 game client. Assassin's Creed 2 on the other hand has the DRM integrated into the maps and mission data thereby making it far more tedious and time consuming to crack.
  This suggests that EA did not implement the DRM nearly as well as Ubisoft. Not only that, but with Ubisoft's DRM, your game will literally save-state if the connection drops so you can pick up where you left off. You don't lose any progress whatsoever (I've even had the game crash to desktop from a Vsync bug and I didn't lose any progress since auto-saving is so frequent). This really makes EA's DRM seem like a "cheap knockoff" of what Ubisoft has done.
15. Re:Give that man a new job by Bakkster · 2010-03-26 01:47 · Score: 2
  
  For example you still cant download Assassins Creed II and it has been out for almost an month already.
  On the other hand, C&C4 is already cracked and readily available.
  Well, guess that means EA will be building an even more draconian DRM next time...
  
  --
  Write your representatives! Repeal the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics!
16. Re:Give that man a new job by Bakkster · 2010-03-26 01:50 · Score: 1
  
  This is not a win for DRM, its a loss for the consumer.
  It's both. The DRM still wins for preventing piracy. The consumer also loses because their product is less functional. But, since people are still buying the game, guess which one the suits care more about?
  
  --
  Write your representatives! Repeal the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics!
17. Re:Give that man a new job by GeckoAddict · 2010-03-26 01:54 · Score: 1
  
  Can his new job be a promotion to the DRM consultant for EA?
18. Re:Give that man a new job by __aasqbs9791 · 2010-03-26 02:30 · Score: 1
  
  Passion doesn't imply ability.
19. Re:Give that man a new job by GooberToo · 2010-03-26 02:39 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Given the immensely bad buzz around ACII because of it's draconian DRM, I doubt that they were.
  History has proved your doubt is almost surely to be misplaced. Badly misplaced.
  At this point in time, if company after company didn't have numbers to validate DRM bolstered sales, and by a lot, they wouldn't be spending the large dollars, plus likely royalty payments, to obtain the various DRM kits and spend the manpower to develop/maintain the implementation.
  Simply put, without a doubt, companies lose lots and lots of money from people stealing their property. If that were not the truth, companies would not even make the effort - and especially not at what would otherwise be such large losses because of their investments in DRM. The fact they can make back their investment plus lots more because of DRM speaks volumes about how clueless and completely uninformed the popular lies are about pirates and their stealing ways.
  The simple fact is, pirates steal! Because pirates steal, companies lose money. Because companies lose money from pirates stealing, they make investments in DRM. Note the usage of the word, "investments"; its very applicable. Companies then stymie pirates, ranging from short to long durations, allowing them to not only cover their initial DRM investments and manpower, but then make a lot more money because pirates are no longer stealing their properly - or at least not nearly as effectively.
  So long as leeches on society, aka pirates, keep stealing other people's properly, we are all going to have to pay the DRM price. So ratcheting up the rhetoric about how DRM is justification to steal, only demands more DRM, which punishes everyone. Period.
  The funny part is, idiots now use DRM as a flimsy reason to steal. Its like millions of bank robbers complaining about higher taxes which are then used to hire more police to combat the robber's crimes. In reality, if robbers would just be shot in the head, taxes would go down over time (DRM) and the public in general wouldn't be strapped with needless extra taxes (DRM). But that's yet another lie propagated by scumbag pirates to push their thieving agenda...
  So at the end of the day, if you don't like DRM, find a couple of local pirates and kick them repeatedly in the nuts because they are the reason we all pay the DRM tax burden. Period. The sooner pirates are repeatedly kicked in the nuts at every opportunity, the sooner the world starts to become a better place.
20. Re:Give that man a new job by tubby125 · 2010-03-26 02:47 · Score: 1
  
  I think there was this Robin Hood guy who also took from the rich and gave to the poor...
21. Re:Give that man a new job by Shihar · 2010-03-26 02:59 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  You might not be able to download Assassins Creed II, but I, an ass hole who dumps a thousand or so a year on video games have not bought the game despite loving Assassins Creed II. You prevent the 12 year old punk who doesn't have any money from playing your game. Being a fucking moron though, you also made it so that the mid twenty single guy with too much money and time on his hand won't buy your game. Good job Ubi. Good job Ubi. Hey, if you create a dead plague that wipes out humanity that will prevent pirating forever! Get cracking Ubi!
  Oh well. I bought Bioshock 2, the new DA:O, the new STALKER, Empire Total War, and Mass Effect 2 instead. But hey, at least I didn't pirate Assassins Creed II. Fucking idiots.
22. Re:Give that man a new job by xororand · 2010-03-26 03:03 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Unfortunately many gamers seem to be not very persistent with their boycots ;)
23. Re:Give that man a new job by Em+Emalb · 2010-03-26 03:12 · Score: 1
  
  At some point, you've gotta stop holding back and just let the anger and frustration out. If you don't, you'll give yourself a heart attack. ;)
  
  --
  Sent from your iPad.
24. Re:Give that man a new job by Pharmboy · 2010-03-26 03:22 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Don't worry, they're going straight to /dev/null.
  Of course, since that is a Windows game and you are likely downloading it on a Windows computer, and Windows will let you create a folder with that name, that phrase doesn't mean what people think it means. ;)
  
  --
  Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
25. Re:Give that man a new job by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 04:20 · Score: 0
  
  Oh? Why, you must believe all that '$400Million lost to piracy' crap then...
  Piracy exists. Some companies believe - rightly or wrongly - that DRM is a good investment.
  Your belief that 'Pirates' are the cause of DRM is also misguided... making an mp3 from a CD you own is still illegal is some countries... you didn't buy music, you bought a pressed plastic platter that producues music.
  If your version of ownership doesn't match up with the current re-interpretation of ownership... well... lets just suggets that your 'bullet in the head' idea shows your balanced opinion.
  Since this is /., I'll remind you that your use of the word stealing is incorrect.
  Bah. I give up.
  ==> Anon
  You don't seem to understand society... The investment is not in drm... its in law. Copyright law changes. again. again. as large corporations make sure to strangle any competition before it can take root.
  Open your eyes, loser.
26. Re:Give that man a new job by Rogerborg · 2010-03-26 04:55 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  No, I meant exactly what I said. If I have my maths right, every time I download a copy to my Lunix box, Ubisoft lose $10,000. Right out of their bank account. Poof, gone!
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
27. Re:Give that man a new job by ultranova · 2010-03-26 05:17 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  For example you still cant download Assassins Creed II and it has been out for almost an month already.
  
  Really? Isohunt search seems to disagree. In fact the torrent seems to be 3 weeks old. The "official" torrent for the crack has been up for 6 weeks. The crack's also up at GameFix.
  So... what are you talking about?
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
28. Re:Give that man a new job by SyncNine · 2010-03-26 05:23 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  For example you still cant download Assassins Creed II and it has been out for almost an month already.
  Yes you can. And you could the day it was released. Matter of fact, I think it may even have been cracked and on the internet the day before Ubisoft released it. Research first, post second. It'll help you a lot in the future.
  
  --
  To the darkened skies once more, and ever onward.
29. Re:Give that man a new job by jo_ham · 2010-03-26 05:26 · Score: 1
  
  Passion is not the same as ability or "too many cooks" syndrome.
30. Re:Give that man a new job by ultranova · 2010-03-26 05:31 · Score: 1
  
  At this point in time, if company after company didn't have numbers to validate DRM bolstered sales, and by a lot, they wouldn't be spending the large dollars, plus likely royalty payments, to obtain the various DRM kits and spend the manpower to develop/maintain the implementation.
  
  The only halfway reliable way to obtain such numbers would be to release some big games without DRM and compare their profits to similar games with DRM. When was the last time any big game didn't come with DRM?
  Companies are led by humans who are just as capable of acting like irrational lemmings as everyone else. They're also just as likely to be covering their back as the IT drone who figures that "nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft products".
  
  So at the end of the day, if you don't like DRM, find a couple of local pirates and kick them repeatedly in the nuts because they are the reason we all pay the DRM tax burden.
  
  A game costs as much as it does because the company making it figures that price will maximize their sales. If the game didn't include DRM, it would still cost just as much, and the company would pocket the difference.
  
  Period.
  
  Saying "Period" doesn't make an untrue and, frankly, idiotic assertion any more true.
  
  The sooner pirates are repeatedly kicked in the nuts at every opportunity, the sooner the world starts to become a better place.
  
  My, what anger. Did you, perhaps, make a software product, failed to make any money on it, and decided to blame "pirates" for that, instead of your own incompetence?
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
31. Re:Give that man a new job by sopssa · 2010-03-26 06:01 · Score: 1
  
  For example you still cant download Assassins Creed II and it has been out for almost an month already.
  Yes you can. And you could the day it was released. Matter of fact, I think it may even have been cracked and on the internet the day before Ubisoft released it. Research first, post second. It'll help you a lot in the future.
  Or maybe you should research first. Like I noted to the first reply, those are broken cracks and don't work or are missing features.
32. Re:Give that man a new job by Seq · 2010-03-26 06:06 · Score: 1
  
  For every copy you download that's 166 copies you won't be buying.
  
  --
  -- Seq
33. Re:Give that man a new job by sopssa · 2010-03-26 06:07 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  If it's not win for DRM, why are pirates comments generally like this:
  
  I just came across some extra cash and, unless I get hit by lightning tommorow, I'm gonna go and buy the game.
  I don't feel like waiting anymore for a crack, and since I've pirated every game I've ever played in my life, aside from ST:O, it won't be so bad if I shell out some money for this one, regardless of drm or not.
  Seems like the DRM is working and pirates are turned customers.
34. Re:Give that man a new job by h4rr4r · 2010-03-26 08:11 · Score: 1
  
  http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/157668381/assassins+creed?tab=summary
  disagrees with you.
35. Re:Give that man a new job by SyncNine · 2010-03-26 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  That's OK, believe what you want. There were two crackfixes posted, and the second one actually did fix the issues and make the game 100% playable, though you caught me! It didn't come out until 2 days after the game was released. I'm not sure where you're getting your information from but apparently it's out of date.
  
  See my first response. Thanks!
  
  --
  To the darkened skies once more, and ever onward.
36. Re:Give that man a new job by HungryHobo · 2010-03-26 16:04 · Score: 1
  
  1:Pirates are a tiny tiny part of the potential market.
  2:The vast majority of the time DRM is broken extremely fast.
  But yes.
  Companies do make extra money due to DRM.
  It's true!
  They make extra money by screwing over people who want to sell their property second hand.
37. Re:Give that man a new job by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 18:48 · Score: 0
  
  Besides, it wont change the fact that the games WILL be 100% functional soon. And then pirates will have a better gaming experience than paying users..
38. Re:Give that man a new job by commodore64_love · 2010-03-27 02:06 · Score: 1
  
  I've considered computer gaming dead (or almost dead) for awhile now. When my Amiga passed-away as a viable gaming platform, and I switched to PC, I quickly discovered what a royal pain in the ass it was to make the sound & graphics drivers work.
  And if it's a pain for me, an engineer, imagine what it's like for the average customer. PC gaming isn't fun - it's frustrating.
  
  --
  "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
39. Re:Give that man a new job by Mr.+Freeman · 2010-03-28 14:54 · Score: 1
  
  Parent is moderated funny but it should really be modded insightful. Gamers have proven again and again that they don't have the will to boycott a game due to DRM/pricing scheme/etc. If EA or ubisoft tried their piss-poor DRM scheme with business-type software then they'd be out of business in a second.
  
  ProE (a popular design software) costs somewhere around $20k per license. Generally companies that use it will buy some number of licenses that are all managed by a licensing server. When these licensing servers go down 80% of work stops. Thus, they generally tend to be pretty fucking reliable. If the software now required a constant internet connection and a dependency on servers operated by the manufacturer, then the manufacturer would quickly find themselves without customers and out of business.
  There are two reasons for this:
  1) Companies actually have the stones to boycott software companies if they want to.
  2) The money lost from paying people who can't do work when the servers go down combined with the deadlines missed would make it financially stupid NOT to drop the software.
  
  The only reason these companies get away with making and operating this new bullshit DRM is because most gamers are too stupid to figure out how not to spend their parents' money on the new shiny game the second it gets released.
  
  --
  -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
40. Re:Give that man a new job by Mr.+Freeman · 2010-03-28 14:58 · Score: 1
  
  On the other hand, Ubisoft's servers crashed the first day the game was released. This meant that the game was 0% playable whereas the pirated versions were roughly 5%-30% playable, in any case, a marked improvement over the legal option.
  
  --
  -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
No problems here by BadAnalogyGuy · 2010-03-25 22:35 · Score: 0, Troll

The PC as a gaming platform is done. While the CPU power and abundance of input devices make it an attractive target platform, there are simply too many problems related to software piracy to sustain the PC as a viable platform for much longer.
Consoles and physical media will be the way forward from now. With X-Box supporting all the latest DX technology, PS3 offering unparalleled processing power, and Wii providing an innovative user interface, the time has never been better for game developers to migrate away from the too-open platform of PCs.
DRM? It won't be an issue when the game is keylocked to your personal console and media. You won't even notice the DRM.
1. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 22:42 · Score: 0
  
  -1000000 Troll. They should simply "Learn to adapt to the new situation" which is a great demobilizing answer for anyone from government health care opponents to ghetto inhabitants.
2. Re:No problems here by PhongUK · 2010-03-25 22:44 · Score: 1
  
  Isn't pirating for consoles still doable? If we stop making PC games will the pirates do the same for the consoles as they have done for the PC, if they're not already doing it?
3. Re:No problems here by Tukz · 2010-03-25 22:45 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Xbox360 is heavily pirated you know.
  So is the Wii.
  The only console that haven't been hacked yet, is the PS3.
  
  --
  - Don't do what I do, it's probably not healthy nor safe. -
4. Re:No problems here by Zumbs · 2010-03-25 22:48 · Score: 1
  
  Not to mention the added value to GNP by having us all purchase a console or two for gaming and a PC for work (not to mention a few televisions) instead of just one PC. The Crisis of Capitalism will be over! The only ones who can be against must be banker-commie-hippie-traitor-pirate-terrorist-cultist-atheist scum of the Earth.
  
  --
  The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head
5. Re:No problems here by elvesrus · 2010-03-25 22:49 · Score: 1
  
  I wouldn't be so sure about that. http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/01/25/0654253
6. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 22:49 · Score: 0
  
  I hope your post gets buried so deep it will never see the light again.
7. Re:No problems here by selven · 2010-03-25 22:50 · Score: 1
  
  Interesting. I, however, will be continuing to play open source games which do not require me to buy an entire new computer just to play them.
8. Re:No problems here by Shadow+of+Eternity · 2010-03-25 22:51 · Score: 1
  
  Had me going until I read the account name. Good one BadAnalogyGuy.
  
  --
  A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."
9. Re:No problems here by Secret+Rabbit · 2010-03-25 22:53 · Score: 1
  
  "too-open platform of PCs."
  Damn you're horribly misinformed. Security through obscurity never works and DRM is the gaming industry shooting themselves in the foot; they are bitting the hand that feeds. If the gaming industry wants money, all they have to do is make games that aren't shit. And lately, that has been an epic fail on there part. Just yet another reason why the industry is screwing up. There's nothing like spending millions on a piece of crap that no-one will want. Not to mention releasing so early, not only is the game itself crap, it's a buggy as all hell as well. So, a constantly freezing/weird shit going on, piece of crap.
  But, hey. Why bother with facts. Let's just do what the gaming industry is doing and blame piracy.
10. Re:No problems here by sopssa · 2010-03-25 23:00 · Score: 0
  
  Isn't pirating for consoles still doable? If we stop making PC games will the pirates do the same for the consoles as they have done for the PC, if they're not already doing it?
  That still hasn't worked out for PS3 after over 3 years (yeah there was some progress lately, but you still cant pirate). It's also a lot more technical and creates problems with firmware updates and so on with 360 and Wii. Casual users won't go for the trouble, but on PC it's a lot easier.
11. Re:No problems here by sopssa · 2010-03-25 23:02 · Score: 1
  
  And you still can't pirate with PS3, which is the point. It also took 3 years for that hack to come up too and probably more until you can actually get the games running.
12. Re:No problems here by loutr · 2010-03-25 23:06 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  The PC as a gaming platform is done.[...]PS3 offering unparalleled processing power[...]
  Can I play every PS3 game in 1080p, 8xAA ? Didn't think so. On my gaming PC, I can. With an Xbox Controller and HDMI output, I can play Batman, GTA, etc. on my HDTV, sitting on my couch, with (far) better graphics than on any so-called Next-gen console. And with the same machine, I can play FPS, CRPGs, and strategy games with proper controllers (mouse/keyboard). Oh, and thanks to Steam's constant stream of special deals, I don't have to pay 50-70€ for each game.
  Each time a console's price drops, I've had the temptation to buy one. But each time I quickly remember that I would hardly use it, except for playing the odd exclusive title.
13. Re:No problems here by ShakaUVM · 2010-03-25 23:24 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  >>Oh, and thanks to Steam's constant stream of special deals, I don't have to pay 50-70 for each game.
  The only trouble with Steam is that it requires... an internet connection.
  People will say that Steam can run in offline mode, and that's true... as long as there's no patch pending for Steam.
  If there is, then when you run Steam offline, it tells you it is trying to patch, and canceling or trying anything else results in it quitting. There's literally no solution until you get internet access again, which really sucks if you're on a laptop without access, or if rain gets into a conduit and your internet goes down for a week, like it did for me last Thanksgiving. I'd just bought Dragon Age, and being unable to play it for an entire week because of Steam's butt fucking retardnessness really turned me off to the platform.
  It's been a "known issue" for, oh, since Steam began.
14. Re:No problems here by PopeRatzo · 2010-03-25 23:27 · Score: 1
  
  The PC as a gaming platform is done.
  This has been a great year for PC gaming. There's still a lot of money to be made in making and releasing games for PC. I doubt very much that game manufacturers are going to leave that money on the table just because some people are copying those games illegally.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
15. Re:No problems here by PopeRatzo · 2010-03-25 23:28 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  banker-commie-hippie-traitor-pirate-terrorist-cultist-atheist scum of the Earth
  I resemble that remark.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
16. Re:No problems here by PopeRatzo · 2010-03-25 23:30 · Score: 1
  
  It won't be an issue when the game is keylocked to your personal console and media. You won't even notice the DRM.
  The pirates won't notice the DRM either.
  I just went to look at a popular private tracker (for informational purposes only) and saw that more than half the list of top 50 games for download are for consoles.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
17. Re:No problems here by drinkypoo · 2010-03-25 23:33 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  The PC as a gaming platform is done.
  Not done, but perhaps we're starting to see the sunset. I gave up on PC gaming when Microsoft moved past Windows XP. I couldn't even get my motorola phone to work on 64 bit Windows Vista or 7 even while following various sets of directions because Microsoft boned the whole driver signing thing, and I hate to dual-boot, so now I just run the handful of games which are both good and fun on Linux.
  
  While the CPU power and abundance of input devices make it an attractive target platform, there are simply too many problems related to software piracy to sustain the PC as a viable platform for much longer.
  All the piracy-related problems are actually developer-related problems.
  
  With X-Box supporting all the latest DX technology,
  It doesn't. DirectX has moved on from what the Xbox 360 has.
  
  PS3 offering unparalleled processing power,
  It doesn't. Not only is the Xbox 360 about as powerful as the PS3, but home PCs are available with vastly more power in all areas today.
  
  and Wii providing an innovative user interface,
  Having a remote-shaped replacement for a spaceball is evolutionary, not revolutionary.
  
  DRM? It won't be an issue when the game is keylocked to your personal console and media. You won't even notice the DRM.
  Won't be? Microsoft and Sony both have direct-download marketplaces which use this scheme. It's here already.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
18. Re:No problems here by tepples · 2010-03-25 23:38 · Score: 1
  
  Not to mention the added value to GNP by having us all purchase a console or two for gaming and a PC for work (not to mention a few televisions) instead of just one PC.
  Just one PC? Ordinarily, if you want more than one player, you have to buy a separate PC and a separate copy of each game for each person in the house.
19. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:43 · Score: 0
  
  >> a console or two for gaming and a PC for work ... The Crysis of Capitalism will be over!
  Fixed that for you. :)
20. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:43 · Score: 0
  
  More like no standard solution. If it knows a new patch is out when offline, then figure out a way to change this.
  Of course, you do have a point, and Valve should fix that (if true - I don't use Steam). But I think you also need to understand that the amount of Steam users with an irregular (down for hours) internet connection is probably something like 2%.
21. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:50 · Score: 0
  
  Right, so tell us idiot how one would go about playing a copied game.
22. Re:No problems here by Lumpy · 2010-03-25 23:57 · Score: 1
  
  They are doing the same crap to the consoles too. Testing the waters with DLC that is only available via the code in the new game box. Right now it's fluff crap that nobody really cares about (ME2: none of the DLC is useful at all, it's all worthless) but it will change, like 1/2 the game being a DLC that is locked to a user.
  It's crap like this that makes me think the pirates have the right idea and are justified. I'm a legit customer, and I get reamed in the butt without lube by the company I bought from. That makes me want to say "screw you" and pirate the stuff next time.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
23. Re:No problems here by ShakaUVM · 2010-03-25 23:59 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  The annoying part is that it knows a patch is available, but doesn't download it or do anything with it, it just notes the fact, and then refuses to run if the internet goes down before it gets patched. This is a Really Bad Design for a service that supplies single player games. Not quite as bad as the DRM fiascos people are reporting, but it's been an extant issue with Steam (with people complaining about it) for years.
24. Re:No problems here by Lumpy · 2010-03-26 00:00 · Score: 0
  
  It's not heavily pirated and publicized. I have a friend with a PS3 and a hard drive full of games for it. There are mod chips out there, you need to know where to look.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
25. Re:No problems here by biryokumaru · 2010-03-26 00:08 · Score: 1
  
  Democracy as a form of government is done. While the lack of corruption and abundance of liberty make it an attractive target platform, there are simply too many problems related to iron-fisted political control to sustain democracy as a viable platform for much longer.
  Oppression? It won't be an issue when you are keylocked to your personal console and media. You won't even notice the oppression.
  Funny how easily that translates... Also, whoever thought "strong" was a good replacement for the "b" tag obviously never wrote HTML by hand, the jerk.
  
  --
  When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
26. Re:No problems here by Peter+Bortas · 2010-03-26 00:10 · Score: 1
  
  Possibly, but he isn't playing them, and no there isn't. There are however people that will sell you a solution for pirating PS3 games. They usually stand next to the guy that sells you bridges.
27. Re:No problems here by Tukz · 2010-03-26 00:13 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  I highly doubt he got a "modchip" for a PS3, unless he got ties in the underground.
  There is nothing publicity available about being able to load PS3 Games from images yet.
  It's been years since they enabled the PS3 to make backups from your games, but there still isn't a way to run those images.
  Not public anyway.
  I've heard rumours some of the underground groups have successfully ran certain images, but nothing ready to the public.
  
  --
  - Don't do what I do, it's probably not healthy nor safe. -
28. Re:No problems here by MogNuts · 2010-03-26 00:19 · Score: 1
  
  Are you paid to say this? You sound like an advertisement.
  "With X-Box supporting all the latest DX technology, PS3 offering unparalleled processing power, and Wii providing an innovative user interface, the time has never been better for game developers"
  And c'mon, while all the above are pretty good, it still can't match the potential of the PC:
  Latest DX: PC is on DX11
  PS3 processing power: Seriously? Core i7/ATI 5870. Nuff said.
  Wii: The gimmick gets old. Back to what actually works: buttons on a controller. But I'm sure of PC's millions of peripherals they have an alternative.
29. Re:No problems here by forsey · 2010-03-26 00:25 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  You damn well can notice DRM on the Xbox 360. I recently had mine die and I sent it back to MS for repair. They sent back a referb unit as per their usual policy. Along with the Xbox was a note telling me to redownload all my DLC so that the licenses on my hard drive would be updated to work with the new console. Well that only works if the jack asses at MS remember to actually transfer the licenses to the new Xbox on their servers, which they failed to do in my case.
  It took a lot of poking around but I eventually found xbox.com/drm which gave me proof that they indeed forgot to transfer the licenses and also gave me a way to transfer the licenses to the new Xbox, though you can only do this once per year.
  While I was having these DRM issues I could only play DLC games when I was on the account they were purchased on and logged on to Xbox live. As soon as I lost my internet connection (which happened to be having issues around this time) all my DLC games would get the word trial added beside their name. I did a test and brought up the list of all my DLC games, pulled the network cable out of the Xbox and saw the word "Trial" added to the name of every one of my games, top to bottom, one at a time. Event my damn wallpaper disappeared because that was DRMed too.
  That said at least they have a tool like xbox.com/drm and at least they do allow you to link your games to a console so they can be played offline once that is achieved. Still, I'm sure this isn't the last I'll see of these issues.
30. Re:No problems here by TheRaven64 · 2010-03-26 00:32 · Score: 1
  
  isn't a replacement for . is a replacement for . is a semantic markup tag indicating that the text should be represented in a stronger manner than normal text, typically by using a bold font. Fortunately, you can just use on Slashdot when you want bold text.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
31. Re:No problems here by gparent · 2010-03-26 00:35 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Just patch before you go in offline mode.
32. Re:No problems here by MobyDisk · 2010-03-26 00:41 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  You say that Steam requires and internet connection. But then your example is a rare edge-case involving a half-way downloaded patch. It sounds like a bug, and it sounds annoying, but it isn't the same as saying that steam requires an internet connection.
33. Re:No problems here by broken_chaos · 2010-03-26 00:41 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Oh yeah, he'll just get that rainstorm that knocked out his internet to give him a warning next time.
34. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 00:50 · Score: 0
  
  it's because nobody owns one.
35. Re:No problems here by gparent · 2010-03-26 00:57 · Score: 1
  
  Obviously I'm talking about the times where it's not accidental, but it seems you're going for funnies and not an actual logical argument so it's okay.
36. Re:No problems here by Jaysyn · 2010-03-26 01:05 · Score: 1
  
  People have literally been saying this for 20+ years. Quit being silly, it's just not going to happen.
  
  --
  There is a war going on for your mind.
37. Re:No problems here by Svartalf · 2010-03-26 01:08 · Score: 1
  
  Piracy's an excuse, not the reason.
  
  --
  I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
38. Re:No problems here by Theoboley · 2010-03-26 01:10 · Score: 1
  
  notice the little thing at the end of the subject line of that article... its a little thing called a question mark.
  
  Also, if you read the "hack" it's nothing but a guy pissing around in linux, causing a voltage spike allowing him access to pretty much nothing.
  
  You need to gather the encryption keys in order to do anything...
  
  --
  Stupidity only gets you so far, then you've gotta try
39. Re:No problems here by Dunbal · 2010-03-26 01:24 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  there are simply too many problems related to software piracy to sustain the PC as a viable platform for much longer.
  Yet surprisingly indie gamers, seem to be doing OK releasing PC-only games.
  Frankly, I would like the "big boys" to stay out of PC gaming. Let them buy the arguments from their accountants that it's just "not worth" developing or porting to the PC (especially when they have switched over most of their production to producing for consoles first). These large corporations are only milking the same concepts they invented or purchased long ago, in endless boring sequels.
  The beauty of the PC is that ANYONE with a compiler can write games. By definition, it will always be among the first platforms to receive truly innovative concepts - because the amount of people who CAN write a game for the PC is so much greater. The "barrier to entry" is much lower. You need no specialized equipment or software. Hell Microsoft even gives away "free trials" of its compilers nowadays. All you need is an idea, and the patience to code it.
  
  --
  Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
40. Re:No problems here by Dragonslicer · 2010-03-26 01:25 · Score: 1, Redundant
  
  Oh yeah, he'll just get that rainstorm that knocked out his internet to give him a warning next time.
  Done and done.
41. Re:No problems here by mcgrew · 2010-03-26 01:30 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  While the CPU power and abundance of input devices make it an attractive target platform, there are simply too many problems related to software piracy to sustain the PC as a viable platform for much longer.
  Why would there be more problems now than any other time in computer gaming history? There has always been piracy; it was sneakernet and BBSes before the internet came along. The difference is, back in the days of the floppy when Duke Nukem was a squeaky little side scroller, gamers revolted and stopped buying games with any sort of DRM, and DRM went away -- for a decade or two.
  Piracy does not cost anybody and actually can cause a company to make even more money, by getting the word out that it's a kickass game. The only people who pirate are those who just want to try it out, and they'll buy it if it's good, and the rest of the pirates aren't going to buy the game anyway and wouldn't even if it was impossible to pirate it, so there aren't any lost sales to pirates. But pirates help sales when their non-pirate friends see the game.
  The kicker is, for piracy to help sales of a game, the game has to be good, as opposed to being a piece of shit that the publisher bribes gaming magazines to lie about. Bad games that shouldn't even be on the market are the only ones that piracy will hurt, because the pirates will let everyone know that the game is shit.
  If you believe the bullshit the RIAA, MPAA, and BSA spew, I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in buying. DRM only helps games, movies, and music that suck anyway; good media will sell regardless.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
42. Re:No problems here by wisnoskij · 2010-03-26 01:32 · Score: 1
  
  The only reason I can think that their is not more piracy on consoles is the kind of people that use them.
  If gaming ever dies, and computer lovers are forced to get a console to play anything good, then the amount of piracy will not change at all (it might even increase).
  In general piracy has always been a lot easier on the consoles then on a computer
  
  --
  Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
43. Re:No problems here by commodore64_love · 2010-03-26 01:34 · Score: 0
  
  I've considered computer gaming dead for awhile now. When my Amiga passed-away as a viable gaming platform (due to lack of games), and I switched to PC, I quickly discovered what a royal pain in the ass it was to make the sound & graphics drivers work.
  And if it's a pain for me, an engineer, imagine what it's like for the average customer. This is why consoles have come to be the dominant gaming platform with almost 200 million PS2s/Xboxes/Gamecubes/Dreamcasts sold previous generation.
  
  --
  "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
44. Re:No problems here by kestasjk · 2010-03-26 01:41 · Score: 1
  
  The only trouble with Steam is that it requires... an internet connection.
  And who has one of those these days?
  
  --
  // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
45. Re:No problems here by Vanderhoth · 2010-03-26 01:43 · Score: 1
  
  Everyone knows getting it to work is part of the game. The harder it is to get it working the greater the sense of accomplishment. Why do you think consumers LOVE DRMs so much!!
46. Re:No problems here by CastrTroy · 2010-03-26 01:44 · Score: 1
  
  I'm still waiting for the next batch of Console to come around with no disc slot. Everything gets downloaded over the internet. Possible some proprietary media that works via flash memory. No input ports, not expansion ports, just wireless controllers, and downloadable games. Kind of like the PSP GO, but a full fledged console. It's the only way to make it so that you can't pirate games. I'm not sure if it would fly, but if the big 3 all did it, you wouldn't have much of a choice, except to not play.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
47. Re:No problems here by beowulfcluster · 2010-03-26 01:51 · Score: 1
  
  I can play FPS, CRPGs, and strategy games with proper controllers (mouse/keyboard).
  
  If things start moving more towards console land, how long will it be before consoles get equipped with proper FPS, CRPG and strategy game controllers?
48. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 01:55 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  I'm not in full agreement with this, I think that DRM can be a good business strategy if done well. Steam has become a fantastic example of this after its troubled early days, the trick is simply to be honest about what it is and offer some benefit to the system to balance the irritation and the risk.
  
  What I really wanted to say though is that the problem of spending millions on a game isn't that the game is crap, just that it isn't worth millions. Cheap indie games that were developed on practically a budget of zero and sell for trivial amounts if they aren't free can do pretty much the same gameplay concepts as any major game. Trying to compete on graphics is an uphill struggle too, and with poorer returns ever since games stopped looking shit.
  
  I honestly think that most large publishers should turn into nothing more than advertising consultants. Sign deals with games studios to generate customers in return for a percentage, and keep all dealings on a per-game basis. No ownership -> no incentive for ridiculous chains of sequels.
49. Re:No problems here by xSauronx · 2010-03-26 01:59 · Score: 1
  
  my issue with console gaming is....the games i like, i cant play well on a console. RTS games and FPS games require, for me, a keyboard and mouse....i just cant get the knack of a controller well enough to be any good and those, and theyre my favorite types of games.
  thing is, with more and more drm creeping in, im about ready to sell my video card and look for a ps3. ive been playing dragon age and just found out that the downloaded content means i cant play *ANY* saved game with said content if im not logged in. my internet connection is pretty reliable....but thats just not acceptable to me.
  with half life 2, i ran into the issue where i have a boxed copy but couldnt play because id forgotten how to access my old steam account....it took 3 days and me sending in a picture of the case with another special code to access my account so i could play a game i WAS HOLDING IN MY HAND.
  world at war? love that game. love it. despite having to login to access my account to play online, when i had to reinstalled after a windows 7 upgrade...my account had been reset, all my accomplishments etc. i could play...but it was annoying as hell to have to redo everything i had already done.
  i dont mind drm to an extent..i get it. requiring the disc can be annoying but fine, whatever, a disc and a key...but making it a pure hassle to play irks me to no end. i should be able to play without a net connection, i have the content, its here legitimately, leave me the fuck alone already.
  the only games ive bought in the last few months were cheap games on STEAM specials, where for the $5 or so i figured it was worth it. thing is...i dont have to be on steam to play them all, it has an offline mode.
  bah.
  
  --
  By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. -- George Carlin
50. Re:No problems here by RMH101 · 2010-03-26 02:07 · Score: 1
  
  Man, I'm bored of TuxRacer
51. Re:No problems here by RMH101 · 2010-03-26 02:08 · Score: 1
  
  ...but you get to drop the price of a console on a new graphics card every 6 months...!
52. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:12 · Score: 1, Informative
  
  This is not true. I had that result but the solution was to just disable your ethernet adapter. If steam can't even find an ethernet adapter on your system, it will ask if you want to run offline.
53. Re:No problems here by Vanderhoth · 2010-03-26 02:16 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I'm pretty sure what he's getting at is this DRM system is failing because it requires you to have an internet connection. Steam, which I do like, also requires an internet connection. Steam is better because it doesn't require a persistent connection. However, If for some reason you don't have an internet connection you can't use steam.
  As an example if you work in a remote location like an oil rig, scientific research station, space, etc...
  More commonly, if you live in a very rural area you might not have access to the internet or limited access through dial-up.
  The issue with Steam and this DRM system is that it is assume everyone who wants to use the product has an internet connection. People know what they're getting into with Steam, but DRM schemes don't have to be listed on the box so you might not even know you need an internet connection to play until you get it home and open it, although I read somewhere else that "internet connection required" is on the box for AC2. I use to live in a rural area and once in a while would drive into the city to buy games, movies and anything else I wanted. It was a long trip and my DRM frustration would have been compounded knowing I'd have to make another 3 hour, each way, trip to return the stupid game, if I could return it at all.
  I personally don't have issues with DRMs, I've never had one stop me from playing a game, but it should be very clear when one is used and what DRM it is. My older sisters computer was messed up when she bought Spore, I fixed it for her twice before I read about Spores DRM. That being said I have no evidence that was the problem, I just know that after she gave up on Spore and moved on to other things there was no more issue.
  /. mantra "Correlation doesn't mean causation"
54. Re:No problems here by iamhassi · 2010-03-26 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  "It's also a lot more technical and creates problems with firmware updates"
  
  He's right. While it was common on the last generation of consoles, the PSP was really the beginning of the end of pirating on consoles, since it introduced new firmwares within the games released every few months. The new firmware was required to play that game and new releases, and it would disable whatever hacked firmware was on the device. There has been at least 23 PSP firmware updates since it's release in 2005. These constant updates force pirates to keep hacking the latest firmwares and users to have to keep searching for new updates.
  
  --
  my karma will be here long after I'm gone
55. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:44 · Score: 0
  
  Most stuff you buy on steam can be executed directly from your steam folder > Common Apps. Don't know the exact path, but its all there...just double click and enjoy.
56. Re:No problems here by loutr · 2010-03-26 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  I fear that instead of releasing new controllers, they'll dumb down games (à la Halo) : huge crosshair or auto-targeting, slow IA, auto-regenerating HPs, ... That's what kids are used to, after all. One more reason for me to stay away from consoles.
57. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 03:00 · Score: 0
  
  I would rather be a banker-commie-hippie-traitor-pirate-terrorist-cultist-atheist scum of the Earth than a commie-mutant-traitor.
58. Re:No problems here by kannibal_klown · 2010-03-26 03:00 · Score: 1
  
  You damn well can notice DRM on the Xbox 360. I recently had mine die and I sent it back to MS for repair. They sent back a referb unit as per their usual policy. Along with the Xbox was a note telling me to redownload all my DLC so that the licenses on my hard drive would be updated to work with the new console. Well that only works if the jack asses at MS remember to actually transfer the licenses to the new Xbox on their servers, which they failed to do in my case.
  Hmm, I don't have much experience with additional-DLC (map-packs, extra levels, characters, gear, etc).
  But I recently got myself a new XBox after giving my old one away to a family member a few years ago. Once I logged into Live! I saw it listed all of my purchased Arcade titles that I could download again free-of-charge. The fact I could download wasn't a big surprise, but I did enjoy that it bundled them all together in a single list.
  I would've thought they'd implement something similar with additional-DLC, that it would be tied to your Live! account and not your individual console.
  But I guess I'm wrong.
59. Re:No problems here by loutr · 2010-03-26 03:19 · Score: 1
  
  Never said PC gaming was cheap :) Hardware may be more expensive, but as I said I pay (much) less for my games, so if you play a lot of different games as I do, it evens out in the end.
  My last upgrade was a GTX275 which I bought almost a year ago, and even new games run fine. And if I turn off FSAA, I'll be able to play 2010 and 2011 games just fine. And I buy most of my games for 20-40€ (last purchase : L4F2 for 25€), or even cheaper as Steam has lots of indie games and oldies for less than 10€ (recently bought BG&E for 5€).
60. Re:No problems here by BertieBaggio · 2010-03-26 04:25 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Renaming (or deleting, if you're feeling adventurous) your clientregistry.blob file should let you work around this bug.
  Note: this is also the approved fix for when the system fucks up and you *do* have an internet connection,as happened to me just yesterday. Sigh...
  
  --
  If all you have is a grenade, pretty soon every problem looks like a foxhole -- MightyYar
61. Re:No problems here by Elshar · 2010-03-26 06:37 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I'll second this. I'm an avid gamer. Between my Wii, Xbox, PS3, and PC I probably have AT LEAST 500 games. Steam alone has ~150, Impulse ~50, disc-based games (and floppy before) make up the rest. I still have some old SNES (I lost my NES and Atari years ago, somehow only my SNES survived to my adulthood).
  That said, I pirate games. Alot. As in, I pirated probably at least 1/2 of my steam collection, and just about every other PC game I own. Why? Because the demos honestly suck. One tutorial level and maybe a random campaign mission? Yea, right.
  I pirate it, play it through (If I even get that far, most games don't make it past the 2nd-3rd area/mission), maybe do a skirmish or so to see how well the game balance is, and if I liked it, I buy it. Not just "Oh, I see it's on the bargain bin now for $5" buy it, I mean "Oh, this just came out this week, I pirated and liked it, so here's $50-70, good job guys" buy it. They're not only NOT losing sales due to my piracy, they're GAINING sales.
  For instance, I pirated this one RTS game a year or so ago, played a couple campaign missions, did a skirmish. I really liked it, and bought it. At the same time, I gave my friends (Who I regularly game with) copies of the game and told them if they liked it, to buy it and we'd all play together. Not only did I manage to convince them to buy the game, but we all also bought the expansions.
  Now, I know that there's only anecdotal evidence here, but what I'm saying is that the game company got $350 ($70 each for game + exp * 5) because I pirated the game, rather than $0 if I hadn't. I just wouldn't have really bothered with it unless it really caught my eye somehow, and I definitely wouldn't have talked a few friends into buying copies.
  Conversely, this new DRM stuff (Tages, Starforce, etc) is so obnoxious, I just won't even bother pirating the games, because I won't be buying them. I simply don't have enough time to play ALL the games out there, so I really don't mind too much if I miss out on one or two titles - even if I was looking forward to them, as was the case with anno 1404. TAGES? Blah, not even a pirate from me. Sad that I couldn't play it? Sorta. I've looked at videos and it's just a rehash of the previous games. Nothing really new to see here, moving on.. :)
62. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 07:17 · Score: 0
  
  >>Oh, and thanks to Steam's constant stream of special deals, I don't have to pay 50-70 for each game.
  The only trouble with Steam is that it requires... an internet connection.
  People will say that Steam can run in offline mode, and that's true... as long as there's no patch pending for Steam.
  If there is, then when you run Steam offline, it tells you it is trying to patch, and canceling or trying anything else results in it quitting. There's literally no solution until you get internet access again, which really sucks if you're on a laptop without access, or if rain gets into a conduit and your internet goes down for a week, like it did for me last Thanksgiving. I'd just bought Dragon Age, and being unable to play it for an entire week because of Steam's butt fucking retardnessness really turned me off to the platform.
  It's been a "known issue" for, oh, since Steam began.
  This is not true. If you disable your ethernet card so that it looks like you do not even have an IP, Steam will prompt to run in offline mode, even if it was formerly applying an update.
63. Re:No problems here by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 08:24 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Lol such a low UID for such a stupid college kid-esque attitude. There are no PS3 modchips. Thanks for playing.
64. Re:No problems here by ShakaUVM · 2010-03-26 08:37 · Score: 1
  
  >>You say that Steam requires and internet connection. But then your example is a rare edge-case involving a half-way downloaded patch.
  It's not a halfway downloaded patch. Steam doesn't automatically patch while running - it'll note that there's a patch available, and will patch the next time it loads. So if you've had a computer running for a long time (and new patches come out every couple weeks) odds are you'll have a patch queued. Then when your internet connection goes down and you try to restart steam, you have lost access to all your games.
  Like I said, bad design, and not a rare edge case at all. I found lots of people complaining about this, going back years.
65. Re:No problems here by ShakaUVM · 2010-03-26 08:39 · Score: 1
  
  >>This is not true. If you disable your ethernet card so that it looks like you do not even have an IP, Steam will prompt to run in offline mode, even if it was formerly applying an update.
  I tried this. It doesn't work.
  Offline mode doesn't work (in any form) if Steam knows there's a patch queued.
66. Re:No problems here by kaen · 2010-03-26 09:20 · Score: 1
  
  Look up the XFPS. It allows mouse and keyboard to be used with consoles.
67. Re:No problems here by sortius_nod · 2010-03-26 12:00 · Score: 1
  
  Yeh, because I can't pirate games on my 360... I don't at all have a copy of ACII on my console that I didn't buy, or MW2, or any of the other games that aren't sitting in a pile in my lounge room.
  Nice rationale.
68. Re:No problems here by sortius_nod · 2010-03-26 12:01 · Score: 1
  
  In fact, the Wii doesn't even require you to open it to pirate games for it. You can even load them on to an external USB HDD and load them from there...
69. Re:No problems here by drinkypoo · 2010-03-26 14:23 · Score: 1
  
  If you think you can count on the DRM then you can allow people to download content at kiosks in game stores, too. That way, people with poor or no internet connection can give you their money as well. You split the profits with the store to encourage them to not blow the thing up as the obvious threat to their future. Of course, most retail is going away. It'll just be small speciality stores and big box stores, and the internet.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
70. Re:No problems here by rdnetto · 2010-03-27 15:58 · Score: 1
  
  Odd, when I had to get mine repaired one of the instructions was to remove the hard drive. So unless you had a dead drive, perhaps the issue was not following instructions?
  
  --
  Most human behaviour can be explained in terms of identity.
Why, oh why, oh why, oh why, oh why, ... by ThirdPrize · 2010-03-25 22:44 · Score: 0, Troll

oh why, oh why, oh why, oh why?

--
I have excellent Karma and I am not afraid to Troll it.
I've got the solution by xtracto · 2010-03-25 22:46 · Score: 5, Insightful

Hey Mr. Green, the solution is quite simple and at your fingertips
That patch will fix your broken version of C&C4 ;-)

--
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
1. Re:I've got the solution by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 00:53 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Wow. They have *everything* to fix DRM problems. I had no idea the gaming industry had gotten together to provide a central repository for game patches. This is really cool! All DRM systems should be like this in the future.
Another I'll have to avoid... by Raynor · 2010-03-25 22:50 · Score: 4, Insightful

Some people can just pay for a better connection; living in the middle of the desert in a Marine Corps barracks leaves me with fewer options.
While I'm more than willing to shell out the cash for a game like C&C4, my internet is horrible (one of the main reasons I like playing SP games so much now) and to make SP games reliant on a constant internet connection means one less sale for them. Ubisoft has already lost my sale on AC2 and now it looks like EA is going to follow in their footsteps.
A shame too because I loved AC and the C&C series.

--
"Dictator Flakes. They WILL be delicious."
1. Re:Another I'll have to avoid... by the_Bionic_lemming · 2010-03-26 00:11 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I quit buying EA Games when C&C 3 Kane's refused to play after I purchased Alcohol 120% .
  Apparently they felt they had the right to tell me what programs I am allowed to run on my PC. Unfortunately, they forgot who had the right to open up my wallet to purchase things.
  
  --
  _ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
2. Re:Another I'll have to avoid... by Vectormatic · 2010-03-26 00:35 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  A shame too because I loved AC and the C&C series.
  dont worry, they screwed up the gameplay too, no more basebuilding, apperently a single building produces all units, and you are supplied with all needed building at the start.. so you arent missing much.
  As i commented in an other thread (i think about the ubisoft shitstorm days after release), EA lost me, and my girlfriend as a customer, even before i read about how they butchered the entire C&C core gameplay, with this ridiculous DRM. Part of the fun of CnC for me always has been toying around with different tanks, taking over an entire map and then steamrolling the computer adversary, and i will not be restricted in doing that only where i have internet (case in point, hotelrooms when travelling, on holiday)
  
  --
  People, what a bunch of bastards
3. Re:Another I'll have to avoid... by kalirion · 2010-03-26 03:30 · Score: 1
  
  I thought Securom was only supposed to care if you're running the blacklisted program at the same time as the game, not just have it installed?
4. Re:Another I'll have to avoid... by the_Bionic_lemming · 2010-03-26 03:37 · Score: 2
  
  Securerom does a check for virtual drives, if it finds one, the game refuses to load (using the dvd in the dvd drive).
  It wouldn't work again until I unistalled 120% .
  I'm sure that 120% has developed a newer patch to prevent it from being detected, but for me at least, Until EA games stops this DRM crap, they won't have me as a customer - and I have all the c&c games up to kanes wrath. I don't download cracked games, I can afford to buy them.
  
  --
  _ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
5. Re:Another I'll have to avoid... by b4dc0d3r · 2010-03-26 11:10 · Score: 1
  
  Forgive my ignorance, but doesn't being a Marine in the middle of the desert means you don't have to buy a game to shoot people. Yes?
As nice as this is on paper... by Tepshen · 2010-03-25 22:53 · Score: 5, Insightful

..its likely a planned statement. The guy is supposed to be a "mouthpeice" for the company. I highly doubt he would just up and "go rogue" on EA since its a really good way to lose his job in the long run. More than likely the intent is a bit more subtle. Perhaps to throw the (slow selling) game under the bus for awhile only to result in either a patch after the story is run awhile to ramp up news reaction to the break. Giving them quite a bit of press for having to "listened to the fans" or just allow them to retain cred by trashing a game thats not going anywhere anyway cutting thier losses and putting a good spin on a bad move "hey, it sucks, but we admitted it sucks. So, we're cool and can keep the money you paid us right?" or something along those lines.
1. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:15 · Score: 0
  
  I understand your cynicism, but you must not know about Jeff Green. EA gives him a surprising amount of leeway. Even so, he's put his foot in his mouth before.
  http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/25660
2. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by jadin · 2010-03-26 00:02 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." - I really doubt they planned on designing crappy DRM so that they can remove it and gain the good will of the fans.
  I think it's much more likely a bunch of execs thinking they can do whatever they want and "those desperate suckers will buy it anyway".
3. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by tapo · 2010-03-26 00:21 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Jeff Green earned my trust after years of being editor-in-chief for Computer Gaming World/GFW Magazine, and his great personality and style on the GFW Radio podcast. As nice as your conspiracy theory sounds, the man is being honest and trying to change things.
  
  --
  "Joy is contagious," he said, peering into the microscope.
4. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by L4t3r4lu5 · 2010-03-26 00:41 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Ok, let's take your idea to its logical conclusion:
  
  1) Game company releases popular game with draconian DRM.
  2) DRM irritates gamers. Game doesn't sell well.
  3) Game company sends briefed spokesperson to the world to say "Hey, I feel your pain!" and gamers gobble it up.
  4) Game flops in sales. EA pretend to be upset with blogger.
  5) EA releases patch to remove DRM. Game sales explode.
  6) Gamers enjoy game DRM free.
  7. - REDACTED -
  
  The last item was supposed to be "Games companies realise that DRM is hurting sales, ease off with restrictive copy protection" but my sense of reality kicked back in. Sorry.
  
  --
  Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
5. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by Tepshen · 2010-03-26 01:53 · Score: 1
  
  "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." - I really doubt they planned on designing crappy DRM so that they can remove it and gain the good will of the fans.
  I think it's much more likely a bunch of execs thinking they can do whatever they want and "those desperate suckers will buy it anyway".
  This *IS* EA... the company that plans to start selling game demo's calling them "Pre-Downloadable Content" couldn't it be malicious stupidity? maybe stupid malice? Dont forget the rest of that quote you are using " Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity, but don't rule out malice." The PR arm of a mega-corperation can often be perfectly happy being both mean and dumb in equal parts.
6. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by Astatine · 2010-03-26 02:58 · Score: 1
  
  "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
  As a security guy, I like to counter that by paraphrasing Arthur C. Clarke:
  Sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice.
7. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by kannibal_klown · 2010-03-26 03:06 · Score: 1
  
  "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." - I really doubt they planned on designing crappy DRM so that they can remove it and gain the good will of the fans.
  I think it's much more likely a bunch of execs thinking they can do whatever they want and "those desperate suckers will buy it anyway".
  I read the parent post more along the lines of:
  "EA now realizes, via all of the fallout, that their new DRM is an Epic Fail. So they're setting the stage to remove it and attribute it to listening to the fans. And that this post was just a first stepping stone to make customers think that EA isn't just a bunch of idiots sitting in a room."
  Then again, your famous quote still fits. While this could all be the start of a large plot by EA to cover their butts, it's also possible the guy spoke out of turn without thinking (or just not caring) about the consequences when the higher-ups hear of it.
8. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by Slider451 · 2010-03-26 05:42 · Score: 1
  
  I knew he was a normal guy when his back-page editorial picture in CGW in the early 90s showed him cringing while jamming his thumb way up his nose, apparently conducting a deep olfactory enema. I mean, who hasn't done that?
  
  --
  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
9. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 18:13 · Score: 0
  
  That still sounds like malice. I think it's much more likely a bunch of execs thinking "this will save my job!"
10. Re:As nice as this is on paper... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-27 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  I don't know, maybe they are trying the new Coke approach. But it will fail.
I was about to buy this... by TyFoN · 2010-03-25 22:55 · Score: 3, Interesting

I was in my local games shop the other day and I brought this title to the counter. In the queue I noticed it said "requires online connection". So I asked the clerk if it was an online game but he said no. I subsequently put it back in the shelf and walked out of the store.
That's one lost sale EA. I'll buy it when you loose the funky DRM. (I have bought almost every other C&C title)
1. Re:I was about to buy this... by delinear · 2010-03-25 23:10 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Ironically, the first time I played C&C (Tib Sun) was on a friend's LAN, he had one official copy but also had it pirated specifically to have LAN games. I enjoyed it so much I went out and bought myself a copy to play online. I've also bought pretty much every one since then, all on the back of that first play, and now the thing that will likely stop me buying any more is their anti-piracy DRM, despite the fact that if piracy didn't exist I'd have likely never bought/played any of these games in the first place.
2. Re:I was about to buy this... by Lucky_Norseman · 2010-03-25 23:55 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Not pirated, but fully legal.
  
  From the start of C&C you got 2 cd's. One with GDI and one with NOD. And you were explicitely permitted to lend one to a friend while you were using the other yourself.
  Thats how I got hooked too.
  If I remember correctly the first where this was not included/allowed was C&C Generals.
3. Re:I was about to buy this... by MistrBlank · 2010-03-26 00:34 · Score: 1
  
  That is correct and even the playstation one versions of the originals were multidisk games.
4. Re:I was about to buy this... by TheRaven64 · 2010-03-26 00:35 · Score: 1
  
  I always thought that was a great bit of marketing. A lot of people I knew borrowed one CD from a friend and then bought the game when they wanted to play the other campaign.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
5. Re:I was about to buy this... by bdenton42 · 2010-03-26 00:52 · Score: 1
  
  I did the same thing. I loved all of the C&C series (except Renegade) but I'm just not putting up with something that I can't play on the go. Although I might reconsider if they come out with a C&C Online MMO.
6. Re:I was about to buy this... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:45 · Score: 0
  
  correct.. this is what happened after westwood sold out to EA... no more free copy to hook/addict your friends on lan play.
  ea are fucking morons.
7. Re:I was about to buy this... by mcgrew · 2010-03-26 02:49 · Score: 0, Redundant
  
  I'll buy it when you loose the funky DRM.
  Loosing DRM isn't good enough for me, they're going to have to lose it completely before they get my business.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
8. Re:I was about to buy this... by Beanyhead · 2010-03-26 05:55 · Score: 1
  
  This was also when Westwood was still behind the C&C series.
9. Re:I was about to buy this... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-04-03 15:14 · Score: 0
  
  I have all the C & C and Red Alert series from the start and love them. Still play them. Received CC4 as a birthday present only to find I was kicked off three times after spending a day with flakey internet... a week later, I am still not sure if I want to try again.... there is something seriously wrong if I am thinking of getting the cracked version because it is stable and this is the only place I can get what has been paid for!!!!
Digital Restrictions Management works! by QuantumG · 2010-03-25 22:57 · Score: 5, Insightful

Assuming, that is, your goal was to destroy the PC as a gaming platform.

--
How we know is more important than what we know.
1. Re:Digital Restrictions Management works! by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:57 · Score: 0
  
  Isn't that exactly what they are trying to do? It certainly looks like it.
  But overall, it's probably a good thing if the "majors" of the video game industry leave the PC. It will leave room for the current indies to grow and make awesome games (until they too become huge greedy corporations and the cycle continues).
2. Re:Digital Restrictions Management works! by canajin56 · 2010-03-26 01:36 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  EA and Ubisoft have explicitly stated that PC gaming is dead. Since games are still being made, this makes them incredibly angry that years after they said PC gaming is dead, they're still having to make PC games. Understandably, they're lashing out and trying to finish the fucker off as fast as possible to save face. I expect that if Ubisoft is ever asked to make another PC game, it will intentionally format your PC while showing a dialog "SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A CONSOLE YOU FUCKING LOSER!"
  
  --
  ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI
3. Re:Digital Restrictions Management works! by Svartalf · 2010-03-26 01:51 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, but they're dead-set on destroying console gaming with the same sorts of crap.
  So, I'm not sure what they think they're accomplishing here.
  
  --
  I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
4. Re:Digital Restrictions Management works! by daspring · 2010-03-26 03:43 · Score: 1
  
  Moot point. The PC was already destroying itself just fine. DRM is simply akin to throwing gasoline on the funeral pyre in an attempt to put it out.
5. Re:Digital Restrictions Management works! by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 03:57 · Score: 1
  
  Moot point. The PC was already destroying itself just fine. DRM is simply akin to throwing gasoline on the funeral pyre in an attempt to put it out.
  As long as there are ways for people to program games on personal computers and people willing to make them, the PC will be a gaming platform. Look at source forge there are thousands of completed games (granted that's out of hundreds of thousands of started projects), or independent and smaller developer/publishers like Spiderweb Software, Shrapnel Games, and Stardock. If EA, Ubisoft, and all the large companies in the industry closed doors today there would still be games produced, just not necessarily the AAA-quality ones. Supporting the modern multi-billion dollar gaming industry is another matter entirely from people's ability to make and play games on the PC!
6. Re:Digital Restrictions Management works! by IndustrialComplex · 2010-03-26 04:14 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, but they're dead-set on destroying console gaming with the same sorts of crap.
  So, I'm not sure what they think they're accomplishing here.
  You are going to have to explain that one. Console gaming is alive and well, and does not seem to be slowing down at all.
  
  --
  Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj
Piracy: the better choice by Meneth · 2010-03-25 22:58 · Score: 3, Informative

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5464114/Command.And.Conquer.4.Tiberian.Twilight-RELOADED
1. Re:Piracy: the better choice by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 01:40 · Score: 0
  
  http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/2/19/
2. Re:Piracy: the better choice by Abstrackt · 2010-03-26 02:03 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Fuck that. The better choice is not using the product at all. When users are driven to piracy it proves there's still demand for the product, which creates incentive to forcibly convert the pirates into paying customers. When users don't want anything to do with their product, that's when companies see the real problem.
  
  --
  They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
3. Re:Piracy: the better choice by Nyder · 2010-03-26 03:44 · Score: 1
  
  Fuck that. The better choice is not using the product at all. When users are driven to piracy it proves there's still demand for the product, which creates incentive to forcibly convert the pirates into paying customers. When users don't want anything to do with their product, that's when companies see the real problem.
  How does it do that?
  You do realise there is no way for them to put any sort of accurate number of copies pirated?
  All in all, they don't know if it was pirated once, or 100 times. all they really know is a pirated version exists.
  Even if people didn't pirate games/software anymore, the industry would still blame it. It's just a scapegoat.
  
  --
  Be seeing you...
4. Re:Piracy: the better choice by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  I disagree. This allows companies to see how everyone enjoys the game but hates the DRM. It makes it simpler for them to figure out which needs to be changed. Change the damn DRM already. I just bought Bioshock 2 because i read the DRM is just a one time connection to a windows live account. I'm fine with that. Constant connection to the internet is ridiculous. Another thing is games are too expensive. Steam did testing where they sold more copies and made more in revenue if they lowered the prices. Whats wrong with more revenue? So what if you have to sell more copies at a lower price to increase revenue? Are they so stuck up that every single copy must be sold at $50-60 even though most copies are sold online with NO packing? No manuals? No cost to them for distribution other then running servers?
5. Re:Piracy: the better choice by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 19:49 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck that. The better choice is not using the product at all. When users are driven to piracy it proves there's still demand for the product, which creates incentive to forcibly convert the pirates into paying customers. When users don't want anything to do with their product, that's when companies see the real problem.
  No when the company thinks "users don't want anything to do with their product" they stop making the product. By pirating you're showing demand but that you refuse to bend over and take w/out lube.
6. Re:Piracy: the better choice by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-27 07:03 · Score: 0
  
  Well I think there is demand for the product. Reading some of the comments here, a common statement seems to be "I wanted to buy and play Asses Creed 2 / C&C4, but I shouldn't have to be constantly connected to the internet to play it".
  When people don't want to play a game cause it sucks, that's when there's no demand for the product.
One of the reasons... by Amarantine · 2010-03-25 22:59 · Score: 5, Insightful

...why i am losing interest in games rapidly.
While i can still play games i bought 15 years ago, there is no guarantee whatsoever that i can play today's games in 15 years. In the past, i got the feeling of really 'owning' a game (well, a non-revokable license to play it, you know what i mean), but now, i can only play it if the publisher is still in business *and* allows me to activate the game, so essentially holding hostage a game i paid good bucks for.
Another reason is that intolerable dlc business, which i still suspect is a mechanism for publishers to hinder the secondhand market, and/or generate 50% more revenue of a game by selling content that (in most cases) might as well have been included in the release.
Then again, maybe it is just me getting older, having kids, etc.
1. Re:One of the reasons... by QuantumG · 2010-03-25 23:29 · Score: 0, Flamebait
  
  15 years ago would be 1995. I've got a few games from that era which still work in Dosbox.. now, games from 1995 to about 2000 were all Win9x abominations that won't work.. unless you've still got an old machine lying around with win98 installed on it.. in which case I pity you.
  
  --
  How we know is more important than what we know.
2. Re:One of the reasons... by TheFakeMcCoy · 2010-03-25 23:44 · Score: 0
  
  I have to agree. I actually just ordered left for dead 2 because a few friends were playing. Even though it requires steam, and I could have bought it from steam for the same price. I still ordered it off of Amazon because I wanted a case and a cd.
3. Re:One of the reasons... by Lord+Lode · 2010-03-25 23:49 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know how it's in Windows 7, but, for me these 1995-2000 games work pretty well in Wine. Well, my favorites, StarCraft, Unreal and Unreal Tournament, at least.
4. Re:One of the reasons... by Rogerborg · 2010-03-25 23:55 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  And in the 21st century, we invented virtual machines, so keeping a Win98 install "lying around" means a couple of mouse clicks. You should join us here in the Future - we'll be getting flying cars any day now.
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
5. Re:One of the reasons... by QuantumG · 2010-03-25 23:59 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Yes, because I hadn't thought of that, you're so much smarter than me.
  
  --
  How we know is more important than what we know.
6. Re:One of the reasons... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 00:20 · Score: 0
  
  I remember the original MYST for PC did not work in windows 9x - only in 3.1(1). That was funny. Luckily they released a remastered version eventually which works in modern OSes.
  realMYST is also glitchy in modern computers, though I have yet to try it in windows 7.
7. Re:One of the reasons... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 00:36 · Score: 0
  
  which i still suspect is a mechanism for publishers to hinder the secondhand market
  In Mass Effect II, the ability to dl DLC is tied to a $15 download that has a code free with the game. You also have to sign up for an account with the publisher. Stop wondering.
8. Re:One of the reasons... by TheRaven64 · 2010-03-26 00:38 · Score: 1
  
  I've got a Mac, and most of the games I bought in and around 1995 work perfectly in either DOSBox or under WINE. Amusingly, a couple of them don't work under new versions of Windows (and, by 'new' I mean '2000 or later') but do work very nicely on OS X. The other advantage of WINE is that I can use the virtual desktop mode to run full-screen games in a window.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
9. Re:One of the reasons... by Dunbal · 2010-03-26 01:10 · Score: 1
  
  there is no guarantee whatsoever that i can play today's games in 15 years.
  Actually, you can play those games DRM free TODAY. However depending on which country you live in, it might not be legal to do so.
  
  --
  Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
10. Re:One of the reasons... by alexmagni · 2010-03-26 01:23 · Score: 1
  
  on a Mac, try Boxer boxerapp.com : it is THE frontend for any dosbox game
11. Re:One of the reasons... by Totenglocke · 2010-03-26 02:03 · Score: 1
  
  now, games from 1995 to about 2000 were all Win9x abominations that won't work
  I have to ask, are you using Vista? Vista is the only OS I've had where my older games won't work. I've installed several games from 1995-2000 on my windows 7 machine and they run just fine.
  
  --
  "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
12. Re:One of the reasons... by Rogerborg · 2010-03-26 02:11 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Yes, because I hadn't thought of that, you're so much smarter than me.
  Hang on now, be fair - your wife also says I'm a better lover.
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
13. Re:One of the reasons... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:13 · Score: 0
  
  ...why i am losing interest in games rapidly.
  
  Then again, maybe it is just me getting older, having kids, etc.
  This...
  At this point if I need my RTS fix, I either play a freebie like Warzone 2100 or load up Command and Conquer: The First Decade.
  I don't need fancy graphics to blow stuff up, turtle, and rush. And I don't need the bullshit that EA is pushing. I'm a 42 year old software engineer with disposable income, and if they want my business they're going to have to stop ass-raping me every time I buy one of their titles.
14. Re:One of the reasons... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:42 · Score: 0
  
  "While i can still play games i bought 15 years ago, there is no guarantee whatsoever that i can play today's games in 15 years."
  There is no guarantee that you can play the game now after buying it.
  Happened to me 6 times from 10 with the games i bought recently. Either their DRM had problem with some CD software installed, anti-virus installed or just plainly didn't like my DVD drive model (low level driver stuff).
  Frankly, buying a modern game recently is a big risk for me. And my experience with getting support are mostly negative. The reason is, probably, that the way DRM can mess up with your system configuration are so many, that there really isn't a way to support all the issues in a timely matter (for the support team), which leaves you with bought but unplayable game.
  I find it also amusing that in order to satisfy the DRM system, I had to disable the ant-virus solution completely (with firewall) which leaves me exposed to internet without any protection. In the recent history you could just unplug the internet and play disconnected, now you are also required to be connected to internet. Malware here I come :-DD Yeah its sad.
15. Re:One of the reasons... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 03:06 · Score: 0
  
  I use WinXP64 for gaming; Populous The Beginning (96), Dungeon Keeper (95), C&C95 (95), Tiberian Sun (99), Pharaoh (97), Dungeon Keeper 2 (99), Starcraft all work perfectly fine, hell, the only one that's flaky is DK2 but that's only because it's bugged up the ass and was unreliable when it was new.
16. Re:One of the reasons... by Shihar · 2010-03-26 03:10 · Score: 1
  
  Funny you should say that. I actually just bought Alpha Centuari on Amazon. It came all patched up and works like a champ. I don't need to fucking be online to beg EA/Ubi's sever to fucking play it.
Dont worry Green, solution is coming by unity100 · 2010-03-25 23:25 · Score: 3, Informative

Razor1911 is on it.

--
Read radical news here
1. Re:Dont worry Green, solution is coming by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 00:47 · Score: 0
  
  Not if The Humble Guys get to it first. I wonder if The NotSoHumbleBabe is out of prison yet?
2. Re:Dont worry Green, solution is coming by Spad · 2010-03-26 01:05 · Score: 1
  
  Reloaded beat them to it
market tools vs. EULA by muckracer · 2010-03-25 23:26 · Score: 1

> the constant disruption of my C&C4 SP game makes this unplayable
So how is the producer of the game get the message via free market tools, when EULA's as well as store policies prohibit the return of 'opened' games? From what I can tell for at least this user above the product is clearly defective. It relies on the non-defectiveness of things outside the package, such as his ISP etc.. Yet I am sure they will not give him a return/refund because they'll disagree about the defectiveness of the game. But is this even enforcible? I'd say, something like this needs to go to court eventually!
1. Re:market tools vs. EULA by yezu · 2010-03-25 23:38 · Score: 0
  
  I tried to return the game... No way... "The game is fine. It's your hardware that is defective."
2. Re:market tools vs. EULA by Lucky_Norseman · 2010-03-25 23:57 · Score: 1
  
  Next time, bring a lawyer along and let the salesman talk to him. Thir reply might change quite a bit.
3. Re:market tools vs. EULA by Vanderhoth · 2010-03-26 00:03 · Score: 1
  
  Not that I don't like your solution, but don't you think it'd be much more expensive to pay the lawyer to go to the store with you?
  If you could get the store to pay your lawyer fees because they gave you a hard time on a defective or misleading product that'd be a different story, but if you could do that the store wouldn't give you a hard time in the first place.
4. Re:market tools vs. EULA by TheRaven64 · 2010-03-26 00:41 · Score: 1
  
  Not sure about your jurisdiction, but in the UK they can not legally refuse the return, as long as all of the original packaging is there. Ask to talk to the manager, keep repeating your complaint loudly enough for other people to hear it, and refuse to leave. Suggest that if they want you to leave that they should call the police, who will be able to explain the relevant law to them.
  
  --
  I am TheRaven on Soylent News
5. Re:market tools vs. EULA by Dunbal · 2010-03-26 01:03 · Score: 1
  
  Next time, bring a lawyer along and let the salesman talk to him. Thir reply might change quite a bit.
  Yes that will be far cheaper than writing off a $50 or so game.
  
  --
  Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
6. Re:market tools vs. EULA by Svartalf · 2010-03-26 01:59 · Score: 1
  
  Heh... Why not presume that the $50 game will be toast due to DRM and not bother to buy, no matter how shiny it might seem at the time?
  As for bringing an attorney, sometimes things are worth more in principal than the actual cash value...
  
  --
  I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
It's worse than that... by VMaN · 2010-03-25 23:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

these DRM failures have scared me away from buying games, life is too short.
Much like Sony demonstrated that CDs are fair game for malware deployment, I'm never buying another CD or game again.
My gaming is pretty retro by now, so I can live with it, and the occasional pirated/cracked game.
It's kinda funny that I have more faith in crackers to give me a "clean" product, than i do in the publishers.
I have the money for the odd game i want, but I have exactly zero patience with DRM. Oh and my original Quake and Diablo install discs don't require any kind of activation from a remote server, and should work just fine in another 20 years.
1. Re:It's worse than that... by Monkeedude1212 · 2010-03-26 02:42 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I know exactly what you mean. Basically a Sunday evening goes like this:
  Me + 2 roomates. Lets play a PC Game. What genre? If its RTS we'll go with Either Starcraft or Age of Empires 2 mostly. Turn Based? Probably one of the Civs, or Age of Wonders. First Person shooter? Well we got Rainbow 6 Rogue Spear or the Original Ghost Recon if we're in the tactical mode. Original Halo. Anything in the Half Life verse, 1 or 2. If we want to try a new FPS we normally just browse the free HL2 Mods on Steam - find one we want. No need for Nazi Zombies on CoD when theres half a dozen zombie games already made online. Roleplaying, probably DotA. And I got Madden 98 should we feel the need for a sports game, but thats never actually happened.
  Basically, all the bases are covered already. And we don't have to worry about buying the next gen console to play em, making sure our internet speed is the decent and not flaky, and in most cases, you can make an ISO of the CD without any hitches, and just use that in a virtual drive (no need to CD Swap like in the old days). In the case that you want to play online against other people, most games have CD Keys built into their DRM, so you can't have 2 people online with the same Key at once. And thats fine, thats DRM we can live with, because it still means we can play it locally and have fun.
  I don't get why they had to mess with that structure - it worked VERY very well.
  A) Games were inclined to create multiplayer content, so that limitting their online usage to 1 key was understandable and accepted.
  B) You never needed a connection to play the single player content. This means you could share with your friends but thats like what, maybe a dozen people if you're slutty with your games. And that'll incline them to go out and buy the game themselves if they really enjoy it, so they can continue to play it when they give you your game back.
  C) It's lifespan still has not died, and won't likely. Sure - their hosting servers might go down and the large matchmaking system could go under in a decade, but so long as you can still host a lan party, its all good.
  Even Spore or World of Warcraft's system works, where you Register online ONCE, with your CD Key, and you don't have to enter it ever again. Then all you need to remember is your account info (*Yes, I know WoW you need a constant connection, but the DRM otherwise is pretty weak. This is why private WoW servers can run). You can share your account info, but you can't both login online at the same time. Which means you can't play together, usually, but allows you to share it enough to the point where it'll convince the other person to buy it if they enjoy playing it and want to face off against you.
  If it ain't broken, why did they fix it?
I feel robbed... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:35 · Score: 0

The DRM is bad but the game is crap anyway... I've bought he game for SP, and it's a freaking joke. I feel robbed.
I big fail on the part of EA. I'm not buying another game from them until they drop that DRM scheme, I'm not buying any Ubisoft games either.
I mean seriously... Are these guys so dumb? People will pirate the games no matter what. And the more idiotic the DRM the less people will buy the game...
Not fit for purpose. by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:41 · Score: 0

mod points...anoning
In Aus, if this style of DRM really is this flaky, it has got to be getting pretty close to "not fit for purpose" under trade practice laws. The ACCC has used this against DVD manufacturers, re: regional coding.
Any Aussies who have bought this game, and had this problem, make a complaint to the ACCC. All of you. For every title with DRM like this. Only when they can see a pattern of complaints that drifts above the general background hum of whinging will someone look closely enough to say, "hey, wtf?", and bring it to a higher-up. The squeaky wheel etc and so on.
Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by tepples · 2010-03-25 23:42 · Score: 1

With an Xbox Controller and HDMI output, I can play Batman, GTA, etc. on my HDTV, sitting on my couch, with (far) better graphics than on any so-called Next-gen console.
Does your "etc." include proper counterparts to Super Smash Bros. series, Mario Kart series, and Animal Crossing series? I'd like to know what PC games you recommend for fans of these Nintendo-exclusive franchises.
1. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by nedlohs · 2010-03-26 00:26 · Score: 1
  
  The comparison was with the PS3, so how is the PC any different than is if you want to play Nintendo exclusives?
  And what about those Wii owners who want to play PC "exclusives", what do they do???
2. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by loutr · 2010-03-26 00:59 · Score: 1
  
  Does your "etc." include proper counterparts to Super Smash Bros. series, Mario Kart series, and Animal Crossing series?
  No*, that's the reason I've got a Wii ;) As Nedlohs says, I was comparing PCs to PS3 (and Xbox 360, as they are very similar).
  I only use the Wii when friends come over, for solo and online play I use the PC.
  *SFIV and Trackmania could be viable alternatives though. Trackmania wii is coming out soon, you should check it out if you haven't played it yet. Trackmania Nations is free, it's awesome on a big screen TV, very (very) fast and still looks good. The only downside is that there's no split-screen on the PC version.
3. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by Jaysyn · 2010-03-26 01:10 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah & you can't plays those on a PS3 either, so what is your point?
  Oh & there are PC clones for SSB & SMK, can't vouch for how good they are, but there you go.
  
  --
  There is a war going on for your mind.
4. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by tepples · 2010-03-26 01:30 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah & you can't plays those on a PS3 either, so what is your point?
  I don't have a PS3 nor plan to buy one anytime soon and therefore know next to nothing about the selection of video games available for PS3. I used Wii as an example of a video gaming platform that serves some specific genres better than the PC does. Feel free to substitute any other examples of genres that are better served on PS3 than PC.
5. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:09 · Score: 0
  
  There are various emulators for every Nintendo system (yes, even the Wii), so you could just play those game on a PC. I play N64 games all the time.
6. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by tepples · 2010-03-26 02:25 · Score: 1
  
  There are various emulators for every Nintendo system (yes, even the Wii), so you could just play those game on a PC.
  But don't you need a jailbroken Wii to dump the Game Discs anyway?
  
  I play N64 games all the time.
  Retrode works for dumping Super NES and Sega Genesis cartridges. What do you use to dump your N64 Game Paks? (Downloading copies of carts you own from ROM sites is highly questionable since UMG v. MP3.com.)
7. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 06:22 · Score: 0
  
  Jesus christ, you've said this 300 times in this thread already. We get it, you're trying to replace three Wii games with PC games.
  
  1) Mario Kart: Go buy Sega and Sonic All Stars Racing. It's identical to Mario Kart and has a PC version.
  2) Super Smash Brothers: Go buy Powerstone Collection for PC. It's not identical but it's very simliar. Super Smash Flash and Multi-Hero are good flash based replacements, though they lack some of the depth.
  3) Animal Crossing: Sorry, there doesn't exist and probably won't ever exist something this horrendously gay for the PC. Titles this stupid and cutesty are relegated to Nintendo consoles for good reason and should stay there until infinity.
  
  Does this mean I can read the rest of the forum without hearing about how you want replacements for Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Brothers? Please?
8. Re:Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing by h4rr4r · 2010-03-26 08:18 · Score: 1
  
  The dolphin emulator, plays wii games in HD. Something the real wii can't even manage.
Here an idea by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-25 23:43 · Score: 0

Just buy the retail game and then download the DRM-free version. The company gets paid and you get an unbroken game.
1. Re:Here an idea by Svartalf · 2010-03-26 02:02 · Score: 1
  
  Here's a better idea...
  Don't buy the retail game at all. If you're needing to "break" the game, why give the SOB's cash to begin with? Because you can't not buy the shiny new game that's overpriced and like excrement locked inside of a safe inside of another safe?
  
  --
  I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Indie games by tepples · 2010-03-25 23:45 · Score: 2, Interesting

Consoles and physical media will be the way forward from now. With X-Box supporting all the latest DX technology, PS3 offering unparalleled processing power, and Wii providing an innovative user interface, the time has never been better for game developers to migrate away from the too-open platform of PCs.
Except for students, hobbyists, and studios that are that too small to qualify for a devkit. See also Bob's Game.
1. Re:Indie games by Shrike82 · 2010-03-26 04:17 · Score: 1
  
  Isn't Microsoft's XNA Toolkit freely available? Is this the sort of devkit you're referring to?
  
  --
  You can advertise in this sig from as little as £99.99 a month!
2. Re:Indie games by tepples · 2010-03-26 04:44 · Score: 1
  If you claim that XNA has obsoleted PC game development, you're also claiming the following:
  
  All indie games must be developed for the Xbox 360 and only the Xbox 360.
  No indie game shall take place in a fantasy world with fleshed out fictional languages.
  No indie game shall use speech synthesis to voice the game characters.
  Or were you not aware of the drawbacks of XNA?
3. Re:Indie games by Shrike82 · 2010-03-28 21:17 · Score: 1
  
  I didn't claim anything except that XNA waws free and that it was a game development toolkit. Sure it's probably not perfect but its a great way for small developers and students (the people you mentioned) to cut their teeth on game development. Better a free but flawed toolkit than no toolkit at all?
  
  --
  You can advertise in this sig from as little as £99.99 a month!
4. Re:Indie games by tepples · 2010-03-28 22:36 · Score: 1
  
  I didn't claim anything
  Taken into context, it sounded like you were recommending XNA so as to agree with BadAnalogyGuy. I apologize.
5. Re:Indie games by Shrike82 · 2010-03-29 21:17 · Score: 1
  
  No need for apologies.
  
  I agree that XNA has its flaws, but when you consider them - the ones listed in the wikipedia article anyway - they're actually not that major. Sure, no synthesised speech is a bit of a kick in the nether-regions to a developer, no argument. But the "no non-platform languages" is negated by the lack of speech anyway. If you did walk into an elven village and they were all (text) talking in Elven you'd be fairly lost anyway. My main point is that at least indie developers have the opportunity to develop games for the 360, which if I've understood correctly is a lot more than they can do for the Wii or PS3, and furthermore that some pretty successful games have appeared on the LIVE Arcade that were developed using XNA.
  
  --
  You can advertise in this sig from as little as £99.99 a month!
6. Re:Indie games by tepples · 2010-03-30 00:21 · Score: 1
  
  If you did walk into an elven village and they were all (text) talking in Elven you'd be fairly lost anyway.
  That's why you're supposed to find the translator, who also speaks your own language. After he joins your party, the speech is synthesized first in the native language followed by English. (Double XNA fail.) So I guess XNA is good for puzzle games, scrolling platforms, and scrolling shooters, but not involved RPGs.
Open source DRM by tepples · 2010-03-25 23:47 · Score: 1

I, however, will be continuing to play open source games
Even a game that uses an open-source engine can still have DRM. The game doesn't run without the assets (meshes, textures, maps, audio, etc.), and the assets don't get decrypted without the separate executable that enforces the DRM and sends the decrypted assets over a local socket to the game.

which do not require me to buy an entire new computer just to play them.
They might not require you to buy a new computer, but a lot of PC games require other people in your household to buy separate PCs in order to play multiplayer.
1. Re:Open source DRM by selven · 2010-03-26 00:17 · Score: 1
  
  I don't think you understand. I have NO interest in mainstream $60 DRM-locked blockbusters. There are lots of games out there which run on my PC just fine, of which many have no DRM and no proprietary licensing restrictions (and are free of charge too). With all that content out there, who needs the small percentage of it that has DRM on it?
2. Re:Open source DRM by Idimmu+Xul · 2010-03-26 01:31 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I don't think you understand. I have NO interest in mainstream $60 DRM-locked blockbusters. There are lots of games out there which run on my PC just fine, of which many have no DRM and no proprietary licensing restrictions (and are free of charge too). With all that content out there, who needs the small percentage of it that has DRM on it?
  I don't even play games, making me even better than you are. All this fuss over DRM is so silly as it doesn't affect me only you fools. You know what else? Why should we help poor and sick people whilst there are so many healthy rich people? LISTEN TO ME PEOPLE I HAVE THINGS TO SAY ON THE INTERNET! WHY DONT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW RELEVENT I AM TO THE CONVERSATION?
  
  --
  The problem with slashdot is that most of its users were bullied and stuffed into lockers as kids!
3. Re:Open source DRM by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 03:14 · Score: 0
  
  This post is excellent and I am very sad to see that you have been downmodded.
  Alas I have no modpoints to boost you towards +5 Funny.
4. Re:Open source DRM by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 09:29 · Score: 0
  
  I don't even use the internet or own a computer.
  I win.
Have you tried old games in Wine? by tepples · 2010-03-25 23:51 · Score: 1

now, [PC] games from 1995 to about 2000 were all Win9x abominations that won't work.. unless you've still got an old machine lying around with win98
But do they work in Wine? Or have you tried the PlayStation versions in an emulator?
1. Re:Have you tried old games in Wine? by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 01:46 · Score: 0
  
  They work in Wine.
Where an extended service plan comes in handy by tepples · 2010-03-25 23:52 · Score: 1

"The game is fine. It's your hardware that is defective."
I bought the hardware from your store. It obviously has a defect because it won't run this game. Will you take the hardware back too? Here are my extended service plan papers.
I haven't had ANY problems with it by erroneus · 2010-03-25 23:59 · Score: 0, Offtopic

I have somehow managed to have no problems with their DRM scheme at all. It hasn't caused me any frustrations nor any annoyances. How can this be you might ask? Simple. I didn't buy it and I don't play it. I'm pretty much done with PC games. PCs are for other things. Consoles are for games -- no one has a faster processor or video card that gives them an advantage or an edge in some way and even though the playing field for console games still isn't perfectly level, it's far more level there than on PCs.
1. Re:I haven't had ANY problems with it by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 02:21 · Score: 0
  
  Consoles are for games -- no one has a faster processor or video card that gives them an advantage or an edge in some way and even though the playing field for console games still isn't perfectly level, it's far more level there than on PCs.
  Yes, because we all know that RTS games are much better with an Xbox or PS3 controller, as are fast-twitch FPS. *rolls eyes*
  Get back with me when keyboard and mouse are standard, supported peripherals on consoles and not an afterthought.
2. Re:I haven't had ANY problems with it by CyberDragon777 · 2010-03-26 03:54 · Score: 1
  
  no one has a faster processor or video card that gives them an advantage or an edge in some way
  What kind of advantage does a faster CPU/GPU give?
  If your system meets the minimum requirements (display/movement is not lagging) the only difference high-end hardware makes is prettyness. (Not saying that prettyness is not important, just not a competitive advantage.)
  
  --
  We both said a lot of things that you are going to regret.
I'm not a happy bunny either by RogueyWon · 2010-03-25 23:59 · Score: 5, Informative

I've been stung by this one. There was little (or in fact no) warning in advance of release that the copy protection would take this form and, as this was an EA rather than an Ubisoft game, I didn't assume that it would. So, like a fool, I went and placed a pre-order with an electronic-only retailer.
Of course, the release day comes and various forums explode with news of the DRM. I had already made a decision not to buy any games with Ubisoft-style DRM... and now find myself accidentally in breach of that. I try to get a refund... and fail.
After a few days of unsuccessfully trying for a refund, I give up. I say "ok, I'll see for myself just how bad this is". So I pass up any lingering hopes of a refund and download and install the game. Just getting the launcher to start up is a hassle, as there are assorted known issues with it. Eventually, I figure out that I have to manually update the EA Download Manager (an entirely separate piece of software) before the game will run. Having done all of this, and created an account, I click the button to try to play the game. And get told that the DRM client "cannot connect to the internet". I check my net connection; no problems - I've had an IRC client running the whole time with no interruptions. Ok, maybe it's a router problem... nope, everything's fine there. I check a few forums and find that the solution is "keep trying, it works eventually."
Ok, so I do this. On the 7th or 8th try, it succeeds in logging in (so yes, it's just an inappropriate error message). The game starts, and I marvel at how retro and primative everything feels. Yes, it's defaulted my graphics to 800x600, despite the fact that pretty much every other game around these days will default to my desktop resolution and take a stab at estimating my graphics settings. Ok, no big deal, it only takes a few minutes to change things.
So, time to start the game. I'm only interested in the singleplayer campaign. I don't tend to play non-subscription games online these days; I've long since gotten sick of tolerating the 14 year old pottymouths who infest pretty much any other kind of online play. So you can imagine how delighted I am to find myself in a chatroom full of said lowlifes... on the singleplayer campaign menu. Yes, while I try to read the mission briefing, I have a window open below it full of idiot children amusing themselves in the usual way. Clicking past that, I get into the mission.
I knew from the pre-release reviews (none of which mentioned the DRM) that the C&C gameplay had been radically altered; that base building had gone. I hadn't been massively enthused by this, but I'd decided to give it a go. After all, I got plenty of enjoyment out of Dawn of War 2 and its expansion, even though I would have preferred they stuck to the traditional RTS approach. Anyway, the first couple of C&C4 missions are tutorial type things, which is fine. I'm already starting to worry that we've lost some gameplay depth, but now I've committed my money, I'm determined to give it a go. The first two tutorials are over very quickly. I get into the third, and notice that while it's still a tutorial, it's a good bit longer. 15 minutes into it... disconnected from the server... progress lost.
Fantastic.
It takes me 10 minutes to manage to log into EA's servers again (and this isn't launch day, but several days later). When I get back in, I manage to complete that mission. I then get into the game proper, and choose my faction. Starting the first proper mission (for the Nod faction) my worries about the gameplay really start to grow. There's no robustness to the micro-level combat. You're just dragging a force around from one waypoint to the next. Mid-mission, my objective changes abruptly, from conquest to escort. Before I've really cottoned on to this, the vehicles I'm supposed to escort have wandered off and been destroyed. So I revert to a mid-mission save, and go again. This time, I'm ready for the objective switch. I escort the units across the map. Just as they're a
1. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by thijsh · 2010-03-26 00:23 · Score: 1
  
  What an excellent review. I won't be buying C&C 4 (while I own practically every game in the series).
  Seems to me they'll be losing quite a few fans if the continue like this... It's not even hard for me not to buy the game, I stopped caring just now.
2. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 01:27 · Score: 0
  
  Thank you for this. Will not even consider purchase of this game. I do not follow game releases any longer, but was a huge fan of the previous C&C series. I probably would have unwittingly bought this if I saw it in a store. Ugh, such a pity.
3. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by jockeys · 2010-03-26 01:44 · Score: 1
  
  thanks for the review
  
  --
  
  In Soviet Russia jokes are formulaic and decidedly non-humorous.
4. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by Urza9814 · 2010-03-26 01:52 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  If you're in the US, it's illegal in most states for them to refuse you a refund if the game doesn't work (and it sounds like it doesn't) within 30/60/90 days of purchase. Doesn't matter what store/company policy is, doesn't matter what the EULA says. Check your state's consumer protection laws. You may be able to unbreak that boycott.
5. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by apoc.famine · 2010-03-26 02:07 · Score: 1
  
  Um, this is a fantastic example of why I stopped buying EA games 7-8 years ago. I remain amazed that the rest of the world still gives them money.
  
  I started playing C&C with RA in 1996-1997. I loved the game. But once the games got an EA sticker on them, I haven't played any of the new ones. Don't pay EA to kick you in the balls. It's not worth it.
  
  --
  Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
6. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by Digicaf · 2010-03-26 02:45 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  The funny thing that occurs to me is that, part and parcel with the game is the understanding that the purchase price buys a service from EA. That service is EA keeping the activation servers up and insuring that the game talks properly to the server.
  In my view, you paid for a service and are not being provided that service. This opens the door to all kinds of things on your end, least of which is issuing a chargeback if you paid using a credit card.
  All that being said, I am not a lawyer.
7. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by RogueyWon · 2010-03-26 03:11 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, I really liked C&C3. It was pacey, well produced and captured more of the "feel" of the original C&C than any of the other installments in the series. I think Westwood were in some ways the authors of their own woes; I know C&C2 and Red Alert 2 have a cult following, but they were way behind the competition at the time they were released and their wider reception was fairly dire.
  After the false start that was Generals, I'd actually felt that EA were starting to get the series back on track with C&C3 and, to a slightly lesser degree, RA3. Unfortunately, C&C4 has gone and proven me wrong.
8. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by DarthVain · 2010-03-26 03:46 · Score: 1
  
  Sounds like an innovative addition to difficulty level.
  Not only is the game hard, but it is also hard to play. Genius, pure genius. The GAME is the GAME! Oh man that blows my mind! They have shifted the game into reality, groovy. I must be smokin' they same stuff they smoke, because I get it man! I just get it! :)
9. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by DarthVain · 2010-03-26 03:51 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Although this also brings us back to the "golden age" of gaming on my 286.
  Where you had to FIGHT to get the game to even work. Playing with batch files, EMS and XMS memory, loading with 15 floppy disks, etc... Seriously I think it was the messing around with computers to get them to even play games which is what got me interested in computers in the first place, which led to my education path, and presently my work environment....
  Wait a tick. I take all the nostalgia back. Burn it all.
10. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 03:58 · Score: 0
  
  This is exactly right. C&C4 tried to emulate the scope of more unit-oriented RTS games like Dawn of War, Company of Hereos, and World In Conflict, without increasing the level of detail of C&C style play.
11. Re:I'm not a happy bunny either by RogueyWon · 2010-03-26 04:43 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  I can't emphasise this enough.
  If you fire up Dawn of War 2, you are only ever controlling a small number of units at once. However, each of these units is highly sophisticated. They can be tweaked extensively between missions and, depending on the tweaks you make, have access to a wide variety of special abilities and powers during missions. They have more in common with a character from a party-based role-playing game like Baldur's Gate than with a traditional RTS unit. When you're actually deployed in the mission, the terrain is highly complicated and the environment has many interactive elements. Securing an area (provided you aren't on the easiest difficulty) will involve careful micromanagement, use of cover, and co-ordination between individual units. Thus the game compensates for the depth it loses by stripping out the traditional base-building and resource management elements of the RTS genre.
  If you fire up Supreme Commander 2, you are faced with fairly generic units, most of whom have no special abilities or powers, and which are normally only capable of moving and attacking (though exceptions exist). However, you are managing hundreds of units at once, often fighting on multiple fronts (one set of units defending your base, while an expeditionary force goes on the offensive, with both teams containing hundreds of vehicles). You have little capacity to micromanage individual units without losing control of the wider battlefield, but the depth here comes from managing your economy, building up your base, and controlling a large combined-arms force.
  Both of those approaches to the RTS genre are entirely valid and I would have no qualms about recommending either of the above games. They inhabit different ends of the RTS spectrum, but ultimately, the genre is richer for containing both of them. Some will prefer one approach, some the other, and some, like me, are happy with either.
  Then we get C&C4. You are only controlling a small force at any one time (slightly larger than in Dawn of War 2, but not by a huge margin). However, the units within it are generic, cookie-cutter stuff. Only a few have any kind of special abilities to micromanage. For the most part, they just move and attack. At the same time, there is no economy to manage. You have a mobile base that can deploy, quickly build a full force of units (with no resource cost) and then pack itself up and move around again. You can slightly influence the course of battle through micromanagement, but with your small army being so easy and fast to replenish, there's relatively little point. It's better just to wheel up near your target and keep pumping out a combination of two or three unit types until you win. That's all there is to it really; no depth, no strategy, no fun.
EA... by disi · 2010-03-26 00:04 · Score: 1

I was cured by Red Altert 3, where they did or did not remove the drm afterwards. After 6 month being installed on my machine and fully patched it refuses to start anymore (drm error). There isn't even an offcial customer support for that game, you have to go throught your retailer or rely on the community. Reinstall, few GB patch and try again is the common solution.

I am not buying from EA anymore...
It is sad about the game :(
Good for him.... by CFBMoo1 · 2010-03-26 00:08 · Score: 1

I don't have this problem, I haven't been buying new games at all. They just aren't worth the price to me and yet I can't get enough of old games I can fire up under Wine or Dosbox.

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~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
Steam by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 00:24 · Score: 2, Interesting

I work on an offshore oil rig. Internet access is available, but not in my cabin. I had HL2 backed up to DVD but couldn't install it without dragging my laptop to where I could get a net connection. Got it all installed from DVD, patched from the net.
Went back to my cabin, and it wouldn't start. Not authorized! I had to get it back to an internet connection, start the games to authorize them, then go back to my cabin. Why the hell didn't it authorize when I installed and updated!!! Was too late to play.
After that, offline mode was fine. But I paid for this shit. It's frustrating. Newer games will be impossible for me, with a connection required all the time.
Do Free games cover all genres? by tepples · 2010-03-26 00:29 · Score: 1

Say I have a friend who likes Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. He'd be well served by StepMania and Frets On Fire. But say I have another friend who likes Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing. What open-source Linux games would you recommend?
1. Re:Do Free games cover all genres? by Thanshin · 2010-03-26 00:56 · Score: 1
  
  DWARF FORTRESS!
  To both your friends.
  All else is inferior gaming.
  (I do buy and play all the 45$ steam downloaded crap, but nothing compares to DF)
2. Re:Do Free games cover all genres? by adwarf · 2010-03-26 03:07 · Score: 1
  
  DO NOT download dwarf fortress! I have had way to many nights where I forgot to go to bed because of that damn game. You have been warned.
Re:Bonus.... by MistrBlank · 2010-03-26 00:32 · Score: 1

Or.... you know you could disconnect your computer from the Internet.
My game machine only plays the games that I'm currently interested in. I can wipe it at the drop of a hat. Hacks really don't bother me, I do my browsing and real work on my Macbook.
I was talking about genres by tepples · 2010-03-26 00:40 · Score: 1

The comparison was with the PS3, so how is the PC any different than is if you want to play Nintendo exclusives?
I apologize for being unclear; I didn't necessarily mean Nintendo exclusives. For example, "a game like Street Fighter" would include King of Fighters and Mortal Kombat, even though each Street Fighter game started out as a CPS exclusive. Likewise, "a game like Super Mario 64" would include the Spyro series, "a game like Halo" would be other first-person shooters with a vaguely similar play style, and "a game like Smash Bros." would be other platform-fighting games. My point is that I don't know of a lot of open-source platform-fighting games, comic racing games (TuxKart looks stuck in the N64 era), social simulators, or even 3D platformers for Linux.
1. Re:I was talking about genres by nedlohs · 2010-03-26 01:13 · Score: 1
  
  What does linux have to do with it? What does open-source have to do with it?
  It's PC games, a term that refers to games running on MS Windows.
Hello there EA! by L4t3r4lu5 · 2010-03-26 00:53 · Score: 4, Insightful

Here's a nifty statistic for you:

Command and Conquer style games I've bought (first sale):
- Command and Conquer
- Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun
- Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun - Firestorm expansion pack
- Command and Conquer: Renegade
- Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
- Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars - Kane's Wrath expansion pack
- Command and Conquer: Red Alert
- Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
- Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 - Yuri's Revenge expansion pack
- Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3
- Command and Conquer: Generals
- Command and Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour expansion pack

Command and Conquer style games I won't be buying because of DRM restrictions on single-player gameplay:
- Command and Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight

So, there you have it. One guaranteed, demonstrable lost sale because of your choice to implement a ridiculous restriction on single player gameplay. Thanks for reading.

--
Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
1. Re:Hello there EA! by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 03:27 · Score: 0
  
  And second that.
  Looks just like my list of owned c&c games.
  And i dont even have any desire to pirate the latest one. Let alone buying it. between the drm and the shit changes to the game. meh.
  Good job. c&c is dead guys. another good game series down the drain.
  And you wont ever get money out of a c&c rts on consoles. They are crap for rts. So dayum. you totally killed c&c.
2. Re:Hello there EA! by h4rr4r · 2010-03-26 08:02 · Score: 1
  
  I bought each of these games except for #3, then also bought Command and Conquer: The first decade collection. I will not buy CC4 or any other DRMed games.
Hardware Dongle... by joshuao3 · 2010-03-26 01:08 · Score: 1

The USB dongle has been around for years, though I only recall seeing it in association with "professional" applications such as CNC and CAD software. Do you think the gaming world would be receptive of some sort of hardware key for applications with such a low price tag?

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Monitor bandwidth usage on IIS6 in real-time: http://www.waetech.com/services/iisbm/
1. Re:Hardware Dongle... by Vanderhoth · 2010-03-26 01:29 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I don't think it would work.
  People can still modify the software to not check for a dongle, or create fake dongles. Dongles work well in a big companies because if the company is caught using unlicensed software it can mean hundreds of millions of dollars. However, some companies will still work around, or demand work arounds, dongles. I wish I could remember where I read a post on this. I read someone talking about an application they developed that used a dongle, but the customer used laptops and dongles were frequently lost in the field so the customer demanded the software without the dongles. The developer company was able to turn the dongle requirement off just for this "special case". If one person can turn off the requirement then so can others.
  Individuals are (or at least think) they're more anonymous and don't have that kind of capital anyway. That being said, we've all heard about the cases where the *IAA has taken someone to court and won some X hundred thousand dollars.
2. Re:Hardware Dongle... by h4rr4r · 2010-03-26 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  You can fake those. I have done it in the enterprise world with the publishers blessing since their usb key would not work for our situation.
My fault by tepples · 2010-03-26 01:27 · Score: 1

What does linux have to do with it? What does open-source have to do with it?
It's PC games, a term that refers to games running on MS Windows.
I screwed up. I confused this part of the discussion with another part of this discussion. So what platform fighting game should I play on a PC running Windows? Street Fighter IV is not a platform fighting game because there are no platforms to jump on; the floor is a straight line. And is there any Windows game closer to Animal Crossing than The Sims is?
1. Re:My fault by nedlohs · 2010-03-26 01:37 · Score: 1
  
  No idea.
  well maybe, http://www.dolphin-emu.com/ but I've never used it, don't know if it works, and don't play those game genres (and I have a wii anyway if I did want to...)
Re:Bonus.... by xtracto · 2010-03-26 01:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

That is the typical scaremongering of the BSA. Although some of the patches have trojans, the idea of using sites like PirateBay and the like where releases are PEER REVIEWED pretty much renders that point moot.

--
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
No net at all by Nephrite · 2010-03-26 01:46 · Score: 1

I keep windows on my box only for games. I purposefully switched off all network in order keep the viruses out. So now I will not able to play. Thanks. And to think of it, I've legitimatrly bought all C&C series games.
But where do you get Windows 98? by tepples · 2010-03-26 01:53 · Score: 1

And in the 21st century, we invented virtual machines, so keeping a Win98 install "lying around" means a couple of mouse clicks.
And a lot of hunting on eBay to find a genuine copy of Windows 98 to install in the virtual machine.

You should join us here in the Future
Before or after 2094, when copyright in Windows 98 expires?
1. Re:But where do you get Windows 98? by Rogerborg · 2010-03-26 02:14 · Score: 1
  
  Y'all don't have your genuine copy backed up as an ISO? Another thing that we have here in the World of Tomorrow is ample storage space. If you're that pressed for space, you may want to consider finally letting go of that archive of Bianca Troll's Smut Shack and all those Cindy Crawford jpegs.
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
2. Re:But where do you get Windows 98? by tepples · 2010-03-26 02:26 · Score: 1
  
  Y'all don't have your genuine copy backed up as an ISO?
  No. When I retired the computer, I didn't think I'd need its restore disc and product key label anymore.
3. Re:But where do you get Windows 98? by Rogerborg · 2010-03-26 04:57 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  That's like dumping a fat chick and not keeping her number for a drunken booty call. You know one night, after a bottle of absinthe and half a pack of horse tranquillisers, you're going to regret that.
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Excellent, Rational review by gadlaw · 2010-03-26 02:23 · Score: 1

Well, this isn't a rant and it provides a rational review of what is a unmitigated disaster. I'm a C&C fan and I won't be buying this one. I don't buy DRMed games, especially ones as horrible as this one. It's funny, you take the best and most loved franchises and you give us this sort of crap. Outstanding. But they are weaning me off of games, except for the old standbys I have my copies of. And of course, I'll be open to buying it when the DRM is legally stripped out of it.

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Enjoy your Karma, after all you earned it. Feel your Karma Joe, feel it burn.
This DRM makes no sense whatsoever by EnsilZah · 2010-03-26 02:57 · Score: 1

Disregarding the various moral, philosophical, first-sale doctrine stuff for a moment.
This thing makes absolutely no practical sense for EA.
The one thing DRM has going for it, from the publisher's point of view, is preventing some guy who bought the game from putting it in the drive and making a few copies for his friends, in the hope that they might buy when that option is unavailable.
Now there's been DRM that's been able to do that for years.
Once someone is committed enough to install something like Alcohol 120% or look for the cracked game online the game is over for DRM.
All a publisher can gain from more draconian DRM is maybe buy themselves a few more days, at the cost of dissatisfaction from customers and now apparently upkeep for servers.
Once the crackers have access to the files it's a matter of personal pride to prove how clever they are, and there will be someone motivated enough and clever enough to break this thing that the publisher spent developers, time, money on, and will have to do so again next time.
So I really don't see an economic reason they would do this.
Am I missing something or are they just misinformed or just wanting to appear as if they're doing something to keep the stockholders at bay?
1. Re:This DRM makes no sense whatsoever by timlash · 2010-03-26 08:32 · Score: 1
  
  There's a legion of pointy haired bosses who lead staffs of developers charged with applying DRM. They have a keen interest in seeing DRM applied in any and all situations. Further, they aren't shy about warning their respective executive chain about the horrors the business would experience in the absence of DRM.
  
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  US2B
Second hand games by Digital_Quartz · 2010-03-26 03:16 · Score: 1

For one, there's the second hand game market. DRM does a good job of killing it. Even with Steam, there's no way to sell your old games.
It's a stupid argument too, though; you have to be willing to suffer all of this bad press and associated lost sales in the hopes that you will get extra sales in the tail end of your product's life-cycle.
It also fails to take into account that most people have a certain finite amount of disposable income they're willing to spend on games. I suppose the studio would rather see you spend money on one new game instead of one two used games, but on the other hand the guy who sold those two used games is probably going to take the money and spend it on a new game.
He should criticize the game itself. by Yunzil · 2010-03-26 04:18 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because it's pretty terrible. Well, let me clarify that. If it was some other combat game set in any other universe released for cheap on Steam it would be OK. For a Command and Conquer game it blows.
No base building?
No resource gathering?
No continuity with the previous story?
Did anybody in EA management play any of the other C&C games? Or even know of their existence?
C&C 4 is the Indiana Jones 4 of the gaming world. What is it with 4s?
yep - Ubi's name is dogshit by BitterAndDrunk · 2010-03-26 04:56 · Score: 1

Ironically, I'm a heavy Steam user (DRM hell etc)
But I won't buy an Ubisoft game. I really really want the Anno game and expansion. Didn't get them.
Same with any Ubisoft game at this point.

--
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . . .
Fallout 3! by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 05:08 · Score: 0

Get Fallout 3! No DRM (except the loader which you don't ever have to use), no network connection required, can pick it up and leave it on a seconds notice, and holds its fun value until you get back to it. Perfect game.
Two out of three ain't bad by tepples · 2010-03-26 06:36 · Score: 1

Go buy Sega and Sonic All Stars Racing [and] Powerstone Collection for PC
Thanks a lot. I'll look into the games you suggested.
All I can say is gog by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-26 07:08 · Score: 0

www.gog.com
I read about this a few days ago, haven't tried it out yet, but sure sounds like a good thing/alternative. Sure the games are old, but they are good enough that they were seen as worth making play on new systems again. $10 and no DRM.
Note: I know this seems like a slashvertisement, but I am not affiliated with gog in any way.
Don't buy these games by h4rr4r · 2010-03-26 07:58 · Score: 1

Is this really that hard to understand?
If they want to screw you, do not buy the game.
This article is part of the problem by Anonymous Coward · 2010-03-27 16:03 · Score: 0

Would you rather he be a robotic shill that never criticises bad decisions his corporation makes like every other pr guy? He still gushes about how great the game is, don't worry.