<![CDATA[Kotaku: Copy Protection]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Copy Protection]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/copy protection http://kotaku.com/tag/copy protection <![CDATA[Remembering the Early Days of Copy Protection]]> I remember when my copy of Legacy of the Ancients arrived with its codewheel. I fired up my 1200 baud acoustically-coupled modem, hit the BBS and ranted my indignation that I can do as I please with my purchase. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5358101&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Deliberate Glitch Foils Arkham PC Pirates]]> A deliberate glitch in the PC version of Batman: Arkham Asylum has pirates perplexed to the point of accidentally outing themselves on the official Eidos forums. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5356752&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[No DRM For The Sims 3]]> Rather than anger their fanbase with intrusive digital rights management technology, EA has opted to stick with tried and true Serial Code protection for The Sims 3. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5186987&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Creative Assembly: Fighting Piracy Is Pointless]]> What's the point of fighting PC game piracy? According to Stormrise developer Creative Assembly Australia's communications manager Vispi Bhopti, there isn't one. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5160759&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[GTA IV On PC TO Use SecuROM]]> I'll say this for Rockstar - they do like a controversy. Usually, though, they go in for cool controversies like sexy mini games or the sensationalised depiction of car crime and bullying. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5099919&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[No DRM Issues For Fallout 3]]> With all of the furor whipped up in the wake of Spore's restrictive digital rights management system, DRM is a hot-button issue with PC gamers the world over. In an interview with Shacknews, Bethesda spokesman Pete Hines reveals that Fallout 3 - one of the year's most anticipated games for the PC - won't come with any sort of DRM at all. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5057989&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The PC Gamer's Bill of Rights]]> Not a day goes by that PC gamers don't have something to complain about, whether it be misleading PC requirements for the games they buy, games being released in an unfinished state, or brutal copy protection measures that treat them as if they were all potential criminals. Indie developer and publisher Stardock feels PC gamers' pain, and has announced a Gamer's Bill of Rights, containing 10 specific rights that all PC gamers should have, as a guideline to encourage PC gaming companies to embrace better customer service policies. The list includes the right to return games that don't work on your PC, realistic minimum requirements, and single-player games that don't force players to connect to the internet. Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor wholeheartedly approves.
"This is an awesome framework for the industry to aspire to, and ultimately so that we can provide our customers with the gaming experience that they have wanted for years, and really deserve."
Hit the jump for the full list of rights. They're intelligent, well through-out, and will never be officially instituted in a million years. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5043432&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Mass Effect Copy Protection An Opportunity To Use The Adjective 'Draconian']]> EA and BioWare are employing SecuROM for the PC release of Mass Effect, a copy protection scheme you may recall from its universally loathed inclusion in 2K's BioShock. The Mass Effect SecuROM annoyance factor may be much more extreme, as the game requires that the owner authenticate the copy every ten days, meaning that an internet connection is required to play the game from the get-go and until eternity. In other words, if you paid for your copy of Mass Effect, expect to remind EA's authentication servers every week and a half that you aren't stealing it. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=387846&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[BioShock CP Hassles Continue]]> First I posted about the problems with BioShock copy protection. Then I edited the post to add in 2K's statement on the issue at the behest of several readers. Now i wake up to even more problems. Elizabeth's post was all well and good, but when people are having problems uninstalling the game in the first place, the whole uninstall it to get your install token thing doesn't work. From what I've read in the forum thread, even if you uninstall properly there's no guarantee it will register, and as illustrated by the graphic above, contacting SecuROM as 2K suggested often gets you directed back to 2K. You know, I used to hate CD keys, but they're looking better every minute. Let's hope there is some sort of official response to the issue soon (REMOVE THE DAMN COPY PROTECTION), or 2K will continue hemorrhaging loyal PC customers. Hit the link below and read through the thread for some excellent analogy work. How Many Installs Do We Get? [2K Forums - Thanks Aspen] Image Courtesy of NoFrag More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=292603&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[BioShock PC - You Only Install Twice (Updated)]]> As if 2K wasn't taking enough flak from yesterday's widescreen debacle, now gamers who have spent their hard-earned cash on the PC version of BioShock are finding that they can only install the game twice, ever. The game uses SecuROM copy protection, which verifies the install of the game remotely, disabling further installs once the game has been installed twice. This means if you are the type of person like me who formats your computer frequently to to get rid of generic crap buildup, you are screwed. If you frequently shift around games to free up space, you are screwed. If you are a pirate...well, you'll probably come up with a work around, so at least the criminals are safe, right? Be gentle with the link below. Seems 2K's forums are getting slammed for some odd reason. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=292222&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[HD DVD Possibly Cracked]]> A creative code restructurer named Muslix64 claims to have created an application that strips encryption from HD DVD discs. The program is called BackupHDDVD, and if Muslix's claims are true, it breaks the unbreakable AACS content protection system used by both next-gen DVD formats. What's the gaming angle? With Blu-ray have more than just AACS on it, it's a step, just not that big of one. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=225152&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blu-Ray is a Ballbreaker, Says Microsoft]]>
Here at Kotaku we get constant shit for posting articles about Sony screwing up. But honestly, these things write themselves. It's gotten to the point now where it's not even funny anymore, it's just sad and confusing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=187952&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[IGN Rips Sony A New HDMI Port]]> Look, if you don't know your HDMI from your ICP or your HDCP/AACS, you, Mr. Consumer, might be F'ed by those SOB's at SCEI. IGN Gear takes Sony to task for ripping out the promised feature of HDMI output in the lower-priced PlayStation 3 model, implying that the company may be misleading consumers about the hi-def capabilities of the Blu-Ray enabled PS3 Jr. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=175214&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Starforce Asks Customer To Apologize For Being A Liar]]> More Starforce wackiness! After warezing critics' games and accusing others of being affiliated with the Russian mafia, what's next for gaming's most beloved Russian son? How will they entertain us today? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=163115&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Starforce Reboots Your PC Without Warning. Don't Like It? You're Mafioso.]]> Are you still not convinced that you shouldn't buy games that use Starforce? From Gadget Life: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=161893&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ars Technica Looks At The Future Of Copy Protection]]> ArsTechnica has a column up with the intriguing title "Do copy protection firms encourage piracy?" Then, rather interestingly, they don't bother asking or answering that question at all. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=160607&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Next-Gen Overview Of Copy Protection. Also: Starforce Sucks.]]> NextGen's Greg Vederman has an overview of copy protection currently being used in PC games, including which company we can all hold responsible in our effigy burnings and a list of what game developers use it, for when the revolution is ignited. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=159684&view=rss&microfeed=true