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Copy protection

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pc

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.

The official Mass Effect FAQ explains it all.

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5:40 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By Michael McWhertor
18,651 views, 275 comments

Latest by UFO: I had this on my list of games to buy, but now its going the way of bioshock i`ll spend my money elsewhere. Kinda ironic that the very thing they use to protect a game makes people not buy it but more »

bleeding customers

BioShock CP Hassles Continue

bioshockbuttsechs.jpgFirst 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

8:00 AM on Thu Aug 23 2007
By Mike Fahey
15,775 views, 157 comments

more bioshock shock

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.

UPDATE - Elizabeth from 2K has repsonded on the forums, clarifying the copy protection issue. The key lies in uninstalling before you reinstall. Uninstalling registers the same as installing does, so if you do not perform an uninstall first SecuROM thinks you are just installing the game on different systems over and over again. Hit the jump for the full text of Elizabeth's message, and thanks for everyone who followed up on the issue.


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10:20 AM on Wed Aug 22 2007
By Mike Fahey
101,265 views, 237 comments

Latest by footsy: i'd have to say this, its better to just download the game to actually buy it. even though personally i dont believe thats the right way to do it. it seems to be too much of a burden to buy more »

hd dvd

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 »

2:50 PM on Fri Dec 29 2006
By Mike Fahey
525 views, 24 comments

sony

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 »

10:50 PM on Mon Jul 17 2006
By egauger
554 views, 24 comments

ps3

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 »

11:01 AM on Sun May 21 2006
By Michael McWhertor
560 views, 9 comments

starforce

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 »

12:00 PM on Mon Mar 27 2006
By brownlee
181 views, 3 comments

drm

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 »

10:40 AM on Tue Mar 21 2006
By brownlee
1,130 views, 5 comments

copy protection

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 »

8:40 AM on Wed Mar 15 2006
By brownlee
119 views, 8 comments

starforce

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 »

12:20 PM on Fri Mar 10 2006
By brownlee
42 views, 1 comment