[spartan_0214]

     As far as I'm concerned, StarForce is more evil than SecuROM. As of now, I have both Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Mass Effect installed on my computer. If you didn't know, Splinter Cell requires StarForce and Mass Effect, an EA game, installs SecuROM. With Mass Effect, I have seen little system performance problems. With Splinter Cell, I have been unable to play the game on my Vista x64 Home Premium laptop. All I've gotten information-wise for being able to play Splinter Cell is "install the new StarForce drivers." I can neither download the StarForce drivers from their website nor can I get StarForce to update itself. IMHO, No DRM > SecuROM > StarForce. Anyone who buys EA games should know that every game EA releases has SecuROM on it. EA's done it for the past, what, year or so? Don't get me wrong, though I hate both forms of DRM. There are ways to get past DRM and pirates know them.

[CP5670]

Yes, SCCT is known to not work on a 64-bit OS without a crack. I suppose you could get a newer Starforce game which would install the updated driver, but of course, why would anyone want to do that?

As for EA having used Securom for a while, I don't see how that makes it any more tolerable. The activation limits are what has prompted the recent backlash against EA, but those are just the tip of the iceberg to anyone familiar with this software.

[Titan]

seriously, does this actually DO anything to your comp? Does it just prevent copying?


Because before my parents knew, they said i could get it this weekend.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Digital Rights Management is a farce, in my opinion. It doesn't stop piracy; it just encourages it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/14/AR2008091400885.html

Hooray for the pirates.

[Jeff Vader]

Any copyright management means don't stop piracy. They just make normal people's lives harder.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Any copyright management means don't stop piracy. They just make normal people's lives harder.

* Androgeos Exeunt nods to that.

[Titan]

*reads article*

So, this just means you can't have it on more than 3 comps?

good for me, my family only ever uses 2 anyway, and one's an old macbook...

[Ghostavo]

We could always go back to code wheels...

[Androgeos Exeunt]

*reads article*

So, this just means you can't have it on more than 3 comps?

good for me, my family only ever uses 2 anyway, and one's an old macbook...

They'll probably authenticate it over the Internet. Install it thrice with the same key, and that's it.

We could always go back to code wheels...

...or cracks...

[Ghostavo]

We could always go back to code wheels...

...or cracks...

What do you mean? Code wheels are probably the least annoying copy protection scheme right after cd-keys. I don't see why anyone would complain at it.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Oh, I thought you were talking about a type of copy-protection circumvention.

Actually, I don't mind using CD keys that much either.

[spartan_0214]

I think that the best copy-protection software out there is Steam.

[Titan]

meh, i'm getting it today anyway...

[Mars]

meh, i'm getting it today anyway...

Here's what you do, you go to the store and buy it, and download it from torrents never having opened the box.

[Stormkeeper]

meh, i'm getting it today anyway...

Here's what you do, you go to the store and buy it, and download it from torrents never having opened the box.

I shoulda done that damnit.

That was 50 bucks I could've used to buy NWN2 Gold.

[Mars]

People should buy a game legally...

but once they've bought it, downloading it is IMHO no longer illegal.

[Jeff Vader]

People should buy a game legally...

but once they've bought it, downloading it is IMHO no longer illegal.

Indeed. I'd concider it "making back-ups for personal usage". That can't be wrong.

[BloodEagle]

*reads article*

So, this just means you can't have it on more than 3 comps?

good for me, my family only ever uses 2 anyway, and one's an old macbook...

Unless they've changed since I last looked, it's three lifetime hardware installs. 

People should buy a game legally...

but once they've bought it, downloading it is IMHO no longer illegal.

Indeed. I'd concider it "making back-ups for personal usage". That can't be wrong.

Under the DMCA, it is illegal.

Then again, based on my interpretation, owning a computer is illegal under the DMCA.

[Dark RevenantX]

Being the pessimist I am, I'd bet EA is going to turn this around and sue the country rather than the country suing them.

[MP-Ryan]

     As far as I'm concerned, StarForce is more evil than SecuROM. As of now, I have both Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Mass Effect installed on my computer. If you didn't know, Splinter Cell requires StarForce and Mass Effect, an EA game, installs SecuROM. With Mass Effect, I have seen little system performance problems. With Splinter Cell, I have been unable to play the game on my Vista x64 Home Premium laptop. All I've gotten information-wise for being able to play Splinter Cell is "install the new StarForce drivers." I can neither download the StarForce drivers from their website nor can I get StarForce to update itself. IMHO, No DRM > SecuROM > StarForce. Anyone who buys EA games should know that every game EA releases has SecuROM on it. EA's done it for the past, what, year or so? Don't get me wrong, though I hate both forms of DRM. There are ways to get past DRM and pirates know them.

I legally own Chaos Theory and the only way I can get it to run properly is to apply a crack that removes the StarForce functionality.  Given the known issues with StarForce killing drives (or at the very least, knocking down the DMA level) I'd actually recommend applying anti-StarForce cracks to any game that uses it.

Fortunately, with the enormous number of complaints against it and the obvious problems pretty much every major publisher has now abandoned them.

http://groups.google.com/group/boycott-starforce/web/games-list