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Posts
*ahem*
I have a desktop. (1 activation)
That desktop died. My alternate is my family's laptop. (2 activations)
I fixed my desktop and upgraded some hardware. (3 activations)
I spend a weekend at my parents' place and use their PC. (4 activations)
I have installed, for example, TF2 on all of these machines. With activation-based DRM, I'd usually be locked out by step 4 and would have to wait for a while for a response from customer service to give me permission to use the game.
Even though I know HotHead would have given me a 4th activation, the turnaround time from asking them for a new activation on a weekend and me getting it on a Monday would be longer than the time it takes to play through Episode Two! Of course, with a bigger company, this process would be prolonged.
I plan to buy a new computer more suitable for gaming next year (5 activations). I'm positive I'll upgrade the hardware on that (6 activations).
I really don't think my use of software is that crazy. I've never even reformatted any of these PCs! That would send my activation count even higher. Hell, Valve is even promoting this kind of portability with the upcoming Steam Cloud saving my settings and saves to all of these machines in a transparent way! In terms of older games, I've probably installed using Quake 2 disc at least 6 or 7 times over the years too (and not on any friends' machines... only my own).
Most companies releasing games on PCs are now telling me with their DRM that I can't use the software I buy in the way I'm describing. Unless the software is really cheap, my response is to not buy the software from them.
Somebody didn't read the thread.
so DRM is now accused of sexually molesting gamers?
Epic fail here folks. Quote taken out of context and it still can't be construed to mean what you said.
Your flippant response is disappointing in what had been a fairly cordial discussion.
I am directly referencing the following post:
I have indeed read the thread, so please let me know: what did I miss over the course of the thread? What invalidates my example?
Don't buy the game.
Tell the developer why you won't be buying the game.
Enough people do that and the developers might think twice about their strategy.
Whats really sad about all this is that there are a bunch of software pirates out there enjoying free software without any install restrictions at all. Really, its almost like this DRM system rewards stealing.
I don't care what the install limits are or whatever the restrictions are. I don't see why anybody should have to deal with any of this when we are paying customers, being inconvenienced by silly copy protection methods that do absolutely nothing to prevent piracy.
I'm off to write a nice letter to Hothead.
I suggest anyone who feels inconvenienced should do the same.
my source:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3171588
original source:
http://ih8evilstuff.livejournal.com/16992.html#cutid1
Seems hypocritical to me, Steam has DRM and Steam's EULA is every bit as onerous as Spore's.
DRM is demonstrably not stopping pirates, though it does annoy paying customers with arbitrary limits and silly activation schemes.
If insanity is expecting different results, using the exact same methods then EA and Value etc are insane.
That DRM problem itself would be annoying enough, but coupled with Hothead/Greenhouse's recent apparent total lack of communication, it becomes a highly frustrating situation. It's been a week since my original email, with another email having been sent inbetween, and I've not heard a peep about it from them.
If you're going to have a system in-place which has the possibility of actively getting in the way of your paying customers, I'd hope that you'd at least have the staffing necessary to deal with the problems as they come in, in a prompt manner. Is there any chance of getting some push for this from the PA side of the house? It's been really disillusioning reading all the threads at the Greenhouse forums which go unanswered, and all the reports of people saying that they simply never hear back from the support teams... When there's bugfixes and problems with possibly-obscure hardware, I can see how it may take awhile to work through that kind of stuff, but activation issues? That stuff really needs to get taken care of right away.
(And of course in that paragraph, when I say "you" I mean "Hothead/Greenhouse," not the PA folks here...)
Xaquin's Manly Knitting Blog! Conquest Tactics .... a better CCG
I think their e-mails are on the homepage
Xaquin's Manly Knitting Blog! Conquest Tactics .... a better CCG
To me, the only acceptable DRM is one that lets me continue to install and play freely as long as I want after the apocalypse, as the only human survivor left on Earth, assuming my hard drives somehow keep going bad and I need to scavenge a different one every few days or so. To that end, I'd only tolerate a code wheel / key, or a physical dongle that I could carry with me for machine after machine.
Just an install limit, last I checked.
Maybe it's because I haven't used Steam in a couple years, but don't all their games come wrapped in encryption and isn't being logged in required to play them?
Going from GreenHouse to Steam is like going from the pan to the fire in terms of DRM onerosity. They've just taken some of the sting out with the addition of a community.
I do think, though, that the DRM for the 360 is the best system out there at the moment.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Steam has an offline mode that doesn't require a connection
Thank you for pointing that out.
My comment was directed primarily at the characterization of Steam as a DRM free option i.e "Or you can get it on Steam without DRM".
No need to try and reach middle ground, I already bought episode one. I had no expectation that my post would effect the way the games are being offered.
Xaquin's Manly Knitting Blog! Conquest Tactics .... a better CCG
I also find the funny facebook status ideas.