A plea for a different form of Copy Protection.

[Leprechaune]

A little known fact is that many company's have a hotline where you can call and request a replacement CD. All that's required is for you to ship the CD pieces back to the publisher.

Now, Leprechaune has reported a rather interesting "spin" (pun intended ) on the broken CD issue. However, perhaps the publisher will accept a broken CD drive with the pieces in it. A shattered CD should still be relatively easy to identify even in small pieces.

Some publishers make this replacement process difficult, and some insist they don't do it at all but if I push hard enough I've found that I can get a CD from even the most stubborn publishers.

Civ3 site has no CS contact information... Atari... Well, they're just great!

"How do I replace a physically damaged product?"
Note: The following information only applies to products that have physical signs of damage (scratches, cracks, etc) or are completely destroyed.
If you have a dated sales receipt and purchased your product within the last 90 days and...

... the product came damaged in the box:


You need to either exchange the product for a new one at the place you purchased it from or contact our technical support department to get a replacement. Please note that it is generally much faster to get a replacement from the place you purchased the product from. Be advised that different retailers have different return policies.
Contact Atari Support via telephone
Contact Atari Support via email


... you or someone else damaged your product:


Atari cannot be responsible for user damaged product.

 

[HourlyDaily]

I imagine the whole process is more frustrating when you live far away from their centre of operations.

I understand the pain of having a disc shatter at work - and its always your favourites that go too. Isn't it something to do with the irregular spinning off axis? or is it the quality of the disc and whether or not the heat goes through it?

I've studied music CD copy protection for numerous research papers (part of my job) and we've always found that the 'dumb' protection placed on CD's alienates more consumers than it prevents pirates. Some music CD's (EMI) are as easy to copy as they always were, but won't play on older home stereos - super intelligence that.

I have already pre-ordered Civ 4, but I'll want to be playing a burned back-up just in case. And as we all know, cracked files are not hard to find. If I play using Pitboss or online - I'll use the original.

 

[Leprechaune]

I have already pre-ordered Civ 4, but I'll want to be playing a burned back-up just in case. And as we all know, cracked files are not hard to find. If I play using Pitboss or online - I'll use the original.

When I went looking recently... It wasn't as easy as it was a year or two ago. Older games are harder to find the cracks for and in this case I was unable to find one that wasn't some wise guys idea of a great prank. So I just kept using the disc and pay for it in the end.

Up until today, it was just annoying... NOW it pissed me off.

 

[Robi D]

If the games installed on your computer and you only needed the cd for load up, you can go to www.gamescopyworld.com Look up civilization 3, they have a wide range of no cd patches. Just in case your thinking, is that allowed, its perfectly ok as long as you have a original copy of the game (even if it is in pieces)

 

[mag827]

I think the cd-key validation method will only work if the multiplayer feature of civ4 is popular among gamers, which is probably unlikely given our previous experiences with civ multiplayer games.

The copyright protection of civ3 is driving me up the wall too. I play the game on both my desktop and my laptop, and it's such a hassle to move the disk so often, so unnecessarily. If civ is not the game I love I would definitely return the game.

 

[cottoncandy]

I think the sad thing is that all these anti-privacy things only punish those that got the games legally, not those who actually pirate it. In fact, it's a really sad truth that it's often easier to pirate a game than to buy one, because it not only saves you alot of hassle, but simply skips all these copy-protection crap (no CD swapping, fx). I bought all three games, but between us in my family, we have four computers, and moving around is a hassle. ... and supposedly illegal too?

What I'd suggest, is a CD-key system. Make it so you need to supply the website with a CD-key to get a patch, or free expansion packs or whatever. But do NOT punish the loyal fans for purchasing the product! As it is right now, more and more fans are going illegal because of the crap we're being dealt. The only reason I haven't is because of the respect I have for Doctor Sid n' gang.

 

[TerraHero]

Its virtually impossible to protect a game against being cracked, and pirated.

C&C: Generals was on newsgroups the day before the release...

They know that, the reason they still do it is by teh "Lazy" factor, trying to bore the person that cracks it so he stops or something.

The only type of games it does seem to work, is online games tat req a CD key. Seeing as the key's are limited to the ppl playing. So u dont have 1200 ppl playing, with 1000 cd keys. unless its limited per server you join. But with global authentication its alot harder to bypass.

But when it gets down to it, EVERYTHING can, has and/or will be hacked. But still ppl seem to throw all sorts of protections that really do more harm then good into there softwares.

 

[CTH]

Just crack it, if you have bought it is ok as long as you don't let anyone else play (your version) it meanwhile you are... I crack all my games, it is just irritating to use the cd:s for anything else than installation...

 

[Akka]

They know that, the reason they still do it is by teh "Lazy" factor, trying to bore the person that cracks it so he stops or something.

And the real "bore" effect there is, is that I NEVER buy a game that I didn't get a cracked copy first, because it's too much of a hassle to work with the copy protection when you got a legal game.

Additionnally, some copy protection are so invasive and downright inacceptable, that I make a point to not buy any game that use them (like Starforce, which is, in real terms, a virus that disable part of your computer).

Kind of defeat the principle...

 

[apatheist]

If the games installed on your computer and you only needed the cd for load up, you can go to www.gamescopyworld.com Look up civilization 3, they have a wide range of no cd patches. Just in case your thinking, is that allowed, its perfectly ok as long as you have a original copy of the game (even if it is in pieces)

In the United States, this is illegal, due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which makes illegal tools that circumvent copyright protection mechanisms. I'm not saying the SWAT team will kick down your door, nor that the law is a good one, merely that it is the law.

 

[Robi D]

In the United States, this is illegal, due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which makes illegal tools that circumvent copyright protection mechanisms. I'm not saying the SWAT team will kick down your door, nor that the law is a good one, merely that it is the law.

Fair enough, im in australia so its different here. I do think its a stupid law, i mean if you have bought a legitimate copy of the game then i dont see what the problem is???

 

[Leprechaune]

UPDATE:

I'm piecing together the many many shards that were once my favourite game disc and I'm amazed to report that the drive is functioning properly after I opened it up and cleaned it out.

Score 1 point for LG!

I'm stuck with the option of using the no cd crack or flipping disks to and from work now... Since I've purchased 3 versions of this one game, I'm sure I've paid Atari and Firaxis enough to have someone play at home while I play at the same time at work.

But mostly I'm hoping Civ4 will refrain from this silly practice of torturing their paying customers.

 

[deo]

I Hate Copy Protection. I Live in a poor poor country, where there are no Original Games, and i don't have the money to buy it (not because we are poor but because i'm young and no one plays civ in my family but me).

So i hope at last I can play singleplayer and LAN.

 

[SonicX]

what country is that ?

 

[m15a]

the issue with backup CDs has been one discussed for a while. anyone know if anyones ever had any luck requesting cds from the company if the one they have explodes or something? sure, not every company would do that. just curious if it's even an uncommon practice.

 

[nicae]

there are protection methods that are WAY more harrassing than a simple cd-check. google for starforce for an example!

 

[Leprechaune]

there are protection methods that are WAY more harrassing than a simple cd-check. google for starforce for an example!

Yes, and that's another one I'm hoping they don't use... I think my point is that if software that costs thousands of dollars use key verification, why don't the companies that are selling their million copy $40 software? Seems like a simple addition to the registration process. I know that there is a large population without internet access that would not be able to do it this way, but that's why they have the phone in option.

Regardless, I stand by the idea that these CPs dont help in ANY way.

 

[FireZ]

This thread is the reason for Game Copy World. I owned all the Civ 3 stuff, Civ 3, ptw, C3C. I hate toting cds around and refuse to do it. I legaly aquired my version of the game so I go here. They have a no cd crack for the game that allows me to bypass the cd check and start the game. As long as your not pirating the software its completely legal.

Thus taking care of this problem with broken cd's, etc. I have an image of my cd's on my hard drive so I don't worry about the physical media anymore(created by Alchohol 120%, nice cheep program). Alls you need is enough disk space and a crack from the above site and you don't have to worry about copy protection anymore.

***Disclaimer***
Keep in mind I'm give this info for people that purchased the game legal and wish to not be bothered anymore by the pesky protections put in place to hinder others choosing to do this illegaly.

 

[joethreeblah]

I Hate Copy Protection. I Live in a poor poor country, where there are no Original Games, and i don't have the money to buy it (not because we are poor but because i'm young and no one plays civ in my family but me).

So i hope at last I can play singleplayer and LAN.

Have you tried building a couple of courthouses and connecting your outtermost cities to a couple of neighbors?

 

[Akka]

there are protection methods that are WAY more harrassing than a simple cd-check. google for starforce for an example!

If a game comes with this kind of crap, well it's a game I won't buy.