Does Civ IV use StarForce for copy protection?

[dannyevilcat]

Note: Skipped most of the thread, saw this comment, and wanted to respond-- forum style! (meaning everything I write has been written many times, in many posts, in every game forum across the internet. And probably already in thread already, too )

The Publisher is drinking the cool-aid when they applaud Starforce and thinks it helps one tiny bit.

How doesn't it help exactly?

The first 1-2 months after release are the months when most (or at least a very large chunk) of the profit is made, so any delay in pirating helps quite a bit.
AoEIII is getting raped right now, and had been even before it was available in stores... you don't think that using copy protection too complicated for most people to avoid would have helped? Most of the guys drooling over it like we're drooling over Civ IV, who casually pirate games when they can, but don't know much about computers, would probably just have bought it within a few days of release rather than wait for someone to make a better working crack a month or two down the road.

I can't imagine they are realistically aiming for Starforce (or whatever else is being developed) to prevent pirating of their bargain-priced titles from last year.

 

[Kazper]

How doesn't it help exactly?

The first 1-2 months after release are the months when most (or at least a very large chunk) of the profit is made, so any delay in pirating helps quite a bit.
AoEIII is getting raped right now, and had been even before it was available in stores... you don't think that using copy protection too complicated for most people to avoid would have helped? Most of the guys drooling over it like we're drooling over Civ IV, who casually pirate games when they can, but don't know much about computers, would probably just have bought it within a few days of release rather than wait for someone to make a better working crack a month or two down the road.

I can't imagine they are realistically aiming for Starforce (or whatever else is being developed) to prevent pirating of their bargain-priced titles from last year.

Your basic argument is flawed, in assuming that Starforce induces any real delay in the pirating of a game. Worms 4 was available from releaseday. Sure it's a bit complicated to use the first cracks thus released, however, the pirates include a thorough step-by-step method for making it work.

AoE isn't heavily pirated because it isn't protected by Starforce. It's heavily pirated for two reasons.
1) It's a huuuuuge title that a lot of people will always pirate. The prestige alone in pirate circles of being the first to crack the game ensures it will be pirated within hours of being available to the pirates.
2) They failed to keep it out of the hands of pirates prior to launching day thus making it available to pirates much earlier than release, and pirates can distribute the game faster online than the devolpers can in the old physical world.

Number 2 in particular is important. Firaxis seems to have managed to avoid any leaks of Civ IV here in the final pre-release days (I have the game preordered, but keep track of such things for interest) and as a result the game is not available in a pirated version at this point, and won't be until it's been released. That's what really, really matters.

 

[dannyevilcat]

Your basic argument is flawed, in assuming that Starforce induces any real delay in the pirating of a game. Worms 4 was available from releaseday. Sure it's a bit complicated to use the first cracks thus released, however, the pirates include a thorough step-by-step method for making it work.

I've read the step-by-step instructions. Saying they're complicated is an understatement. Unplugging drives and running various software is beyond a larger portion of gamers than you think. Copy protection is aimed that those people, not the ones who can, or have the inclination to, figure it out.

AoE isn't heavily pirated because it isn't protected by Starforce. It's heavily pirated for two reasons.
1) It's a huuuuuge title that a lot of people will always pirate. The prestige alone in pirate circles of being the first to crack the game ensures it will be pirated within hours of being available to the pirates.
2) They failed to keep it out of the hands of pirates prior to launching day thus making it available to pirates much earlier than release, and pirates can distribute the game faster online than the devolpers can in the old physical world.

What you are talking about is why it gets cracked and why it spread, but if everyone had to go through all the convoluted steps involved for AoEIII as they do for Worms 4, every pirate message board would be flooded with people who can't figure it out, or can't follow along. Many will just end up buying it. The majority won't, sure, but it's still extra profit for the game companies.

Who cares if two months later the perfect workaround is available, by then everyone has moved on to the next big game, and the current title has dropped in price.

I'm in the "won't buy games using StarForce" category, BTW. I hate that crap. But the message I read from these "copy protection only affects innocent consumers" arguments is: Since we can crack it anyway, instead of making it harder for us, game companies should make it really easy."

 

[TerraHero]

So in short, there is no real indication StarForce actuall delays piracy significantly enough to halt piracy. While it does seem to be linked to all sorts of computer problems, causing security loop-holes in teh OS and doing all this without ANY concent of the person who bought so infact INVADING your PC like a common spyware, but capable of doing alot more damage.

After reading all this i think this SF really does suck, and i didnt read the WHOLE topic but i curtainly hope Civ4 will not use this SF because im having serious doubts of getting it if this means basicly raping my pc and installing all sorts of hidden programs i dont want. Heck, even installing a new DirectX driver, wich generally only makes things run beter asks for your aproval before you instal.

Appart from that it is my opinion that if SF indeed causes probelms and runs itself without any aproval of knowledge of the person who installed the game and it indeed does cause a problem that is a legal responsibility that Firaxis or whoever put it in there has to take. Simply because if it installs this program what i do not know or aprove off and it wrecks my pc it is there responsibilty and they have to make things right again, wich is not a very good publicity for a game now is it?

 

[Karnak]

TerraHero,

Some have said that Civ IV will not use StarForce as Take2, the publisher, is not on StarForce's client list.

I certainly hope that is the case and I guess I'll find out when my preordered Civ IV gets here.

 

[darkdude]

Got a reply today of my question to Take2 Tech Support on 14th of October regarding Starforce protection:

'Unfortunately, we are not told about what protection is on each individual
game before the game has been released as this is one of the last items
that the developers decide upon due to copy protection. Apologies for any
inconvenience.'

That's strange, because:
1) The developers decide on copy protection? I find that hard to believe.
2) The game has already been shipped, so they should know by now.

Well, we will know very shortly from people getting the game today anyway if it's Starforce protected or not.

Edit: fixed sentence.

 

[ZIG_Ilia]

http://www.star-force.com/
see in enemy eyes )
p.s. hate starforce too

 

[NP300]

Now that the game is out: Does cIV use starforce?

 

[Kazper]

Now that the game is out: Does cIV use starforce?

No. Safedisc 4

 

[JuanM]

Crap like this is the reason why I don't give a damn about publishers and developers being ripped-off by pirates. If pirates are stealing from the developers, why punish the people who have legally bought the game?

If buying a legal copy exposes me to being ass-raped by copy protection schemes, maybe I'll look into other options for playing the game...

Sh*t like this is the reason why I stopped buying music CDs altogether. :thumbdown

 

[Kazper]

Crap like this is the reason why I don't give a damn about publishers and developers being ripped-off by pirates. If pirates are stealing from the developers, why punish the people who have legally bought the game?

If buying a legal copy exposes me to being ass-raped by copy protection schemes, maybe I'll look into other options for playing the game...

Sh*t like this is the reason why I stopped buying music CDs altogether. :thumbdown

Good thing Civ IV isn't using Starforce then. Safedisc is ok.

But I agree with the sentiment you are expressing. But we can put this discussion down now, since it isn't relevant to Civ IV.

 

[Padma]

Civilization 4 uses Safedisc 4.

No need for further speculation.

Moderator Action: Thread closed.