Starforce Enforces Copy Protection by Instant Reboot

[CptStern]

"Futuremark has uncovered a very dangerous anti-piracy system Starforce is now using. This copy protection system installs a driver that runs at the highest level of access on the system, which gives it low level access to the PCs hardware and any drivers and processes. This driver runs regardless of whether the game runs; keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity such as attempting to copy a protected disc. If something suspicious is detected, it forces the PC to make an immediate reboot, regardless of any other applications running and whether or not the user has any unsaved work."


http://live.gadgetlife.org/news/2006/3/21/starforce-drm-exposed-and-its-not-pretty

I will absolutely never buy a starforce protected game ever again, no game is worth something that invasive on my pc

 

[$kelet0r]

yeah read about this a while back and the protection prevents ANY copying at all of ANYTHING
that has to be illegal

 

[CptStern]

the really stupid thing about this is that people who make pirated games broke starforce ages ago ..this only really hurts legitimate consumers

 

[oldagerocker]

bloody hell. i hate this company. I hope future games have a starforce logo on, so i know not to get them.

 

[$kelet0r]

this is up there with sony xcp in terms of anti-consumer practises
for example it is my legal right as a European citizen to make a copy of any games software for my own purposes - tech like this is illegal but no one will challenge it

 

[CptStern]

I was considering purchasing Space Rangers 2 (Elder scrolls in space) but wont bother to because it's starforce "protected"

 

[Mutley]

I have to admit Starforce is awful. It 100% puts me off a game.

A proper whore to bypass, infact you can't but it is still a pain in the ass to use any game with it installed.

 

[$kelet0r]

well the fight back starts here - blacklist the games and companies that use it

Games
Trackmania Sunrise
Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich
Peter Jackson's King Kong
Trackmania
Chaos League
Etherlords 2


Companies
Ubisoft
Digital Jesters
Codemasters
Egosoft

name and shame people

edit: here we go - i'm the proud owner of starforce free games
i think everyone needs to bookmark that page if only to safeguard your computer
http://www.glop.org/starforce/list.php

 

[CptStern]

wow that list is huge ..it's rather sad that almost every game on that list is by small independent developers ..they need all the help they can get, going with starforce protection is more harm than good

 

[Barney Fife]

Does this "Starforce" harm the PC overall performance?

 

[$kelet0r]

Here's what Greg Vederman, PC Gamer editor-in-chief, experienced:

I'm okay with that in theory, but some of these anti-piracy software programs are so potent that they cause issues for legitimate game buyers. One of the leading brands, StarForce, is notorious for not only making it difficult for a small percentage of legitimate users to load up StarForce-protected games, but also for leaving potentially problem-causing StarForce software behind on your PC, even after you've deleted the game it was protecting. And this isn't just some story that I've read about online or in emails from readers. No, it happened to me.

Last year, my work PC suddenly began blue-screening (crashing) any time I popped an audio CD into either of my two optical drives. I went online and learned that other people were having this problem and that it appeared to be StarForce-related. Deleting my StarForce-protected games did nothing. I had to run a StarForce-removal utility before my system - filled only with legal, licensed software - could play audio CDs again.

Starforce drivers, installed on your system, grant ring 0 (system level) privileges to any code under the ring 3 (user level) privileges. Thus, any virus or trojan can get OS privileges and totally control your system. Since Windows 2000, the Windows line security and stability got enhanced by separating those privileges, but with the Starforce drivers, the old system holes and instabilities are back and any program (or virus) can reach the core of your system by using the Starforce drivers as a backdoor.

 

[Barney Fife]

I was considering purchasing Space Rangers 2 (Elder scrolls in space) but wont bother to because it's starforce "protected"

Yeah I was looking forward to Ubersoldier...Hehe guess what.

 

[Shodan]

Starforce can go to hell, if there was ever a good reason for a lawsuit, its this.

The measures that are taken to "protect" games cause more harm than good in the end.

 

[Glirk Dient]

Wow I will most definately not buy anymore starforce games. I absolutely hate things that install on my comp and run without me knowing/want it to and whats worse is removing things like this is incredibly difficult.

 

[Solaris]

Thats awful. Is it illegal for them to do this?

 

[Hazar]

http://www.similarities.org/starforce.html

another reference

I'm staying away from it now

dissapointing:
Upcoming Games
Heroes of Might and Magic 5 Ubisoft

 

[Barney Fife]

Well before we start hating, I think it would be fair enough to look things from developers' point of view. http://www.firingsquad.com/features/starforce_interview/

This is why we as legitimate gamers paying so much for something we own and love:

From FringSquad:


Now for some personal opinion:

Maybe it's time we re-evaluate the sub-culture we live in. Yes, gamers are young, rebellious and generally have libertarian anti-establishment characteristics. However, when our very hobby is being threatened through the actions of not just a few, but many of our fellows, perhaps we should take a long hard look at what is and is not acceptable. We can see the over-developed sense of entitlement every day. Flaming publishers, developers and their spokespeople simply because their vision for their game is different from what we want is just one symptom of this entitlement. I believe piracy is another. Just what entitles anyone to copying a game for free?

Yes, invasive copy protection sucks and probably contributes somewhat to the popularity of CD cracks and even outright piracy - but let's face it, publishers aren't stupid. They likely think long and hard before deciding whether it's worth paying for copy protection and irritating the very customers they're trying to court. The irresponsible behavior of gamers is forcing publishers to take more drastic measures to protect their investment. Yes, they're trying to make money off us, but that money is used to make more games. The very games we enjoy. We have to take responsibility for our actions. Does anyone actually believe if there were no copy protection, game sales would increase?

PC games will never go away, but if the market keeps shrinking due to the increasing ease of piracy - through the proliferation of CD burners, DVD burners and broadband internet connections - then the number and quality of games will almost certainly decrease. Without a big market there can be no big budgets. No Doom 4, no Far Cry 2 and no Half-Life 3. Without a big market, the size of niche markets will also shrink, so we'd be even less likely to see FreeSpace 3 or another Fallout game. The fact is, though the number of computers is vastly greater than ever before, and their longevity - their ability to play modern games long after the PC was sold - is increased, PC game sales have been dropping at an alarming rate.

Now I'm not saying you should go stooge and turn your dorm fellows or roommates in for stealing games, but peer pressure is a wonderful thing. You wouldn't think it's cool, rebellious or even acceptable to beat up an old lady on the street, even if she was once rich and glamorous. And given the declining health of PC publishers, they are the old ladies of the business world right now. Think about it.

We hope you've enjoyed this FiringSquad exclusive.

And I do so believe that the reason why PC games are shrinking is because of piracy and freeloaders, the same reason we have STEAM now.....And if this Ripping continues, soon it will be nothing but console. and lots of people will go bankrupt including Nvidia and ATI.

 

[dream431ca]

I've never heard of this Starforce. How do you know which games it comes with?

 

[Xune]

Second hit on google. It's got a pretty comprehensive list of the games using starforce.

 

[Beerdude26]

I've never heard of this Starforce. How do you know which games it comes with?

You don't. It ninja sneaks in your computer and destroys it D:

 

[Barney Fife]

This is soemthing we should take into an account too http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=32501

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Trackmania Nations has this crap with it aswell, so anyone that installed that has StarForce on thier pc.

http://www.glop.org/starforce/remove.php

That site can help you get rid of it btw.

 

[Codcommando]

Starforce drivers, installed on your system, grant ring 0 (system level) privileges to any code under the ring 3 (user level) privileges. Thus, any virus or trojan can get OS privileges and totally control your system. Since Windows 2000, the Windows line security and stability got enhanced by separating those privileges, but with the Starforce drivers, the old system holes and instabilities are back and any program (or virus) can reach the core of your system by using the Starforce drivers as a backdoor.

poop....I wanted to be the first to quote the Vede I know we have all read about all these antipiracy blunders....but has anyone here actually experienced any of these adverse affects first hand?

 

[Barney Fife]

poop....I wanted to be the first to quote the Vede I know we have all read about all these antipiracy blunders....but has anyone here actually experienced any of these adverse affects first hand?

I got Ubersoldier Demo and Brothers In Arms (Earned In Blood), checked my device manager, and got Starforce in there, and everything looks OK....No problems so far.