Steam = Piracy Tool

[Kirkburn]

Actually, I wouldn't know any shop that has the game in the boxes. Sometimes the developers are stupid enough to put the cd-key on the inside of the box, but the game or manual isn't in it. At least not with the major retailers.

You're getting confused between the developers and the publishers ... the developer develop the game, the publishers actually 'make' the game in the sense as they create what you see on the shelf, so you should blame them. I'm sorry but it just annoys me when people seem to think the two are interchangeable, and thus blame the wrong party!

(Did someone say party? :cheers: )

 

[Varsity]

Isn't Steam going to make it easier to steal Half-Life 2? Think about it... all you have to do is crack open the box, read the CD-Key, and put it into a Steam account which then lets you download the full game.

How is this any different to normal methods, except that you will need a friend to copy you a CD instead of dling it?

 

[Iced_Eagle]

steam lets you download the entire game if you have a cd key.....

 

[blahblahblah]

Its sad to say that there is no way to ever beat piracy. Every time a company thinks they've got a way to stop it, the pirates find a way to beat it.

I think the CD key idea is horrible. It is obvious that it doesn't work and its a pain for people (like me) who have to enter and keep CD keys for games.

I think I have a good way of stopping piracy. It would assume that everybody is online (like Valve is assuming with Steam). You would go to the store and buy the game for $20 (USD). Then you go home and install it like normal, but it is locked/encrypted. You must go on steam and pay the remaining $30 to finish purchasing the game and unlock it. To further make it pirate proof, you could associate it to a specific computer(s) (much like how XP does authentication).

So the pirates may be able to steal the client, but they will have to pay to actually use the game.

What do you think?

 

[leadfish]

Actually, I wouldn't know any shop that has the game in the boxes.

Big W in Australia have the entire contents of a game (box, cds, manual) on the shelves.

 

[Varsity]

steam lets you download the entire game if you have a cd key.....

Read my post.

 

[Gunner]

Come to think of it, Steam will actually block the generated cdkeys:

Since you need to punch in the key before downloading, generated keys will not be validated by steam =)

 

[Ansur]

I'm not sure about that.
The keys are generated one way or another, so once ppl know what the generator algorith is, they can start spreading codes around (as is it with any other game).

 

[Gunner]

I'm not sure about that.
The keys are generated one way or another, so once ppl know what the generator algorith is, they can start spreading codes around (as is it with any other game).

Yeah I know what you mean but think about it:

When you tried a generated key on WONiD or steam now, you get an error message telling you to "buy the game cheapskate!", same thing will probably happen with those bastards trying to download HL2 thru steam using a false key. However I suppose those leet warez groups like Razor and fairlight will probably release a cracked version of HL2 with a cdkey gen, that will allow you to play SP. It would much easier if the cdkey validation process had to go through steam, even when installing from a boxed CD version. Less piracy :E

 

[Epsi]

Yeh, but then you'd have complaining about being forced online even to play single-player, and it would really stuff the people who want to use HL2 on unconnected computers.

Rare as they may be.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Yeh, but then you'd have complaining about being forced online even to play single-player, and it would really stuff the people who want to use HL2 on unconnected computers.

Rare as they may be.

yup.. there are pple who play HL2 on LAN's or just play SP.. by forcing an internet connection on them, u may lose some customers.. something Valve wouldn't want me thinks.

 

[Johan_Tayn]

when a man steals he admits he doesn't have the guts to work for what he gets. What a LAMER it would take to swap out an old part and return it in the new box. Come on guys, be honest and you won't get that sinking feeling in your chest every night when you think about what a lamer you are for stealing.

My tired $.02

 

[Kirkburn]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Epsi
Yeh, but then you'd have complaining about being forced online even to play single-player, and it would really stuff the people who want to use HL2 on unconnected computers.

Rare as they may be.


yup.. there are pple who play HL2 on LAN's or just play SP.. by forcing an internet connection on them, u may lose some customers.. something Valve wouldn't want me thinks.

I don't understand ... why do you think you would need to be conencted to the net to play singleplayer?! I think the idea was to check *during installation*, not continuously whilst in single player!

 

[Kyorisu]

I don't understand ... why do you think you would need to be conencted to the net to play singleplayer?! I think the idea was to check *during installation*, not continuously whilst in single player!

I agree you'd single handedly kill the modem users purchases in one hit if you did that. Howether at the same time you'd kill all the purchases by anyone without a net connection that just wants the single player experiance.

 

[Kirkburn]

Yes, but as I've said elsewhere, maybe a net conenction will become just one of those requirements to play a modern game, such as an up-to-date graphics card ...

 

[Kyorisu]

But why go so far just too stop pirates when they will get around the protection one way or another. The game will be popular and Valve know that and all the probably will do is ask the producers to stick the cd keys inside the cd-cases and that will be that.

 

[poseyjmac]

eventually games will require an online connection to be able to activate your game. because lets face it everyone has a phone line. and if you have enough money to have a computer that can play the latest games decently, you have enough for a modem or internet connection.