A real solution to the StarF**k virus for everyone.

[Grumpy]

I too will finalize on this!
All we are trying to say is we should be made aware an intrusive Protection is being installed as well as the actual game etc. The EULA should really say something in regards to the word 'Protection'. It is the game developers right to protect thier investment but it is also the consumers right to have all the facts and info supplied to them in a non misleading manner. The word 'Software' is misleading!
Many valid points have been made in these Starforce threads, and everyone has made others more aware of what may happen to thier systems.

@ Dabhand
Thanks for your arguments, before any decent discussion (come argument) can happen thier needs to be two sides, and you supplied the other side. As much as I dont agree with your side I really can acknowledge where you are coming from. But I still dont understand why you cant see what we are trying to say?
I do hope thier are no hard feelings. You have your views and we all have ours, and everyone is entitled to thier views. (however heated we may become expressing those views!

[Alias101]

I agree 100% with both Grumpy & DABhand, both valid points. I would tend to lean towards Grumpy because as its stands, we are left open for publishers to install anything on our pc under the term "software".
My Idea is one that involves both Grumpy & DABhand taken even more time out of there life to help us all and develope the "perfect" protection between them

Alias

[prollfin]

IMHO the problem is that people just CANNOT buy enough to satisfy game companies. I don't think they need to complain.
For example, how many games are released by EA every year? I don't know, but on their website, they got like 30 games in the list of current ones (only PC platform). And that's only EA. If EA releases about 30 games a year, how many people (buyers) are needed to match their calculations? I don't want to say anything wrong, but be shure that it's a damn lot. Germany for example (which is one of the big markets for video games), 25 million copies were sold last year (only games). That means that almost one third of all germans bought a video game. But we all know that it's far from being one third of all germans playing video games (at least, I hope that all of you know that). So 25 million copies sold is everything but "not enough".
So even with companies releasing 30 games a year, 25 million copies sold should be enough to cover every game makers expenses (again, for the german market only), because with about 500 major game releases a year (not only PC, but also consoles), every single game could sell 50.000 copies. Just think about that.
I think the main problem is that software companies just don't seem to get it that you can't make 50.000 copies with ANYTHING. If a game sucks, nobody is going to buy it, no matter what efforts it took to develope it. And I don't think you can blame the customers for that.

Edit: I too won't buy any more SF protected games. I got Codename: Panzers and Trackmania here, I had problems with both of them and I won't accept some strange STARFORCE COMPANY secretly doing something to my system I would even allow Microsoft to do...

[dajunka]

Give this a read it's worth it.


http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000477025364/

[Grumpy]

@dajunka
Nice find! Thanks, Its nice to know we are not alone.

[SPQR300]

I have an idea how to make cracking Splinter Cell3: Chaos Theory a lot easier. On www.direct2drive.com you can download the game for 50$. But this version has a modified Starforce3. You obviously cannot download the whole DVD with all it's hardware protections and physical structure. And u can even mount this version, since u download it to your harddrive. On other forums ppl even confirm that this version HAS a different, much milder starforce version, without serious DVD checking, only online validation system(just like Steam).The only problem is the hardware-code checking and issues on cd-keys.
Even tough this D2D service is only avaible in North-America, I think this could be the key to crack the game at last. Tricking that validating system shouldn't be so hard - Half Life 2's Steam was quite easily bypassed -. Game costs 50$ there, but some cracker groups should try my idea I think. Any opinions?

[TippeX]

steam easily bypassed? yeh right (ie: you are talking out of your arse)