[jimscreechy]

Ok so we all b*tch about having to crack games and voice our frustration about the inconvenience of a loaded CD drive, but I think this issue is really not so one sided nor are we so hard done by as we may think.

The issue is really more one of perspective. Yes of course there are very commendable people out there like Mr Gates (see I do have a sense of humour) who provide us with free software, or applications of one type of other at no cost, but that is certainly not the norm. Just think what your own reaction would be in a similar situation. After having created a great software package; be it game or otherwise, that you have invested a fair amount of time in, and after selling only a thousand copies and hardly covering your costs you find the sales fall to a minimal and revenue stops being generated. Yes, that may be an over simplification of things but essentially this is the situation or certainly potentially.

Personally I have pretty much cracked every game I have, but aslo bought nearly all the games I have. At any rate I own no illegal copies. But! There are those in our midst not so scrupulous, and we all know it. Most decent software houses give you the opportunity of Demo’ing a title, so you at least get the opportunity to test-drive it first. I think this is a pretty admirable and dare I day it ‘fair’ thing to do. Yeah I know you may say “well I wouldn’t buy a care without test driving it first.” Fine, but if you want to drive it don’t try and steal if from the show room when everyone has gone home then moan about it when they call the cops. I am pointing no fingers here and certainly not implying this is the norm. Most everyone I know is a game buyer, and certainly this type of behaviour is neither condoned nor tolerated on this site, but I think there is a point to be seen here.

Admittedly it is ridiculous to suppose that every time we needed to run Microsoft office we had to put the CD in the drive. If this were the case Bill would not have the ‘Brass one’s’ he does today, and of course because games tend to be ‘full involvement’ software packages, the developers tend to get away with this form of ‘strong-arming.’ I think what we essentially need is a different view of the situation and indeed a different approach for the solution, though again this is only my personal opinion. I think it is up to us ‘the gamers’ to find one because lets face, the stalemate will continue till one is found. Copy protection like ‘Safedisk’ and ‘SecuRom ’ will continue to emerge and ‘hackers’ with their apparently infinite reserves of combined wisdom, along with their dedication to beat ‘The Man’ will continue to break them. Unfortunately I think as software houses become more desperate and determined in their attempts, so their methods become more drastic. We are already seeing evidence of this with protection systems like ‘Starforce.’ I am not talking about the music or film industry as neither does it concern me nor do I think that a suitable solution for all digital genres exists, but from the games perspective I think the solution is out there.

I have come across some incredibly smart people in the various forums I visit and I am certain that with a little, (or perhaps a lot) of thought a solution for the necessity of a disk in the drive can be solved. In this thread I urge those with good ideas to put them and forward and have them debated in the hope that we can provide the solution for this issue. After all this is our problem really, not theirs. Who knows we may come up with the solution the manufacturers are looking for.

On the upside of course is that there are redeeming factors of having this of ‘tug of war’ in place between us and them. The fact that this site exists, that there is a society of like minded individuals that question authority, morality and the power of the Corpie are just a few I can think of.