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

[CrossWire]

Bravo Grumpy, very well said.

[CrossWire]

Here’s a bit of info for you. X2 the threat, the Euro version, having the SF virus, Egosoft the developers where asked by the publishers Quicksilver to remove the protection from the game, and they have. You can now download a unprotected exe file from the Egosoft web site, X2 is now completely unprotected.
Now, could it be that the boycotting and complaints are having more of a effect than we know.

[DABhand]

Funny that since its publishers who put on the protections as they are the ones that distribute the game, packaging etc.

[CrossWire]

Originally Posted by DABhand

Funny that since its publishers who put on the protections as they are the ones that distribute the game, packaging etc.

Yer it is isn’t it? Maybe they just give the .exe which, btw, is Multilanguage to Egosoft to distribute, dunno really, all I know is it's there and ready for D/L and "Burnit" one of the Devs said that they where asked by the publishers to remove the protection.

And why would a publisher remove the protection from a game over a year old unless, unless he had canceled his contract with the makers of SF.

[Sensi]

Originally Posted by dajunka

And the publishers are quite aware of this trend as it is reflected in there profits.

Lol, ask Ubisoft and their starforce protected Splinter cell chaos theory, imho the trend is to make games protected with a real protection against leechers and that is truly working and reflected in their profits.
Who give a **** of what leechers boycott, you would have never bought it if it was not starforce protected anyway... and with starforce, if you really want to play a game without having to wait sometimes weeks for a crack, you buy it.
Moreover it is harder to sell a pirate version of a game with such a protection and that's also what a publisher wants from a protection.

Best regards,
Sensi

[Grumpy]

@Sensi
Lets just get one thing straight, I do not 'Leech' games!
I will not buy a Starforce protected game simply because of the 'Virus' like features it installs onto my system!
Some games are just not worth the headaches they give!

[CrossWire]

@Sensi
Buy it, Ha!, that' just the point, if I buy the game it comes with SF protection and that is what we don't want. If the game comes without SF then I for one, would not hesitate to buy any game I was interested in.
In short we don't want to pirate games with all there hacks and cracks and inability to update, we want to buy them, but the publisher though his greed wont let us.

[DABhand]

At the end of the day how many of your actually read the EULA before saying yes.

Perhaps you should read it, it tells all what Starforce is going to do, and you all agreed to it. :P

[Grumpy]

@Dabhand
You are wrong!
I have just finished reading the EULA for V8 Supercars, Obscure, Soldiers Heroes of WW2 and Street Racing Syndicate. As you may well know these are all Starforce protected games! Nowhere, I repeat 'Nowhere', does it say Starforce will be installed on my system! Nowhere does it say a hidden program or Drivers will be installed on my system! Nowhere!
If these companys responsible were not trying to hide the fact they are secretly installing hidden software onto our systems they would gladly state in the EULA what their intentions are!
In the V8 Supercars game manual, inside of the front cover, it clearly states:
"This Codemasters game is protected by the FADE protection system. If you purchase an illegal copy of the game, you will be able to play it - but not for long. As you play, the gameplay of a pirated copy will degrade."
Now if they are not hiding anything why dont they go on to tell us about Starforce? Because they are doing it illegally!! Nowhere do they mention Starforce!
In the SRS EULA they mention:
"Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event will publisher or its third-party suppliers or distributors be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use the licensed product, including, without limitation, damages for lost profits, loss of data, loss of good will, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, even if advised of the possibility thereof, and regardless of the legal or equitable theory (contract, tort, or otherwise) upon which the claim is based. In no event shall publisher be liable to user in any amount exceeding the amount of the license fee paid to publisher."
Again 'Nowhere' does it mention Starforce is going to be installed on my system! But they do mention the possibility of something causing 'computer failure or malfunction'!
Hmmm, now I do wonder what is going to cause the failure or malfunction? I do believe many of us are aware of what is going to do this! Yes, Starforce!
This is their way of trying to protect themselves! But how can this be taken seriously when I could use the argument that nothing about Starforce protection being installed is mentioned in any of the documents they have supplied!
I have followed this Starforce argument/discussion from the beginning, and I now believe you really are sitting on your high horse about this! I watched you come on board this forum and believed you showed enough intelligence and knowledge to be a great asset to these forums. I have spoken with you before and found you to be a likeable person. But I now believe you are being very difficult and unintelligent about this subject! You have now stated something about 'reading the EULA' which in my opinion is just not correct!!
So I now ask the question: "Have you infact read the EULA?" I believe not!
If you have found the words "Starforce Protection will be installed" in another game EULA then by all means send it to me and I will gladly appolagize for what I have said about you being difficult!
But untill then please dont say things that are not correct! Nowhere does it say in the EULA that Starforce will be installed!

[Joe Forster/STA]

Yeah, sure! Even the first posts about problems with the new Starforce system in other forums were about Starforce being installed without its own EULA displayed or Starforce being mentioned in the game's EULA...

[Game-Hacker]

I read the EULA of Stronghold2 and I can't see a word mentioning STARFORCE. So can we sue firefly studio?

[CrossWire]

@DABhand
Do you by any chance have your foot in your mouth?

[DABhand]

Step 1:

LIMITED SOFTWARE WARRANTY AND LICENSE AGREEMENT

YOUR USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IS SUBJECT TO THIS LIMITED SOFTWARE WARRANTY AND LICENSE AGREEMENT (THE "AGREEMENT") AND THE TERMS SET FORTH BELOW. THE "SOFTWARE" INCLUDES ALL SOFTWARE INCLUDED WITH THIS AGREEMENT, THE ACCOMPANYING MANUAL (S), PACKAGING AND OTHER WRITTEN, ELECTRONIC OR ON-LINE MATERIALS OR DOCUMENTATION, AND ANY AND ALL COPIES OF SUCH SOFTWARE AND ITS MATERIALS. BY OPENING THE SOFTWARE, INSTALLING, AND/OR USING THE SOFTWARE AND ANY OTHER MATERIALS INCLUDED WITH THE SOFTWARE, YOU HEREBY ACCEPT THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE WITH 2K GAMES ("LICENSOR").

Step 2:

THE SOFTWARE UTILITIES.

The Software may contain a level editor or other similar type tools, assets and other materials (the "Software Utilities") that permit you to construct or customize new game levels and other related game materials for personal use in connection with the Software ("Customized Game Materials"). In the event the Software contains such Software Utilities, the use of the Software Utilities is subject to the following additional terms, conditions and restrictions:

(a) All Customized Game Materials created by you are exclusively owned by LICENSOR and/or its licensors (as the case may be) and you hereby transfer, assign and convey to LICENSOR all right, title and interest in and to the Customized Game Materials and LICENSOR and its permitted licensors may use any Customized Game Materials made publicly available to you for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to for purposes of advertising and promoting the Software;
(b) You will not use or permit third parties to use the Software Utilities and the Customized Game Materials created by you for any commercial purposes, including but not limited to distributing, leasing, licensing, renting, selling, or otherwise exploiting, transferring or assigning the ownership of such Customized Game Materials;
(c) Customized Game Materials must be distributed solely for free; provided, that you may contact LICENSOR for a license to commercially exploit the Customized Game Materials which LICENSOR may grant or deny in its sole discretion;
(d) Customized Game Materials shall not contain modifications to any other executable files;
(e) Customized Game Materials must be used alone and can be created if the Customized Game Materials will be used exclusively in combination with the commercially released retail version of the Software.
(f) Customized Game Materials cannot contain libelous, defamatory or other illegal material, material that is scandalous or invades the rights of privacy or publicity of any third party, or contain any trademarks, copyright-protected work or other property of third parties (without a valid license); and
(g) All Customized Game Materials must contain the proper credits to the authors of the Customized Game Materials and must indicate that LICENSOR is not the author of the Customized Game Materials with additional language that "THIS MATERIAL IS NOT MADE, GUARANTEED OR SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLISHER OF THE SOFTWARE OR ITS AFFILIATES."


Now the words Starforce does not indeed been told, but Starforce is incoporated with the game (software as said in EULA)

1st Step, you agreed to all software installed.

2nd Step, it says you agreed to install and they cannot be held responsible for any misuse or damage. As does it do in conjunction with this part also.

IN NO EVENT WILL LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM POSSESSION, USE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE SOFTWARE, INCLUDING DAMAGES TO PROPERTY, LOSS OF GOODWILL, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION AND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURIES, EVEN IF LICENSOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. LICENSOR’S LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE ACTUAL PRICE PAID FOR USE OF THE SOFTWARE. SOME STATES/COUNTRIES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS AND/OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS AND/OR EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS THAT VARY FROM JURISDICTION TO JURISDICTION.


We may not like it, but unfortunately you all agreed to it.

[Grumpy]

@Dabhand
What a complete load of ****e!
When they say 'software' most would presume they are talking about the game as being the said software!
You are asked during the game install, "Do you want to install (ie) V8 Supercars?"
Do you want to install (ie) DirectX9?
Do you want to install Gamespy?
Do you want to install the Acrobat Reader?
All software which we are told about!
But nowhere are we asked "Do you want to install Starforce?"
This, and you damn well know it, is not what they mean by software!
If they had nothing to hide they would also ask "Do you want to install Starforce?"

[Joe Forster/STA]

If game publishers had nothing to hide, they would've already created icons for most copy protection systems, printed them on the product box, and added a URL (yes, outside, on the box!) where the (potential) customer may read more information about the copy protection, including but not limited to known problems, before actually purchasing the item. (The same goes for copy-protected audio CD's, e.g. ones that cannot be played in car CD players, exactly because of the copy protection!)