Re: [GD-General] serial numbers

[Javier A. <ja...@py...>]

What kind of drugs are you on, man? :)

I assume most games are uniquely signed to identify the receiver of betas.
We certainly did that on Praetorians (nice batch-mode signature tool for
those 85+ magazines!). Leaked versions may still appear, and despite the
fact that the leak can be traced back to one of the magazines, you will have
a hard time getting any compensation, the most you can hope for is their
promise that "they will be more careful in the future". The point of digital
signatures is "prevention": make sure the mag gets the point that their copy
is uniquely signed, that the signature is prominently displayed on the title
screen, that it can be hacked to not appear there but can't be removed
entirely, etc etc. and hope that, if they screw up, it will be with someone
else's title.

Flooding will not stop most p2p systems, they have learned to cope with
that: "trusted link sites", statistics for files, and pretty soon they will
have built-in ratings and "quality" estimators, just like they don't have
central servers anymore. The ones that don't adapt will simply stop being
used.

I wonder what the future is for mandatory online registration / verification
systems. These do create much more trouble for pirated versions, but have
tons of usability and privacy issues.

  Javier Arevalo
  Pyro Studios

Colin Fahey wrote:
>
> [1] First, put a unique code in each build of the game before the
> official release date, then do a Google search for any cracked
> versions, and then embarrass the reviewer who leaked the game to the
> public before it was
> even on sale!  Demand his head on a platter from the game magazine
> editor, or threaten to reduce your bribes for A+/100%/5-star ratings.
> Won't those punks change their tunes when you cut off their supply of
> cocaine, outcall escorts, and Japanese anime DVDs!
>
> [2] Later, when the game is in general release, do the Google search
> again, and send "Cease and Desist" e-mail to the punks offering
> cracks to your game, from fake law firms or from Yakuza assassins
> with an inexplicable desire to optimize "market efficiency" for your
> product.  Or invoke the Patriot Act and TIA or whatever and have the
> crackers tried by a secret military tribunal and summarily executed
> -- or at least brainwashed and cryogenically frozen to be revived
> later as Universal Soldiers, defending the government against freedom
> and democracy.
>
> [3] Then, do what Madonna does!  Flood Kazaa and Direct Connect with
> *fake* cracks to your game -- and put in some profane message to
> infuriate pirates! Releasing your most unimaginative game yet, just
> to get more cash out of your fan base, would complete the analogy,
> but that would simply be icing on the cake!  That will teach them to
> rage against the machine!  The freakin' machine is X-treme raging
> right back at 'em!  You da "Man"!