Hope this hasnt' been posted B4, Starforce

[mercilessming]

http://www.glop.org/starforce/

starforce info, game published and boycott

I made my boycott, I went back to Console gameing sometimes the graphics are as good and I don't have mouse/keyboard control but I have not gameing problems.

[Mr. Anderson]

Yeah, StarFroce blows, but Trackmania Nations is so good.

[CaseyRyback]

hopefully more developers follow the path of Galactic Civ. II

[WebScud]

I pretty much agree with Tycho. Here's his news posts from today:


We couldn't let this (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/03/15) slide, I'm afraid. I'm aware that StarForce has supposedly apologized (http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6145864&page=0), but that and a cracker will get you a cracker. Already a deeply despised (http://www.glop.org/starforce/) company, one of their employees openly provided links to pirated materials (http://forums.galciv2.com/index.aspx?forumid=161&aid=106741&c=1) - confirming every suspicion about their debased operation. Of course they made some show of contrition.

When a corporation apologizes, we have a term for that: it is called PR.

I attach myself to very few online "movements," and the efforts to boycott StarForce are no different. Understand that I hate fucking StarForce. But I'm not going to miss out on Silent Storm and Freedom Force vs The Third Reich - or punish the developers of those games - so I can push forward some glorious principle. It is said that "money talks," and I don't discount that the purchase of something constitutes a form of communication. Not purchasing a product communicates... something, but in the absence of a well-publicized media component I'm not sure it actually delivers the message you think it does.

Publishers have a perception that products like StarForce protect their investment, and you've heard the arguments already - at least, as they refer to the scourge of music piracy. A strange and speculative mathematics is employed to equate pirated copies in a one to one ratio with lost sales, which is a difficult case to make without the use of a crystal ball. But in an industry where budgets have sailed beyond the exophere and into deep space, where breaking even is cause for celebration and first week sales take on holy significance, they can't be seen to do nothing just because some people on a forum said so.

Also: we know that copy protection packages largely represent a "magic feather" when it comes to stopping piracy. Assuming that the product is not available before retail release, which often happens, it is a matter of hours until that software is running free, rolling in Usenet's high grass. Publishers are aware of that, too. But StarForce is considered the most effective product of this type, so there you have it.

Impasse.

They need to perform due diligence when it comes to protecting sales, and we don't like StarForce's business tactics, or their lurking around on our hard disks (http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/30/anticopying_malware_.html) long after we've uninstalled a game. There's only one possibility of getting our way on this, and boycotting won't work, nor will calls to simply remove StarForce. Neither of those represent good faith efforts: they're naive, and they don't refer to reality. We need to communicate that their image is tarnished when they associate with StarForce, and I don't just mean the ISO. The idea that their company is decreased in value, lowered in esteem and stature with gamers who buy every major release. That the brands they've worked to build aren't served by these schemes - they're diminished.

There are other copy protection suites. I don't like them, I've spoken out against them, but I hate them less. At the same time, I recognize that when a company puts millions of dollars into a game, they want to put in that speed bump for the hax0rz. All we're asking is that publishers distance themselves from a company that has shown such contempt for their industry.

(CW)TB out.

Original post can be found here (http://www.penny-arcade.com/2006/03/15).

[CokeCola]

I agree with Tycho in that those of us that know about Starforce boycotting Starforced games probably won't do a lot in getting companies to dump it. None the less, I'm not going to buy games with Starforce simply because I don't want that crap on my system. Missing out on good games sucks, but is it really a good game if it fucks with my computer?

The decision is made easier by the fact that most Starforce games I would buy are Ubisoft games which are also available on the 360. Since my 360 trumps my PC for the moment, I don’t have any problem going with that version. I’ll be more annoyed after I upgrade and am forced to miss out on the best version of a game because of Starforce, but hopefully companies will drop Starforce after realizing that it’s broken and shoddy by then.

[Kayden]

Anyone that installs Singles: Flirt Up Your Life on their PC deserves to have the copy protection destroy their machine. :lol:

I love the irony of copy protection. I've pirated dozens of games with no set backs whatsoever. However, the one game I've actually purchased recently wouldn't play because of copy protection issues.


These assinine CD checks and what-have-you only really punish the honest consumer.

[Metal Boss]

This starforce stuff might be overblown, I'd like some actual proof it does this.


http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55 has a different story too tell.

[Logain8955]

www.onlinesecurity-on.com is owned by a Starforce employee. I'm not sure who, but if you look up the removal details at the Boycott Starforce site, you'll see all the info.

[Cao Cao]

This starforce stuff might be overblown, I'd like some actual proof it does this.


http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55 has a different story too tell.
If you had just bothered to check the whois records, you would see that onlinesecurity-on is just a puppet site that is owned by StarForce.

[DuckM4n]

why on earth does trackmania nations have starforce? its FREE AND DOWNLOADABLEE!!!, thats just illogcial to have starfoce on something you are giving away