Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

I htink I received an illegal copy of FM 2010

colocolo

colocolo

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 17, 2002
484
136
Santiago, Chile
Hey,
I'm a big fan of the FM series and I buy them almost every year.
I usually get a copy from Amazon, but Worldwide Soccer Manager 2010 (as it is known in the US) couldn't be shipped to my country this year. So, I fired up eBay, and bought a copy from a highly recommended source. Didn;t realize the seller was in India at first, but even if I would haave I would have bought it anyways according to the review. The seller in question is cd-bazaar, 99.3% positive feedback with a score of 11094.
Now that it has arrived, something doesn't seem right. Here's my list of reasons:

1.- It didn't come in a DVD slim box like previous games (granted, last time i had WSM and not FM). It came in an old style "fat" box, like old games used to. Inside, a cardboard box held the paper cd container. Is that how it ships now?
2.- The manual inside came in black and white.
3.- The only language available in the game is English - previous games came with at least 4 languages as far as I recall.
4.- The label printing of the CD looks cheap - this is the most subjective of my claims.

So my question, to anyone else who bought the game - have I been scammed? I will post pictures to better illustrate what I am trying to describe.
 
Could be legit remember different countrys have different packing factories etc. You could always install it and check the game out.
 
Gav2k said:
Could be legit remember different countrys have different packing factories etc. You could always install it and check the game out.
Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not; that's why I need an actual owner of the game to let me know.

As far as I know, the packaging should be the same regardless of the country. It is the European version after all.

Here's a pic of most of the packaging - it seems I misplaced the actual box - although it's more plausible my gf decided to throw it away.
 

Attachments

  • DSC01163.jpg
    DSC01163.jpg
    375.9 KB · Views: 162
That's what I'm saying to you in the uk it would be the standard DVD case as with the us. But if the Indian distributer uses carboard etc that's up to them. The master will be shipped with duplication rights then distributed locally in whatever means the local company chooses.
 
Yes, it is definitely possible.
Thing is, as I have doubts about the legality of the item I purchased, I'm better off asking someone who already purchased it, preferably several people and hopefully someone from India.

I still don't buy the cardboard box + black and white manual + English as only option. Even if you are correct, the master that shipped should contain more than one language. I would rather wait and see and check if I am right or I am just paranoid, than steal.
 
Have you tried the actual game site/support forum. Problem you have is this is a mac forum and that is a winblows game.
 
Gav2k said:
Have you tried the actual game site/support forum. Problem you have is this is a mac forum and that is a winblows game.
Click to expand...

LOL did you think of that all on your own!!?!??! F*CKING HILARIOUS!!!
OMG IM SO HIP SO I SAY WINBLOWZ!!!!
 
With all due respect, this is the purpose of this forum after all, to ask for help.

For your knowledge, it is not only a "winblows" game as you so derogatory call it, it's also native for Mac. If I wanted the "winblows" version I would have just bought it through steam.

To answer your question, I like to use every channel at my disposal to get my answers. As of yet, I have no official reply, so I might as well use this forum to find out as much as I can. Am I wasting important resources destined to something else?
 
Gav2k said:
Have you tried the actual game site/support forum. Problem you have is this is a mac forum and that is a winblows game.
Click to expand...

you do know there is Bootcamp Stop Being a Troll and actaully be hapefull instead of a Jerk.:rolleyes:
 
I know it works, as I bought two copies, one for my brother and the other one for me, and he installed it. He isn't into games as I am - he is my older brother and this is the only game he plays - so he didn't notice anything peculiar. That's how I found out the only language available was English.

What I do not know is if it is legit or a handy crafted bootleg copy. I'm inclined to believe it is the latter, as I buy a fair amount of games and this one just seems odd.

Can anyone who bought the game look at my description and posted pic and tell me if it resembles in any way what they got?
 
Gav2k said:
Have you tried the actual game site/support forum. Problem you have is this is a mac forum and that is a winblows game.
Click to expand...

Kid you need to grow up and learn to look at the pics. There's clearly an OS X finder icon on the box. :rolleyes:

OP, it doesn't look right but I don't own the game to know for sure. Was it dirt cheap?
 
No, it wasn't; I never buy software dirt cheap cause that means for sure it is a pirate copy. It cost me around $50 at the time.
You got me thinking, I checked the seller again - now he is selling it at around $30 - $10 cheaper than the cheapest retail copy I could find from the official sites.

By the way, that is not the box, that is the manual. I can't find the box. Forgive the quality of the pic, but I didn't have a better background at the time.

I know there are many FM fans in this forum - someone must have bought the game and be able to compare pics and the languages available inside, in order to try and determine if this is legit or not! Please?;)

EDIT: Link to the item.
 
colocolo said:
No, it wasn't; I never buy software dirt cheap cause that means for sure it is a pirate copy. It cost me around $50 at the time.
You got me thinking, I checked the seller again - now he is selling it at around $30 - $10 cheaper than the cheapest retail copy I could find from the official sites.

By the way, that is not the box, that is the manual. I can't find the box. Forgive the quality of the pic, but I didn't have a better background at the time.

I know there are many FM fans in this forum - someone must have bought the game and be able to compare pics and the languages available inside, in order to try and determine if this is legit or not! Please?;)
Click to expand...

The disk looks exactly like mine.
 
Thanks. What about the manual? Is it also black and white?
And did the CD come inside that small paper slip right below it?
Is any language but english available as an option inside the game?

Thanks for your time :)
 
swiftaw said:
The disk looks exactly like mine.
Click to expand...
Mine also – however, my manual has a colour cover with black and white printed inners. The CD itself was fastened into the case (a DVD style one as you mention colocolo), it wasn't in a paper sleeve.

As for language – I've just tried starting a new game to see what options it gives me, I can only select English.

My copy is a shop bought UK version, for what it's worth.
 
I know videogames (at least xbox games, i assume all others do too) have a number etched into the clear plastic hub, kinda like a model no or build no. See if theres anything there and google it.
An illegal copy would likely not have that etched into the hub, or would have a number that doesnt match anything else.
If you cant make sure and you are worried it wouldnt hurt to send an email to the publisher (Sega?) and see what they say.
 
I don't know the first thing about that game... but the paper sleeve to me screams fake. Never before have I seen a legit retail game shipped in a paper sleeve.

And the B&W cover of the manual is kinda dodgy too...
 
Moriarty said:
I don't know the first thing about that game... but the paper sleeve to me screams fake. Never before have I seen a legit retail game shipped in a paper sleeve.

And the B&W cover of the manual is kinda dodgy too...
Click to expand...

I have seen both paper sleeve and BW manuals before, if you bought the Indian version of the game (likely) it might have been packaged differently to Europe. For example US stores usually demand cardboard boxes compared to Europe which prefer DVD cases only.

However it could be dodgy, a quick email to Sports interactive should solve the problem.

Edwin
 
I expect it is due to regional differences in packing.

India is a place where piracy is rife, so frequently the retail packing of official products is brought down in quality to make the item cheaper - such as printing the manual in B&W and shipping the disc in a paper cover.

I've had several games, bought in the UK, come in paper covers. It's cheap, but can be legit.
 
NoSmokingBandit said:
LOL did you think of that all on your own!!?!??! F*CKING HILARIOUS!!!
OMG IM SO HIP SO I SAY WINBLOWZ!!!!
Click to expand...

Oh, did he hurt your IM-speaking, Ballmer-loving, Windows-fanboy feelings? :(

edddeduck said:
I have seen both paper sleeve and BW manuals before, if you bought the Indian version of the game (likely) it might have been packaged differently to Europe. For example US stores usually demand cardboard boxes compared to Europe which prefer DVD cases only.

However it could be dodgy, a quick email to Sports interactive should solve the problem.

Edwin
Click to expand...

+1 I'd email them. I have some games that game with B&W manuals.
 
Thanks everyone.

I had already sent an email to Sports Interactive and am waiting for the reply.

They don't seem to have an official contact email though, so I had to use their forum's contact form. Hopefully they read that :)
 
gibbz said:
I have some games that game with B&W manuals.
Click to expand...

So do I, but the front and back covers are usually in full colour. From what I remember being told about colour printing - it's very easy and cheap to do for one side, colour on both sides will cost a lot more. These guys are taking the biscuit with full black and white though, I'd email them too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back