What I just E-mailed Aspyr, Sick of their shoddy ports and copy protection.

[palebluedot]

Not that I'm a fan of disc-in-drive copy protection by any means (quite the opposite actually), but breaking your disc doesn't mean you have to pirate the game. Pretty much every company has a replacement policy. Usually this means forking over a few bucks, but hey, you're the one who broke it, you need to take some responsibility.

--Eric

I am talking about breaking a DVD rom. The whole point of playing on a PC is that the game is on your COMPUTER HARDDRIVE rather then an optical media disc in a PS3 or XBox. It seems like people assume that a PC = PS3. That is not the case. My PC is 50 things at once, a PS3 is 1 thing.

The game company should not expect us to put a CD in to mount a legally bought game that resides on a HARD DRIVE. Plus its all moot anyway, like I said just surf the web and you can find no-cd cracks, invalidating the whole point in the first place. GG Aspyr.

 

[jimothyGator]

What a frustrating response.

Hello,

Unfortunately, there is no way around needing the disc in the drive to play the game.
This fact is stated in the minimum system requirements listed on the box.
This is the way the game was built for copy protection purposes.

Sorry we couldn't help you more.
Thanks for your patience.

How frustrating it is there there response just states what you not only knew, but what you were complaining about! The particular support person may be unable to do anything about it, but it's pathetic, and disingenous, to act as if Aspyr as a whole is powerless to stop this annoying process.

Maybe you can return the game and get a refund. After all, the disc is required, so once you've returned it, Aspyr should be comfortable knowing you can't play it. They'd probably use the "system requirements listed on the box" excuse, but it's clear that your expression of displeasure so far hasn't been enough.

 

[palebluedot]

So, by your logic, if I break my 360, Bethesda has to give me a PS3 version of Oblivion?

What you said makes no sense. By my logic a PC game shouldn't require a DVD at all since nothing runs off the optical media.

 

[Sijmen]

I thought so too, until a few days ago when my iMac started making weird sounds. After a while I managed to get it to eject the (Battlefield 1942) disc, and there was a crack in it, from the center going outwards—about 2 cm. I always handle my games with care and I can't see how this could've happened.

The replacement policies I've seen are all pretty expensive and often require me to mail the CD or DVD to a UK address.

And either way, this is only more hassle for the paying people. Also, I don't consider downloading a no-cd crack or an ISO for a game that I have bought 'pirating'.

 

[palebluedot]

How frustrating it is there there response just states what you not only knew, but what you were complaining about! The particular support person may be unable to do anything about it, but it's pathetic, and disingenous, to act as if Aspyr as a whole is powerless to stop this annoying process.

Maybe you can return the game and get a refund. After all, the disc is required, so once you've returned it, Aspyr should be comfortable knowing you can't play it. They'd probably use the "system requirements listed on the box" excuse, but it's clear that your expression of displeasure so far hasn't been enough.

I don't think that would work because you have to register your CD key to an account that is verified every time you get online. Thats why the copy protection is hilarious and why Windows and Linux (ugh) dont require it. All the verification is done through the ET:QW servers, there is no need to have the protection because of this.

 

[palebluedot]

I thought so too, until a few days ago when my iMac started making weird sounds. After a while I managed to get it to eject the (Battlefield 1942) disc, and there was a crack in it, from the center going outwards—about 2 cm. I always handle my games with care and I can't see how this could've happened.

The replacement policies I've seen are all pretty expensive and often require me to mail the CD or DVD to a UK address.

And either way, this is only more hassle for the paying people. Also, I don't consider downloading a no-cd crack or an ISO for a game that I have bought 'pirating'.

Me neither but Aspyr would of course because it proves the inadequacy of their policies. Also a lot of people on the Apple Game forums get irate when you trash Aspyr or even suggest using a nocd to break the copy protection for a legally bought game (case in point a few people on this thread).

 

[Let's Sekuhara!]

Pretty much every company has a replacement policy. Usually this means forking over a few bucks, but hey, you're the one who broke it, you need to take some responsibility.

Great. What about the folks whose disc drives have crapped out on them? Or MacBook Air users for that matter? What about the fact that even when you have the disc and you can insert it every time, it's lame as hell to have to do this.

It's almost like if iTunes asked you to put in the original CD every time you wanted to play a song. You know, because you just might have pirated it!
This is a huge step backwards.

Last time I put in a disc to play a computer game was with Quake 1 - and that was optional - just so you could hear Reznor's badass original soundtrack.

I should go burn off 100 copies of Doom 3 and pass them out on the street with my serial number. I haven't registered it...
Too bad most people will uninstall it upon realizing they need to always keep the disc on hand.

 

[MacHipster]

What you said makes no sense. By my logic a PC game shouldn't require a DVD at all since nothing runs off the optical media.

You, obviously, haven't been playing games on computers very long then. That or you have selective memory on games that don't require a floppy, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM disk to play.

 

[Sijmen]

Many required them for actual data.

 

[palebluedot]

You, obviously, haven't been playing games on computers very long then. That or you have selective memory on games that don't require a floppy, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM disk to play.

I've been a PC gamer since the early days of Wing Commander. I remember quite well that many companies required this. BUT most modern games that aren't churned out in the digital sweatshop companies that gamers love to hate (EA, case in point) dont require this. And Steam makes this all moot anyway since pretty much every game is digitally distributed these days.

The real point here is that its not a part of, say BF 2 that requires a CD to be in on the Windows version. It's Aspyr SCREWING Mac users for buying their product when the Windows and Linux products dont require it.

 

[MacHipster]

I've been a PC gamer since the early days of Wing Commander. I remember quite well that many companies required this. BUT most modern games that aren't churned out in the digital sweatshop companies that gamers love to hate (EA, case in point) dont require this. And Steam makes this all moot anyway since pretty much every game is digitally distributed these days.

The real point here is that its not a part of, say BF 2 that requires a CD to be in on the Windows version. It's Aspyr SCREWING Mac users for buying their product when the Windows and Linux products dont require it.

Really? Because Civ IV requires the disk to play on my Dell.

Regardless, did you ever stop to consider that this may be a licensing issue with the developer?

 

[aidanpendragon]

How frustrating it is there there response just states what you not only knew, but what you were complaining about!

Sounds like every tech support experience I ever had with Aspyr. This latest BS makes me glad I'm not buying anything else from them.

 

[Eric5h5]

Great. What about the folks whose disc drives have crapped out on them? Or MacBook Air users for that matter? What about the fact that even when you have the disc and you can insert it every time, it's lame as hell to have to do this.

You should read my first sentence again. I'm not defending the practice of requiring a disc in the drive; I find it quite lame and obnoxious. I'm pointing out that if the disc breaks, you don't have to buy the game again.

--Eric

 

[palebluedot]

Really? Because Civ IV requires the disk to play on my Dell.

Regardless, did you ever stop to consider that this may be a licensing issue with the developer?

Except, now days you can get Civ IV and it doesn't require it. Like I said, everything has gone Digital Distribution on the Windows side.. not to mention the Windows market in flooded with mini-ISO for those (FEW) games that do require this.

And, yes of course, I have already made the point about licensing. This has nothing to do with licensing as iD does not require it on Windows or Linux (which is the kicker, Linux gaming looking better then Mac gaming is a dreary day in deed). It's interestingly that you so fervently defend this DRM scheme (if you aren't playing Devil's Advocate) - It goes to show you how penetrating the belief is not just within publishing houses but the gaming public.

As I've said 30 times, this merely speaks to Aspyr's growing similarity to EA in which the customer is screwed first. I am new to Mac and gaming but in reading their history it is surprising. I'm curious to see how the CoD4 port that is 6 months overdue will be if it ever comes out (CoD 5 is out soon and Aspyr still hasn't gotten 4 out of the gate so who knows)...

Anyways, of course licensing is in play but this decision shows Aspyr's true face since they cant hide behind a Windows publisher (iD) on this one.

 

[synth3tik]

The best thing you could do is to stop buying their products, thats what I did. Complaining that you bought the game and would rather use the cracked version does not do anything for them. You already bought the game, doubt they would care then if you downloaded the crack, they have your money.

 

[Eric5h5]

I'm not sure that not buying their products will get the desired result. The reason for the stupid disc check in the first place is because of far too many people pirating their games instead of buying them. On the other hand, having the check when Windows + Linux doesn't isn't really acceptable either. No good answers I guess....

--Eric

 

[palebluedot]

I'm not sure that not buying their products will get the desired result. The reason for the stupid disc check in the first place is because of far too many people pirating their games instead of buying them. On the other hand, having the check when Windows + Linux doesn't isn't really acceptable either. No good answers I guess....

--Eric

No see, thats what they tell you. Thats not the reason. They know as well as we do that it doesn't do anything I'm sure. I doubt they are idiots. But then again...

Either way its moot because pirates can crack it within a few hours and then we all have to use the crack if we want to bypass the CD check (we = legal owners and pirates who illegally downloaded the game).

And to the poster above... I'm not going to say I did or didn't

I think I wont be buying any more Aspyr products unless they are top of the line. Well see how CoD 4 turns out. I dont even want to buy Aspyr products on Steam for Windows now (like Stubbs the Zombie) just because of my interactions with them.

I will be supporting MacSoft however because it looks like they do Quality Ports (heck they still support a game they dont have the rights to, Halo) and I read somewhere that they disabled CD DRM for Unreal 2k4. Cant wait for them to Release Unreal 3 - that should be a swoon to Mac gaming if done right since most modern games run on the UT3 engine.

 

[Eric5h5]

I doubt they are idiots.

Right, that's why they do it: because it does work, for a while anyway. Most game sales are made when the game is new. All the disc check does is delay the amount of piracy for a little while, but that little while can be the difference between making money and losing money.

However. The problem being that sooner or later, the disc check fails to have any effect on sales, and then all it does after that point is annoy legit users for no benefit. That's why Macsoft can remove the check after a few patches. This really ought to be done by every company for every game that uses such a system, after, say, 6 months to a year at most. I think that's a reasonable compromise.

--Eric

 

[Nermal]

While I'm not advocating piracy, it does annoy me when the legitimate purchasers are punished for buying the game. One example is Halo. I have a bought Mac version, and the CD is I think version 1.0.3. All of my friends have a pirated Windows version, and it's 1.0. My Mac version won't talk to theirs because the versions don't match, and they can't upgrade to 1.0.3 because of the way the copy protection is circumvented.

The end result is that my friends, with their pirated copies, can play together while I'm unable to play with them because I bought the game. No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[palebluedot]

Right, that's why they do it: because it does work, for a while anyway. Most game sales are made when the game is new. All the disc check does is delay the amount of piracy for a little while, but that little while can be the difference between making money and losing money.

However. The problem being that sooner or later, the disc check fails to have any effect on sales, and then all it does after that point is annoy legit users for no benefit. That's why Macsoft can remove the check after a few patches. This really ought to be done by every company for every game that uses such a system, after, say, 6 months to a year at most. I think that's a reasonable compromise.

--Eric

I think cracks can come out way faster then that. A good cracker can have one out on Zero Day release if needed, so it really is a pointless system to begin with. Most modern games require logins associated to a CD Key which is unbreakable copy protection.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

this whole DRM thing with the DVD or CD is total BS. I bought AoE 3 for mac from a friend who got it for their birthday but have PCs and no Macs. SO he sold it to me for $20. It's so annoying to put in the dvd every single time, I mean I didn't buy it retail, but I bought it from a friend, so I don't think I deserve being treated as if I pirated the game. Seriously, the people for paid for the games are being treated as if they pirated it, but the actual piraters are playing without a rat's ass for the world.

 

[Eric5h5]

I think cracks can come out way faster then that. A good cracker can have one out on Zero Day release if needed, so it really is a pointless system to begin with.

Yes, but many people are not aware of these things. If it were pointless then they wouldn't do it.

--Eric

 

[0098386]

This is why Steam is ace. And I always get no-CD cracks of PC games (my last one was Doom 3, which I've rebought on Steam as part of the Doom pack). Inserting a DVD is what consoles use, and we're gaming on proper systems! Systems that have other methods of copy protection but simply aren't used by some developers and publishers.

<3 Steam.

Though it's not perfect - you need to be online to play any kind of game. But certain games that use the Common folder can run the same no-CD executables for offline play.

So, by your logic, if I break my 360, Bethesda has to give me a PS3 version of Oblivion?

Where on earth did you pull that from? You're comparing console to PC copy protection?

 

[punkybadhip]

Having a hissy-fit, and getting your panties in a twist, because you have to insert a DVD into a DVD DRIVE to play a game!! Oh my god, that is ridiculous.

I bet it took you longer to write that email, compared to all the time added up inserting the disk to play the game, during your life-time.

 

[erikistired]

i emailed them because i can't install bf1942 on my mbp anymore, i guess 10.5.4 or 10.5.5 buggered it. they basically said nothing in their reply, now i'm kicking myself for uninstalling it (tho i'm guessing it probably wouldn't work anyway).