Mass Effect 3 hits the torrents!! Special mention to Xbox pirates.

[theheroofaction]

these days, it seems that it's a testament to a companies security if the pirated copy isn't available before the legitimate one.

 

[Keava]

these days, it seems that it's a testament to a companies security if the pirated copy isn't available before the legitimate one.

It's retailers security most of the time, they get the games shipped way before release date and that's where 90% leaks happen. Some even start selling it several days earlier, which was the case with ME3...people been already playing it for 3-4 days in some places. Plus don't forget the launch to space event they did.

 

[Burnhardt]

It doesn't make it more legal, but it makes it justified, IMO. The overall outcome is the same for the developers: they get their money. It's as if you haven't pirated anything at all. And you don't have origin. Win-win situation.

I'd think you'll find that you argument will be shot down by the EULA.

 

[BanZeus]

There's no point to the "buy the game and pirate it to avoid Origin." Buying the game doesn't make the piracy any more legal or justified.

Pirate it or don't, all I'm saying is there is definitely no reason to give $60 to EA like they are some kind of charity.

It doesn't make it more legal, but it makes it justified, IMO. The overall outcome is the same for the developers: they get their money. It's as if you haven't pirated anything at all. And you don't have origin. Win-win situation.

Copyright violation isn't theft and that cuts both ways: You may feel morally justified to download a cracked version of a game you bought but (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) you'd still be violating copyright law.

Also, I would not be surprised if the EULA has something in it about not trying to circumvent Origin.

 

[Starke]

This is why we get shit like ACTA, entitled assholes who think its okay to do stuff like this. It makes me sick.

No, we got shit like ACTA because of shit like Youtube. On that front the piracy is a scapegoat, not an actual causative factor.

 

[Chappy]

People will complain when DRM comes out on console and blame it on EA and other publishers because they can when the future of DRM on console would be the fault of the pirates for exact reasons like this on. It would not be the fault of the publisher, Like it or not pirates are not entitled to something for nothing, They didn't pay for it and that is harming the company that made the product no matter how unpopular the company may be so of course the publisher will retaliate with things like DRM to try and stop their losses.

Then of course more people will pirate claiming it's because of the DRM and they are entitled a game they haven't paid for without DRM and the vicious cycle will continue.

I'm sure someone is going to argue and say piracy is perfectly valid and they are entitled to it all in which I would answer with a question, Are the people who made the product not entitled to a pay check?

 

[USSR]

Piracy has always existed on console.
This is no different.
Near every 360 game is leaked 3-4 days before release.

 

[TorchofThanatos]

I hate pirates! It is stelling and I wish they would just stop.
Oh well, any new game that comes out is going to be ripped off because some asshole thinks that they shouldn't have to pay.
I am going to pay and support Bioware because I like their game. We really need to fine some DRM that works.

 

[Canadish]

Not even pirating this myself, but I am on websites where they're talking about it openly.

The Crack is working now, but the file everyone downloaded was in Russian. Everyone is flipping their shit, it's hilarious.
I've noticed all the Dataminers and leaked files have been in Russian so far. I can't tell if our Russian Comrades love or hate this game...

Eitherway, you may want to go black and bail off the internet now, spoilers and troll videos are going to be spreading like wildfire until tomorrow.

 

[snagli]

Yup, I can see the many many versions of the game piling up on The Pirate Bay. Also recently people have started posting cracks (though only one so far that is from the actual scene, so the other ones might as well be fake). Good news for pirates, just news for honest people who spent their hard earned cash on the game.

 

[yourbeliefs]

ive never pirated a console game and don't plan on it now. Besides, Bioware has done more than enough to earn my money. I'll gladly throw down my money to reward them for entertaining me for so many hours. Besides, I still need to finish my Renegade Shepard game.

 

[Starke]

I must say, I'm astounded at how well Origin is doing as a protective measure. -2 days must be a record.

I seem to recall Splinter Cell: Double Agent actually remained uncracked for nearly a year after launch...

 

[isometry]

I must say, I'm astounded at how well Origin is doing as a protective measure. -2 days must be a record.

Online activation usually can't be cracked before release because the files are encrypted by a key that doesn't get distributed until the game launches. Once EA sends the key out to legitimate customers on launch day, then pirates will intercept the key and use it to crack the copy protection. Basically they can't start mis-using the key until EA starts passing it out.

A similar situation happened with Skyrim last year. The Xbox and PC versions both hit the torrents over a week before launch, but the PC version couldn't be cracked until release because it needed a decryption key that Steam hadn't shared yet. Here's] a link about it happening with Skyrim.

 

[Starke]

I must say, I'm astounded at how well Origin is doing as a protective measure. -2 days must be a record.

Online activation usually can't be cracked before release because the files are encrypted by a key that doesn't get distributed until the game launches. Once EA sends the key out to legitimate customers on launch day, then pirates will intercept the key and use it to crack the copy protection. Basically they can't start mis-using the key until EA starts passing it out.

A similar situation happened with Skyrim last year. The Xbox and PC versions both hit the torrents over a week before launch, but the PC version couldn't be cracked until release because it needed a decryption key that Steam hadn't shared yet. Here's [http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2215261] a link about it happening with Skyrim.

Though in this case, given how poorly coded Origin is, I'm a little surprised that this is actually locked down.

Also, occationally the unencrypted files do end up out in the wild before release, but that is a rarity.

Oh, and the url tag format is openbracket URL = address closebracket with seperate closing tag after the text you want the URL displayed as. Alternately just copy pasting will usually generate a usable link, though without being able to fit it into your sentence.

 

[Starke]

I must say, I'm astounded at how well Origin is doing as a protective measure. -2 days must be a record.

I seem to recall Splinter Cell: Double Agent actually remained uncracked for nearly a year after launch...

Can I have a source on that?

Yeah, though, it seems I was slightly mistaken. It was Chaos Theory, not Double Agent. Apparently the crack was released at +422 [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24035]. Also this [http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_8.html] is worth reading on the subject, while you're at it, and cites the previous article.

 

[Keava]

Thanks for the info, it's always good to know more about a subject. Still, 0 days compared to -2 isn't a huge increase

The whole preloading idea is moronic anyway - my experiences with Portal 2 still had me waiting 3 hours on release day to decrypt the bloody thing.

Tell me about it. When DoW2:Retribution released I got my physical copy delivered to me at 10am ... and then had to happily sit with the disc on my lap for 8 hours because Steam decided that their timezone is more important.

I miss the good old days when you would just punch in cd-key and install the damn thing from the disc you had and it didn't matter whenever you are connected to internet or what hour it is on the other side of the ocean...

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Warez sites offer over 100$ per AAA game that wasn't released.
What did they except from sending them into space? That God would catch them and not leak them?

Serves them right for all the shit they have done. And it shows that PC piracy isn't big and the consoles aren't any better. Tho you could know that because console copies are always the first one to be pirated. Mostly even before the official release.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Consoles already have DRM. It's just that all three have long since been cracked. They check the discs for a signature of sorts that cannot be copied by computers and which region they are from. There's no specific DRM on a given disc because all discs use the same method provided by the console manufacturer. Publishers put their trust into Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony to make their consoles secure. Geohot I believe, as was reported on this site [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106609-Notorious-iPhone-Hacker-Posts-PS3-Master-Key-Online], cracked the PS3.

I think it's funny that developers have long since thought of the PC as a secondary citizen because of piracy. And yet it's the consoles that see more piracy, while PC games sales [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115085-Steam-Sales-Double-Again-in-2011], particularly via DDPs are going up.

I want to buy ME3. I dearly want to see the final part of the trilogy. I don't want online passes, origin spyware, day 1 dlc, dev time wasted on a coop mode and a good rpg dumbed down [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109781-EA-Tweaking-Mass-Effect-3-to-Appeal-to-Wider-Market] for broader apppeal. I want to buy it but I cannot justify rewarding EA by giving them my money for what they've done to BioWare and this game. So I'm probably gonna join the boycott.

 

[Starke]

I must say, I'm astounded at how well Origin is doing as a protective measure. -2 days must be a record.

I seem to recall Splinter Cell: Double Agent actually remained uncracked for nearly a year after launch...

Can I have a source on that?

Yeah, though, it seems I was slightly mistaken. It was Chaos Theory, not Double Agent. Apparently the crack was released at +422 [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24035]. Also this [http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_8.html] is worth reading on the subject, while you're at it, and cites the previous article.

Interesting. Don't agree with StarForce, as it's clearly putting company profits ahead of consumer rights... but still, interesting. At least it's doing something, unlike Steamworks, Origin and all the other useless measures brought out every year.

And yeah, I've seen that Tweak article before... that's one huge read. I should probably finish it sometime...

Honestly, Starforce wasn't much more invasive than the old (internet free) SecurRom, given that what Ubisoft replaced it with is that MMO style DRM in their subsequent releases, and given that the horror stories about Starforce being some horrible hardware eating abomination seem to have originated from The Scene... I'd actually prefer we had that kicking around.

That said, Starforce did manage to have some of the worst public relations I've ever seen, so there is that.

 

[evilneko]

I must say, I'm astounded at how well Origin is doing as a protective measure. -2 days must be a record.

I seem to recall Splinter Cell: Double Agent actually remained uncracked for nearly a year after launch...

Can I have a source on that?

Yeah, though, it seems I was slightly mistaken. It was Chaos Theory, not Double Agent. Apparently the crack was released at +422 [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24035]. Also this [http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_8.html] is worth reading on the subject, while you're at it, and cites the previous article.

Interesting. Don't agree with StarForce, as it's clearly putting company profits ahead of consumer rights... but still, interesting. At least it's doing something, unlike Steamworks, Origin and all the other useless measures brought out every year.

And yeah, I've seen that Tweak article before... that's one huge read. I should probably finish it sometime...

Honestly, Starforce wasn't much more invasive than the old (internet free) SecurRom, given that what Ubisoft replaced it with is that MMO style DRM in their subsequent releases, and given that the horror stories about Starforce being some horrible hardware eating abomination seem to have originated from The Scene... I'd actually prefer we had that kicking around.

That said, Starforce did manage to have some of the worst public relations I've ever seen, so there is that.

Well, when you install a game and suddenly your optical drive(s) stop working, that's kind of a problem.

Also did you know Fallout 3 and New Vegas use SecuRom? True story, only it's only applied to the launcher. Solution? Use FOMM!