Purchasing and Downloading Games

Matrix Games Forums

Forums Register Login Photo Gallery Member List Search Calendars FAQ

My Profile Inbox Address Book My Subscription My Forums Log Out

Purchasing and Downloading Games

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Purchasing and Downloading Games

Page: [1] 2 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/10/2007 9:03:57 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

Bear with me, this is kind of long but well worth reading if you like to purchase and download your games.

A little over a week ago I found that my PC had two Trojans and a couple of viruses. I knew then that my life for the next week was predestined for hassle. This was the second time anything like this has happened to me, the first was fifteen years ago when my PC got the Sunday virus. I am extremely careful and very leery of all web sites. My cookies are set to a bare minimum and my security settings barely allow me to do much of anything fun on any web site. After almost every surfing experience I run two spyware programs to clean up the invasive junk. I�m careful!

Starting last year, I began using download services for acquiring games as it was easier than going to the stores, as I am a bit physically challenged. I used Steam, StrategyFirst, TotalGaming, and GamersGate. Of course I have used Matrix for many years before these others.

It was during one of the online updates from one of the above services (I won�t mention which) that the Trojan and virus problems hit. I had to reformat and of course reinstall XP, then reinstall ALL of my programs. Then close to a hundred Windows security and program updates! Oh, and all of the Dell drivers too. What a hassle!

When I got to the games install part of this journey, that�s when I found out what companies would receive any future money from me or not. Some of the games installed effortlessly. Some of them would not install until I received another authorization number from customer support. Mind you this is only the second install for these games I paid for. The customer support FAQ�s at one site said that I was allowed two installs only and after that I would need special permission! I am still waiting for that special permission to install the last two games I paid full retail for. This is day three. These two games are old classics too, not something that everyone wants to pirate.

OK. My points are these. I received the Trojans and viruses from them updating their service (a download manager) on my PC. I know for a fact because I checked just before and then after. I nailed it to the wall. I have no doubt who gave it to me. Also to reinstall games that I want to play is now a major hassle and waiting game. I ended up going to Amazon last night and buying (again) the games that will release me from these companies. I will now have the boxed version at my disposal.

My main reasons for writing this is to let others know that they need to be very careful when purchasing downloadable games online. Some of these services require a download manager, be careful of these. The other reason is that every Matrix game I have purchased (over 20 now) is saved along with its serial number and I can reinstall all of them with absolutely NO hassle of any kind! That�s the way it should be done by ALL of these companies. Instead of catering to their piracy paranoia.

Thanks Matrix for showing me how purchasing and downloading games should be! You truly are the best when it comes to getting a game fast and being able to use it again even years later.

Post #: 1

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/10/2007 10:14:57 PM

Widell

Posts: 913
Joined: 4/27/2005
From: Trollh�ttan, Sweden
Status: offline

Matrix is becoming more and more of a classic company in my opinion. Not only do they provide good service as described above, but the forums are lively and very helpful. Attitudes among the members of the different game communities are close to always positive, and in the very few exceptions, the mods are doing a good job IMHO. I also believe that Matrix is being extremely smart in the way they are building their product portfolio, just look at some of the additions lately: Operational Art of War, Harpoon, and now UFO. All games with fanatic crowds. Furthermore, Matrix has also made sure to re-release these games fairly quickly, which has ensured that the user communities are kept alive. The usual way seems to be to spend a long, long time in development just to be able to present a "major update" which often seems to mean significantly improved graphics and online capabilities, but reduced depth and feel for the original game. Matrix does not fall in this trap. They are not scared of niche products for addicts

Hats of for Matrix and their followers (us, the community that is) and keep up the good work!

_____________________________

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 2

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/10/2007 10:52:17 PM

Jevhaddah

Posts: 626
Joined: 11/24/2005
From: Scotland
Status: offline

Yup, I agree Matrix has it right, it's why I have bought most of their games

I have only ever bought one download game that required online activation, or had limited reinstall options, but.. I am finding that more and more of my...er.. um serious software is going down this route and it scares me as its costs a lot more
.

As we say in Scotland "I'ts daein ma heid in"

_____________________________

I am really quite mad yoo know!

(in reply to Widell)

Post #: 3

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/11/2007 12:01:37 AM

ravinhood

Posts: 3891
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline

Yeah it's a shame Battlefront is going the way of mandatory online registration/activation instead of like Matrixgames does it. Looks like I won't be buying anymore of their games. I don't like this mandatory online registration/activation bs and constant registration/activation if I decide to uninstall and reinstall the game at a later date as I do with a lot of my games. It's bad business practice and I just don't "trust" online companies with this method, because the day they go bellyup is the day you lose your game if you need to reinstall and reactivate it.

We need to do this online registration/activation like we did STARFORCE. Just boycott any companies that force it or use it and cut into their bottom dollar. They are trying to save a penny while losing a dime with this copy protection and online registration/activation bs.

(in reply to Jevhaddah)

Post #: 4

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/11/2007 5:10:34 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

I didn't know that about Battlefront, too bad as I liked a couple of their games. No more then. I'm still waiting for customer support to send me the activation code for those two games.

I could have said a lot more in my first post but I was tired of typing.

There is much more to the beginning of these problems that had to do with these same two games not saving preferences when I exited the Options menu. Steam said it was Strategy First's (S-First) problem as they made the two games, and S-First said it was Steam's problem. I knew it was Steams fault because of the way they maneuver files to keep piracy down. So to prove it I also bought this same two game package from S-First as they are the makers of them. Worked perfect then! Still Steam would accept no fault.

I hate these kinds of companies and more and more of them are coming aboard. Think twice and thrice is what I have to say if someone is impatient enough to consider purchasing through any of them. In the long run you may be sorry.

(in reply to ravinhood)

Post #: 5

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/11/2007 10:08:47 PM

Hertston

Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: LarryP

I didn't know that about Battlefront, too bad as I liked a couple of their games. No more then.

They do do boxed versions! I think the great majority of their sales are still of same.

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 6

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 11:52:08 AM

Zap

Posts: 3639
Joined: 12/6/2004
From: LAS VEGAS TAKE A CHANCE
Status: offline

I have to agree with both of your assesments about Matrix. I have really been happy here and with the purchasing system.

About the Download Managers you used LarryP. If you had saved the download to a saved file. Then did a scan of that file with your virus software before you opened it. Would you have beeen able to identify and then eliminate the trojan/virus before you put to your hard disk?

_____________________________

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 7

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 5:30:15 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zap

I have to agree with both of your assesments about Matrix. I have really been happy here and with the purchasing system.

About the Download Managers you used LarryP. If you had saved the download to a saved file. Then did a scan of that file with your virus software before you opened it. Would you have beeen able to identify and then eliminate the trojan/virus before you put to your hard disk?

I saved all of the downloaded files so I could reinstall them myself without relying on their download managers to reinstall. You can't download any other way as they insist on using their download manager. I didn't get the Trojans and viruses from a game update, they updated their download manager and that's when it happened. I scanned before the update and right after, hence me knowing just who did it.

Also when they insist on using their download managers, the games also have to be installed by them too. The entire method stinks big time! Unlike Matrix where I can use my broadband connection and manage it all myself, like it should be.

The Trojan was inside the Internet Temporary Files directory and also inside the Windows\System32 directory. The virus (LOVE.exe) was inside the Windows directory. Also the User32.dll file had been altered. The infected files that were added were called IR32_A.exe, CSRSA.exe, and NBBB.exe in the System32 directory. All of this was corrected by AVG Virus program but the damage had already been so extensive that I had to just format and start over.

By the way, I STILL have not heard back from them with my activation codes. I sent three emails (same original one) Sunday (4-8-07), Monday, and Wednesday. Sunday may not count as it was Easter.

(in reply to Zap)

Post #: 8

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 5:35:43 PM

General Quarters

Posts: 1059
Joined: 12/3/2006
Status: offline

LarryP, did you ever tell us which company you think you got the virus from? I don't see any need for your to protect them. Please let us know.

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 9

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 5:45:52 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: General Quarters

LarryP, did you ever tell us which company you think you got the virus from? I don't see any need for your to protect them. Please let us know.

I've not wanted any trouble from all of this, since I have not directly faced the company about it. The reason I haven't is because the first trouble I had with this companies games, they pretty much told me that they are perfect and nothing they do is wrong. Go elsewhere to solve my issues.

How about this... the companies name is five letters long. My first post shows a list of four companies. Matrix doesn't count.

(in reply to General Quarters)

Post #: 10

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 7:05:48 PM

SlapBone

Posts: 269
Joined: 7/27/2004
From: Houston, TX
Status: offline

I play a lot of text-based sports sims, so Battlefront's activation scheme is second-nature at this point. Let me explain a little bit about how it works:

1. Whenever an Elicense game is installed it installs a Control Panel applet called "Elicense Control". This control applet does exactly what it says it does, it lets you control all the licenses for your Elicense games.

2. Every Elicense purchase comes with two activations. Note that the internet is only needed for the initial activation and not for the game to run after that.

3. The Elicense Control applet lets you manage your two licenses, so if both of your licenses are taken and you want to install on a third computer, you need to go to the control applet on one of the two that are licensed and "unlicense" it on that computer. Thus, you free up one of your two licenses and can then license it on another computer. Note that you must do this before uninstalling the game as the .dll required for license control for any particular game is installed and uninstalled with that game.

4. If you are going to reinstall your OS always go to the Elicense control applet and unlicense all of your Elicense games so that when you reinstall the OS you can reinstall your games without a hiccup.

5. If you do happen to reformat your computer without freeing up your licenses, just send an email to support@elicense.com with your name and license number and let them know what you did. They will usually free up your licenses without a lot of trouble. I have screwed up in the past and had to send them a list of a many as 6 games and they freed up my licenses without fail each time.

I do not work for Viatech or anyone affiliated, but I have learned to love the Elicense system and the control it gives you over your purchased software. Schemes like the ones that marry themselves to a hardware configuration are never purchased by me because I do a lot of reformatting.

_____________________________

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 11

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 7:06:04 PM

Terminus

Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline

What a surprise... Noooooot...

(That it was Steam he got it from...)

< Message edited by Terminus -- 4/12/2007 7:12:13 PM >

_____________________________

We are all dreams of the Giant Space Butterfly.

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 12

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 7:11:30 PM

Erik Rutins

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline

Larry,

Have you posted on the Battlefront forum yet in addition to e-mailing them? My experience with their e-mail support has been good, but if you haven't heard back a forum post is the best way to go. I know that on rare occasions customers think they've e-mailed us three times and they have, but we haven't received the e-mails for one reason or another (spam filters, etc.) and don't realize until they PM or post on the forum.

In any case, we obviously like our serial number system or we wouldn't use it instead of other alternatives and I do think it's about the most user-friendly that can be done nowadays (short of no protection at all). But if you have problems with another publisher's system, you should really bring it up with them on their forum.

Regards,

- Erik

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to Terminus)

Post #: 13

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 7:37:04 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Larry,

Have you posted on the Battlefront forum yet in addition to e-mailing them? My experience with their e-mail support has been good, but if you haven't heard back a forum post is the best way to go. I know that on rare occasions customers think they've e-mailed us three times and they have, but we haven't received the e-mails for one reason or another (spam filters, etc.) and don't realize until they PM or post on the forum.

In any case, we obviously like our serial number system or we wouldn't use it instead of other alternatives and I do think it's about the most user-friendly that can be done nowadays (short of no protection at all). But if you have problems with another publisher's system, you should really bring it up with them on their forum.

Regards,

- Erik

I've bought from Battlefront a couple times and never had a problem. It's not them I have the trouble with. This is not the first time I have contacted the customer support at StrategyFirst. The first time I had the same waiting period as now. I am not wanting to get anything fixed at this point. I have already purchased these same games in boxed form so that it releases me from using online sources from now on. I just wanted to alert other people about how crummy download managers can be.

I probably should have kept to my original plan and kept my pie-hole shut.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)

Post #: 14

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 7:42:29 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: SlapBone

I play a lot of text-based sports sims, so Battlefront's activation scheme is second-nature at this point. Let me explain a little bit about how it works:

1. Whenever an Elicense game is installed it installs a Control Panel applet called "Elicense Control". This control applet does exactly what it says it does, it lets you control all the licenses for your Elicense games.

2. Every Elicense purchase comes with two activations. Note that the internet is only needed for the initial activation and not for the game to run after that.

3. The Elicense Control applet lets you manage your two licenses, so if both of your licenses are taken and you want to install on a third computer, you need to go to the control applet on one of the two that are licensed and "unlicense" it on that computer. Thus, you free up one of your two licenses and can then license it on another computer. Note that you must do this before uninstalling the game as the .dll required for license control for any particular game is installed and uninstalled with that game.

4. If you are going to reinstall your OS always go to the Elicense control applet and unlicense all of your Elicense games so that when you reinstall the OS you can reinstall your games without a hiccup.

5. If you do happen to reformat your computer without freeing up your licenses, just send an email to support@elicense.com with your name and license number and let them know what you did. They will usually free up your licenses without a lot of trouble. I have screwed up in the past and had to send them a list of a many as 6 games and they freed up my licenses without fail each time.

I do not work for Viatech or anyone affiliated, but I have learned to love the Elicense system and the control it gives you over your purchased software. Schemes like the ones that marry themselves to a hardware configuration are never purchased by me because I do a lot of reformatting.

That's some excellent advice. If I were going to continue using online purchasing I would print this out for future use. Thank you.

Have you ever used Steams service? They require their interface to be loaded when you play a game. It plays from this menu and never without it. The file system they use is very cryptic. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out their file structure. It's a mess!

There are only two ways I will ever purchase a game from now on. Boxed copy OR Matrix download. That's it.

(in reply to SlapBone)

Post #: 15

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 8:25:37 PM

General Quarters

Posts: 1059
Joined: 12/3/2006
Status: offline

I'm glad you posted this, LarryP. It puts the rest of us on alert and prompted some other useful posts, such as the one from Erik.

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 16

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 8:51:21 PM

Hertston

Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: SlapBone

1. Whenever an Elicense game is installed it installs a Control Panel applet called "Elicense Control". This control applet does exactly what it says it does, it lets you control all the licenses for your Elicense games.

2. Every Elicense purchase comes with two activations. Note that the internet is only needed for the initial activation and not for the game to run after that.

3. The Elicense Control applet lets you manage your two licenses, so if both of your licenses are taken and you want to install on a third computer, you need to go to the control applet on one of the two that are licensed and "unlicense" it on that computer. Thus, you free up one of your two licenses and can then license it on another computer. Note that you must do this before uninstalling the game as the .dll required for license control for any particular game is installed and uninstalled with that game.

4. If you are going to reinstall your OS always go to the Elicense control applet and unlicense all of your Elicense games so that when you reinstall the OS you can reinstall your games without a hiccup.

5. If you do happen to reformat your computer without freeing up your licenses, just send an email to support@elicense.com with your name and license number and let them know what you did. They will usually free up your licenses without a lot of trouble. I have screwed up in the past and had to send them a list of a many as 6 games and they freed up my licenses without fail each time.

I think the principle objection is as to what happens if the company concerned goes tits-up and 'support' is no longer available?

In addition, the reason the Matrix system is so universally preferred is that none of that faffing about is necessary. There is no need to install a control panel applet (which could be doing anything) or e-mail anybody just to get what you have paid for to work.

The flip-side is security.. does the straight download/serial routine result in any lost sales due to additional piracy? My feeling (I don't have any figures to support it) is that it does not, when you are talking about a genre niche like wargaming. Any lost sales are more than made up for by those from happy customers and lack of customer service grief. I'm assuming that's the call Matrix have made.

(in reply to SlapBone)

Post #: 17

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 9:24:09 PM

freeboy

Posts: 9088
Joined: 5/16/2004
From: Colorado
Status: offline

The newest game from BF, TOW went from a 10 must have, I may still get the hard disk mailed to me if I can get patches without:
B to a 2 must not get due to the issues seen here in these forums. What are the execs at these companies thinking? "Lets give them something to really piss them off and see if we have anyone buying our products tommorrow?"

Obviously out of touch with their market, andsince there are so many GREAT games out today, I have not even reinstalled forge yet, a 9.5 out of ten for me, why would I get games like TWO or even the lusted after SS4 sea wolves, buggy reports wil lsee that as a 2008 purchase MAYBE.. again too many great games...

(in reply to Hertston)

Post #: 18

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 9:43:13 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: General Quarters

I'm glad you posted this, LarryP. It puts the rest of us on alert and prompted some other useful posts, such as the one from Erik.

Thanks! I really appreciate you posting this. I seem to have a nack of getting into trouble in newsgroups without even trying.

(in reply to General Quarters)

Post #: 19

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/12/2007 9:46:58 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: freeboy

Obviously out of touch with their market, and since there are so many GREAT games out today, I have not even reinstalled forge yet, a 9.5 out of ten for me, why would I get games like TWO or even the lusted after SS4 sea wolves, buggy reports wil lsee that as a 2008 purchase MAYBE.. again too many great games...

I've been watching SS4 too since I have SS3. The reviews online including gaming magazines are not good enough for me to spring for it.

I still have FOF installed. I always will as long as I have a PC.

(in reply to freeboy)

Post #: 20

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/13/2007 12:40:02 AM

freeboy

Posts: 9088
Joined: 5/16/2004
From: Colorado
Status: offline

I know FORGE is awesome, just not on , I was waiting forever for the patch, and just let it slide, playing alot of TAOW3 and some leaked patch1.2 MTW2 modded to a substantially harder game.
Companies get my money and praise when they make good fun games, and they do not screw with me.. I lost alot of serial numbers and boy is dealing with Matrix easy! LOVE most of what I have.. some a not too great, but that is why we have choice, and taste or lack there of ...
SSSOOO please Matrix do not go the way of BF and others!

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 21

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/13/2007 2:03:24 AM

Erik Rutins

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: LarryP
I've bought from Battlefront a couple times and never had a problem. It's not them I have the trouble with. This is not the first time I have contacted the customer support at StrategyFirst. The first time I had the same waiting period as now. I am not wanting to get anything fixed at this point. I have already purchased these same games in boxed form so that it releases me from using online sources from now on. I just wanted to alert other people about how crummy download managers can be.

I probably should have kept to my original plan and kept my pie-hole shut.

Argh, I'm sorry. I read about E-License and Battlefront somehow thought you were talking about them, when in fact only others were.

Ok, with all that's been said here - and this is for everyone in the thread, not you specifically - if you want to discuss copy protection, no problem at all. However, please don't attack any other publisher here. Feel free to vent on their forums or e-mail them your criticisms, but I don't want people to think that we are looking to slam any other publishers here, whether Strategy First or anyone else.

Regards,

- Erik

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 22

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/13/2007 4:31:40 AM

SlapBone

Posts: 269
Joined: 7/27/2004
From: Houston, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: LarryP

That's some excellent advice. If I were going to continue using online purchasing I would print this out for future use. Thank you.

Have you ever used Steams service? They require their interface to be loaded when you play a game. It plays from this menu and never without it. The file system they use is very cryptic. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out their file structure. It's a mess!

There are only two ways I will ever purchase a game from now on. Boxed copy OR Matrix download. That's it.

You are welcome. I try to educate people about the system because the text-sim guys that use the system hate intrusive copy protection as much as the next guy and have found that they get the maximum protection for the least amount of user frustration. A case in point is how SI games eventually moved all of their sports sims to Elicense after foisting three horrendous copy protection schemes on their users in earlier products (including Softwrap, D2D, and Digital River's online activation). Battlefront is now using Elicense on all of their products (even the hard copies) and I would hate to see them shunned by the wargaming community based on the fact that people may not know how to manipulate the copy protection to the maximum benefit.

I do use Steam and own about 15 games on that service. I have never noticed problems like yours, but I can say that I did go and update all of my virus protection after reading this thread. I'll also say that I am really obsessive-compulsive about certain types of games that I download and would never buy a game on Steam that I would miss if Steam's servers got nuked. I mean sure, I would be out some money, but nothing like the money I have invested in my Matrix games.

quote:

I think the principle objection is as to what happens if the company concerned goes tits-up and 'support' is no longer available?

In addition, the reason the Matrix system is so universally preferred is that none of that faffing about is necessary. There is no need to install a control panel applet (which could be doing anything) or e-mail anybody just to get what you have paid for to work.

The flip-side is security.. does the straight download/serial routine result in any lost sales due to additional piracy? My feeling (I don't have any figures to support it) is that it does not, when you are talking about a genre niche like wargaming. Any lost sales are more than made up for by those from happy customers and lack of customer service grief. I'm assuming that's the call Matrix have made.

I'm not dissing the Matrix protection at all. I own somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 games that were published by them. All but 3 of them were download only. As far as I see it, each company should do whatever is necessary to protect their IP while at the same time giving the user the maximum benefit of the product. As far as I'm concerned neither Starforce or other CDrom protection schemes fit that pattern. Neither does D2D. Steam, I have mixed feelings about.

_____________________________

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 23

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/14/2007 3:32:12 AM

ravinhood

Posts: 3891
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

quote:

ORIGINAL: LarryP

I didn't know that about Battlefront, too bad as I liked a couple of their games. No more then.

They do do boxed versions! I think the great majority of their sales are still of same.

This is true Herston, but, NOW even the boxed versions must be registered/activated ONLINE just like a download. It's not like the old days where it could be done from the CD-rom. It's sad to say, but, this is just going to lead more people to looking for the hacked versions I'm afraid. They really need to take a lesson from Stardock. No copy protection and no cd required to play the game. You only need to register your game for the patches, but, even so once you have the patches you don't have to reregister everytime you reinstall one of their games. You just make sure you save the patches to a rom like you do Matrix's stuff.

@Erik concerning talking to the Admins over at Battlefront forums...have you ever tried to talk to Steve or Moon? Steve is the worst, he acts like he's some gift to mankind making games for us and I really loathe his attitude and I just won't discuss or even try to talk to him anymore. Moon isn't half bad, but, he also has his moments of superioty even when they have many people telling them this is bad.

Of course they give us the normal smoothy that they would release the licenses for ALL their games before they went out of business. Well, I'm sorry, but, I don't buy that one at all. That's no guarantee it will happen. I personally like solid foundations to live upon not some promise or trust me statements.

< Message edited by ravinhood -- 4/14/2007 3:45:20 AM >

(in reply to Hertston)

Post #: 24

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/14/2007 5:09:55 AM

SlapBone

Posts: 269
Joined: 7/27/2004
From: Houston, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: ravinhood

Of course they give us the normal smoothy that they would release the licenses for ALL their games before they went out of business. Well, I'm sorry, but, I don't buy that one at all. That's no guarantee it will happen. I personally like solid foundations to live upon not some promise or trust me statements.

Even if they did go out of business, the licenses are still accessible from Viatech.

_____________________________

(in reply to ravinhood)

Post #: 25

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/14/2007 7:07:01 AM

ravinhood

Posts: 3891
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline

And when Viatech goes bellyup who's going to fulfill the license agreement when I reinstall their game?

(in reply to SlapBone)

Post #: 26

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/17/2007 10:00:14 PM

Maliki

Posts: 2217
Joined: 12/25/2002
Status: offline

Now this isn't a slam but HOI2 was the last game that i'm ever going to download that requires you to be online to play it.

About a day after i downloaded it their server want kablooey and was down for about a week.Now a week isn't a long time,but the point was that i was unable to play a product that i had payed for because of circumstances i had no control over.Granted they fixed it so that you could play offline,but it was just additional hoops to jump through.

Quite honestly i'm tired of having to jump through hoops to play games that i just want the pleasure of enjoying.Being forced to stay connected in order to play the game is one less hoop i am willing to jump through.No matter how much i may want to try a game if it requires that,then that is one less hassle i am willing to put up with.

_____________________________

"..if you want to make a baby cry, first you give it a lollipop. Then you take it away."

(in reply to ravinhood)

Post #: 27

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/17/2007 10:46:43 PM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Maliki

Now this isn't a slam but HOI2 was the last game that i'm ever going to download that requires you to be online to play it.

About a day after i downloaded it their server want kablooey and was down for about a week.Now a week isn't a long time,but the point was that i was unable to play a product that i had payed for because of circumstances i had no control over.Granted they fixed it so that you could play offline,but it was just additional hoops to jump through.

Quite honestly i'm tired of having to jump through hoops to play games that i just want the pleasure of enjoying.Being forced to stay connected in order to play the game is one less hoop i am willing to jump through.No matter how much i may want to try a game if it requires that,then that is one less hassle i am willing to put up with.

That stinks! I also have HOI2 but I didn't know I had to be online to play it. I will watch my cable modem next time I play the game. I just finished spending a chunk of money buying the games that I had bought through places like Steam and StrategyFirst. Now I have physical boxed copies!!! Yeah!!!

< Message edited by LarryP -- 4/17/2007 10:49:48 PM >

(in reply to Maliki)

Post #: 28

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/17/2007 11:30:10 PM

Maliki

Posts: 2217
Joined: 12/25/2002
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: LarryP

quote:

ORIGINAL: Maliki

Now this isn't a slam but HOI2 was the last game that i'm ever going to download that requires you to be online to play it.

About a day after i downloaded it their server want kablooey and was down for about a week.Now a week isn't a long time,but the point was that i was unable to play a product that i had payed for because of circumstances i had no control over.Granted they fixed it so that you could play offline,but it was just additional hoops to jump through.

Quite honestly i'm tired of having to jump through hoops to play games that i just want the pleasure of enjoying.Being forced to stay connected in order to play the game is one less hoop i am willing to jump through.No matter how much i may want to try a game if it requires that,then that is one less hassle i am willing to put up with.

That stinks! I also have HOI2 but I didn't know I had to be online to play it. I will watch my cable modem next time I play the game. I just finished spending a chunk of money buying the games that I had bought through places like Steam and StrategyFirst. Now I have physical boxed copies!!! Yeah!!!

I don't know if it was every version of HOI2 that you had to be online.I know for the downloaded version you did.They fixed the problem and you no longer have to be online,i'm not sure how it works for games downloaded since then,but you needed to go and download and install software from a third party..just to be able to play the game again.Like i said it was a hassle.

At first i didn't like serial numbers but then i realized that it is just like showing a reciept from a store,and chances are i'll only have to show it once or twice.To me forced to stay online to play a game is like an employee at Mcdonalds following me to my table and watching me eat my burger to make sure i don't share it or give it to someone else.

_____________________________

"..if you want to make a baby cry, first you give it a lollipop. Then you take it away."

(in reply to LarryP)

Post #: 29

RE: Purchasing and Downloading Games - 4/18/2007 12:46:28 AM

LarryP

Posts: 3783
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Carson City, NV
Status: offline

That's a good example. I feel like you but I don't eat fast food anymore.

I turned my cable modem off and loaded HOI2 up and it did not need the online connection. If it did, then I would uninstall it. I have had it up to above my head with that kind of junk (other descriptive words circling my brain). Pirating paranoia causes gaming companies to make bad decisions. I hope they lose business and change their ways but after reading the stats at Steam, I don't think they will be changing anytime soon. Check it out here:
***Steam Stats***

(in reply to Maliki)

Post #: 30