f13.net

1. I have not opened it.
2. I am returning it unless they issue a patch to remove the DRM in 14 days.
3. Fuck them. (http://www.f13.net/commentary.php?subaction=showfull&id=1112205757&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&)

I thought you weren't getting it until the end of the month.

And they will NOT be removing the Starforce shit. You know that.

It is the end of the month. It's sitting on my desk unopened.

I know they aren't removing it.

They are now at the bottom of my list for people to purchase from. Well, right above EA.

What a bunch of morons.

Edit: It's unfortunate too. I was going to review the eXactMat (shown in picture) with it. Now I have to find something else new. Cold Fear just came out for PC. I'll probably return Splinter Cell and get 2 copies of that. BECAUSE I'M JUST THAT CRAZY. ZXCB.

Well look at that. Time flies and all. Calendar 4tehwin.

So... because my Google-fu is lacking, what makes this so much worse than any other type of POS copy protection?  The limited use thing has been tried before.

I believe this one installs a bunch of sneaky shit on your computer, or perhaps they all do.  Its been a long time since I played a game that didn't charge me a monthly fee...  (god I miss tribes some days)

Goddammit.  I knew it didn't feel right when I picked it up today.  Would be nice if I could play non-MMO games on my computer these days.

Anybody know of ways to prevent this bullshit during installation?

You can't. It's called Starforce. Go check 'em out. (http://www.star-force.com)

There's also an interview with the Starforce people on Firing Squad (http://www.firingsquad.com/features/starforce_interview/).

One person's fun with Starforce. (http://romsteady.blogspot.com/2005/02/copy-protection-bullshit.html)

A little more background on Starforce driver installs. (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/9888)

Broadband Reports on the debut of Starforce. (http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/48427)

Here is the protection used in Chaos Theory

Yes, it appears that if I should purchase this at some point, it'll be the X-Box version, and not the spyware-installing PC version. Fuck you very much.

Fucking frogs.  I hope they all die in a beret-fire.

Holy shit this thing instals stuff and then won't uninstal?  That's fucking awsome!  I wish every program was like that.  Way to go asshats.

Thanks for the warning, I was planning to purchase it but now I will wait until I can download cracked and StarForce-free version from bit-torrent.

That is not the point of the warnings. In fact, we don't support any kind of pirated software. Any further discussion of downloading copyrighted software illegally will be removed.

My problem with Starforce is what it does to your computer. I simply will not play the game at all on a PC wth Starforce there. I doubt I will even rent the Xbox version due to my position on Starforce.

I have no problem buying games I like. I have no problem buying games I don't like in order to play the game with people I do like. Starforce is a burden that is not needed. Hell, I'll take Microsoft activation over Starforce any day.

Not even Steam is this bad, from what I understand.

Though I got a laugh from reading some of the links...little kids think they have some kind of right to download illegal software. Fuck them. If it wasn't for their lazy asses, we might still have to only deal with instruction manual quizzes and code wheels.

And that is why Starforce complaints are ignored. Starforce is bad. Bad, bad, bad. I don't care if there's copy protection on the game, but I do care when that protection interferes with the normal operation of my computer or PREVENTS ME FROM USING LEGAL PROGRAMS FOR LEGITIMATE USES. When a company or an industry can shrug off complaints and claim that the only ones complaining are people who do illegal things, it hurts the rest of us legal people. Only by not buying shit like this and complaining loudly to the companies who pull this shit can we change things.

Spot on schild. StarForce sucks. 

1. It's not clear in the EULA you agree to when you install the software.

2. It’s installed in secret, and it doesn’t uninstall when you remove the game.

3. Software that modifies your system without telling you. Hidden device drivers no less.

4. Breaks legal software on your machine.

5. Goes out of it’s way to hide itself.

It's on Silent Hunter III as well. But not on Brothers in Arms which I thought was strange.

Yea, as i was about to say... wooo Exactmat X - Schild you progamer you.

I suppose this could be considered one of the downsides to not having a console; if they keep coming up with this stupid "protection" crap how do they expect to actually stop piracy? I mean, i buy the vast majority of my games (and delete those that i didn't buy, but end up not liking) but honestly... *reads Shockeye's piracy warning* a huzzah! for games "bought" from the internet shop?!

 - meg

Just wondering what's so special about schild's mousepad...

Actually, this thing not only has horribly invasive DRM, it also (reportedly) contains Massive Incorporated's in-game advertising middleware.

CNN/Money's article (http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/17/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/?cnn=yes) (halfway down the article, past the /pizza part), among others, claims that MI's adware plugin will be included in Chaos Theory. If you're not inclined to believe CNN/Money, Gamasutra also states it (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=5089).

I'd definitely like to hear how the ads are integrated into the game/UI, if anyone actually gets past the DRM thing and installs it. Not that I'm volunteering, mind you.

Lets say StarForce worked perfectly - uninstalled itself cleanly with the game, did not interfere with peripherals and had clear warning about it at installation. I’d still have problems with ‘watchdog’ software sitting at my computer taking up resources. Imagine every application use DRM - now our machine clogged up with unneeded software that takes up resources and iintroduces more things to go wrong.

Is this inevitable future? I refuse to watch TV because of adds, wasting 15 minutes every hour of my entertaiment time is too much for me.

I can't install Brothers in Arms for the PC due to some fucked up DRM stuff on the DVD that makes the installer b0rk.

I mean, do they WANT us to pirate their stuff?

Developers want us to play their games no matter what.

Publishers want us to buy the games.

Someone is toying with shit they don't understand. Can you guess who it is?

I'm dead serious when I say I'll just not play games. I won't even ask for review copies. I'll give them an F for Ffort and move on. I don't need this shit. I spend an assload of money on games every month (we're talking $300-400) and when one of my most beloved series gets computer crippling DRM put on the disc, it makes me want to KILL.

So, once again, fuck UBISoft. And fuck France for breeding such clueless assholes.

Probably. There's already product placement in games, and AO's free version includes real-world ads in predesignated "atmospheric" locations (giant f'n (preexisting) billboards). Massive's system reportedly not only delivers new ads but has the capability of reporting viewing metrics back; at least, that's what the press releases and assorted articles I've read on the topic indicate. Supposedly, they can get quantity-of-views and duration-of-views metrics, along with the obvious (time, in-game location, etc.).

I expect that this sort of thing will escalate in the big budget/mass market titles, with some particularly money-hungry companies placing ads as interstitials (load screens, etc.) or working them into static UI elements (menu backgrounds). While I'd like to doubt that they'll eventually move to sticking ads into the in-game UI itself, I know way too many advertising/marketing folks, most of whom think that their work is a vital and desired part of modern life, to be that naive.

Personally, I don't want any real-world ads in the games I play, and I definitely don't want ad metrics being reported during my play sessions.

Don't bother asking anything in their game forums...look at these wonderful responses..these are from the official moderators:

This is in response to a perfectly sane question from a guy who loaded his copy onto a friends machine. Then when his friend bought his own copy..wasnt able to use his own CD key....So 2 copies 2 computers..

"Dude...pull your head out of your a-s-s-
First of all you state you both have the game yet you load it onto his machine.If he has the game..why would you?????
Now you load it back onto your machine....
Bullsh*t!
I bet the reason your friend cannot go online without your cdkey is because he doesnt have the game of his own..just the one you loaded which is illegal"

"You loaded your purchased game onto a friends computer...first of all that is not legal..sharing software.That is enough to warrant a permanent boot out of here"



This is probably your answer:

"If you cannot install or run the game it is because of this issue.You must disable/remove all virtual drive devices to continue"


Don't worry about BIA. Its stinks in my opinion. It's got all of the flaws of a console port. Small levels, tons of loading screens, too short of a game overall. Each level is a funnel. You better go down the path they want you to go b/c you can't move anywhere else.

The game boils down to this:

Trigger scripted event
Germans!
Order suppressive fire
Flank
Repeat

Be warned, the PC version of Cold Fear packs a different protection system (Unless you live in the EU or the UK, otherwise its starforce for you!) so secure even the person who bought it can't play it. Nothing like patching on the day of release!

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=400102&f=3121017362&m=1011054103

I'd advise renting the console version. The game is good, not Game of the Year material mind you, but still enjoyable in a B-Movie kind of way. Plus it just about makes up for what Darkworks did to the Alone in the Dark series. However, the first play through lasts at best 5 to 7 hours and the ending CGI movie is almost as short as the loading time between rooms. Go with the PS2 version, Xbox version has a nasty game killing bug 3/4s of the way through that you have a 50/50 chance of running into.

I'd put Cold Fear in the "Must rent or buy when it hits $30" catagory. You don't buy it for the complex story, deep characters, or diverse settings, you buy it for the shotgun on zombie action and the critical hit animations ripped straight from the matrix movies.

I've played Cold Fear on the Xbox already. It's Resident Evil 4 on a boat. At least in hi-def that's what it feels like. Unfortuantely I get motion sickness with it. I think a mouse and keyboard may alleviate that problem.

I'm still angry as hell at UBISoft. My virtual drive stuff has VERY legitamate uses (it isn't very hard for somoene with 1500+ dvds to find useful things to use a virtual drive for). And I can't even INSTALL their game or UNINSTALL the DRM because of it.

Fucking assholes.

I oppose intrusive DRM on principle, I don't run virtual disk or have removable hard drive and I still won't buy it. I'm 'purchasing' game from intraweb as we speak, few more hours and transaction should be finished. Funny thing I was planning to pick a copy from the mall before I heard about DRM.

My copy of Splinter Cell was paid for by Nintendo DS tradeins. I'm very, very tempted to just bite the bullet, uninstall some software just to run it. My biggest concern is the fact that from every report, Starforce does not uninstall. How is this legal? Any lawyer want to clue me in? I mean isn't this sort of incompatibility the reason Microsoft got antitrust lawsuits thrown at them. IANAL, so I may just be speaking gibberish.

I have no idea if this works but they claim to be "granted a sole right to distribute the StarForce Removal Tool utility".

Remover? (http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55)

You just can't not play a game, can you? Return it and get the Xbox version.

The Xbox version doesn't have the right to be played. Console shooters suck. Particularly those of the sneaker variety. RE4 and Cold Fear were really the only ones to get it right. But Cold Fear should have come with dramamine.

I must take exception to that. I've played both Splinter Cells on the X-Box and I love them. Sure, the multiplayer could be better with a mouse and keyboard, but the single-player is still luv.

Play the first and second one on the PSP. It's like double the luv.

Wipe the drool, son.

There is no drool. The DRM gave me a rotten case of cottonmouth.

You sure that isn't crotchrot?

Who can ever be sure with this piracy protection bullshit? I mean, really.

The Shadow doesn't even know what evil lurks in the heart of my limited edition Splinter Cell box.

What I find amusing is that I've already cracked my (purchased) copy of Silent Hunter III, so it's not even like StarForce is at all effective at preventing people from pirating games with it as DRM.  I've got to assume that the crack for Splinter Cell is already out too, so once again, who is this meant to stop? 

Pirates are going to crack your shit, that's just a fact of life. You're not going to come up with a bulletproof solution, so all you're really doing is pissing off legit customers and tarnishing your brand.  I didn't go as far as Schild and return SH3 when I found out it had StarForce, but guess what?  I now know better than to buy a copy of Splinter Cell 3, and I'm somebody who happily bought the first two.  So well done, gang.  That's several lost sales just at this site alone.

Cracks are all well and good, but cracks won't let you play online. Seems to me that's the big hook for SC3.

I would've bought it to play online if it wasn't for Starforce. Safedisc, Laserlock, whatever is fine. No way to Starforce.

I was in the store today and noticed the European version did not list any form of "copy protection" anywhere on the box. Does that mean the European release is sans the machine rape the U.S. version has?

If that's true I'd get even angrier.

I'm still not opening the box until a crack appears to disable Star Force or UBISoft issues a patch removing that toxic shit.

You know what. Fuck it. I'm getting the Xbox Version. I have that new Midway fighting controller with the moved black/white buttons and I like it - a lot.

I'm still super pissed and will go out of my way to complain about UBISoft. They've entered the levels of hell in my brain reserved for Electronic Arts, Serek Dmart, and the Nintendo DS launch lineup.

There are no Limited Editions left here for Xbox. I'm about to drive up into the next town over. Goddamnit.

Alright, dictated a little company policy up at EB and convinced them to give me one of the preorders someone hadn't picked up after 72 hours. No fun for the lazy. But there is fun for me. Suckers.

Here's to hoping it doesn't fry my Xbox with some sort of weird copy protection. Bastards. French.

I've been wondering, anybody know if installing and running the game under Virtual Machine would defeat starforce's effect on the hardware entirely, or is it so invasive it works itself around that?  I really, really, really want to play the game's multiplayer without having to deal with the PS2 loading time bullshit or having to buy another new console for it.

It works around that. Let's put it this way: there are still games that haven't been pirated because of Star Force. We're talking year old (and more) games. It is ruthless and effective. It will also keep me from ever purchasing a game it appears on.

This is by far the best Splinter Cell to date. I'm just uber pissed that I have to play it on Xbox. It's so...so....easy.

I'm glad it can prevent piracy, but at what cost?

The fact that I can't use a virtual drive to image my kid's games so I don't have to search for CDs whenever they want to load up Bob the Builder vs. Elmo the Pink Dinosaur Sings Hot Potato royaly pisses me off. Pisses me off to the point that I will not buy their game.

I would like to demand a front page review of "Elmo the Pink Dinosaur Sings Hot Potato".

You do not want to open Pandora's Elmo's box. Trust me.

was browsing for a solution to this shitty starforce stuff, and found your forum. ther is stuff to remove the gay drivers 'n stuff here : http://m0011.gamecopyworld.com/games/pc_protection_starforce.shtml hope it helps

in the words of jay of jay and silent bob fame: fuck them, fuck them up their stupid asses

Yea, the problem with gamecopyworlds stuff, is you can't play the game without starforce installed. Someone needs to make a program that dummies the computer into thinking it's still there.

And apparently that's hard.

they did manage to make a steam emulator, but i guess this is harder. the main use of the tools is getting rid of the stuff after you uninstall the game. (this would probably prevent the 2 copies/ 2 machines problem mentioned earlier).

According to GameCopyWorld, there is a crack out for Splinter Cell now (http://m0002.gamecopyworld.com/games/pc_splinter_cell_3.shtml).

It uses a program called "Starforce Nightmare" to disable CD drives. Here's the blurb from the readme.

o_O...i think i'm gonna give in to the evil StarForce, hell..i bought a copy of SC:CT on ebay for 24 bucks with shipping can't beat that..only downside is, i get no manual or box since its in a foreign language, the game is in english so i really don't care.

EDIT:
And although I'm a hardcore n00b when it comes to StarForce and only read people's opinions about what it does, it seems the company that released SF does make improvements to it's drivers and does have an uninstall utility that they have posted on their website. Call me a sucker for listening to "claims" listed by today's corporate world, but I'll give this game a try, run a couple cd/dvd duplication programs, and see if i run into any major problems and see if that uninstaller with a registry clean does in fact uninstall SF completely from my system.

I'm gonna chance this post scaring you away because it has to be done.

1. Get rid of that nasty ass signature. We don't care about your machine specs or the length of your penis.
2. You get no manual or box since it's in a foreign language? Congratulations, you just bought illicit merchandise. You'll be lucky to get the actual game in some functioning form.

Roflcopter

Post++

Dude,
1. You call yourself an ADMIN? man, hopefully your ONE of them and not the only one. I can tell you suck at doing your job just by reading your asshole response...oh, sorry, did i say job? i mean it's only what you do on your freetime right?  You don't do this for a living right?...that would suck...
2. All i did was state my purchasing of a LEGITIMATE game. Please, don't give me that "illicit" merchandise crap...I don't have to be lucky, it WILL run...obviously your putting your past experiences or experiences of people you know getting ripped off buying foreign games, but i've only had good luck so far, thanks for the congratulations BTW, i know i got the best deal so far and got a 100% running game, hey if it doesn't any copy protection on it maybe ill send you a copy.
3. you think i give two shits about what you and other people think about my sig? For all it matters I can put whatever the hell i want. What's it to you? and BTW I have a huge dick  so i don't gotta worry about that :wink:

Dude,

1.You're
2.Getting
3.A
4.Ban

Awww, give him a chance!  He could have been amusing.

Bruce

Wow, I've seen some opening day stupidity, but...

I wonder if he realized that someone was actually paying for the bandwidth he's using to "put whatever the hell [he] wants" on the web. I must have forgot how Internet hosting was free for all and what not.

Entitlement. It's not just for oppressed minorities anymore.

Nothing like a banning to start off the day right.