LGP Introduces Linux Game Copy Protection

[miles]

So it boils down to buy the game, and then get a crack for the protection shit and be not bothered by it. And everybody is happy

I'm not sure there'll be people low enough to write a crack for that, but OTOH I've always assumed nobody was low enough to pirate games for Linux. I always assumed LGP's problems where more about obtaining the rights to port decent games, and I really can't imagine who in their sane mind would pirate a game like Gorky 17, Majesty Gold, NingPo MahJong, Creatures Internet Edition, Hyperspace Delivery Boy or Candy Cruncher. As for games like Postal 2, I'd assume like game like public, don't complain if nobody wants to buy a game out of you afterwards.

If you don't have the money, just play the demo of ETQW over and over (or any other game demo), play open source games, or just learn to play board games (play Go online and any RTS is going to sound really boring).

[DeepDayze]

this seems to be really stupid, if i have to remember keys for each game it may not be worth the trouble.

Also, if one needs to be online to play non-internet games, its just too far.

Under these conditions, i'd probably only buy the game if a crack is available.

Why not a system where you register the game key online and get a special license file by email, that you then load into the game using a menu option such as "Load License File" then the software will encrypt the license info into the game. Such game key is encrypted into the license

[M1AU]

Reasons why people pirate linux games:

1) lack of availability through legal means, a large amount of the gaming crowd simply do not have the means to order product online. Many of them are kids with no creditcard.

2)price. I know the justifications for the price but reality is people can't see value in spending $40-$60 for a game that's sitting in a bargin bin for $2-5

3) being burned with the loki fiasco

I'm sure sales would be a lot better if the availability of the product improved and prices were within what people consider an appropriate price.

I see especially #1 and #2 as valid points.
A few years back than on Windows I have to say I was most likely the same. Often there where really good games out there which can't be found on local stores, but also I simply can't buy them because of the lack of an creditcard (and no, not even my parents had one at that time).
Today I'm respecting software licenses and so when I can't or won't afford some pieces of software, I simply don't use it.

Software licenses where one reason why I switched to a linux Desktop after all. I'm not going to use Microsofts Windows or Apples MacOSX again, simply because I will not buy there products and secondly because I don't agree with there terms.

Nevertheless, I personally think software pirating is bad and so I can't blame LGP for introducing such a mechanism.
At least as what I can see it's basically a CD-key + internet connection verification.
As long as it isn't something like that Starforce bullcrap I can live with that.

[mcgreg]

Well, I didnt buy many games from LPG yet.
I bought Civ - Call to Power, Alpha Centauri, Heroes of might and Magic 3 (from Loki) and Majesty as the only LPG game.
I didn't buy any more since lgp didnt make/port any game yet I would really like, so is sacred. I tested the win-demo some times ago and honestly even 10 euro would be too much for the game, even if the game has been rated quite well.

But to come to my point, even if I liked it, I wouldn't buy it due to this copy protection. I am generally against copy protection and I seriously doubt they will help anyone to sell more copies of a game.

The availability problem... it would be nice to if one could buy those games directly from amazon, but I guess thats just a dream

[Max Spain]

I'm not sure there'll be people low enough to write a crack for that, but OTOH I've always assumed nobody was low enough to pirate games for Linux. I always assumed LGP's problems where more about obtaining the rights to port decent games...

Same here. I was really surprised to see those piracy numbers even with their availability problems. Does anybody even know where to buy LGP's games???

As far as the copy protection goes, I would guess that this will be LGP's lowest selling game ever I could live with a one-time activation for a sp game, but doing it every time would not work for me. They should look at what happened in the Winblows world with the proposed DRM for Mass Effect and Spore.

On a lighter note, has anybody else noticed the ads on Phoronix for ATI Crossfire products. I don't think the people who bought those ads realise what kind of people visit this website

[Redeeman]

Svartalf:

I don't wholly agree with his choice- but you have to do that with Windows titles, don't you? Are those games not worth the trouble?

not really in most cases..

Unless you install in the right way, Steam limits you in much the same manner- you have to be online to play single player. What is the difference there?

i didnt say there was a difference, or that i accept or approve of the "Steam" situation.

Be careful making remarks like that.

why? i didnt say i would pirate the game otherwise - and as far as cracking goes, i do not believe its illegal in my country to apply a crack to be able to use a thing..

[Pickup]

I doubt people who simply can't pirate LGP games any more will buy them. Yes, maybe somebody will, but a few ones. LGP will increase their sales by a mere... let's say, 5-10%. very far from the 400% we (they) may imagine 4 pirate copies every single one.
All the others, if they can't pirate any more, will play the demo only, or turn away from LGP and look for FOSS games, or seek (and hope) for a crack. And there is a chance many honest genuine-buying gamers will feel betrayed and give up buying commercial games and turn to FOSS (many linux users respect intellectual property, but ask IP to respect them - and copy protections are often seen as untrustful measures)

I think they should make the CP removable after 2-3, max 5 years. And push linux games on store shelves.

[Svartalf]

And push linux games on store shelves.

Heh... How, pray tell, do you propose doing this?

Most stores won't go with the volumes that we're talking about here. Windows stuff gets the time of day because you're talking anywhere from 10k blocks to 250k blocks of merchandise, which is worth the time and risk from the retailer.

With the paltry numbers you have right now buying (and it's not all availability that's the cause- with the attitudes I've seen in this thread and others in just today alone, I can tell precisely where the low numbers comes from...) the stuff that IS offered, you will NEVER have people signing up to allow Linux versions, let alone having retailers sign up to allow it floor space.

[Naib]

should of teamed up with VALVE
make a linux port of STEAM more real/confirmed

but yer copy-protection is needed - just not as draconian as EA are going

[miles]

As for selling their games at retail, I don't think it's going to be possible with the actual sales of LGP's games. Just look at X3 preorders and it's around the 200 mark, _including_ sales to resellers. Just providing a box per shop would require producing more boxes than you know you'll ever sell.

Amazon, on the other hand, would be easy since one can set an amazon market place shop and still see its product available in all amazon searches. No need to set aside some copies that might not be sold, any LGP partners could do that, they ship the games from their own shop. Don't know why it hasn't been done yet, since some amazon market place shops are really small (some looks like one-man-in-his-garage businesses).

If it's a credit card problem, LGP resellers allow you to pay by cheques, so I don't see where the problem is. In fact, almost all internet shops allow you to pay by cheques, so I fail to see why not having a credit card would be an excuse for piracy.