My purpose was not to stop sales, but to convey my dislike of hardware
based copy protection. I think you will have to search quite abit to find
software that doesn't have some sort of CP. However, the paticular version
employed by Sierra seems to be a very tough nut to crack. Also the cp can
be bypassed. What a classic waste of funds.
dave henrie
Howdy!
hmmm do I strike meself as an 'across the ponder'?
For those without maps...Hayden is about 45 minutes away via the freeway.
dave henrie
For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure they're using a different copy
protection scheme than before, and the program loads very quickly on my PC
using the disc. Just took time from typing this to try it, and it loaded to
the game menu in 5 seconds with the no_cd exe for offline, while using the
normal exe it loaded in 7 seconds. 2 seconds difference. Much better than
NR2K2 was, and certainly not worth the trouble of bypassing the protection
scheme.
SB
???
dave henrie
> > Dave? You gonna share the wealth buddy?
> ???
> dave henrie
Joe
>>For some reason I always thought you were located across the pond.
>>Now come to find out you're in my backyard...I'm in Hayden, ID.
>>It's a small world after all :-)
> Howdy!
> hmmm do I strike meself as an 'across the ponder'?
> For those without maps...Hayden is about 45 minutes away via the freeway.
> dave henrie
yeah...never thought of that....you don't know HOW many times I've had to
correct that spelling when dealing with paper-pushers.
dave henrie
> >> Dave Henrie
> >> 2928 W Wellesley Ave
> >> Spokane, Wa. 99205
> > For some reason I always thought you were located across the pond.
> > Now come to find out you're in my backyard...I'm in Hayden, ID.
> > It's a small world after all :-)
> Howdy!
> hmmm do I strike meself as an 'across the ponder'?
> For those without maps...Hayden is about 45 minutes away via the freeway.
> dave henrie
db
Don't know why I had the impression, but certainly nothing negative intended
:-)
Hear hear. My DVD-ROM drive goes into fits with a protected disk, slamming
the read head against something about 15 times before reading the disc. My
CD-RW is a little more graceful however it decides that it needs to spin the
disc to maximum speed and hold it there. Game installs as you can imagine
are a noisy process in my house.
Stupid copy protection (primarily SafeDisc) is so annoying and yet so easy
to bypass.
FWIW I believe CloneCD offers a similar functionality and that's made by a
slightly more professional (trustworthy?) outfit.
--
The first ever pinball ezboard !!
http://pub7.ezboard.com/bpinball
SYS80 : BLK HOLE - HNTD HSE - SPRIT - VOLCNO - PNK PNTHER - DEVLS DARE - RYL
FLSH DLX - SPDERMAN - CHRLIE'S NGELS - TX SCTOR - MRS GOW - RBO WARS
BALLY : XENN - EGHT BLL - EGHT BLL CHMP - PACMN - SPKEASY 4 - STRKES N
SPRES - SPCE INVDERS - FTRE SPA - LADY LCK - PRAGON
WILLIAMS : BLCKOUT - CNTACT - ADDMS FAMLY
<snip>
My understanding from a number of aquaintances in the industry was
that the reason for copy protection isn't neccessarily due to the
developer but moreso a requirement of the distributors. Most will not
stock software on their shelves unless there is some sort of copy
protection scheme. This may have changed or it may be completely false
to begin with, but Sierra may not be the legitemate target.
I don't race online anymore. Being in Aus and not able to get broadband
at the moment I just grabbed a NOCD minutes after installing, if it's
like NR2002, it'll stop me from racing online (which I presume is the
reason you resorted to Daemon Tools...)
Undoubtedly, CD-in-the-drive schemes effect the honest software
purchaser over those that choose to pirate the software, it's a mystery
why such a scheme is still adopted, but if it's neccessary to get the
software out to the public due to the distributors, perhaps they're
the ones that need to read your open letter.
Cheers,
Rod.
end of rant....:o)
steve
> Joe
> > Today I received my purchased copy of N2k3. At 1:07pm I began the
> > process of installing. This comprised searching the web for details on
> > bypassing the copy protection. After reading a couple of public forums
> and
> > downloading two programs I placed the disk in the drive. 15 minutes
later
> > I took the disk out of the drive and and clicked on the menu icon. N2k3
> > started and I installed the program. I then rebooted per instructions.
> > Before 2pm I had completely bypassed your expensive copy protection.
> While
> > I did have experience with past versions of Daemon Tools, I was advised
by
> > the forums to use a very unfamiliar program to write an image of the
> > disk.(notice I decline to call it a cdrom since I believe your abhorrent
> > copy protection schemes place the disk outside of the parameters
> > established by Phillips for a CDrom disk).
> > So in less than an hour I installed, ran and tested online the
program,
> > all without the prescense of a disk in the cdrom tray. I should bill
your
> > companies for my time that I spent protecting my system from your copy
> > protection schemes.
> > I have read that a 'Save Game' feature was not included in this
version
> > of Nascar Racing 2003 because of the added cost to program that feature.
> I
> > can understand that reasoning, but I am curious how much your deal with
> the
> > copy protection company cost you. If I were you, I'd be asking for a
> > large rebate or complete refund from the maker of the copy protection.
If
> > I was able to defeat it within an hour, I can only imagine how simple it
> > would be for true professionals to bypass this system. If your company
> had
> > chosen to spend funds on improving your product instead of possibly
> causing
> > damage to my system with heinous non-standard file additions and disk
> > manufacturing, you might have had ample funds to program a 'Save Game'
> > feature.
> > Obviously your business choices show more intent to do harm to
> casual
> > computer user's systems than to deter actual software theft. If I was
> > unable to bypass the copy protection on this disk, I would have returned
> > it. I believe your business practice of copy-protecting by corrupting
the
> > CDROM protocols, a purchase I have legitimately made, shows an complete
> and
> > utter DISDAIN for me, the end user.
> > Your use of a key number to limit online participation should be
more
> > than sufficient to deter multiple copies of the program being bought and
> > sold. But by adding onerous. and ultimately non-effective, copy
> protection
> > schemes does not benefit your company, or your customer. I am sure
> though,
> > the Secure Rom or Safe Disk programmers value your financial
contributions
> > to their bank accounts.
> > Dave Henrie
> > 2928 W Wellesley Ave
> > Spokane, Wa. 99205
> > 1 (509) 328-7626
