There's a copy protection software on the market called StarForce that embeds itself into the OS of the computer and does all kinds of crazy stuff. It can actually BREAK CD and DVD drives and will cause computer reboots whenever you try to make a copy of anything you have on CD to another CD, therefore loosing any unsaved Data. Not to mention the potential for drive corruption.

Here's a list of games that carry the StarForce program.....
http://www.glop.org/starforce/list.php

There's more information about it on that website.

 

Want to know the crazy thing, I don't have any of those games, but I have the drive installed on my copmuter. It's getting deleted right now. Maybe this is why 've been having wierd sytem problem lately.

More information here...
http://www.glop.org/starforce/detect.php

 

From the other side of the aisle....

An Interview with the developers:
http://www.firingsquad.com/features/...rce_interview/



Summary of the interview...and I agree.

 

I'm kind of on the fence about this issue.
I don't have a problem paying for games/music/whatever but I want to be able to make backup copies (which is still legal). I have several CDs from 1997 that I still listen to but after being played over and over for 9 years they're starting to get scratched. I would like to make a copy of that CD before it's rendered useless and I have to find a place where I can purchase a 9 year old music CD.

 

If games and music on cds cost less like we were promised when these technologies were new people would not have to make and download illegal copies.

I feel no DVD should cost more than 9.99 and cd no more than 4.99 any video game no more than 12.99.

 

Copy protection I don't have a problem with, it's when that protection is so poorly written and/or invasive that it actually causes damage to personal property and computer security. Some developers have actually taken to deeming anyone that criticizes Starforce "hackers" weather it's true or not.

Again, this is just an FYI, people can take it for what it's worth. I just found out that starforce comes with all kinds of software not just games, so if you're concerned about it and want to remove it you can read up on it at the link I posted above.

 

Give it time.... one of thier so called "hackers/users" will sue them and thier customers for property damage.
Meanwhile a skilled tech will reverse engineer it and render it a useless waste of disk space on any cd/dvd.
While countless true hackers will be hacking into thier database and destroying all thier Research and Development. They will be fighting so many battles at so many gates that they will not keep up.

Stupid on thier part IMO.

 

Just out of curiosity how did you come to that conclusion? As we all know cd's and dvd's are actually very cheap make. However the total cost of production (paying the artists, producers, publicists, ect.) is very expensive. Granted rock stars probably make too much money. But remember we live in a capilist society, if you don't like the prices don't pay, but don't steal either. These things are definately not necessities of life, you can listen to the radio which is still free. We have the choice to pay or not to pay, if we don't eventually prices will come down. But the fact of the matter is, we are willing to pay even if we complain.

 

I agree with you about the invasive poorly written attempts at copy protection. I'm not saying I disagree with you I just found the interview interesting

 

Well I'm convinced my truck shouldn't have cost over $5,000 so I stole it....

Ha showed them....

 

No, No, you were right; your truck is worth less than $5000.

 

touche'