Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
#272138
02/01/08 05:51 PM
02/01/08 05:51 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,345 In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre
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OP
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
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Last night I lost my internet in a storm and much to my dismay I discovered I was not able to play the game I was currently playing because it required the internet running. I can live with and have accepted the fact that many games have keys that have to be activated when you install a game, but I was naively blindsided to discover the game checks every time you start it. Is this what all games do with keys and I just don't know it since I am always connected? Ana
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: oldmariner]
#272160
02/01/08 06:48 PM
02/01/08 06:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 48,905 Alabama
looney4labs
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I'm with you oldmariner. Some folks ran into this a few years ago when they took laptops out into the boonies and then discovered their brand new games would not play because they had no internet connection.
"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: looney4labs]
#272166
02/01/08 06:58 PM
02/01/08 06:58 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,853 Rockford, Illinois
sierramindy
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What kind of games ae these? Are they games that are downloaded or come on CD/DVD or both? How can one know if a game needs the Internet to play?
To love is to be happy with!
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: LindaMarion]
#272272
02/01/08 10:56 PM
02/01/08 10:56 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,853 Rockford, Illinois
sierramindy
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Thanks, oldmariner and Jenny100 for answering my questions! I do appreciate it.
To love is to be happy with!
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: dragonuk44]
#272568
02/02/08 02:46 PM
02/02/08 02:46 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,617 Denmark, Europe
Karsten
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I know that at least for Bioshock (a dark side game) as well as Two Worlds (another dark side game) you need to have internet access to activate your game. Apparently cd-keys are not enough anymore for some publishers in order to avoid some people from pirating games (not a recommendation, though).
Some games, however, seem to be set up to check for updates every week or every month or so. There should, however, be an option to turn the 'update checking for new content off' somewhere in the options menu, I think. I know that online games, like Myst Online etc. usually check for updates since there's new content added some times.
Personally, my take on this is that it should be mentioned on the box that the game requires internet activation to install, or to play the game.
And yes, we can vote with our dollars and refuse to buy such games. I just don't think it will matter much since I foresee a future in which every game (excluding indie games) will require internet activation to either install or play.
/Karsten
Adventure gaming is fun
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: Karsten]
#272591
02/02/08 03:54 PM
02/02/08 03:54 PM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,805 Kentucky, USA
acornia
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Some games like Evidence are just designed that way. Only found out needed to be on the internet when started playing but looked on the box and under specs had internet connection listed.
Never resist a generous impulse.
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: Karsten]
#272597
02/02/08 04:03 PM
02/02/08 04:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,717 london uk
chrissie
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.... And yes, we can vote with our dollars and refuse to buy such games. I just don't think it will matter much since I foresee a future in which every game (excluding indie games) will require internet activation to either install or play.
/Karsten
If enough gamers did exactly that Karsten - vote with their dollars - it WOULD make a difference! It's all about money & if enough people boycotted download games that infringe on normal purchaser rights, the publishers would have to rethink. This download only option with 'permission' will continue and/or take off as long as the majority of gamers, despite their grievance, accept the situation & buy the games!!
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: Jenny100]
#272612
02/02/08 04:29 PM
02/02/08 04:29 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
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oldmariner
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Steam games are like that, whether they come in a box or not. You need to be attached to the Internet to install them, and in some cases download additional files without which the game won't run. After the initial activation, you have to find out where to disable the updating or whenever you start the game it will try to connect to the Internet to look for game updates.
Whenever you buy a game, check the requirements to see if "Internet connection" is among them. Thanks Jenny I did not know that. I now know to avoid Stream. Internet connection ok when and only when you are playing a game involving other players such as those massive online games. But an adventure game, I won't do it. EDIT**** Karsten, what do you want to bet that method barely slows down the pirates? My guess that ploy won't work for long.
Last edited by oldmariner; 02/02/08 04:31 PM.
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: oldmariner]
#272632
02/02/08 05:11 PM
02/02/08 05:11 PM
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LindaMarion
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Chrissie If enough gamers did exactly that Karsten - vote with their dollars - it WOULD make a difference! It's all about money & if enough people boycotted download games that infringe on normal purchaser rights, the publishers would have to rethink.
This download only option with 'permission' will continue and/or take off as long as the majority of gamers, despite their grievance, accept the situation & buy the games!! Here, here ive been saying that all along why dont we band togethr and just refuse to buy thse games thay are not fair or moral just as we hate pirating Pirates say they have to have the games but wont pay for them and we hate them they can do withoutt the games it wont hurt them So can we do without those ugly games that shopuld be banned by law cos there reely ilegal in my opinion Im sure that if everybdy stopped buying them the conpanys woud soon stop behaiving that way and charge a few dolars less because there less expensive without boxes and print manuels But alow everybody to burn them on there own disks and use them just like ordinary games ^^^^^^^^^ why not?
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: oldmariner]
#272638
02/02/08 05:31 PM
02/02/08 05:31 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644 southeast USA
Jenny100
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Thanks Jenny I did not know that. I now know to avoid Stream. It's Steam, not Stream. And shortly after it came out "Steam Emulators" were developed, which can fool the game into thinking it's connected via Steam.
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: LindaMarion]
#272661
02/02/08 06:56 PM
02/02/08 06:56 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,617 Denmark, Europe
Karsten
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I agree that the pirates don't seem to care - at all (still not a recommendation, though). Both Bioshock etc. were 'ehm' cough - hacked within hours of the initial release (still not a recommendation!)
I said that I belived that all games (except for indie games) would made this way. I didn't say that I liked it. I don't.
In Bioshock's case people were in uproar over this --- and Take 2 did take notice of this. Especially since the activation codes and the support phone numbers did not work properly - at all.
They also had forgotten to write on the box that you only got two installs or activations before you had to ask for a new cd-key. I think they meant well. I think they wanted people to be able to install it on both their laptop as well as their usual desktop computer. But they did raise a storm within the Bioshock community - which caused take Take 2 to extend the activation limit to 5 installs and made a revoke tool for these installations. Many people were also threathening to not buy Take 2's products anymore. Apparently that was enough.
I also pointed firmly, but fairly that the not mentioning on the two installs either on the box nor or in the games documentatation (the manual) might be slightly il-legal, at least in the EU, or in Denmark. People also were threathening to call consumer rights groups into action.
This happened simply because many people did not succeed with their activation. And sometimes un-installing and installing a game helps with this. And you have to do it this way --- you just can't install Bioshock on top of the old game again - it then counts as one of your five activations. That didn't seem to help either, so people were very mad...
Several people also mentioned that they bought this game legally, and couldn't even play the game, while some jerk (yes jerk!) who just pirated the game (still not a recommendation!) were able to play the game.
The point is this: The mere threat of 1) not buying Take 2 games anywhere and 2) threathening to call in the Consumers' Rights Groups seem to convince Take 2 to take action, thus making the correct decision.
So yes, in a sense we voted with our dollars.
I hope that this will tell other publishers not to do what Take 2 did with Bioshock, making people connect to the internet - just to get the game's .exe file downloaded from Take 2's server. Especially since there is no gurantee that Take 2 will be here 10 or 20 years from now. However, Ken Levine said that a later date, they will remove the internet requirement for activation.
I don't know any adventure games (as of yet) that do require you to be connected to the internet just to activate or to install the game - unless Evidence (or Missing), but since they are sort of on-line games as well, as you will get clues from varius sites on the internet etc I don't really think they should be counted amongst the games that does this -ehm- activation thingy.
The big thing is that digital medias like movies, games and perhaps digital books as well seem to be all about licensing e.g. you pay say 60 US dollars for a game, and then you only get to use it under the terms of the license. Let's not forgot that most games are licensed to you, not sold. (and why this is so,need to subject to another discussion on another forum for another day).
I use 'steam' and is very happy with this. Steam allows you to burn you downloaded games to a disc, you can also re-download the games as many times as you need etc. etc.
/Karsten
Adventure gaming is fun
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: Karsten]
#272687
02/02/08 07:53 PM
02/02/08 07:53 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 318
LindaMarion
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I am told and I know my English is bad and Im getting help correcting now before posts. Karsten I agree that the pirates don't seem to care - at all (still not a recommendation, though). Both Bioshock etc. were 'ehm' cough - hacked within hours of the initial release (still not a recommendation!) I have played very many adventures but never a downloded one - except 2 issues of SamnMax. I dont know what Bioshock is. But if you say it was - "hacked within hours of the initial release" what is the point of all the terible restrictions which i completely object to buying? I said that I belived that all games (except for indie games) would made this way. I didn't say that I liked it. I don't. ok. if they can be downloaded burnt at home and then used like my usual boxd games thats fine especial if they are a bit cheaper. But i feel we should stand sholder to sholder and protest against imoral practises by some developers or publishrers which horribly restrict our rights as purchasers of things which are expensive and should be ours not theirs. What when my server is down? What when I go out of town with my laptop or on a plane and want to play. What when I reformat my computer or have a crash or update or who knows? its enough headache already, i don't need more to play a game ive spent 40$ buying. Why cant we band together and stop it by not buying?
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: LindaMarion]
#272714
02/02/08 09:03 PM
02/02/08 09:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,345 In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre
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Sorry, didn't mean to start a boycott or anything close to it, I was just rather taken aback that I could not play the game. I never really gave any thought to the fact that my internet being down would interfere in my play time. I did find out you could request a special code from the developer that would enable you to play with no internet, but it needs to be done before you disconnect the internet. At least they offer a way to disable the checking each time. Ana
Don't feed the Trolls
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: misa]
#272935
02/03/08 11:11 AM
02/03/08 11:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 83,345 In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre
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I agree misa, this isn't the place to do that and writing the developers and publishers is the only way to make any difference. I did contact the developer and in my case discovered there is a workaround for it. It was just that it was a bit late, since now my internet is up and running. Ana
Don't feed the Trolls
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: BrownEyedTigre]
#272956
02/03/08 11:33 AM
02/03/08 11:33 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,617 Denmark, Europe
Karsten
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Bioshock is game made by Ken Levine that tells a story about an underwater city which were formed to make one man's ideal way back in 1958 (or so). And now has gone to pieces.
The point was not to discuss Bioshock, but rather to discuss internet activations etc.
I agree that the pirates don't seem to care at all (still not a recommendation!) and I know that within hours or 1-2 days people did pirate Bioshock. (still not a recommendation!)
The point I was trying to make was also this:
I know that hardcore gamers like ourself here at gameboomer, adventuregamers etc. and possibly also at rpgwatch and on the bioware forums care alot about these things. However, to 80-90% of the gamers these days, often refers to as the casual gamers, they really don't care. They just want to play the game, then leave it, and then play another game. (many of then anyway...).
If they need to have the internet running to install or to play the game, they don't care. (at least that how I see it). The point I was trying to make was also that the mere threat of consumers (gamers) not buying anymore games (products) from Take 2 (the publishers of Bioshock) was enough to make Take 2 think again about the activations etc.
I also hope that one day we will decide with our dollars and band together, but just now it does look rather bleak, (or black), I fear.
/Karsten
Adventure gaming is fun
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Re: Requiring Internet Connection to Start your Game
[Re: Karsten]
#273038
02/03/08 01:37 PM
02/03/08 01:37 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644 southeast USA
Jenny100
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Bioshock is game made by Ken Levine that tells a story about an underwater city which were formed to make one man's ideal way back in 1958 (or so). And now has gone to pieces. Gee, that sounds a lot like Ultima Underworld, only without the fantasy environment. i don't know anythng about bioshock since i never download and i relise that was only example. Bioshock comes in a box. http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646647 Note what Gamestop lists under System Requirements: **Important Note: Game requires Internet connection for activation**
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