How to tell if a game is copied or real?

I bought a PC game of eBay, however it came with disc only in a slim case, no inserts, etc. I can tell it is new, but I'm wondering if it is a copy? I contacted the seller as they did not say in listing that it was disc only and they said item is new but if you are not happy return for full refund and I will disable the serial number. I've never heard of such a thing.

Was it an indy game?

What game is it? What languages? Can you email me a link to the ebay site? There are too many unanswered questions to be able to tell if it's real or not.

ana

The game shipped from FL they sell quite a few games. It's Nancy Drew #11 "Curse of Blackmoor Manor". I compared it to other Nancy Drew games I have on my shelf and it looks nearly the same.

The sellers name is:
qsoftngames

Very interesting. I had a look at the seller's page and they have a 100% rating and I scrolled through the games they have to offer which brings me to my next comment.

I have seen some games at Best Buy this weekend (the bargain shelf $9.99 each) with a ton of casual games (Diner Dash, Zuma, etc.) and a few adventure games (Journey to the Centre of the Earth was one) packaged with I think just a jewelcase. I doubt there were inserts inside. If I had seen them packaged like that on ebay, I'd think it would look a bit sketchy (packaging looked cheap) but since it was at Best Buy, I'm assuming it was legit.

Is it something like that? I can't remember if I saw any Nancy Drew games there but I think I saw Blackmoor Manor there. Maybe it's legit and just been put out by a discount game publisher?

Don't know what the seller is talking about with the serial number though. Maybe they just said that to dissuade you from burning a copy and then returning?

It's in a clear slim case (not your standard thick jewel case) and it's a purple disc (if anyone has the game can you confirm it's purple). It has all the same logo's etc. as my other ND games. I never had to use a serial number for ND so I'm confused by that also. The only thing I can figure at this point is they buy the cheap games at Wal-Mart/Best Buy etc. in those flimsy carboard boxes, take the game out of the sleeve, and then slip them in a jewel cases to sell and discard the boxes. They usually run $9.99 at those places and I paid less than that, so I'd love to know where they find these games so cheap that they can make a profit!

PM,

I just checked mine, its in a DVD style case and the disc isn't purple.

PMcOuntry, I just check my ND game. What I have is the Double Dare package, it has The Secret of Shadow Ranch and Curse of Blackmoor manor in it. The games come in paper sleeves. And Blackmoor Manor is purple.

Maybe the seller just bought the same double dare package and is selling the discs as single games?

Hello I have recieved the older Nancy Drew games in a jewel case but not the recent ones .They can copy them so good today .I would look at the cd it self the game side .

If your disk is purple, it should look like this. Click on CD1 to see it.

Run your fingers on the disk, especially the edges. Does it feel like the surface is smooth and part of the disk? Or is it a sticker that can be removed? If it's the former, then it's definitely an original.

Very good advice from Alkis. Also if the actual disc, not the cover side but the back side, is purple then in my experience it is highly likely to be a copy. I also noticed many sellers on eBay having 100% good feedback and still selling copies! I stumbled upon one myself. I guess people who are giving the good feedback are aware the seller's selling copies and do not mind.

The legal copies have something written around the inner circle from the back side. If it is a DVD the back side should not be purple in color or any other color. Check also if the cover label is a sticker. I would't concerned about the slim case. Maybe this site sells used games (some of them very used)...

Yeah, that's what I was thinking about them purchasing the discount published ones from Best Buy. Perhaps they are purchasing overstock from whoever publishes them?

Alkis

That is a fantastic site you linked to. Up until now I was getting my art from Moby Games but this one also includes DVD movies.

Many thanks

My cover doesn't look quite like the one you posted but it does have all the copyright info, etc. on it like the other ND games I own, unlike that picture which doesn't include them.

The actual game side is NOT purple, it looks like a normal CD, silver and shiney.

However... here is what I just discovered as I was writing this. If you wet you finger and run it over the label side, it RUBS RIGHT OFF! Now I have seen in catalogs where you can get disc printers that screen print right onto a disc, no labels, etc. I have a feeling that is what is going on here.

I reported the listing to eBay but who knows if anything will be done. It burns me that they are making a ton of money off these games ($8-10) that they are obviously burning and then using a machine to screen print a FAKE label. I have looked up more actual disc label pics (you can see several on eBay) and this one is obviously not legit! It appears that eBay "might" suspend the account... oh gee, they'll just open another one. Is there no way to stop these people. I'm trying to get my money back but I have a feeling it's down the drain...

There are two methods (that I know of) of mass disk production: Offset and Digital.

Offset is often cheaper but takes weeks to produce because it can only be done in a factory. Digital is slightly more expensive but even a local store can have the hardware to do it in 2-3 days, so many companies prefer it. The disadvantage is the one you mention, it rubs off if you wet it. This doesn't indicate a pirate copy.

Just to be safe, don't store your disks inside the goldfish bowl.

How can you tell that this printing method is different from the one it could be done by a house printer which can print on disks? Are there any differences?

Patricia,

if you have paid with Paypal you WILL get your money back. I also bought a cd which turned out to be illegal. I started a case in Paypal against the seller and they have to answer within 14 days I think. If they don't you automatically get your money back and if they do answer, Paypal will obviously rule against them and you will get your money back. So I hope you paid with Paypal so you can definitely get a refund. What you can also do is leave a very negative feedback so other buyers will avoid that seller. When buying used games or media I always buy from private sellers in eBay, then you can almost be sure that it is a used and privately owned game. As for new games you are better off buying them from Amazon if you are in the US or Play.com if you are in Europe: their prices are quite low.

Well I had already left feedback before I realized it might be a fake although you can do a follow up to feedback. It does bother me that it does not match any of the pictures I see of this disc elsewhere and once I compared it to my Maxwell CDR's it looks exaclty the same. Everytime I touch it, the ink comes off, and all my other bought games certainly don't do that, they have a coating. Amazon was having a sale so I re-ordered it from them so hopefully I can get my money back. I'm waiting to hear from the seller but if I don't I will contact PayPal, maybe I'll contact them anyway.

Hi PM,

you can contact Paypal straight away through the resolution center and they will officially contact the seller for you. The sooner you run the case through Paypal, the sooner you will receive a refund. Good luck with your future purchases!

I hope you got a good deal from Amazon. That particular ND is available on BFG.

Yes, I thought about BFG also but then there is no actual disc unless you ask them to send you a backup. This way I can resell it if I so wish. I'm going to contact PayPal now just to get the process started.

PM,

remember to use the resolution center in your paypal account menu. you go through there to start the process and you do not actually need to contact paypal via email or anything like that.

I just did that, I used the resolution center and it says if you don't hear in 3 days you can escalate the dispute.

Did you check the inner ring on the silver side? All of my Nancy Drews have an HER plus a number stamped as well as what looks like a bar code. You won't find that on a CDR.

Edit--I discovered that Blue Moon Canyon does not have HER. It is the only ND that I have in a DVD case. Three others have HER stamped.

I think it's a CDR because I compared it to both the ND games I have and the various CDR's I have. They disguised it very well, they even have copyright info on it which is not on the #11 ND disc pictures that I am seeing of the real thing.

Sorry to hear that Patricia... They have a lot of nerve to sell illegal copies on the web (if that's the case)

Volkana: unfortunately it happens all the time on eBay and it is hard to check whether they are legit or not , that's why when it comes to dvds or cds or games I either buy them used on eBay or new in other shops.

I have never bought anything online so i don't know those details but i would be very angry if i had pay for a game and they sent me something like the above case... Those things should not be happening... I know that it's hard to tell when you don't see with your own eyes what you buy the time you buying

Me to I guess I have been lucky I got caught once.Hope I hav nt spoke to soon

This is the first time I've gotten a "copy" of a PC game, I think I once received a "copy" of a VHS set but never did resolve that, that was years and years ago. I'll let everyone know what happens. Unfortanetly, even if they shut them down they'll just open a new account. There is no way to stop these people. Too bad I already left feedback. I'm sure after this they'll leave negative, luckily eBay has a policy against leaving negative comments out of spite and can get it removed or maybe they won't even bother.

Patricia, you didn't actually say, but I'm curious---what did you see on the clear inner ring of the CD? It is tiny print and hard to see. You might need a magnifying glass.

It just says:

B21728712 08 on the clear plastic part in the center. There is no silver center like my other ND games with also have a tiny bar code printed inside.

This is exactly like my CDR's I have here at home. As I said before, it's also a matte finishe, not shiney like the other ND games and you can see "printer lines". I'm tired of picking up, I keep getting purple fingers!

My Blackmoor Manor game came in a DVD case and looks just like the one Alkis linked to. The purple part is matte finish. The underneath is silver, like any CD. Near the center of the silver side it says 26051CD. There is also a bar code-looking thing. There is a word that is too small to see without a magnifying glass. It appears to start with a C, but when you use a magnifying glass you can see it isn't a C but some sort of decoration. The word itself says SONOPRESS. Underneath it in still smaller print it says arvato (I think). Further along it says
+ + DA28201
and in smaller letters it says IFPI LB48

It also says 26051CD on the purple side, right over where it says
VERSION 1.0
like in the picture Alkis linked to.
http://www.cdcovers.cc/view/166690/cd1/nancy-drew-curse-of-blackmoor-manor
(you can click on that one to make it bigger)

Mine has a paper manual and Nancy Drew advertisement in the DVD case. It came from either InteractCD or Amazon (I forget which).

No purple fingers.

I always think the Carol Reed ones look like copies

I think that's why it's good to use Paypal...then at least you are covered if the good you purchased is not what you expected.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



ebay usually has a very good customer service. I am sure they will assist you any way they can and Paypal will refund you. And yes it is true they can just open a new account and it is up to the customer to have discernment when it comes to illegal copies...when I see a game or a cd or a dvd which is quoted as being new and has a significantly lower price than say Amazon, then I am pretty sure it is too good to be true and it must be a fake.

Patricia, hopefully paypal and ebay will take action soon. How annoying!

As for used games, before coming here I bought a lot of games used on half.com (affiliated with ebay but not an auction, just straight selling). Look at the seller ratings as well. Most are gamers just like us who just want to unload their games from time to time. I only buy new on half.com if they specify that it is retail boxed, sealed, etc.

Dragon, I also think the Carol Reed ones always look like copies because I suppose they are just mass-burned by MDNA. I was surprised when I got mine from Interact and opened the DVD cases and saw that each of them were blank labels.

Good news! The seller refunded my money no questions asked and so far, no negative feedback.

The other thing is, my label doesn't look like the one posted here which everyone confirms theirs looks like.

Either way, I got my money back but I'm positive this was a copy. I re-ordered from Amazon and I know it will NOT be a copy!

Thanks everyone!

Glad you got your money back Patricia!

I think they gave your money back so quickly so they do not meet any problem... Any way glad you did it Patricia...

PMcOuntry
Thank you for your post.
I try to always buy legitimate software.
I want to reward software developers, so they can afford to Continue their good work.
How many of us would Continue to work free, for thieves?

I avoid Ebay software and DVD's, because much of it is pirated.
Even if the copy looks ok, there is a High Risk that you are paying for Stolen Merchandise.
Amazon often has discount prices, and their NEW software is legal.
InteractCD is also one of my favorite vendors.
Buying directly from the Developer may be the best reward for him.

If you READ the "End User License Agreement",
many software programs prohibit selling the software.
I also feel that "trading" software hurts the developers.
(Remember the "golden rule")

Hi adv and welcome to GameBoomers!

Yes I think it always scares the seller off when one goes through "official" ways like Paypal resolution center or eBay for example...I am also glad you got your money back! Enjoy your new legal copy of the game when it gets to you!