Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!wuarchive!udel!mmdf
From: lawsonse@vttcf.cc.vt.edu (Shannon Lawson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Populous for all Amigas!
Message-ID: <32943@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 10 Oct 90 01:55:12 GMT
Sender: mmdf@ee.udel.edu
Lines: 73


After talking with many Populous owners, it appears to me that the reason the
game will not run on any other processor but the 68000 is due to the copy
protection scheme encoded on the disk.  To back up their claim, some of these
same folks have mentioned that if a backup is made with a copier which removes
protection, the game runs.

I am outraged!  I believe in the right of a developer to protect his product 
from unauthorized use.  I also believe in the right of the purchaser to own a
working product.  I spoke with the Technical Support Group at Electronic Arts,
and the rep suggested that a letter writing campaign might be in order.  He
felt that sufficient input from legitimate users could convince EA to release
a version which runs on other machines.

I am urging ALL Populous owners who read this to sign and date the form letter
below.  Even if you own a 68000-based Amiga, it is important for the folks at
EA to hear from the Amiga community, so that future mishaps of this sort may
be avoided.

Thank you. 

(Form letter to follow signature)
-- 
  Shannon Lawson
  Senior, Computer Engineering
  Harry Lynde Bradley Department of
  Electrical Engineering
 
  Amiga Consultant 
  Department of Computer Science 
  Virginia Polytechnic Institute    INTERNET:  lawsons@csgrad.cs.vt.edu 
    & State University 

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Electronic Arts
Customer Support
P.O. Box 7578
San Mateo, CA  94403


Dear Sirs:

I am writing to you as an unsatisfied customer.  I am an owner of the Amiga
version of Populous.  I am concerned about the inability of this program to
run on a non-68000-based Amiga.  As a legitimate customer, I am entitled to
a working piece of software.  It is my understanding that the sole reason for
the program's inability to run on other Amigas is the protection scheme encoded
on the disk.

You, as a software distributor, are entitled to protection of your product.
I would therefore like to suggest a compromise to this problem.  Since I am
a legitimate owner of Populous, I would be willing to send you my original
disk, plus a modest upgrade fee, for a non-protected version of the software
which will work on non-68000-based Amigas.

The advantage to users of your product is obvious.  The advantage to you is
considerable as well.  You will be able to broaden the market of a great game
by making it available to new users, as well as restoring its usefulness to
present owners.  I feel it is important for Electronic Arts to make an effort
to support and uphold Amiga devlopment guidelines, many of which were
established with the help of Electronic Arts.

I hope you will seriously consider this proposal, as it could have an effect
on my decision to purchase products distributed by your company in the future.




                                      Sincerely, 


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