Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!midway!gargoyle!igloo!ddsw1!corpane!sparks From: sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Awesome! No I am Pi**ed! Message-ID: <3920@corpane.UUCP> Date: 4 Dec 90 17:52:00 GMT References: Distribution: comp Organization: Corpane Industries Inc., Louisville, KY Lines: 46 bk@tadtec.uucp (Brian Kelly) writes: >The reason why copy protection is such a big thing on this side of the Atlantic >is because as soon as a game is released, it appears almost immediately on >pirated disks. Of course just about no copy protection scheme is going to >stop these people, but ya gotta try something. This is an attitude that game publishers have that I don't understand. If they know that their copy protection screws up the game so that it won't work with all hardware platforms anymore, and they KNOW that it isn't even going to slow down the pirates (Matter of fact the harder the protection the more the pirates try to break it.), then WHY BOTHER? Why do you 'gotta try something' when you know that 'something' does nothing to stop the pirates, but *does* harm your legitimate customers? 1> You cut down your potential user base because the copy protection makes it so that the game only runs on a generic 68000 based machine only. 2> You make it hard for legitimate owners to backup their software for safe keeping 3> You make it hard or impossible to install the game on a hard drive. On the other hand, once the pirate gets your copy protected software he will remove the protection and then all the pirates get all the advantages that legitimate owners do not: 1> They can now run it on any platform. 2> They can backup the software (to all their friends) 3> They can probably now install it on a hard drive. So by copy protecting software you are actually sending out the message that it's better to get a pirated version of the software than to go and buy the commercial version. IMHO you are actually SUPPORTING pirating with this attitude. With or without copy protection, games will be pirated. So why not give your real customers a break and not use copy protection? It may earn you some more loyalty from us end users and get you more legitimate customers. -- John Sparks |D.I.S.K. Public Access Unix System| Multi-User Games, Email sparks@corpane.UUCP |PH: (502) 968-DISK 24Hrs/2400BPS | Usenet, Chatting, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|7 line Multi-User system. | Downloads & more. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of----Ogden Nash