Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!cbmehq!cbmswe!hjalmar
From: hjalmar@cbmswe.UUCP (Peter Hjalmarsson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Copy protection (e.g. the Lemmings debate)
Message-ID: <213@cbmswe.UUCP>
Date: 23 Feb 91 08:21:06 GMT
Reply-To: hjalmar@cbmswe.UUCP (Peter Hjalmarsson)
Organization: Commodore Sweden
Lines: 51
References:


(For the European developers that reads this, this is an answer to the
copy protection debate that has been going on in comp.sys.amiga.games
the latest week.)

I really don't want to add fuel to the fire, but this is an idea that I
haven't seen before, so I just thought that I would give a good idea (for
free!) to those publishers that might be reading this:

There has been said here that to give maximum performance for unexpanded
A500 users, the program must be in a custom-DOS format. Also, the program
must be copy-protected to discourage "friend-to-friend" copying. On top of
it, the program cannot multitask, because it would be too large. (Please
observe that I don't want to argue about the validity of these claims, it
is only the arguments put forward by those who are for copy protection.)
OK then, sell the program that way, much as it is today.

Now, the unexpanded A500 users are happy, what about the "power users"?
They don't want super-fast floppy loaders, they want HD loading, and multi-
tasking.

They have more memory, so a version that multitasks won't be a problem.
They have a HD, so they don't need custom DOS loaders.

In the package, also include a "HD-install" disk. This disk will pack up
the custom-DOS game disk, and install it on the HD in normal file format.
It will also replace the custom-DOS loader module with a normal-DOS loader,
with a _key_disk_copy_protection_scheme_, asking for the original disk
once each time the game is started. This version of the game will not load
unless there is more than 1MB of memory, _thus_proventing_copying_to_the
neighbour_next_door_who_has_an_unexpanded_A500.

The latter is important since this version will probably be somewhat easier
to crack. The "power users" however will not pirate it in the same amount
as the "unexpanded" users, since this is more sophisticated users, that will
want to have a manual, and so on.

One might even choose to charge extra for this "HD-install" disk, by making
the users who want it, order it via a coupon in the package. Remember, this
is the type of users that is willing to pay a little extra for added
functionality.


So what do you think, is this a feasible way to solve the problem? Is the
programming problems too big to make it a financially good solution?



Peter Hjalmarsson, Amiga Developer Support, Commodore Sweden
...{uunet|rutgers|pyramid}cbmvax!cbmehq!cbmswe!hjalmar
No, I don't have a .sig, I make this up as I go along!