Flight sim purchase rules and rights

[+streakeagle 871]

I really like the look and feel of Space Shuttle Mission 2007 based on screenshots, reviews, and the free demo.

As I am about to buy it, I notice that they have a recommended product: 3 spare activations.

I immediately abandoned my order, as I like to "own" the games I buy.

 

In general, I think I should be able to store the game on semi-permanent media, such as a DVD and reinstall it at will without having to buy any extra activations.

I have had to rebuild many a PC in the past, and won't pay a hostage fee for re-installing/activating a game I already purchased.

I don't mind copy protection that is based on some sort of license key (unless it can only be activated via the web).

However, I don't want to lose the ability to install the game because the web activation is no longer available or I have used up my activations, etc.

 

Other flight sim companies practicing the same type of policy have lost/will continue to lose my business as well.

 

Star Force didn't stop me from buying Flaming Cliffs.

Fortunately, it didn't appear to have a noticable impact on my home gaming PC.

However, my wife installed another UbiSoft game with Star Force, Prince of Persia 3, on her work laptop and it broke her Windows so bad that she had to use Ghost to restore a previous image (system restore was not adequate).

So, I am not going to risk buying/installing any more games with Star Force now that I have had first hand experience comparable to reports I have seen on the web (at least there was no hardware damage).

 

On the other hand, Third Wire has the business model that works best for me:

1. Once purchased, download at will any time.

2. Copy to any desired media at will.

3. Reinstall at will.

4. No form of copy protection whatsoever, thereby foregoing the need to wait for a no-cd crack so I don't have to swap discs every time I want to play a different game.

 

I have bought every sim ever released by Third Wire, some of them more than once.

Edited May 12, 2009 by streakeagle

[Growler67 0]

StarForce is a virus, NO doubt about it. I will NOT purchase nor install ANYTHING that has it in ANY of it's versions/configurations. Developers can and will do whatever they feel gives them a warm fuzzy or whatever. I choose what I spend my money on. I think packaging should not only reflect "Minimum Specs" but ALSO what form of Copy-Protection it comes with. It should be a REQUIREMENT, or the opportunity for full refund of opened media be made available to the consumer. If THEY decide to incorporate a virus in their product, the consumers should have fair notice before purchase of the fact.

[hypernewbie 0]

5. free and open-source

[JediMaster 451]

Starforce cannot be a virus, for by definition a virus spreads to other PCs without you actively telling it to.

I suppose it might be called "malware" by some definitions, however, as I believe that is defined as "software you don't want that causes unexpected consequences."

[Growler67 0]

Thus a requirement to post on the packaging that it is present would be in order regardless of which definition it falls in. I bet THAT alone would show developers/publishers where their marketing priorities should be alligned. I didn't know much about it nor that it was on LOMAC, so yes in that regard I "invited" it in. I did know it was on FC and so I never ventured. Finding out which products use it is part of my buying ritual these days as I've never really been one to have anything the minute it's been released. I can cruise forums and such to find uot whether it is or isn't present before voting with my wallet.

 

I have never had a problem with keeping the disc in the drive to play anything but apparently it IS an issue with some. Putting an encrypted file on the disc with a portion of the .exe to verify that file algorythmically or whatever seems just fine to me. Installing hidden directories and files without it being mentioned in the EULA is definitely a deceptive practice. As much of a problem as I have with HAVING to run a 3rd party program (Steam) in the background to play a game, I find that option infinitely more acceptable than having ANY form of StarForce on any of my puters ever again.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Growler67