I Hate DRM

The most recent thing that has happened to me was with Bioware's Neverwinter Nights.  I originally bought NWN when it first came out.  Played it through and loved the game.  I bought every Bioware expansion that came out.  Recently, I wanted to reinstall the game but I couldn't find the CD Key for my last expansion.  I have the media.  I paid for it.  It is completely useless now.  So I searched the forums for ways to get around this, get a new key, etc.  Turns out there is no way to get a new key and I wasn't about to download one of the keygen programs that load your system up with trojans and zombies.  So I have spent about $100-150 USD on the games and accessories and they are completely useless and neither Atari nor Bioware will issue new keys.  So I went out and bought the NWN "Diamond" edition with everything on it.  This really sucks because I had to spend another $50 to get a CD Key to use the software that I already bought.  I personally think CD Keys are designed to make paying, honest customers buy the same software over and over again, just like my case.  I rather not spend the time and energy to pirate the game I already own because it is safer and easier to re-buy the exact same software.  In fact, I am convinced that they bank on this behavior.  This is why I hate CD Keys.

BTW, there are a ton of NWN cracks, keygens, iso images, etc out there.  Once again, CD Keys have done little to nothing to stop, or even slow, piracy.  Instead, it just pissed off a paying customer.

Hi :-) .......I totally agree with what you are saying about piracy and geniune paying customers ........I have had similiar issues with some original games and the Microsoft product activation .......I have now got 3 original copies of xp and I am a single user not affiliated with any business or profitable organisation and yet if I wanted to run the number of copies of xp I want to run I would be expected to fork out more cash or say I did an upgrade on a current machine ........I dont want to get into the xp thing as it is technically a different issue and I aired my views about this a while back on numerous forums. I have also had original games with expansions and lost the odd cd key from time to time and suffice to say I know where you are comming from. At the end of the day though these organisations like to have us believe customer care is valued to them as much as money , however as Im sure you know that is a load of wash :-) . Multiple organisations have been known to steal another organisations legal name, put malicious coding into their disks and such and yet they have odasity to go on about downloading and such when they are involved in many shady practices themselves .......I know I digress but it is to hopefully show the the irony in it. Also I dont condone piracy but personally I feel if someone downloads a game and trys it out and finds it good they should buy it! If it is a pile of absolute wash on the other hand at least its saved them money ........This is why the companies have all these systems as well as the fact that they fear the consumer having true choice ........also in their favour though you get people who go out their way to download every thing and pay squat.........and it is because of these short sighted people that all the consumer unfriendly key systems and such are in place ........Im glad to say that I buy all the stuff I need to use and that is of good quality .....hence I have a load of original disks some of which if I went back to I would worry about finding my login details and such !!!

In short .....Im sorry whats happened to you and I can empaphise :-(  thats a bad one.

On a lighter note , Im actually looking at purchsing the NWN diamond pack right now ........Is it good ? I have played it a little up at a friends and what is the online play like? This is one of the main reasons I want to buy it as I was under the immpression there was like a story teller like what vampire the masquerade redemtion used to be like online?

Thanks

Razek

Then there are all those silly protection schemes that require a game CD be put into the drive before the game will play. Pain in the arse on two counts:

First, because most games utilize some form of copy-protection, one can't make a backup of the disc, risking abuse of the original disc. My original copy of Battlefield: 1942 is borked because my original disc is scratched up too bad to use, thankfully I got another copy when I bought the complete set (1942, Road to Rome, Secret Weapons of War and Battlefield: Vietnam). My copy of Medal of Honour: Allied Assault is close to being useless as well for the same reasons.

Portability. When I go up to my cottage I'll bring my laptop with me. However, the laptop bag is small so I don't have a lot of room to stick games in the bag. I used to by a game or two just before the trip, now I buy games for my DS instead because it's easier.

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http://music.tinfoil.net -- tinfoil.music, digital media & music news

Bioware actually makes it even worse. When trying to legally purchase their 'premium modules' for Neverwinter, one is asked to enter your CD key, again. I found a few issues with this. 1. The download will only work with the CD key entered. If you later get the diamond version, install it, you find your premium modules quit working and tell you to go buy them again. 2. Had my brother download it for me since he has a credit card and I don't. Guess what? I can't use it because it's now linked with his CD key. 3. I bought the original neverwinter waaay back when it first came out. After installing each of the sequels, they had to send me a new CD key because my old one was in some old scheme they used when they release the first version. Because of this, they gave me a new key to use. Of course, this key when setup in my account worked great for interacting on the site, but once again gives me the 'please go buy the software you just bought' error when I installed the module I bought using MY OWN ACCOUNT! (borrowed my brothers card, used my account, still got screwed). No word yet two weeks after sending multiple emails to storesupport@bioware.com. I have bought their crappy software twice, their addon-ons three times, and none of it works. I say stay the hell away from atrari/bioware until they get their crap fixed. In the meantime I'm off to figure a way to bypass their system so I can use the software I purchased. Legally. Twice. Three times in one case even.

I hate CD-Keys not only because I may lose it, but because typing them is tiring and annoying. When I pay 1/5 of national minimum wage for a game I don't want to have to write any codes/cd-keys/passwords, etc. I want to be treated like a trusted customer not like a potential thief. BTW: I think that there's no better anti-pirate measure than sincerely thanking for buying the game and supporting its creators.