Matthew on 2/1/2009 at 17:15
Quote Posted by Papy
Why not? To me, a USB dongle would be a much better form of DRM than anything else. More reliable than a CD check, less annoying than a manual check, not as big brother as an Internet validation... To me, it would be almost like a console cartridge. Once the game is installed, just pop in the USB dongle whenever you want to play, and the game auto-launch. I could also lend my games to anyone and resell them if I want. That would be absolutely great!
Edit: This is a "funny" coincidence, but I just bought Stalker : Clear Sky from Steam and... I can't play it for now because the Tages activation server is down today.
I already have 10 USB devices plugged into my computer, I don't particularly want to have to hunt through my belongings for the correct slab of plastic every time I want to play a particular company's games. And you just know that they'd never use joined-up thinking and produce One Big Dongle - or if they did, you'd have to lend it to someone with the game you were lending them and instantly lose the keys to the rest of your collection for a while. Also, hardware cloning.
Finally, it just feels too much like using a C64GS again - no thanks.
Papy on 2/1/2009 at 23:01
Quote Posted by Matthew
I don't particularly want to have to hunt through my belongings for the correct slab of plastic every time I want to play a particular company's games.
I don't get it. You don't mind having to hunt for a DVD and put it in your drive for a DVD check, you don't mind having to hunt for a manual or a code wheel to answer a question each time you play, but you mind a USB key which takes less place and is more reliable? It really doesn't make sense to me.
Matthew on 2/1/2009 at 23:12
Nor should it.
catbarf on 3/1/2009 at 00:16
Quote Posted by Papy
Why not? To me, a USB dongle would be a much better form of DRM than anything else. More reliable than a CD check, less annoying than a manual check, not as big brother as an Internet validation... To me, it would be almost like a console cartridge. Once the game is installed, just pop in the USB dongle whenever you want to play, and the game auto-launch. I could also lend my games to anyone and resell them if I want. That would be absolutely great!
Edit: This is a "funny" coincidence, but I just bought Stalker : Clear Sky from Steam and... I can't play it for now because the Tages activation server is down today.
That's a cool idea, it reminds me of these funny shiny round things I stick in my computer now when I want to play a game.
Zygoptera on 3/1/2009 at 00:35
Dongles are a spectacularly bad idea. You either end up with something easily crackable, but still more expensive than alternatives due to licencing and hardware costs, or something more difficult to crack but only really suitable for protecting $X,000 software. They're easy to lose, (generally, and especially if you want something hard to crack) require device drivers which often break with new OS's or updates to old ones, and clog your computer otherwise. They don't really offer any advantages which are not offset by the increased cost, especially since you'd still require a DVD as well.
I wouldn't use dongles (for games, I've used them, albeit not without problems, for prosoftware- it's OK for protecting a $15k program and was more convenient than the alternative) either.
Papy on 3/1/2009 at 05:33
Quote Posted by catbarf
That's a cool idea, it reminds me of these funny shiny round things I stick in my computer now when I want to play a game.
Yes, except those shiny round things are slower, more fragile and less reliable. I have two cracked CD which are now useless and I remember I once had to put back an old CD drive in my computer instead of my DVD drive because the copy protection was not compatible. I also remember a few games taking up a noticeable time to start because of the copy protection. As I am someone who takes a lot of care of my CD and DVD, I can't imagine what it must be like for the person who just toss them in a drawer.
Anyway, the real advantage of a dongle is the protection can be a lot more difficult to crack than with a DVD. At the very least, it would certainly make software like Alcohol 120% completely useless. I don't know what is the percentage of piracy due to this kind of software now, but even if it represent a few thousand sells more, it's certainly worth it.
Quote Posted by Zygoptera
more difficult to crack but only really suitable for protecting $X,000 software
And why exactly wouldn't they be suitable for a $40 games? How much do you imagine it would cost to make a USB dongle? Unless you want something like an ARM SecurCore, a regular 8 bit processor that goes into a smart card cost less than 50 cents. Yes, some dongles do cost quite a lot, but that's because of the software included and the premium of a niche product, not because of the price to manufacture. Anyway, DVD are fragile, protections require special drivers which often break with a new OS, you have to pay for license fees... and they are mostly useless.
Seriously, I just don't get why people think it's a bad idea.
Edit: BTW, Tages server are working today...
Sulphur on 3/1/2009 at 05:43
Because if you're a serial misplacer, you might one day find yourself SOL when you want to fire up the game. Because it invalidates any means of backing up your games. Because it's less convenient than software 'solutions'.
And most importantly, because if it goes mainstream, the last thing I want is to explain to my friends why I have a collection of 'dongles' in my drawers.
Ostriig on 3/1/2009 at 14:56
That too. Let's be honest, the first time anyone hears the word "dongle" they think of a cross between "dong" and "dangle".
catbarf on 3/1/2009 at 18:08
Quote Posted by Papy
Seriously, I just don't get why people think it's a bad idea.
While I now understand your preference of dongles as a medium, I think that as far as security they wouldn't help much. One way or another, the pirates would break them. It's pretty much inevitable.
pavlovscat on 3/1/2009 at 18:26
Quote Posted by Renzatic
As long as the keys are put on something solid like the inner lining of an actual honest-to-god jewel case or manual.
Case in point: I can no longer play Gothic 2 Gold because they slapped the key on one of those "we're cheap as all fuck all" paper sleeves, which I always promptly lose.
My solution to this is to write the CD Key on the disc with a sharpie. Adobe sent 2 convenient stickers with the key number for Abobe to put on the disc or whereever. I don't mind CD Keys or a one-time activation on line...though I've gotten several games from my dad because he's not online & didn't read the box carefully enough. :tsktsk:
I don't mind Steam. I want to be able to play a game on any pc I happen to be using or install it on a newly upgraded system as well.
I prefer not having to keep a CD in the drive, so I typically use hacks when they are available. The noise of the drive is distracting unless I'm using headphones.
