The Witcher 2 Contains Secret Sauce To 'Catch 100% Of Pirates'

[qubit]

Let me start by saying that the Witcher 2 is a freaking awesome game, probably my favourite adventure/RPG of the year.

As for how they are tracking people, my bet would be on the Arena minigame that got introduced with one of the many free-content adding patches. If you have a pirated copy, give the minigame a try and afterwards think about the way it works. Post back if you think I'm correct.

I don't have the game and don't intend on getting it (doesn't appeal to me, regardless of the company's policies) and I'd be interested to know in what way this minigame gives things away. Feel free to reply in PM if you don't want to answer this one in public - your info will stay confidential with me.

 

[phanbuey]

Piracy will always be an issue. But I am not convinced that making a game un-piratable will boost sales. Just because someone can't pirate a game doesnt mean they will buy it.

But putting shitty DRM on a product will almost always guarantee a loss in sales, especially once its exposed on the web. Then again, maybe there is something I dont know and there is rampant piracy in europe.

Either way I am not buying this game.

 

[digibucc]

sorry phan but that's ridiculous imo. how is it shitty drm if it doesn't affect legitimate buyers? say what you want about the methods but until we know more, i think you are being irrational. and let's be honest, the game came out 7 months ago - if you were GOING to buy it, chances are you would have.

that doesn't mean you would NEVER have bought it, but simply that it was up to chance. if the price went down, if you had money, if you caught a sale, etc. I really don't see this hurting their bottom line like... at all.

 

[3volvedcombat]

Good that they are catching the pirates for there bad doing.

If anybody says they need to try it before you buy it, your mistaken

There are more reviews on blockbuster game titles then their are with gaming enthusiast technology.
You read all the reviews, wait for some you-tube video's, do a little Google searching and figure out all the information you need to make A Decision

Ludicrous Bullshit for the "Download and play then buy" Bullshit. It does not work unless your dealing with drugs or big ticket items supervised by professionals.

PC games get very cheap, Even a poor man can rustle up enough money to buy a 20-30$ title.

Argument about feeding children and keeping a lively hood fly's out the WINDOW. Why? They should not be concentrating nor being involved in a video game that is expensive, because if they are, their priority needs to change. There are cheaper/affordable enjoyable titles of the same statue.

It no big deal.

This is no DRM, I does not affect a user who has bought the title legally, It will not affect the game-play in any way, It will not affect anybody that is a loyal person about getting a product. No other way to argue about it.

 

[Nyte]

This is a very poorly written opinionated news posting.

I work in the tech industry with very close ties to gaming companies and I assure you, piracy DOES eat into the bottom-line. Maybe not in extreme examples like MW3, but indy developers get hit the hardest.

So rather then be all liberal and hippie-like by "rebelling" against authority, how about you just submit to harmless monitoring where the gathered information will be used for the greater good. Contrary to hippie/conspiracy/liberal beliefs, them gathering whatever information they have on you will NOT be sold off or used in negative ways. Instead of me proving that statement right, I'd like you to prove me wrong.

You might as well throw away your credit cards, your cellphones, your TV, and basically all electronic devices. Because while you still cower within your tech bubble (except for gaming), YOU are STILL being monitored. Can't handle that? Go move to your own island where you can make up your own laws where you become your own authority.

 

[Nyte]

they copied, didnt steal.

How would you feel if I copied your school paper that you worked 50 hours on? Takes me 1 hour to copy it and then I go party and get laid while you are resting after all that work.

WHY is it ALWAYS the EUROPEANS that are AGAINST anti-PIRACY??? WHY???

 

[qubit]

This is a very poorly written opinionated news posting.

In your opinion, of course. Don't worry, I didn't take any offense.

I work in the tech industry with very close ties to gaming companies and I assure you, piracy DOES eat into the bottom-line. Maybe not in extreme examples like MW3, but indy developers get hit the hardest.

MW3 broke all sales records and blew away Hollywood as a money-making machine. Don't tell me that sales "OMG would have been even better!!" without "piracy". If piracy was such a problem, then everyone would be getting their dodgy copy and Activision wouldn't have any sales.

Oh and reverze is right. Copying is not stealing. It's an infringement, as the original owner still has their copy. Big difference.

Finally, you may want to merge your two posts into one, as the forum rules don't allow for double posts.

 

[OneMoar]

note to self: pirate next witcher 2 dlc > laugh mechanically > stop laughing after finding out I wasted 10 min of my time downloading some re-textured and retooled model masquerading as new content > proceed to delete either game and play something else

I don't accept ANY governments written laws regarding the internet

the internet shall always follow the 3 r's
no rights
no rules
no regulation
.

 

[Easy Rhino]

all pirates should die in a fire. yarggg! raise the mast and fetch the boys, matey! swab the poop deck!!!! yarg!!!

i mean seriously, go die already you fools.

 

[OneMoar]

all pirates should die in a fire. yarggg! raise the mast and fetch the boys, matey! swab the poop deck!!!! yarg!!!

i mean seriously, go die already you fools.

ill think of you the next time I pirate something AVAST YE HADTYS WE BE GOING DOWN THEN WE GOING DOWN FIGHTHING
the seas of change are unforgiving big content and giant software publishers are being replaced / forced out and there is no stopping it
resist they will win in the end we will
gg

 

[AsRock]

I don't condone piracy but I also hate dirty tricks with tracking and all that crap. I also hate when someone says "we're 100% sure" and all that bullcrap.

Neither do i and i don't see a dirty trick in fact they should of kept their mouths shut about it because of people with your opinions.

 

[OneMoar]

Neither do i and i don't see a dirty trick in fact they should of kept their mouths shut about it because of people with your opinions.

for the sake of just because I have the time ill attempt to recite the pre-writen reply from a self admitted pirate ..... not that it will change anything ...
you use the word "condone' like "sharing" or as called by the people that claim to be righteously driven call it "piracy". is wrong
people have been _sharing_ for just as long as copyrights and the selling of goods for monetary gain have existed and people will always buy what they feel is worth there cash even if there are "free" alternatives or non-legal alternatives this is a FACT

if you could magically control all the traffic in the world and 'stop' the sharing of games and music and movies you would NOT see a sudden jump in sales what would be very likely is that there would be little change for the first few months followed by a slow decline and eventually down to sub 1990's revenue.
simply because the consumers "exposure' to said products would be even more limited you CAN NOT FORCE SOMEONE TO BUY SOMETHING Simply by removing ANY other alternatives its not possible MANY people have tried over the century and with little to no success.
even if said person _wants_ said product if they don't have the money for it IT will not be bought PERIOD How ever if it could be found for free or created by ones self ... it will still exist .... and most of the time when you drive someone to find "another way" the end result is the _best way_
examples
RADIO
TV
the internet
???????

 

[reverze]

How would you feel if I copied your school paper that you worked 50 hours on? Takes me 1 hour to copy it and then I go party and get laid while you are resting after all that work.

WHY is it ALWAYS the EUROPEANS that are AGAINST anti-PIRACY??? WHY???

thanks for confirming its copying, not stealing

 

[OneMoar]

How would you feel if I copied your school paper that you worked 50 hours on? Takes me 1 hour to copy it and then I go party and get laid while you are resting after all that work.

WHY is it ALWAYS the EUROPEANS that are AGAINST anti-PIRACY??? WHY???

I would't much care very poor example you got there ......

 

[Kreij]

thanks for confirming its copying, not stealing

So if I hack into a few servers and get all your personal data like name, address, credit card info, social security numbers, family members, etc. and "copy" your identity for my own perosnal use it's all okay because it's not "identity theft" it's just "identity copying"?

 

[OneMoar]

So if I hack into a few servers and get all your personal data like name, address, credit card info, social security numbers, family members, etc. and "copy" your identity for my own perosnal use it's all okay because it's not "identity theft" it's just "identity copying"?

valid argument wrong subject to use it on
that would be "stealing" because the original would be damaged or lost

 

[erocker]

thanks for confirming its copying, not stealing

Copying is stealing. It's not very hard to understand.

 

[OneMoar]

Copying is stealing. It's not very hard to understand.

wrong on so many levels its not worth the effort to re:explain it

 

[erocker]

wrong on so many levels its not worth the effort to re:explain it

I'll just say that any effort in which you try to re:explain it is wrong.

 

[OneMoar]

I'll just say that any effort in which you try to re:explain it is wrong.

since you have yet to explain your pov while I explained mine I am going to write you off and ignorant of the subject matter

 

[Kreij]

valid argument wrong subject to use it on
that would be "stealing" because the original would be damaged or lost

Not necessarily. I could use your identity in a manner that would cause you no loss or damage. In this case it would be considered fraud, but the point is still valid.
If you copy something that someone never inteded for you to do so, or exppected payment for the use of their work, there is no justification for it.

 

[erocker]

since you have yet to explain your pov while I explained mine I am going to write you off and ignorant of the subject matter

Your thoughts on my thoughts on the matter of are no consequence or concern to me.

 

[OneMoar]

Your thoughts on my thoughts on the matter of are no consequence or concern to me.

and neither are yours so I guss we are at a impasse O well

Not necessarily. I could use your identity in a manner that would cause you no loss or damage. In this case it would be considered fraud, but the point is still valid.
If you copy something that someone never inteded for you to do so, or exppected payment for the use of their work, there is no justification for it.

and if I had no intention of paying for it anyway ???? what then ... I ask you
there is the problem with the whole argument just because I GOT it for free does not mean I was ever willing to buy it
in short of COPYING it would have never been bought and said person would had never been paid in the first place so if I decide to make my own beer does that mean I am accountable for anheuser busch's lost sale ?

 

[Maelstrom]

Oh and reverze is right. Copying is not stealing. It's an infringement, as the original owner still has their copy. Big difference.

Outside of lawmaking, why the hell does it even matter? In the situation we're discussing, someone is still obtaining a product for free by circumventing the system. That is illegal and I hope these pirates get caught.

Also (not directed to you qubit), I love when people are like "people are always going to pirate so what's the point of trying to stop it?", so does that mean we shouldn't do anything? With that attitude, lets get rid of all laws because people are still going to murder, steal, etc. Yes, wouldn't that be great?

*Note: I'm not up for extreme DRM that hurts legit consumers more than pirates, but there's got to be someway to attempt to stop pirate without hurting paying consumers.*

 

[Easy Rhino]

ill think of you the next time I pirate something AVAST YE HADTYS WE BE GOING DOWN THEN WE GOING DOWN FIGHTHING
the seas of change are unforgiving big content and giant software publishers are being replaced / forced out and there is no stopping it
resist they will win in the end we will
gg

you do realize if everyone believed what you did then there would be no video games? have fun playing with your small pecker then...