Update on the protection in Warhead from cry-alex

[BioHazZarD]

Just to get that clarified, you can install warhead as often as you want on your PC as long as you do not make major changes to your hardware or re-install Windows.

So you can activate the game on X different PC's, whereas the number has not yet been clarified in the end, but you can install the game as often as you want on each of the PC's.

-alex

http://crymod.com/thread.php?threadid=36723&threadview=0&hilight=&hilightuser=0&page=3

buuu:thumbdwn:

[Crow_Nest]

Fail.

All the more people will pirate it...

[ATi]

ea fails so i cant play with my 8800gts today? so i'll waste a install? im going have to wait for 3 days for my 4870x2? ... WEAK:thumbdwn:

[|JuiceZ|]

Is the Steam release also subject to this crap?

[Jon]

Hmmm, I didn't know anything about Warhead having online activation when I pre-ordered it. Whilst I hate copy protection since its always caused me as a legitimate buyer agro compared to people I know who usually have it earlier than me, free and no copy protection!

In this case, I think at least they will let me install it on more than one PC which they didn't have to do and at least they are selling it cheaper than most expansion packs here. Hopefully when the excitement has died they will just patch out the activation like bioshock did.

Still, I wish they would drop copy protection all together. If I wanted to pirate a game, I can easily obtain them, but I don't... I pay for them. And I always will. So why am I always punished for it?

[LurkerLito]

Is the Steam release also subject to this crap?

That is something a lot of people want to know.

[agentkay]

Just uninstall the game (and obviously make sure you are connected to the internet) before you make a major hardware upgrade and it will give you the activation back. Thats how the Securom/online activation system worked in Bioshock, how it works in Spore and in future titles. Only if you decide to keep the game installed and you do a major hardware change chances are the game will think its on a new computer and you will "use up" one of the three installations, but if you properly uninstall it before you do the hardware upgrade you will most likely never even have to call EA to get addional activations.

[mailman2]

After dealing with this and Stalker. I pre-ordered Warhead too. I guess Im done buying games as I reinstall and change hardware alot. I'm done dealing with this retarded DRM, I'll be playing but I wont be buying as these restrictions make is impossible to do what I usually do with hardware. Sad that now a game should restrict hardware changes and OS reinstalls. (lee)

[Monolyth]

"make major changes to your hardware"

These kinds of protection schemes can go to hell and die, because overclocking (at least with Vista activation) can trigger a re-activation.

One of the primary reasons I stopped using Vista, XP has the same kinda stuff but it's MUCH MUCH MUCH less strict.

[LurkerLito]

Just uninstall the game (and obviously make sure you are connected to the internet) before you make a major hardware upgrade and it will give you the activation back. Thats how the Securom/online activation system worked in Bioshock, how it works in Spore and in future titles. Only if you decide to keep the game installed and you do a major hardware change chances are the game will think its on a new computer and you will "use up" one of the three installations, but if you properly uninstall it before you do the hardware upgrade you will most likely never even have to call EA to get addional activations.

That is NOT how it works in Spore or Red Alert and from the sound of it Warhead is also the same. You are limited to 3 or 5 activations in Spore and Red Alert. Uninstalling will not give you any of them back. There was a revoke tool for Bioshock that was released later till they removed the limits on the activation scheme a year or more after it's release.

[LurkerLito]

Looks like it does have securom on the steam version, I wrote them and I got the following response:
Thank you for contacting Steam Support.

The Crysis series uses Securom.

For more information, please contact EA Support:
http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg/php/enduser/home.php

[bmg]

Looks like it does have securom on the steam version, I wrote them and I got the following response:
Seems kind of pointless to buy it through Steam then.

[DeusGear]

In steam all I did was download, update DX and then I went ingame. I did not have to register/activate anything..

[nekrosoft13]

Looks like it does have securom on the steam version, I wrote them and I got the following response:

it has to have, most demos have it as well if full product is protected

[LurkerLito]

Sorry I should have stated more clearly, that I asked specifically about the limited activations and that was the reply. So there most likely is no difference between retail and the steam version other than the convenience of downloading it vs drive to the store and picking up a box.

[Misfire]

In steam all I did was download, update DX and then I went ingame. I did not have to register/activate anything..

this is correct, the steam version runs perfectly fine, all it did was use securom to check the release date and that was it. and the DRM is not like SPORE or bioshock, you can install it as many times as you want, and crytek will soon release an official statement about its DRM

[Crow_Nest]

Just saw the game today at the game store opposite where i live. Looks like singapore got it about a day or two earlier. I ALMOST wanted to buy it, but then i remembered about this crap... =\

I keep reading different stories about how the steam version has the DRM or not. I guess we wont know until the game is released.

[Quarter]

Wait... so if I upgrade my video card I lose one of the installs automatically? What the hell!

I thought that it only used up a install if you uninstalled it and tried to reinstall it again.

[LurkerLito]

Wait... so if I upgrade my video card I lose one of the installs automatically? What the hell!

I thought that it only used up a install if you uninstalled it and tried to reinstall it again.

Actually no that is perfectly fine as long as you kept windows and your hardware as they were when you installed the game. No one knows for sure what will trigger an activation but it looks like any major hardware change (most likely video card, network card and CPU will trigger it) and/or a reformat of the hard drive (the C: drive for sure since that will wipe windows out along with the registry and possibly your games drive if Securom writes stuff to specific sectors on the HD like some high end apps do).

[sweetmate]

this is correct, the steam version runs perfectly fine, all it did was use securom to check the release date and that was it. and the DRM is not like SPORE or bioshock, you can install it as many times as you want, and crytek will soon release an official statement about its DRM

All posts and screenshots on the steam forums point to it using the same activation as retail.

To be honest this has really depressed me re the state of PC gaming. Possibly the only decent PC shooter of the year, and definitely the only good PC exclusive shooter of 2008 and I wont be playing it because its developer is actively doing everything they can to put consumers off it.

[Quarter]

Actually no that is perfectly fine as long as you kept windows and your hardware as they were when you installed the game. No one knows for sure what will trigger an activation but it looks like any major hardware change (most likely video card, network card and CPU will trigger it) and/or a reformat of the hard drive (the C: drive for sure since that will wipe windows out along with the registry and possibly your games drive if Securom writes stuff to specific sectors on the HD like some high end apps do).
Yes, but that's what I'm saying. I've already installed the game and I am planning on upgrading my video card later.

[agentkay]

The Copy Protection FAQ has been released:

http://www.crymod.com/thread.php?threadid=36974&sid=cc7452f9455a397c791884e8f8e0db60

Really not that bad, plus it got rid of the ****ing pre-retail release pirates, so it was worth it, Crysis should have had this system in the first place.

[Lfctony]

The Copy Protection FAQ has been released:

http://www.crymod.com/thread.php?threadid=36974&sid=cc7452f9455a397c791884e8f8e0db60

Really not that bad, plus it got rid of the ****ing pre-retail release pirates, so it was worth it, Crysis should have had this system in the first place.

Well, not really. By the time the game was released in Europe, it was already cracked... So everybody basically pirated it before it even came out, because EA decided to have different release dates locking Europe out... As I said in another thread, by the time Steam unlocked for me, pirates were already playing the game... People who were willing to buy it just got the pirate version instead...

[BioHazZarD]

Lol a crack is already out i hear :D so much for the protection :(

[Zeus666]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/911/911519p1.html