Never again will I buy DRM

[aceflier]

What a load...

Ok, today I got new drivers so i figure I will run the warhead benchmark.

Nope! Says I can not run game to many installations please uninstall the game and purchase a new key!

Well I say screw that, I have only installed this game 1 time on release day.

DRM=FAIL and I'm pretty pissed off.

Any suggestions?

[|MaguS|]

I think your full of ****... sorry... If you have only ever installed this title once then someone has taken your game and installed it on other machines.

Anyway, call or write EA to provide more installs. I never have been turned down when making a request.

[aceflier]

I think your full of ****... sorry... If you have only ever installed this title once then someone has taken your game and installed it on other machines.

Anyway, call or write EA to provide more installs. I never have been turned down when making a request.

Sorry no I'm not. I have this on my computer only. No no and no. And if you want proof of when it was installed I can post a damn screenshot of the freegin folder dated 9/18/2008.

I own 2 computers and it has ONLY been installed on this computer.

[|MaguS|]

OK well then contact EA. I have installed some Direct 2 Drive titles over 8 times due to problems (specifically Oblivion with mod causing corruptions) and never had an issue. I'm sure EA will be the same (never experienced any issues with them either).

[*magic*]

just use a no activation crack.
I installed the game twice and with the crack I didnt use any activation at all.

[nekrosoft13]

drivers don't casue drm to act, so you are full of it ;)

[NarcissistZero]

Not only should you have 5 installs or whatever, not just 1, but it should also remove an install if you uninstall the game.

I've had my whole computer crash exactly once in the 15 years I have used them, so I'm not too worried about not being able to uninstall games, therefore the limit thing doesn't bother me.

The only thing I hate about install limits is having to uninstall everything if I want to reformat.

[SJA06]

I have no idea if he is BSing or not, but I have had to reactivate FSX after updating chipset drivers, as it seemed to consider it a change of hardware... so this sort of thing may be possible with other DRM configurations, which is worrying.

Edit: to add, it only does this if I have reverted to MS IDE drivers and then back to nvidia drivers.

[NarcissistZero]

That is worrying... I have never had something reactivate beause of a simple driver update... that would be a bad sign, if it happened.

Even then though, the guy should have a few more activations ready.

[aceflier]

Well, my ongoing attempts to contact EA via email have got me nowhere.

All I get is an automated response saying thank you please purchase another copy of Crysis Warhead. :thumbdwn: Anyone know EA's phone number in US? I cant find it anywhere.

I will add I was having some slow boot times so I did do quite a bit of tinkering with the OS. I noticed my bootloader was not showing under advanced system settings so I put the vista DVD in and recovered boot loader.

About the chipset drivers I did install those 20's then back to the 15's then used driver cleaner and used the microsoft driver till I noticed my Nforce driver wasnt installed then I reinstalled the 15's again.

If that caused it then DRM can really go to hell.

I just did a reformat of vista64. As nothing helped with my slow boot times (about 4 minutes)

I was pretty well through playing the game itself and all I used it for was benchmarking new drivers. If I want to play it ever again I will use alternate methods of installation. ;) (Another issue of a paying customer getting screwed by Copy protection)

Weather the lot of you believe me or not I really dont care. But, the problem is happening. This post on the first page of mycrysis.com...

http://www.mycrysis.com/thread.php?threadid=38926

Gluck to anyone else this happens to.

[mailman2]

I had alot of problems with DRM in Stalker Clear Sky. I was locked out the day it was launched. Drivers CAN trigger a re-activation - nekro sometimes you're such an tool, you really need to get outside of your little cave once in awhile. Just because it hasnt happened in your limited experience doesn't mean that is doesn't it cant happen at all. One time with a driver re-installation I had to use another activation but the fact remains it CAN happen.

DRM sucks plain and simple. And when it doesn't work right it's usually a huge problem. GSC and Steam wouldn't help me, finally threatened legal action for a refund, they finally just refunded me and blacklisted my key. When buying and playing legitimate games becomes this much of a PITA and it's easier for a pirate to play a game then something is definitely wrong in the industry. Keep fighting with EA, demand a refund then and keep demanding until they refund you. When DRM fails like this, they need to know - and they need to know the next time around you won't be a paying customer of theirs...

[nekrosoft13]

I had alot of problems with DRM in Stalker Clear Sky. I was locked out the day it was launched. Drivers CAN trigger a re-activation - nekro sometimes you're such an tool, you really need to get outside of your little cave once in awhile. Just because it hasnt happened in your limited experience doesn't mean that is doesn't it cant happen at all. One time with a driver re-installation I had to use another activation but the fact remains it CAN happen.

easy Joe, heel.

Well I say screw that, I have only installed this game 1 time on release day.

game installed once, driver change and he used all 5 activations, sure.

[mailman2]

easy Joe, heel.

Back to your hole. (nana2)

[aceflier]

easy Joe, heel.



game installed once, driver change and he used all 5 activations, sure.



Like I said weather u believe me or not thats your choice I dont care I've got the game running again no thanks to EA.

Last email I got from email said 3 activations and you will have to purchase a new cd key so which is it 3 or 5? What a joke.

[mojoman0]

My copy of Warhead didnt even come with a cdkey but after calling ea they had me take a picture of my receipt and they gave me a new code. I prolly could have returned my copy for a 2nd key but I'm an Eagle Scout ;)

[NarcissistZero]

Like I said weather u believe me or not thats your choice I dont care I've got the game running again no thanks to EA.

Last email I got from email said 3 activations and you will have to purchase a new cd key so which is it 3 or 5? What a joke.

Either way, it's a lot more than the one you claim to have used. Also, you would know if it required it after you changed drivers, since you would have had to of re-entered the key and authorized another computer.

I honestly can't imagine how you guys are using up your activations in such a short period of time. I'm at exactly one used for all my games of this kind. Do you have this problem with iTunes?

[aceflier]

I dont use ITunes...

And I only installed the game 1 time on one computer and never got any kind of message to enter a CD key at any point in starting a game.

One day it just said FU buy another key.:thumbdwn:

Seriously its a freegin $20 game why would I lie about it?

I spend 20 on my breakfast w/kids every day.

[LurkerLito]

It's interesting I just ran Mass Effect and got no activation needed warnings. I have upgraded both my Windows and Games HDs and also my video card since the last time I ran it. So unless it stealthily went out and reactivated I should still be at 1 activation. Is there any way to check on how many activations you have?

It's interesting cause the way I upgraded my HDs was by cloning then resizing the HDs to use all the space so whatever SecuROM is using to check if the computer changed wasn't triggered. Though I am surprised that my video card didn't trigger an activation. Still I can't be sure if it didn't do it without notifying me.

[NarcissistZero]

I dont use ITunes...

And I only installed the game 1 time on one computer and never got any kind of message to enter a CD key at any point in starting a game.

Well, if it never really activated for a "new" computer, then there is an obvious technical issue. I would call customer support again and explain it calmly to them.

Honestly I don't blame them for not believing you, though. Every pirate has a story.

[Koko56]

Having briefly looked thought this thread, it's almost comical...

The whole "DRM" issue seems to have any sort of real effect on those who actually buy the games.

EDIT: NZ - why would a pirate, actually need help with getting a new key?:wong::p

[Elvin Presler]

Long stories short:

1. Half Life - GOTY Edition, bought back in the days of Counter Strike Beta 3. A few months or so later, Steam is invented. No problem, I'll register my key....not. "Your key has already been registered" It was never shared or even seen by anyone else. Turns out Sierra released duplicates to many people. Support solution: buy the game again. My response: "FU!!!"

2. Splinter Cell. Plays fine until I'm half way through the game and see a patch was released. Install it, game never runs again, some cryptic error message I forgot. After days of troubleshooting the cause was the patch updated the "copy protection" and had added my Lite-On CDRW to the black list (because it was a good one, capable of making a 1:1 copy). I could no longer play the game at all unless I removed that drive and bought some generic junk to replace it? Again, "FU!!!"

There were a few other games that refused to run unless I uninstalled CloneCD, Nero, or whatever it was at the time too. I refuse to do that. I will not be told what I may or may not install on my PC by a game publisher.

Since then, I don't buy games with copy protections I don't care for and I will NEVER even consider buying a game with ANY kind of "activation" scheme attached to them. If I can not install and play it on a completely isolated PC, no internet connection, I will not buy it. Ever. Period. That's all I am going to say about that...


(lee)

[NarcissistZero]

EDIT: NZ - why would a pirate, actually need help with getting a new key?:wong::p

I didn't say he was a pirate, I just said these companies hear sob stories from pirates all the time. I remember this one dude asking for technical help on Assassin's Creed in another forum I go to, swearing on his LIFE he was not a pirate, and then one of the other forum members foung his exact name, birthday and location on a well known pirate forum where he bragged about never paying for a game since 5 years ago.

So... every pirate has a story. That's all I meant.

[Soetdjuret]

go cry pirate...

[Elvin Presler]

Go buy....sucker.

[crainger]

As I said. Don't play and drive 18 wheelers. kthnx. ::D: