There really is no solution to Software Piracy, only ways to slow it down.

No matter how tough you make your DRM, or how many activation checks and hurdles you toss into your game, Pirates will find a way to crack it. Often they will crack before it even hits store shelves.

If anything the tougher the DRM, the more keen crack groups are out to try and beat it.

Besides, that fancy DRM, the one that gets cracked before your game is even available in the store, all that does is piss off your paying customers. As mentioned you don't want to treat your customers as criminals.

The best defense I believe, is to frustrate and annoy pirate users. I will never forget the time a friend "gave" me a copy of Civ4 and a "working" crack. I couldn't figure out how to get past the cave men stage because the camp kept deleting itself :p  by adding in planted "bugs" or traps that only spring up when a person is using a pirated/cracked version of the software, you truly hammer the point home to the pirate. Fantastic move by the game maker, found it funny as hell (I did buy the game btw) After a pirate spends all this "effort" to download and install this game, to locate and run a safe crack, just when they think it's safe to sit down and play the game they get hit with these traps.

I believe Batman Arkham which came out recently had this as well. There was a certain spot later into the game that you couldn't complete unless you had a valid copy. An impossible jump or some such.

MegamanEXE game boy games games, Capcom in attempts to stop a rom being downloaded and played, made it impossible to move past a specific boss character and complete the rest of the game.

Lull the pirate into investing their time into a game, just abit, then stop them from playing. Puzzle them as they try and figure out why the game is impossible, is it their computer? They lack the skill? or is it a cunning developer who lays a blunt reminder saying "Thanks for your interest, but go buy the fucking game!"


As well I think the argument made many times, majority of people who pirate game, would never have bought it in the first place, is a valid point. These people were never sales, and the sooner a company realizes that the better the industry will be.

Stardock did it so right with GalCivII, fantastic game and buy. It had zero DRM, so no challenge for cracker and pirate groups to really go after it. It was pirated of course, but not like Spore or any other main stream locked title. It was barely shared on Torrent Sites at all, when patches were released there was no cracker willing to rush in and hack away right away, I still don't think the pirated version of the game has caught up to the real game's version. It's great, Stardock released so many contact updates and fixes after launch, it really did give something to their paying customer base, a very large value.

Actually, I think the most annoying possible thing is when you die because a Koopa pauses to do Jazzhands randomly and kills you.

Yes, this!

Shaking wii-me-off motions to pick up a barrel are ass I agree

Otherwise music ho hum, not bad or anything, but nothing that will stick in your brain. Graphics I'm happy with, if they insist on 3d, then what they have done here is fine with me.

I do say that the worlds lack personality and feel way too short. Sorta falling in between Mario World and Mario 3. I really wish they did a giant world like SMB3 had, considering the 3d engine and size of some enemies I'm disappointed they didn't.

As a single player game it's very average, as a four player game it's just crap. Everyone getting in everyone elses way, it's not fun at all. Two players however, the game is great. Tag teaming difficult areas, bouncing off one another to grab coins, it's cool.

Game just feels too short, really thats my complaint, g. My wife and I plowed thru it 8 hours with little difficulty (why must women INSIST on grabbing every frigging coin?!). We are going back to pick up all the star coins, but really I don't see much replay value in this game, Mario Party lasted months, this one, maybe weeks.

You went about this the wrong way, level editors are always shitty, very rarely are in house tools truly good.

Anyway, had you posted saying "Hi guys, design a level for my game, don't forget to add a title for your level, your name, and your choice of saying to go with it (spam, your URL, "hi"). This way as people play the game they see your credit and words of wisdom, shout out, website etc"

Nothing wrong with asking the community for help, but ya know give a little get a little in return.

Kicking around an idea for a low rez mashup of several themes into a puzzle platformer. A team of several characters, an axe throwing warrior, energy megaman/metriod guy, sneaky double jump ninja, and a wizard type guy. Each with their own ability you need to solve puzzles. We see

How come no-one commented on this? It's entirely awesome! We need more games with 3D graphics made from chunky pixels!

Agree, this is a very cool mock up, pixels, low rez, but at the same time very modern and clean looking. Cool concept style for a game.

This is cool, good lesson for newbs (like me) is to experiment with colours, it can be easy to darken or dull shades in unattractive ways.

Ya the brick tile is copied from Zelda II for the mock up I need to reshade the stone face, and I'm not sure how I'll do the candle glow with tiles yet, but thats part of the fun!

Trying to go for a atari/nes mash because ya I can't draw real sprites. Fairly happy with the results, may remove a colour from my character though, we see.

Agreed this is a fantastic game, the graphics are very polished, combat is tactical tho I wish there was SOME form of back movement :p the combat is fun tho.

You could so easily run with this idea all the way into a full game. Great job! 

Wife and I just played this for about 30 minutes, fun stuff. Really well done.   

I had an issue with a 'media centre' PC from Acer that I dub the 'toaster' due to it's heating issues. After 6 months I started getting access denied messages when trying to login. Was very odd, never had this before with any windows XP computer.

On my recent PC however, Vista is running wonderfully. Have not had any issues whatsoever. I as well have a feeling it may be the updates, Vista without all the recent updates sucks. Keep it updated and it's just fine.

I was perfectly happy with XP, but with recent updates I have no issues with Vista either.

Besides the goldocide, I also enjoy appletini's, damned Royal Carribean and their free flowing booze. Moxy's just isn't the same! It's not a true appletini if you dilute with apple juice! DAMN YOU LCBO! DAMN YOU TO HELL!

 

Ok ok less drinking on a weekday

I have this 15 year old rum from bacardi I just love to sniff. Ever take a trip to the bacardi factory? Their tour is awesome, there is dungeon, dank, dark with buckets attached to walls just for sniffing. Very piratey booty bay like

So... did it die BECAUSE you didn't remember to feed it?

No it died of purely natural unfishy fishy causes I assure you, I'd feel far too guilty if I murdered it. I even wished it a good morning every day I fed it. It's just when a young sister in-law doesn't know what to buy you for your b-day 'A PET!!' is never a good idea :p

The death of an unwanted gold fish that I never again have to remember to feed

 

Good morning, evening, afternoon or what have ya bay

I was drunk when I registered here which is why my nick is just 'SJ' I go by Sic Jake everywhere else. I'm 28, married, have absolutely no pipe dreams about being in the game industry whatsoever.

My avatar? About the extent of my artistic ability right there. Can't hum a tune, and have no idea where to start with C+ or Java.

Why am I here? Well one TIGS is a daily visit, I love the indie games, Gish, World of Goo, Dinorun, Raptor Safari being a few favs. As much as I love Mass Effect, Spore, Fallout and any other 'main stream' game I find myself greatly growing disappointed in the wave of medocore licensed crap wrapped in a DRM HOTDOG of vomit that is the game industry. Not that this is new, the gems for me have always been few and far between as a gamer, however I was very surprised to find so many of those rare gems within the indie gaming community.

In short, I love your pants, give them to me...NOW  
I am your biggest fan teehee!

If matters much, I know WAY too much about NWNScript then is healthy and I have dabbled in flash here and there. I have tinkered with game maker and RPGMaker and honestly I find myself happy using an existing engine and building from there.

Wait building? Yes yes, as a new hobby I want to start making flash games. I however promise I will not slap ads onto a stolen one week ripoff concept game onto Kongragate for dollars. No, I will instead invest 6 months in an overly complicated game that the casual flash gamer will gloss over with battery licking short attention span instead.

I've lurked your planet long enough TIGS, I am now here watching, oh and talking or something.

25 years from now when we are all using holographic tv's to watch George Bush's cyborg head in a jar of brine give speeches, you can bet your monocle that there will be a community of anti-establishment gents recreating Super Mario 3 in a 3D pixel-like style.

I can't draw, can't compose, and have no hope in hell of learning C+ so obviously I am not skilled enough to lick the floors of Crystal Hotdog's sacred office and shrine.

But I'm over qualified for Crystal Core! Sign me up Tyler!

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Psst, if your going to advertise, make sure the website is up to snuff for the odd chance someone shows interest in your blatant spam.

So ya, who here has a bandwidth cap? Mine is 30 gigs a month, afterwhich I pay extra per gig. During normal use of my connection I don't usually come anywhere near hitting it, but what if I was watching a high quality video stream for say 8-10 hours a week?

Cause that is what this is, just a nice video stream of their computer.

Alright so like, I have this new exciting offer! I haz cable, and you don't nya nya! So wat I do is, take my HiFi HD Video Camz and point it at mah screen. Then I charge you 15 bucks a month to watch UFC and other pay per view on my fancy webcam!

The money you waste going over your cap could be better spent on a new computer or an xbox 360 :p