FO3 pirated in less than 24 hours after gold

[Strix]

In that case they should've made it so there's an area on DVD that can be read but not written by normal DVD burners. Too late now I guess.

 

If I remember correctly, it's already been tried and defeated.

[Pidesco]

I don't see what's so surprising about piracy existing on consoles. Here in Portugal everyone offers modded consoles. All the torrents of console games have to go somewhere. I'm guessing that the only difference between PC and consoles regarding piracy is that the average PC gamer is tech savvier than the average console gamer.

[Hurlshort]

This doesn't seem quite as serious as being able to download it off the internet. Not that it isn't terrible, hopefully they can trace the leak, but I don't think it will be able to spread very quickly this way.

 

I thought the whole point is that it is now downloadable off the internet - maybe I am confused?

 

I dunno what Hurlshot means either, it's on torrent and file sharing sites.

 

So do you need to burn it on a DVD and then play it on a modded Xbox?

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Well, looking at the "previews," it seems like Fallout 3 is "The Elder Scrolls V: Oblivion with Guns."

[Nick_i_am]

Well, looking at the "previews," it seems like Fallout 3 is "The Elder Scrolls V: Oblivion with Guns."

 

Suprise chip overload!

[Strix]

So do you need to burn it on a DVD and then play it on a modded Xbox?

 

You need to burn it to a DVD and play it on an X-box 360 - there are ways to play burned games without chipping.

[Slowtrain]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

 

 

How so? The game wasn't even released yet. DRM isn't even an issue. Unless even review and developer copies are going to be DRM'd now.

 

IF anything this sort of event weakens pro-DRM arguments dramatically, since it makes DRM pointless. ANd it on a console anway.

[Hurlshort]

So do you need to burn it on a DVD and then play it on a modded Xbox?

 

You need to burn it to a DVD and play it on an X-box 360 - there are ways to play burned games without chipping.

 

Can you be more specific on ways to play without chipping?

 

I still see this as a lot more difficult than pirating PC games. You need a DVD burner, that alone creates a bit of a hindrance that PC games don't get.

[random n00b]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

 

 

How so? The game wasn't even released yet. DRM isn't even an issue. Unless even review and developer copies are going to be DRM'd now.

 

IF anything this sort of event weakens pro-DRM arguments dramatically, since it makes DRM pointless. ANd it on a console anway.

You read the part where he said "logic or not", right?

[Hell Kitty]

Here in Portugal everyone offers modded consoles.

 

What does that even mean? You can buy modded consoles in every store? There's a guy in every alley asking if you wanna score some console mods?

 

All the torrents of console games have to go somewhere.

 

You only need to check the stats on torrent sites to see that PC downloads far outweigh console downloads.

 

I'm guessing that the only difference between PC and consoles regarding piracy is that the average PC gamer is tech savvier than the average console gamer.

 

I'd say the average console pirate is far tech savvier than the average PC pirate, being that you can't simply download, install, crack and play on console. I modded my PS2 so I could play imported games, no mod chips, just a new lid and a swap disc, but even that required opening up the console.

[Slowtrain]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

 

 

How so? The game wasn't even released yet. DRM isn't even an issue. Unless even review and developer copies are going to be DRM'd now.

 

IF anything this sort of event weakens pro-DRM arguments dramatically, since it makes DRM pointless. ANd it on a console anway.

You read the part where he said "logic or not", right?

 

 

Of course. But my point was that I don't see how even a "logic" failure can connect the two. There's no connection between DRM and what happened here. This is more like an internal security issue for a developer or something.

[Nightshape]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

 

 

How so? The game wasn't even released yet. DRM isn't even an issue. Unless even review and developer copies are going to be DRM'd now.

 

IF anything this sort of event weakens pro-DRM arguments dramatically, since it makes DRM pointless. ANd it on a console anway.

You read the part where he said "logic or not", right?

 

 

Of course. But my point was that I don't see how even a "logic" failure can connect the two. There's no connection between DRM and what happened here. This is more like an internal security issue for a developer or something.

 

It was a review version, so really the guys out there in the gaming media are to blame, smite them!

[Slowtrain]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

 

 

How so? The game wasn't even released yet. DRM isn't even an issue. Unless even review and developer copies are going to be DRM'd now.

 

IF anything this sort of event weakens pro-DRM arguments dramatically, since it makes DRM pointless. ANd it on a console anway.

You read the part where he said "logic or not", right?

 

 

Of course. But my point was that I don't see how even a "logic" failure can connect the two. There's no connection between DRM and what happened here. This is more like an internal security issue for a developer or something.

 

It was a review version, so really the guys out there in the gaming media are to blame, smite them!

 

 

I was under the impression that in software development often beta and demo copies of applications are designed to stop working after a certain length of time to prevent potential propogation of "unofficial" copies of the application.

 

Is that true?

[Strix]

Can you be more specific on ways to play without chipping?

 

As far as I know, this is mainly done by using security holes to insert homebrew programing that allows the DVD-drive to read burned discs (altered drivers maybe, I'm not sure off the top of my head exactly what is being installed). I have not done it personally, but it seems to work from what I've read and heard.

[Hell Kitty]

So do you need to burn it on a DVD and then play it on a modded Xbox?

 

I suppose so, yeah, but you've still got to download it first.

 

I still see this as a lot more difficult than pirating PC games. You need a DVD burner, that alone creates a bit of a hindrance that PC games don't get.

 

Anyway, I agree with this.

 

You need to burn it to a DVD and play it on an X-box 360 - there are ways to play burned games without chipping.

 

Can you be more specific on ways to play without chipping?

 

I'd like to know the specifics as well. I mean as I said before, I modded my PS2 without chipping it, but I still needed to mod it, and use a swap disc every time you load a game.

 

 

Edit:

As far as I know, this is mainly done by using security holes to insert homebrew programing that allows the DVD-drive to read burned discs (altered drivers maybe, I'm not sure off the top of my head exactly what is being installed).

 

Yep, that's definitely modding, and far more than you need to do to play pirated PC games, and there is still the banning from services like Live.

Edited October 9, 2008 by Hell Kitty

[random n00b]

Of course. But my point was that I don't see how even a "logic" failure can connect the two. There's no connection between DRM and what happened here. This is more like an internal security issue for a developer or something.

And my point is that, to the pro-DRM crowd, the only things that matter are that another high-profile game is on the Internet for anyone to download, and it was 24 hours after it went gold - add to that the fact that it wasn't equipped with the last in customer****er DRM. Details, arguments and explanations will be ignored because those things undermine the proposed effectiveness of DRM. Edited October 9, 2008 by random n00b

[Strix]

Is that true?

 

I've head of review copies being limited to a set number of installations/activations, but I have no idea if internal betas have similar protection schemes.

[Nightshape]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

 

 

How so? The game wasn't even released yet. DRM isn't even an issue. Unless even review and developer copies are going to be DRM'd now.

 

IF anything this sort of event weakens pro-DRM arguments dramatically, since it makes DRM pointless. ANd it on a console anway.

You read the part where he said "logic or not", right?

 

 

Of course. But my point was that I don't see how even a "logic" failure can connect the two. There's no connection between DRM and what happened here. This is more like an internal security issue for a developer or something.

 

It was a review version, so really the guys out there in the gaming media are to blame, smite them!

 

 

I was under the impression that in software development often beta and demo copies of applications are designed to stop working after a certain length of time to prevent potential propogation of "unofficial" copies of the application.

 

Is that true?

 

They can be, but then again that can also be hacked, if everything is kept local. The only true way is via DRM techniques, where a server is involved.

 

I don't know the state of the leaked copy, only that from what's known out in the world it's a reviewers copy...

[Strix]

Yep, that's definitely modding, and far more than you need to do to play pirated PC games, and there is still the banning from services like Live.

 

I don't know if it would get you banned from Live or similar services, but there are step-by-step guides out there and I cannot think that it would be too hard to do.

[Wrath of Dagon]

I know Mech Assault on the old Xbox had a bug which somehow allowed you to download your own software to the Xbox and then run pirated games, but I haven't heard of anything similar on the 360, although it's possible that it exists. I don't think most console gamers are aware of this or are sophisticated enough to do it, plus MS will ban you from Live and they know where you live, but on the PC all you need is download the cracked version and play it.

[taks]

what i find odd is that the leaked source is a reviewer's copy, not the gold version. usually when something is pirated this early it is a result of the manufacturer (well, someone that works there) leaking the source of the gold disk. i seem to recall several relatively high-profile incidences in which the guilty employee even got caught. it's probably more widespread than we hear about, too.

 

personally, i don't think a leak will effect sales. i've never been convinced that the crowd that gets pirated copies spends a whole lot on new games anyway. they typically wait for the pirated version to come out and don't play it if they can't get a pirated version (which they always can). i did know several that would "try out" a pirated game and buy it if they liked it, chuck it if they didn't (takes up space).

 

taks

[Hell Kitty]

I cannot think that it would be too hard to do.

 

How does "using security holes to insert homebrew programing" equal not too hard to do? Hell, what does it even mean? What exactly is this "homebrew programing" and how do you "insert" it? So far nothing you've said suggests anything about modding a console without chipping it is easy, and you even admit you don't even know the consequences of doing it (whether it results in a banning).

[newc0253]

Some people are going around posting streams of themselves playing. This is pretty scandalous, I think.

yes, if they were true Fallout fans, they'd be posting streams of themselves going "THIS ISN'T FALLOUT, THIS IS JUST OBLIVION WITH GUNS! THIS IS FALLOUT IN NAME ONLY! OMG, BETHESDA RAPED MY CHILDHOOD! BETHESDA IS TEH SUCK!", etc. Then they would take out the disc, cover it with lighter fluid and set fire to it.

[Maria Caliban]

This fast, I suspect a developer's family member, or something like that. It does suck, because logic or not, it's going to give ammunition to pro-draconian DRM arguments.

How so? It's not a PC version that is floating around in the wild.

 

It's sort of sad when the person who starts a thread hasn't even bothered to read the article he's linking you to. That a half dozen other people did the same is par.

 

It's there, you just need a chipped console -and sometimes not even that- and a DVD burner. In many ways it's simpler than PC piracy.

 

In no way is it easier or simpler. You have to do exactly what you do when pirating PCs, plus burn a DVD, and plus chip your console. In Europe, there are places where you can legally get it chipped, and X-Box Live can't touch you, but for most of the world a chip means opening up your X-Box and modifying the hardware (it's not like a PC where you can just snap a part in the slot) and if you log onto X-Box Live, it's quite possible your account will be deleted.

 

If pirating a console game was as easy as a PC game then as many people would pirate games for ttheir consoles as their PCs.

Edited October 9, 2008 by Maria Caliban

[Pidesco]

Here in Portugal everyone offers modded consoles.

 

What does that even mean? You can buy modded consoles in every store? There's a guy in every alley asking if you wanna score some console mods?

 

The bigger chains don't obviously, but there are many smaller stores that do. And there's lots of guys who get it done as well.

 

You only need to check the stats on torrent sites to see that PC downloads far outweigh console downloads.

 

I didn't say otherwise.

 

I'd say the average console pirate is far tech savvier than the average PC pirate, being that you can't simply download, install, crack and play on console. I modded my PS2 so I could play imported games, no mod chips, just a new lid and a swap disc, but even that required opening up the console.

 

Probably, yes. The percentage of the consumer base who is tech savvy, however, is probably bigger on the PC side.