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Originally posted by sigma:
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Pretty easy to burn a cd, even protected ones.
HL2 requires an online verification process between a CD-Key and a user-registration before you can play. It is far more than a simple CD-Key check like your average CD-crack can prevent. Not only do you have to go online to verify your CD-Key but you must also download particular files that decrypt certain and unique files within the game before it is playable. You do not even have the entire game in a playable state on your CDs until you verify the key through the developer.
While it is possible for someone to share their CD-Key and login information only one of you will be able to play at once, and if the same key is used on a suspicious number of machines of significantly different hardware configurations (more than your average person would be upgrading) the game will be unplayable. And even if shared with one or two people online one may play at once -- not just online, but period. While the game does play offline, if your internet is active, it will communicate to Valve that you are playing even just single-player and Valve can see if someone else is playing single-player at the same time -- unless the two of your are playing with your internet unplugged.
Given 2 weeks, maybe 3, where will be a working way around getting online. If you have seen the stuff that they have for Photoshop CS, or Macromedia Studio MX 2004. It does all that, Special files are needed, and such. There are also more basic programs like ace mp3/wma converter that has the same technology. Also look at Dr. Divx. Dr. Divx has to be one of the hardest programs crackers have found to crack next to programs like Catia VR5, which takes like 45 minutes of little edits here and there, and swapping files around. I mean, 99% of CEG members have no clue what Catia unless you look it up online. That program is insane!  But someone figured it out. Same as Photoshop, MX 2004, Dr. Divx. They will figure this one out and then valve will be right back at spending thousands of dollars for a technology that will be cracked in a matter of a few short weeks. I bet it took them over 2 yrs to make their technology. And it will take 2 weeks to crack.. Its sad, how hard we must work to protect our stuff. They had 10-20 people working on it, while right now I am sure over 1000 people are working on a crack already. Bet I can find one online within the next few days, that atleast lets me play single player.
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90% of a game's profit will be made in the first month when it's at full hype and full retail price. All Valve has to do is hold people off for a few weeks and most of the people willing to pay the $55 anyhow will want the game bad enough that they won't be willing to wait a couple more weeks for a pirated version and will go out and buy it.
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Originally posted by sigma:
Not only do you have to go online to verify your CD-Key but you must also download particular files that decrypt certain and unique files within the game before it is playable. You do not even have the entire game in a playable state on your CDs until you verify the key through the developer.
The verification only sends over one private key. there are no unique files, and you have the full game on all cds when you buy it. My brother ran a packet sniffer while doing his
install.
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..and if the same key is used on a suspicious number of machines of significantly different hardware configurations (more than your average person would be upgrading) the game will be unplayable.
One of steam's mission statements was to allow you to play the games you buy anywhere. This is not the same as a MS Windows activation.
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While it is possible for someone to share their CD-Key and login information only one of you will be able to play at once
Already been tried and tested by your's truely. It will let you play single player on more than 1 comp. Multiplayer is where it will stop you from playing.
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While the game does play offline, if your internet is active, it will communicate to Valve that you are playing even just single-player and Valve can see if someone else is playing single-player at the same time -- unless the two of your are playing with your internet unplugged.
No they don't track what you're playing, only the fact you're logged in. In fact, they don't have a single person looking for duplicate keys. It's to stop mass piracy, not one or two people because like I said, steam's goal was to allow you to play the game on all your computers.
-Nick
EDIT: I am curious as to where you got your information from, can you post a link so I can see it?
"Moore has also accused the American people of being the stupidest, most naive people on the face of the Earth. And after last weekend, he's got the box office numbers to prove it!"
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All I have to say about HL2 is this great game. But in about 32 hours of playing HL2 is now beat. 
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Originally posted by sigma:
90% of a game's profit will be made in the first month when it's at full hype and full retail price. All Valve has to do is hold people off for a few weeks and most of the people willing to pay the $55 anyhow will want the game bad enough that they won't be willing to wait a couple more weeks for a pirated version and will go out and buy it.
Sorry to let you know but like 4 cracking teams have already cracked the game. sad. multiplayer version and all. how sad. even less time then i thought.
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Originally posted by auiotour:
Originally posted by sigma:
90% of a game's profit will be made in the first month when it's at full hype and full retail price. All Valve has to do is hold people off for a few weeks and most of the people willing to pay the $55 anyhow will want the game bad enough that they won't be willing to wait a couple more weeks for a pirated version and will go out and buy it.
Sorry to let you know but like 4 cracking teams have already cracked the game. sad. multiplayer version and all. how sad. even less time then i thought.
They have it cracked so that you can play on Steam? I know of cracked versions of programs that require activation (Norton SW, Photoshop CS etc) but with an online multiplayer game unless they are hacking the servers I don't see how they can do it. 
"Bros before Hoes" <-- More men need this mentality.
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Wierd, i just got done playing wow, without even signing up. servers are now down. I used the same method to set up three other accounts, my dad, my best friend and my sis's boyfriend.
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Quote:
Sorry to let you know but like 4 cracking teams have already cracked the game. sad. multiplayer version and all. how sad. even less time then i thought.
As of right now there are 4 cracks from three groups but none of them are legitimate fully-functional cracks. 2 are nukes, 1 doesn't do anything at all apparently from comments I've read, and 1 is a "multiplayer crack" but still requires a retail copy, it just doesn't require a key, and judging by its' rating on Nforce, I'd say it doesn't work anyhow.
None of the major groups have released any ISO or crack for the game yet that I've seen, but I didn't look very hard. The only build out there is a poor, error-filled, nuked build from a little-known group.
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EDIT: I am curious as to where you got your information from, can you post a link so I can see it?
My information was very old and I concede to your recent proven testing on the subject. It's been some time since I've been big on the scene and most of my info now is only second-hand. Since I have a retail copy I didn't even really watch what it was doing when it was doing its' authentication.
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Originally posted by sigma:
My information was very old and I concede to your recent proven testing on the subject. It's been some time since I've been big on the scene and most of my info now is only second-hand. Since I have a retail copy I didn't even really watch what it was doing when it was doing its' authentication.
Thats cool, I know most of this from my brother who used the Steam download tool that they send you the passkey on the night it was released. He loves to see whats going on and crap like that so he was watching it like a hawk lol. That and hes really into the whole industry and remembers every damn press release, article, etc that comes out for any game lol.
"Moore has also accused the American people of being the stupidest, most naive people on the face of the Earth. And after last weekend, he's got the box office numbers to prove it!"
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i haven't tried them yet. but if i ever do, i shall let you know, with game footage via pm.
95 SES Sold
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