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So this clever plan is to give money to Ubisoft, and then stick a retailer with a bunch of returns that they have to resell? That's not a very good plan. A better plan is to not buy the game and send Ubisoft a letter of email stating why.
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StingingVelvet: Old post but I wanted to correct you... not sure if it is a Euro thing, but all the games I listed CERTAINLY had online activation in the US and all of them had it patched out. If Euro is different good for you, but I only used examples I was completely sure of, and there they are. There are many others as well.

No I was talking about the US version... I ordered the US version to STALKER especially because it was copy protection/DRM free unlike the Euro one which had a CD-check
But are you sure that the version you are talking about the STEAM version IRC the Steam version of STALKER has an extra online activation DRM added on top of Steam... Personally I was talking about the retail version.
In case you were talking about retail version, did you test it ? (install and play the game while being offline on an OS on which it was never installed)
About the games you mention:
Stalker (US retail) never had any online activation : I am sure, own it.
X 3 (US retail) never had any online activation : I am sure, own it too.
Anno 1404 (US retail) : this one I don't own it and I haven't tested it personally but never heard anybody mentioning that the DRM was removed.
Farcry 2 (US retail): should still had its online activation, talked about it with a friend some weeks ago and with latest patch it still had it's online activation, so unless a patch removing it has been released very recently (than 2-3 weeks) it should still had it... unless of course it's my friend who screw up this one.,
Post edited February 25, 2010 by Gersen
I will note that the retail version of Anno 1404 (Dawn of Discovery) has had the DRM removed (the patch notes for the retail version mentioned DRM removal)...any copy bought online still uses Tages, though.
drmlessgames : Are you honestly saying that you consider COMPUTER GAMES an instrinsic right? You put them up there with food and water and shelter? If so, do everyone a favor and grow up. I am sick and tired of PC gaming drama queens crying about how their games have been taken from them like it's comparable to blood in terms of necessity to life.
Post edited February 25, 2010 by Crassmaster
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StingingVelvet: Old post but I wanted to correct you... not sure if it is a Euro thing, but all the games I listed CERTAINLY had online activation in the US and all of them had it patched out. If Euro is different good for you, but I only used examples I was completely sure of, and there they are. There are many others as well.
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Gersen: No I was talking about the US version... I ordered the US version to STALKER especially because it was copy protection/DRM free unlike the Euro one which had a CD-check
But are you sure that the version you are talking about the STEAM version IRC the Steam version of STALKER has an extra online activation DRM added on top of Steam... Personally I was talking about the retail version.
In case you were talking about retail version, did you test it ? (install and play the game while being offline on an OS on which it was never installed)
About the games you mention:
Stalker (US retail) never had any online activation : I am sure, own it.
X 3 (US retail) never had any online activation : I am sure, own it too.
Anno 1404 (US retail) : this one I don't own it and I haven't tested it personally but never heard anybody mentioning that the DRM was removed.
Farcry 2 (US retail): should still had its online activation, talked about it with a friend some weeks ago and with latest patch it still had it's online activation, so unless a patch removing it has been released very recently (than 2-3 weeks) it should still had it... unless of course it's my friend who screw up this one.,

STAKER SoC and X3 are both Steam versions, yes.
Farcry 2 I know for sure, I run the DRM thread on the Steam forums and it was pointed out and proven several times.
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StingingVelvet: STAKER SoC and X3 are both Steam versions, yes.
Farcry 2 I know for sure, I run the DRM thread on the Steam forums and it was pointed out and proven several times.

That's where our misunderstanding came from, I was talking about the retail version.
Personally I don't consider Steam games to be good examples because no matter what extra layer of 3rd party DRM they might remove they will still always feature Steam very own DRM. I was only talking about retail games which had online activation DRM removed.
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StingingVelvet: STAKER SoC and X3 are both Steam versions, yes.
Farcry 2 I know for sure, I run the DRM thread on the Steam forums and it was pointed out and proven several times.
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Gersen: That's where our misunderstanding came from, I was talking about the retail version.
Personally I don't consider Steam games to be good examples because no matter what extra layer of 3rd party DRM they might remove they will still always feature Steam very own DRM. I was only talking about retail games which had online activation DRM removed.

As far as I know Farcry 2 and Stalker CS and Dawn of Discovery had it removed in retail as well, as did X3 and The Witcher... their patch notes on Filefront all say this.
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StingingVelvet: As far as I know Farcry 2 and Stalker CS and Dawn of Discovery had it removed in retail as well, as did X3 and The Witcher... their patch notes on Filefront all say this.

The retail version of Stalker, X3 and Witcher never had any online activation DRM on the retail version just a standard CD check for the two last and nothing for Stalker (US version the Euro one had a CD check) . For FC2 and 1040 I will re-check when I can ( I don't own those because I boycote nearly all games with online activation si it's harder for me to check).
Post edited February 27, 2010 by Gersen
EDIT: Sorry, the threads are still there, they have been washed over by too many threads. I will keep bumping those threads to enlighten more and more gamers, til I get banned..
Post edited February 27, 2010 by Tantrix
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Crassmaster: I will note that the retail version of Anno 1404 (Dawn of Discovery) has had the DRM removed (the patch notes for the retail version mentioned DRM removal)...any copy bought online still uses Tages, though.
drmlessgames : Are you honestly saying that you consider COMPUTER GAMES an instrinsic right? You put them up there with food and water and shelter? If so, do everyone a favor and grow up. I am sick and tired of PC gaming drama queens crying about how their games have been taken from them like it's comparable to blood in terms of necessity to life.

Entertaintment is something we all need. Some countries like Finland recognized broadband internet access as a right, like food and shelter. They wrote it in their regulations. So maybe they're not needed for sustaining life, but they are important. And they are certainly NOT a paid service for hire.
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Crassmaster: I will note that the retail version of Anno 1404 (Dawn of Discovery) has had the DRM removed (the patch notes for the retail version mentioned DRM removal)...any copy bought online still uses Tages, though.
drmlessgames : Are you honestly saying that you consider COMPUTER GAMES an instrinsic right? You put them up there with food and water and shelter? If so, do everyone a favor and grow up. I am sick and tired of PC gaming drama queens crying about how their games have been taken from them like it's comparable to blood in terms of necessity to life.
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drmlessgames: Entertaintment is something we all need. Some countries like Finland recognized broadband internet access as a right, like food and shelter. They wrote it in their regulations. So maybe they're not needed for sustaining life, but they are important. And they are certainly NOT a paid service for hire.

Care to enlighten me on that one?
Just checked Finnish law, and it had the word "internet" mentioned in 15 different connections, none of which would fit in your description?
Have I missed something?
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drmlessgames: Entertaintment is something we all need. Some countries like Finland recognized broadband internet access as a right, like food and shelter. They wrote it in their regulations. So maybe they're not needed for sustaining life, but they are important. And they are certainly NOT a paid service for hire.
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PixelBoy: Care to enlighten me on that one?
Just checked Finnish law, and it had the word "internet" mentioned in 15 different connections, none of which would fit in your description?
Have I missed something?

He's referring to this story.
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Wishbone: He's referring to this story.

Just skimming through there: They aren't saying that Finnlandish people have a "Right to Entertainment". I really don't think this is about making sure everyone can look at cute little kitty cat pictures when they aren't at work. This is about finding jobs and communicating with people. Plus, it makes the country look fancy.
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Wishbone: He's referring to this story.
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Gundato: Just skimming through there: They aren't saying that Finnlandish people have a "Right to Entertainment". I really don't think this is about making sure everyone can look at cute little kitty cat pictures when they aren't at work. This is about finding jobs and communicating with people. Plus, it makes the country look fancy.

Yes, it's not about entertainment.
The purpose of that law is to have Internet access in places, where it otherwise wouldn't be available. And one of the biggest reasons is the plan to have (sometime in the future) elections online so you can cast your vote at home. Also some of the job applications can be filled only online, like capital area cities jobs, so with no Internet access, people in the middle of nowhere can't apply (as if they would in any case...). Some of the remote areas don't have much schools either, so Internet access would give those kids a chance to do some courses online.
In Sweden, on the other hand, they are discussing whether illegal (as in not paying for it) downloading of games and entertainment is something that should be approved or not. They even have a pirate party member in the EU parliament.
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StingingVelvet: As far as I know Farcry 2 and Stalker CS and Dawn of Discovery had it removed in retail as well, as did X3 and The Witcher... their patch notes on Filefront all say this.
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Gersen: The retail version of Stalker, X3 and Witcher never had any online activation DRM on the retail version just a standard CD check for the two last and nothing for Stalker (US version the Euro one had a CD check) . For FC2 and 1040 I will re-check when I can ( I don't own those because I boycote nearly all games with online activation si it's harder for me to check).

We can go back and forth as much as you want but I know my facts, thanks. I don't feel a need to prove it to you. STALKER CS certainly had TAGES, the latest X game certainly had TAGES, The Witcher certainly had TAGES, though it did not have online activation. All of them had it patched out, as did Dawn of Discovery.
Don't bother replying with a denial, I know what happened with games I own and patched, thanks.
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StingingVelvet: We can go back and forth as much as you want but I know my facts, thanks. I don't feel a need to prove it to you. STALKER CS certainly had TAGES, the latest X game certainly had TAGES, The Witcher certainly had TAGES, though it did not have online activation. All of them had it patched out, as did Dawn of Discovery.
Don't bother replying with a denial, I know what happened with games I own and patched, thanks.

Was it activation model-TAGES? I don't recall ever having to activate X3:TC or TW(EE(DC)). I only grabbed CS on Steam, since I heard horrid things about it.
Remember: TAGES and Securom have been around for many years.
Also, I know that a lot of times the DRM differs from region to region. I think X3:TC used Steam for North America, and a disc-check for Europe (but don't quote me).