Serial Keys. How can they be flawless?

[Coldkilla]

This seems like a problem with a simple solution. Serial keys are being cracked by the bucket load and games are constantly being stolen. If more and more games require internet activation, couldn't that make the whole process easier to fix? Just as an example, as I started writing this post I was thinking:

 

You could have a finite list of serial keys in a data bank located somewhere. Unlike todays serial keys that follow a pattern and can be cracked easily, these keys would be completely random and unknown to the buyer. What the buyer would have is another "code" of sorts. This code would become "locked" in with another code in the server bank upon the games installation. The codes (when created) would be made in pairs. So your disc will have a specific serial attached to it and thus forcing it to be what the server dictates. You would have a program similar to "LIVE" running in your game that would keep track of all of your keys so if you ever had to format your PC - you never have to worry about losing your serials again. I'll attempt at giving an example.

 

DVD Disc Code#: 100,200

Data Server Secret Code: XB23-SD23-CSKD-237D-ADSN

 

The process:

1. The game is activated and the data is sent to the server.

2. The server then takes this number and attaches it to its preassigned serial key.

3. The game becomes activated, and the "code" you entered is now saved in your "LIVE" type account.

 

That marriage between your Code and the code in the server that was made before you even got your game *seems* like it would be a good way to prevent any sort of hacking... but I'm just a mortel who hasn't followed this as much as some of you.

 

Edit: Post your ideas towards making a better, more secure way of keeping games out of the hands of those **eeeevil** torrent users.

Edited December 25, 2008 by Coldkilla

[TruXter]

and then 20 people iso the game and serve it up on a torrent and then the server on the other doesn't know if you have a static or dynamic ip.

[Coldkilla]

Mind going into that a little further? Static or dynamic I don't see the problem.

 

You have a serial attached to your login account on LIVE. You sign in, (even from Mars), and that key on that particular game is now able to access the server containing the unique key (that they don't know) to their game.

 

-Of course, I haven't used LIVE enough to know how it works on PC. Some sort of universal program that runs with your games enabling access towards specific game-server files provided you have the correct identification.

Edited December 25, 2008 by Coldkilla

[TruXter]

Oh, screw that..

 

I don't like games that mandate another fricken program running in the background.

I hate it that gtaiv has it and then some, but it's gta

I deal with it.

 

 

I didn't realize you wanted gta to depend that much on live.. I mean it is a total different company from Rockstar and all.

[Coldkilla]

Well, since you obviously have no open mind, its pointless to talk to you. Only having an open mind and having people suggest other alternatives towards a conversation (such as this) would be something worth listening to.. but instead you decide to bitch about it rather than suggest other means of fixing an issue such as this. So, in other words, if you really have nothing to add - go post somewhere else.

 

Whats the problem with another silent program running in the background? You currently have more than 20 other processes going on right now with your PC... whats one more? And if thats a problem, perhaps an in-game app in which runs a intermediate script that sends data to and from their server bank..

[MaxVK]

The problem is that its another process running in the background and potentially slowing down the performance of the game. As far as I can see at least half the problem with various forms of copy protection is the protection itself, since it only penalizes legitimate users who buy the programs, forcing them into having the extra program, forcing them into being online to activate the game that they just paid for, or forcing them into a limited number of activations. (Dammit when I buy the game its MINE, and I should be able to install it as many times as I like!)

 

I fully understand that the development companies need to protect their investment, but why do they feel that they must they do so at the expense of the people who legally buy the software? We don't need another protection scheme that means that the legitimate buyer MUST have another piece of software installed, or MUST be online to activate the game. If there is protection it should be done so that the legitimate buyer does not even notice it and the pirate suffers instead.

 

To be honest I'm more than a little peeved at the fact that software companies (not just games companies either) feel that they have the right to call me a thief from the moment I install the game and require me to prove that I'm not!

 

Sorry, but I DO NOT in any way support your idea. It doesn't matter what protection schemes you come up with, pirates WILL find a way around it, which means that once again, the only people who actually suffer as a result of the protection are the legal buyers.

 

If you can come up with an un-crackable protection scheme, don't post about it here, go and collect your billions from the software industry, because they will love you for it, but if it persecutes the legal users (as usual) don't expect any praise from this end.

 

As for the question about how 'Open' my mind is, perhaps you may have noticed that all those people who disagree with you have 'Closed' minds. Does that not tell you anything?

 

Happy Xmas

 

Max

[Irrati0nal]

 

No copy protection scheme is ever secure, many people think that Steam is fullproof, yet any game of steam can be had for free.

[Stone Cold Spider 3:16]

im all for the developers to protect there work from pirates.... but im sick to death of us honest PC gamers getting shafted by the "protection"....

 

i know alot of people whos "gaming rig" never sees the internet....

cause when u start having to put on virus scanners and ad aware scanners and all the other crap that hurts the computers performance...

 

also not every1 has super fast internet.... there are places that still only have 56k dialaup internet access so "small" things like signing up to R*SC and GFWL doesnt take 5minutes to create accounts it can take a long time and then forcing them to b online just to play the Single Player part of the game can b a huge pain as well.... and i dont need to say anything about Steam on dialup....

 

and like MaxVK im also peeved that im accused of being a theif and then have to jump through hoops like a trained seal to prove my innocence.....

[Drag_Drift]

The main point of them successfully cracking the game is because they get all of the necessary files and only have to get past that activation or DRM crap.