Why no Download option for X2?

Xebec22 · Post by **Xebec22** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:10

Dear Egosoft,

Serious Question -- why isn't there a 'pay to download' X2 option?. I'd gladly pay an extra $10 to cover the bandwidth and server costs to host an 'online purchaseable' copy of X2. I'm sure a lot of other people would as well -- and I imagine at this price you could make some extra bucks as well.

Or would this type of distribution be up to the publishers due to agreements in place? (Hint: Should we bug Enlight?

).

-- John H

Howlingmad · Post by **Howlingmad** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:12

Because most ppl would be there for a fortnight trying to download 600+MB of code. And I think X2 is a 2 discer.

Xion · Post by **Xion** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:13

Brilliant idea!

AJ Rimmer Bsc.Ssc. · Post by **AJ Rimmer Bsc.Ssc.** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:30

not forgetting you would then have a game with no copy protection.

"i feel a disturbance in the farce luke"

"luke?...take your hand off my knee,told you before,i aint no chutney ferret!"

"YODA"..you been teaching luke the dark side again?

imcdonald · Post by **imcdonald** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:30

This method would also make it impossible to include CD copy protection - hence it would be ripe for Piracy - something that needs to be minimised as best Egosoft and their respective publishers can.

moggy2 · Post by **moggy2** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:32

Try asking the publishers (Enlight, Koch,QV) they're the one's responsible for publishing and distributing (which is what putting up for download is).

Egosoft are just the ones who wrote the thing. They have nothing to do with actually getting it to us.

justme · Post by **justme** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:36

how m uch u wanna bet it wont come out b4 it hits retail?

can anyone check ??:D

Howlingmad · Post by **Howlingmad** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:45

You lookin for a pirate copy mate.

I hope not. Only us pirates get pirate copies.

oolon · Post by **oolon** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 01:47

imcdonald wrote:This method would also make it impossible to include CD copy protection - hence it would be ripe for Piracy - something that needs to be minimised as best Egosoft and their respective publishers can.

I expect people who perform copyright enfringement will anyway they just break the security on it. All that copy protection does is prevent Jane from running off a copy of this "cool game" for her friends and delay the illegal copies till after the I must have it now Buzz (But not to the Euro release). All in all not a bad thing but sadly if its software its ripe for copyright enfringement at best it just delays it.

James

AJ Rimmer Bsc.Ssc. · Post by **AJ Rimmer Bsc.Ssc.** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 02:00

justme wrote:how m uch u wanna bet it wont come out b4 it hits retail?

can anyone check ??:D

if someone answers yes,everyone searchs
if no,then some idiot will try to prove them wrong

we are now officially in a minefield....

everybody dance now!

nuh nuh nuh nhu..

sunac · Post by **sunac** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 03:48

All games shoud be downloadable - and certainly will be in the future. Several game companies have done this already or are planning to do it -- Gallactic Civilizations (a moo/civ type game) was downloadable from the developer (and still is at www.galciv.com) -- and Halflife 2 will be downloadable as well when it is released (www.steampowered.com).

CD based copy protection simply does not work, and should not be the basis for refusing to offer the game as a download. (Every single game that has ever been released has had its CD based copy protection cracked, and cracked quickly -- many, if not most, games these days are available for pirates to download before they are available in stores).

oolon · Post by **oolon** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 04:15

The problem with downloaded games is you can only continue using them while the game manufacturer supports them. Most downloaded games I have seen use a serial on a authenication server to get it up and running which is fine while the server is still supported, and rather sucks when its considered end of life, at which point only people with a crack (ie the people you want to keep out) install it. I still play moo2 and TFTD, support for them stopped along time ago, on the download system, so would my playing of them!

James

sunac · Post by **sunac** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 05:18

oolon wrote:The problem with downloaded games is you can only continue using them while the game manufacturer supports them.

I have only heard of one game company planning to require authentication to play a downloaded game -- that was the people making Halflife 2 and, last I heard, they changed their minds on this (i.e. authentication will NOT be required to play the single player game) after the very negative response this idea received from fans. I know GalCiv requires no such authentication - I could continue playing it long after support for it ended.

So, in other words, this authentication thing is a "problem with downloaded games" only if the game developer chooses to make it a problem. There is nothing inherent in the idea of downloadable games that requires authentication every time the game is played (in fact, this type of authentication over the internet could very easily be applied to games shipped on CD as well).

justme · Post by **justme** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 05:22

well considering half of half life 2's code is on the net, ,it makes it that authentication is a bit hard

scritty · Post by **scritty** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 16:17

I thought Ha;f :ife 2 was already "downloadable"

(Sorry Valve

)

Real tricky,but some comps do do it you get a key like an online transaction. Activation is online as well (a la Windows XP). Code is unique to you and hardcoded into your download. Only one person can register with this code, and therefore activate the product only once.

Cheers

Clarker

awdougherty · Post by **awdougherty** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 16:44

The game Temple of Elemental Evil from Atari also has a downloadable version and it covers 2 discs. You can download the whole thing for a timed trial and then pay to activate it if you like it.

daygore · Post by **daygore** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 16:49

that woulded be a bad idea but it would delay things ferther in my view

Xebec22 · Post by **Xebec22** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 21:33

While I hate to say it, if you did have a downloadable purchased copy of X2, you could probably use the activation software method (gasps) to prevent piracy of the said program.

I guess this is a pretty tough thing to get around (the anti-piracy issue)... Just wish I could pay for the convenience

-- John

Sunstar · Post by **Sunstar** » Tue, 18. Nov 03, 22:09

The reason that Temple of Elemental evil is a free download to trial is because it was released months early - its full of bugs -- and i dont mean minor ones.

the "must have now buyers" all went out and got it as soon as it was released. they (we) got screwed.

In arcarnum -- the game would slow down to a crawl through glue every time you lit a torch or cast a light spell.

Rather than fix that obviouse flaw -- they simply didn't include any light sources -- no torchers -- no light spells in ToEE.

the game is dark and there is no gamma control and i can't be bothered adjusting my system just to play it -- then re adjust it back to surf the net or do somethign else.

They might as well give it away -- as they MIGHT -- get a few more sales this way. Other than that it was a waste of a weeks rent -- and as a result of the that and the fact that the last time i purchased another Atari game (Neverwinter nights SoU) i, like 1000's of others in Australia, had to wait for a copy of the CD without copy protection so my cd burner could load the game - i will never buy another game with Atari on the box. they've simply cheated me out of to much cash and caused me to much frustraition to be bothered.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Why no Download option for X2?

Why no Download option for X2?

Downloadable X2