.com.unity Forums - A simple thank you

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- Dominions 2: The Ascension Wars (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55)

- - A simple thank you (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=21096)

Re: A simple thank you

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Arryn said:
Perhaps. I'd waste even less time if I ignored you. Consider yourself welcome to go back into the woodwork you crawled out of. Bye.

What the hell is your problem this time Arryn?

Re: A simple thank you

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Esben Mose Hansen said:
Anyway, the download load and peak problem could possibly be solved by some of the emergent technologies such as Torrent.

Possibly quite true although "emergent" is a key word. The pros and cons of it are still being examined. It comes down to a tried and true high chance of steady checks vs a gamble into new territory for the chance of a higher return. If I were marketing my own game my recommends might be different than if I were trying to suggest how a company should represent their clients.

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As for piracy, in games like dominions, I would go for a CD-key like the one already in use, or maybe a bit more advanced. This is from a techies point of view. I'm image that Torrent is probably not so easy in the windowsworld.

Also a good bet. The game is available from many sources while the key is purchased thru a company site. Basically its the "shareware" plan which has had many years to create its own extensive history base on its effectiveness.

There are others things being tried. Kiosks which burn a CD, a man behind the counter verifies ID and credit card info, then operates the dedicate software to purchase the key. With specialized software talking to each other at each end it cuts out alot of problems and puts purchasing back into stores without the "buy bulk inventory and get stuck with it" headache. The music and movie industries are examining it also. It has things going for it but is also new territory.

Re: A simple thank you

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Gandalf Parker said:

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Esben Mose Hansen said:
Anyway, the download load and peak problem could possibly be solved by some of the emergent technologies such as Torrent.

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Re: A simple thank you

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Arryn said:

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alexti said:
If it was done for vanity or for publicity, that it worked.

If Brad's intention in selling retail was solely advertising, that's still a valid reason. Making a profit from doing so would be a bonus in that case. However, I sincerely doubt he'd go through the effort of getting hitched with Ubisoft if he didn't intend to seek a profit from retail. Seems to me that the possible "reward" from using that as an ad technique wouldn't outweigh the effort involved. I'd think he'd get a better bang for the buck advertising in other ways. Which leaves the profit motive, since Brad doesn't strike me as the vain type.

So, we're coming to the conclusion that it didn't work for Stardock. Though "advertisement" effects and increase in "brand name recognition" are somewhat hard to estimate. And the way their Online purchases and patch downloads were organized, it was hard not to notice their other products, so I suppose that was part of the plan.

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Arryn said:

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alexti said:
Brad was mentioning that he was prepared to take loss on GalCiv for Windows from the very beginning.

Has he said, anywhere, that he has actually lost money on GalCiv sales? Or that GalCiv's Online sales aren't profitable?

I haven't seen any statement from him on that. Surely, Online sales are profitable. But whether they have made enough to offset development costs, I don't know. But I remember him saying that if not for Online sales, GalCiv would be a total financial failure. Which just probable says that they've got very little from the retail deal.

Re: A simple thank you

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Esben Mose Hansen said:
This forum is the only one where I have wished for a kill filter

It actually has one. And it works well enough.

Re: A simple thank you

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Graeme Dice said:
What the hell is your problem this time Arryn?

I'd ask you the same question, except I already know the answer. Please feel free to join Truper. The two of you are quite the matched pair, lurking like sharks in the depths always on the hunt for a tidbit (which would be me, in case this allegory eludes you) that they can chomp on. I only wait for the inevitable day when you'll choke on it, or some other shark will decide to feed on you and see how well you enjoy being on the receiving end.

Bye.

Re: A simple thank you

One question on protection :
I have little knowlegde here but maybe somebody has :
I myself bought Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3 . Blizzard checked their CD-keys when you played Online .
I know there existed a lot of SP-key generators for Diablo 2 as well but was there one for MP too ?
Or did this system work quite well so that if you intended to play Diablo 2 in MP you were forced to buy a CD ?
Cause this is the only protection that works i can think of but i have to little knowledge to know if it works at all or if there is nothing you can do against Piracy in various forms .

Re: A simple thank you

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Boron said:
Or did this system work quite well so that if you intended to play Diablo 2 in MP you were forced to buy a CD ?

The Bnet servers validate the keys for MP play, not the client-side software. So pirate keygens and codes are only useful for SP. But that's not all. D2 has a very effective CD copy-protection scheme as well. Blizzard went to great lengths to layer their anti-piracy defenses.

Re: A simple thank you

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Arryn said:
I only wait for the inevitable day when you'll choke on it, or some other shark will decide to feed on you and see how well you enjoy being on the receiving end.

Please don't bother trying to scare me with such tales, I've been around Star Trek vs. Star Wars debates on usenet far too long for such tactics to bother me.

Re: A simple thank you

My most successful thread... I wonder why I'm not proud...