Is copy protection fair?

[Adagio]

Originally posted by powerplayer
If there wasn't a copy protection I am sure some would have offered me and others a copy.

But you also have to look at the advantages of piracy:

Because I used a pirated copy of Civ IV to play the game, I could lend my bought copy of the game to one of my friends, which made him buy the game himself. He would never have bought the game if he couldn't have tested the full game (and neither would I for that matter)
If it wasn't because of piracy I would never have bought any Civ game

[Solver]

Personally, I'd prefer it if companies would do more positive piracy discouragement rather than negative piracy "protection". Peripherals like good quality user manuals and quick reference fold-outs are a couple of examples. They won't stop piracy, but they will encourage people to buy a legitimate copy and not be punished with anti-piracy software.

That's definitely the way to go. Which is why I dislike the fact that many games now sell in jewel boxes, with the CDs/DVD inside, and not much else. Like a 5-page mini-manual. Games should sell in boxes with real goodies - every strategy game can definitely have foldouts.

[Adagio]

DVD-boxes are much better than old days huge game boxes. I couldn't care less about the manual

[Solver]

How are they better? Just the discs. No manuals, no maps, no tech tree foldouts, or anything useful.

[Keygen]

I agree, the new DVD cases are better than the old boxes, they do come with a little smaller manual but some of them are very informative like CIV's manual. Besides many games come to larger 'collector's' versions with more stuff inside and higher prise to buy

[Robert]

I prefer the old gameboxes!
It actually feels like you buy something worth the money!
Not to mention that it looks cool, all those civ game boxes on my shelf 8)
(there are no other boxes there, civ is all I play )

[Solver]

I've never seen a Civ4 copy in a jewel case. Civ4 comes in a normal box. These are not the huge boxes you used to have in 2000, but most space in those was kinda wasted anyway.

[Keygen]

I have a bunch of old boxes stacked in the closet but they are taking lot of space.

It is funny how we jump from one subject to another but I guess this always happen when a discussion starts to count more than one page

[Solver]

Yeah, as if you haven't been here long enough to know that it's how it goes .

[Keygen]

I guess is just an expression

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Solver
How are they better? Just the discs. No manuals, no maps, no tech tree foldouts, or anything useful.

It's smaller and frankly, I'd rather have all of that electronically.

[greenday_234]

Oh thank god, this discussion is back, I'm sure we'll hear something new in this 145 installment of "I hate CD checks" .

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Solver
How are they better? Just the discs. No manuals, no maps, no tech tree foldouts, or anything useful.

They look better on the shelve, and there's room for what is needed: the disc and a map or tech tree
No need to waste space with including a useless 100 page manual

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Originally posted by Adagio


They look better on the shelve, and there's room for what is needed: the disc and a map or tech tree
No need to waste space with including a useless 100 page manual

I like the printed manuals - I tend to do my reading on the subway, and not on the computer. Reading anything longer than a couple of pages online is a pain in the ass, anyway.

[Common Sensei]

I think the early 90s Origin Systems games like Ultima VI and Wing Commander I and II had the largest game boxes I can remember. About 8" x 11" and three or four inches thick.

Then again, the Origin games back then came with a ton of stuff that Solver was talking about, like supplemental material, cloth maps, etc.