Starforce compatibility issues... an invention?

[_skip]

Looking for some information about starforce 3.x on google,
I figured that a lot of people seem to encounter compatibility issues with games using it.

For Example :

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/561108232/m/2871061083

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/2881085392/m/8631081492

Some can't get their games to work (even if they use the original DVDs ) most probably because their drives aren't supported by starforce... Some are experiencing troubles with their favourite, totally legal CD/DVD burning software... Some say their computer seems to crash more frequently since starforce drivers were installed....

By browsing the above links, you can notice that a self-called starforce representative (nick : Starforce_ ) enters the discussion and starts insulting people who are unhappy about sf, saying they are liars/crackers...
(I wonder how long it would take me to get fired if I had such behavior with my customers)

I think the facts that made the reputation of starforce are not just invented...

May I know your advice about that?

[xmn]

Well, i think they feel their end coming. Letґs sum it up:

- A bunch of unhappy customers in almost every game forum that distributes games protected by SF, due to incompatibilities with the game.

- A bunch of unhappy customers, not even able to play with their original copy in almost every game forum that distributes games protected by SF.

- Ignorant and unqualified Statements from self called Starforce Employees in both, Game- and Starforce very own Forums.

- Honest User Criminalizing Statements from self called Starforce Employees in both, Game- and Starforce very own Forums.

This additioned to the fact that:

- Some later Starforce Titles are managed to get 100%*******now, allowing customers to finally play the game as its meant to be played.

- Daemon Tools Job in inventing an IDE Jammer and drive the Programming of Daemon Tools v4 further every day.

Starforce is indeed being attacked on three sides, first is the most important:

- Customer Incompatibilities

- Successful Reversing of the Protection. (No-Cd)

- Good Progress of DT Team in advancing the features of Daemon Tools v4.

This all will hopefully sooner or later ring the bell of death to Starforce.

[DomiOh]

I can't proof this fact but :

I have three computers here and my brother has one.
All computers have the same DVD-ROMS.

On one of my computers I play SF Protected Games, my brother plays SF protected games.

The DVD-ROM of my "play" computer and the ROM of my brother's computer has problems reading CDs/DVDs after 6 months.
The other 2 DVD-ROMS in my other Computers are OK and they are all the same age. (Hope you understand me, I'm from germany and I don't know how good my english is)

But that is not proofable by me.

[_skip]

DomiOh
Don't worry about your english, it isn't that bad at all, we understand it...

xmn:
I agree with your summary of the situation, each game that uses starforce has at least one thread concerning incompatibilities/unhappiness in its forum.
And worse, we can assume that the ones who post about their problem in such forums only represent a small percentage of all the people actually encountering difficulties...

Starforce installs hidden drivers without even asking... If you were just an average computer user and experienced one or more trouble (system crashes, CD burning difficulties), how would you know that they come from the fact you installed a new game?

And if sf can't recognize your DVD because of its (well known incompatibilities, it generates a report and asks you to mail it to sf support.
Nice isn't it? But there is an encrypted string in it, rumors say it allows them to know if you run emulators and other things. In fact you don't know what kind of information is collected on your system, don't you think there is a lack of transparency somewhere?

I think that sf as well as game companies deal with customers in a totally unacceptable way... Hope it's going to change.

[joeboy]

Starforce installs hidden drivers without even asking... If you were just an average computer user and experienced one or more trouble (system crashes, CD burning difficulties), how would you know that they come from the fact you installed a new game?

.

And we all know about the recent Sony Rootkit saga ... maybe this is similar thing, although I'm not sure if you agree to this in the EULA before installation

[_skip]

You're talking about the Sony/BMG famous audio-cd protection ?
What does it do?

-secretly installs itself in your PC --> trojan
-allows someone else to control your machine --> Backdoor
-prevents legal softwares from working correctly --> Malware
-returns information to third party companies --> Spyware

Is it so surprising that people become more and more unhappy about things like that?

About starforce...
The EULA actually covers game publisher and starforce team because they decline responsability for software/hardware damages that may result from the use their product...

[sYk0]

"About starforce...
The EULA actually covers game publisher and starforce team because they decline responsability for software/hardware damages that may result from the use their product..."

For a company so sure of thier product, they certainly try hard to avoid any/all responsibility (makes you wonder if they have had problems with their own software).

[morph55]

Looking for some information about starforce 3.x on google,
I figured that a lot of people seem to encounter compatibility issues with games using it.

For Example :

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/561108232/m/2871061083

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/2881085392/m/8631081492

Some can't get their games to work (even if they use the original DVDs ) most probably because their drives aren't supported by starforce... Some are experiencing troubles with their favourite, totally legal CD/DVD burning software... Some say their computer seems to crash more frequently since starforce drivers were installed....

By browsing the above links, you can notice that a self-called starforce representative (nick : Starforce_ ) enters the discussion and starts insulting people who are unhappy about sf, saying they are liars/********...
(I wonder how long it would take me to get fired if I had such behavior with my customers)

I think the facts that made the reputation of starforce are not just invented...

May I know your advice about that?

Good post skip...put it up on the starforce forum and see what they have to say http://star-force.com/forum/index.php but if you do put it in the general questions and see what they say.

I loved posting stuff like this but they banned me...funny that i was always in the posting rules

Starforce know their protection is very ********* now.


Heres a quote from a starforce moderator...and nine months ago you would never get a comment like this.

Quote from sage 396 starforce mod.

Quote

Hi tqeza!

Also, please note, that the goal of the protection is to extend the period between the game release and ****************************.

*********************************************
*********************************************.

http://www.similarities.org/starforce.html

[_skip]

joboy and SyK0:

Here's an extract from ubi's EULA.

6- Warrantee Limitation
The User recognises expressly that he uses the Multimedia Product at his own risk.
The Multimedia Product is provided as is. The User is responsible for any costs of repairing and/or correcting the Multimedia Product.
To the extent of what is laid down by the Law, Ubisoft rejects any warrantee relating to the market value of the Multimedia Product, the Users satisfaction or its capacity to perform a specific use.
The User is responsible for all risks connected with lost profit, lost data, errors and lost business or other information as a result of owning or using the Multimedia Product.
The User is responsible to ascertain that his/her computer system meets the requirements as described on the Multimedia Products packaging.
As some legislations do not allow for the aforementioned warrantee limitation, it is possible that it does not apply to the User.

7- Liability
In no event can Ubisoft be held liable for any direct, consequential, accidental, special, ancillary or other damages arising out of the use or inability to use the Multimedia Product, as well as out of the ownership or poor functioning thereof, even if Ubisoft has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
In particular, Ubisoft accepts no liability regarding use of the Multimedia Product contrary to the precautions for use set out in the manual and on the packaging.
As some legislations do not allow exemption from liability in the event of direct or incidental damages, it is possible that the aforementioned exclusion does not apply to the User.
This Licence to use the Multimedia Product grants specific rights to the User and he may have other rights depending on the laws in his State or Province.

In others word : "I (user) agree to shut my mouth in case my computer gets f***** up because of you".
There is no mention of starforce drivers, I think they are considered as a part of the product you are installing.


morph55:

My first post in starforce forums got me banned because I used the term "VIRUS" multiple times in my text. I'm not going to put these posts on starforce forum because I know they will delete it in no time.

Anyhow, I've had a look at starforce "technical support" section of their forum. The topic list looks like the ubisoft catalog .

I have read the following too :

http://www.star-force.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=194

With the help of customer support, EVERY sf related problems get solved! Oh yes this is EXACTLY what you can read on ubi soft forums (links posted in the first post).

So let's face it, anyone who encounters problems with starforce is a *******, or an idiot who is too stupid to type his cd-key correctly.

Their statistics don't include people who returned the game to the store, sold it to a friend or to bought new hardware because they got frustrated of incompatibilities.
Sounds good that 99.7% of users are finally able to play the game, but how about the side-effects?