Some interesting posts in this thread - I would agree with the point that copy protection is a fruitless exercise ultimately. Even if most users are unable to break it, all it requires is one person to post details (or a cracked copy) on the Internet. Ultimately, no distribution of digital data (be it software, music or films) can be fully controlled, and attempting to do so is futile.
So is this the end for content providers? Not necessarily - what they need to do is
encourage people to pay for content, rather than trying to force them through hindrances like Digital Rights Management, CD-checks and the like (which have the effect of punishing legitimate purchasers). Online games almost universally use a CD-Key rather than a CD-check (a tacit admission by software companies that they recognise CD checks to be a problem) which can be verified online.
This however cannot be done with games that are played offline. So instead, I would suggest that companies use an
optional CD-key which purchasers could then enter to access additional content from the publisher's website. The optional part is important here - compulsory registration (effectively Product Activation) will mean that the gamer is left high and dry if/when the company goes out of business (if it can happen to the likes of Looking Glass or Black Isle, then it can happen to anyone else). If I purchase a game, I expect to be able to install and play it 10-20 years from now (I'm currently playing games 6-7 years old so I do not think it unrealistic that good games should have that much longevity).
A better alternative for broadband users would be to make games available via download (using a service like
TotalGaming.net). That way, the game producer gets a far larger cut of the purchase price (bypassing the publishers', distributors' and shops' markups) and each copy can have a unique ID embedded - if this shows up on filesharing networks, that user loses the ability to access further content.
Larian's use of Starforce 3 makes this point in other ways. It needs updating for XP SP2 - now how's that for a limited lifespan? Even if Starforce is updated how about XP SP3? Longhorn? Linux with WineX? What guarantee do purchasers have of being able to install or run Beyond Divinity in the near future? None whatsoever.
