valve LOST an obscene amount of money the other night

[Homer]

as soon as valve releases any patch for cs:s everyone using a cracked version is going to need to wait for the group that released it to crack the patch and release it. Valve could then, in theory, just rlease seemingly pointless patches every day so the cracked version would be harder to use.

 

[ytinupmi]

I didn't make it up, think about how vac works for 1.6, you go to join the server with your client, the server then checks to see if your steam id is valid, not already in use, and not banned, if it is valid and you aren't global banned and it's not being used elsewhere, you can join. Every single half-decent online fps, and even the crap ones, implement some kind of authentication. In fact the last online fps not to was lucasarts JK-II.

vac is Valve Anti Cheat, it simply bans people and stops them from logging on to "secure" servers, it really has nothing to do with stopping people with pirated copies of cs:s

 

[myshkin]

vac is Valve Anti Cheat, it simply bans people and stops them from logging on to "secure" servers, it really has nothing to do with stopping people with pirated copies of cs:s

But how are those servers secure? because vac is how every player is identified by their unique copy (or key/account/etc) of the game, that they bought. Whether it's actually vac or another part of steam that actually validates your account is legitimate, i don't care to argue, the point is that once vac is running you WILL need a legitimate copy of the game. If steam were so easy to pirate for online play, why would all the cheats bother to buy/steal new valid keys to get around their bans? surely they'd just use the crack, oh, except there is no crack for cs 1.6. Are you getting my point yet? the fact they can play now is common with games online just after release, like UT2004, RTCW, both allowed pirated copies to play online for a brief period before the authentication system went live. Honestly i think it's just a ploy to get pirate players hooked on the game then force them to buy it to play online after the initial free for all.

 

[ytinupmi]

But how are those servers secure? because vac is how every player is identified by their unique copy (or key/account/etc) of the game, that they bought. Whether it's actually vac or another part of steam that actually validates your account is legitimate, i don't care to argue, the point is that once vac is running you WILL need a legitimate copy of the game. If steam were so easy to pirate for online play, why would all the cheats bother to buy/steal new valid keys to get around their bans? surely they'd just use the crack, oh, except there is no crack for cs 1.6. Are you getting my point yet? the fact they can play now is common with games online just after release, like UT2004, RTCW, both allowed pirated copies to play online for a brief period before the authentication system went live. Honestly i think it's just a ploy to get pirate players hooked on the game then force them to buy it to play online after the initial free for all.

all servers check your steamid, "secure" servers are secure because VAC is enabled on them and doesn't allow user who have been banned by VAC for cheating to play on those servers.

VAC/Secure server is an Option, therefore it is never forceibly enabled on servers.

but even servers without VAC still check steamid's.

btw CS:CZ was cracked the same way and it includes standard CS, so it stands to reason that you can play it online as well sans legit steam account/cd-key.

 

[YellowPeril]

im not asking with the intent to use the information for bad purposes since i already bought silver, and i think that valve deserves every penny that the game costs, but how would you be able to play the game without buying it. dont you need steam to be able to play it, and without a payed account it wouldnt let you play would it?

 

[Varsity]

Valve change a few values > all the kiddies must download again.

 

[PvtRyan]

BTW, how often is an illegal HL for CS used? I never ever heard of someone using an illegal HL on Steam. I know a guy that warezes everything but bought HL so he could play cs which was otherwise impossible for him.

 

[Doofus]

Remember when the admin at Steampowered owned that noob for complaining about his steam account getting banned, and then he posted his record of trying to use fake credit cards and run warezed versions of the beta?

They'll probably do the same with the people who downloaded CS:S without purchase, and they'll be forced to get the silver package just to get all their games back. I will laugh if that happens.

 

[Spybreak]

This same thing happened a few months ago when the CS:S Beta came out. Valve had it fixed in 24 hours and no one could play online with the warez version.

Just wait and see how it happens again.

 

[Edge]

Actaully i think the best thing to do would be for Valve to "leak" around 50 cracks for it's own game, which on installing corrupt a system file which is required to start up the computer, meaning many wasted hours trying to get it working again, re-installing windows etc

You are either not an American or not in the workforce yet. You try that shit in America and someone will sue
:imu:

I mean someone sued McDonalds because coffee was hot and won!

 

[Razor]

You are either not an American or not in the workforce yet. You try that shit in America and someone will sue
:imu:

I mean someone sued McDonalds because coffee was hot and won!

My only hope is that the vac2 can get rid of the people who downloaded the game illegally, so that if they want to carry on playing, they need to purchase a legal version of it.


I also remember an American woman putting a dog in a microwave oven and then suing the Microwave oven company because the dog came out dead.

 

[Chris D]

Valve surely have a bag if tricks up their sleeves. Steam, afterall, is supposed to be stopping this - surely they're not going to make it so easy for them.

 

[Gunner]

Valve change a few values > all the kiddies must download again.

I hope yer' right bub! :`|

 

[thescotster19]

I don't think you should worry so much, the number of people downloading the game illegally is insignificant against the number of people who will buy the game in the stores or on Steam. You can guarantee that Valve will make their money back many many times over, especially with the reviews in the magazines. The average Joe will read the review and instantly go and buy the game without a second thought to BitTorrent.

That's not to say Valve shouldn't try their hardest to prevent piracy, when their authorization system kicks in hopefully it will defeat the pirates, otherwise that idea of updating the game daily is brilliant. How quickly would a pirate tire if he had to crack the game on a daily basis and distribute it? Very quickly I'd say.

 

[Edge]

I don't think you should worry so much, the number of people downloading the game illegally is insignificant against the number of people who will buy the game in the stores or on Steam. You can guarantee that Valve will make their money back many many times over, especially with the reviews in the magazines. The average Joe will read the review and instantly go and buy the game without a second thought to BitTorrent.

That's not to say Valve shouldn't try their hardest to prevent piracy, when their authorization system kicks in hopefully it will defeat the pirates, otherwise that idea of updating the game daily is brilliant. How quickly would a pirate tire if he had to crack the game on a daily basis and distribute it? Very quickly I'd say.

My issue with piracy is not that I am concerned how well VALVe will do... I could careless. They are all wealthy now. I am concerned about two things..

I paid for it...
Why did I pay for it if anyone with an AOL account and daddy's emachine can download it for free and play on the Internet with people who paid for it. Which leads into my other concern.

People that pirate software tend to lack the value we paying consumers have thus making them more likely to cheat, spam, or be rude online because they have not invested anything into the game monetarily or otherwise.

The dream anti cheat technology that is said to ban based on SteamID's would be as effective as the Assault Rifle ban in the US today. It will be able to punish people who follow the law but not the lawless.

This needs to be addressed ASAP not for VALVe's sake or monetarily but for the loyal consumers that have purchased their product with no information whatsoever about it's release or what the status is of the Anti-cheat/Anti-Piracy scenario.

 

[thescotster19]

Fair point, but whether or not a pirated version of the game is widely available, cheaters, spammers, and impolite people will still join servers you play on. Valve will work hard on preventing cheaters as usual. But as for spammers and rude people... that's life.

 

[Edge]

Fair point, but whether or not a pirated version of the game is widely available, cheaters, spammers, and impolite people will still join servers you play on. Valve will work hard on preventing cheaters as usual. But as for spammers and rude people... that's life.

I understand that... I think that is a byproduct of how easy it is to buy a game, install it, and get online. Something that used to take knowledge of the PC and a little tweaking is now two clicks away.

But... if legit users know their is a "chance" their ID's could be revoked or added to a Server Admins ban database for being an ass... it may put an end to the kiddies all together. Where as someone with a "Steam ID Generator" would be immune to all of that and could continue to ruin this hobby I invest thousands in every year.

Bottomline I... (like a sucker) bought a $400 dollar video card and loads of other hardware, supported the game the minute it was available for pre-order. I want to see some action from the VALVe camp on this issue. I have done my part

 

[genocide604]

Meh, thats the way internet is.. im sure they have expected this.

 

[Edge]

Meh, thats the way internet is.. im sure they have expected this.

I never understand this attitude or point of view.

In your mind VALVe expected thousands of pirated copies of something they spent 5 years of their lives working on to show up on the net the first night all with the ability to bypass any protection or authentication system allowing the people who did not support the game to mingle online with the users who were loyal and paid for it? I know that was a huge run on.. it was intentional. So you think that after the Source Code was stolen last year... they thought well let's spend another year working on something that is losing money everyday it is not out because our competitors can now load up our partial game and get a free preview as to what it can and cannot do... PLUS THEY HAVE THE SOURCE!... After spending another year on it you think they KNOWINGLY released it with the thoughts in their mind that people would get a completely functional copy... able to play online and everything for FREE?

How asinine is this concept?

 

[StardogChampion]

I never understand this attitude or point of view.

In your mind VALVe expected thousands of pirated copies of something they spent 5 years of their lives working on to show up on the net the first night all with the ability to bypass any protection or authentication system allowing the people who did not support the game to mingle online with the users who were loyal and paid for it? I know that was a huge run on.. it was intentional. So you think that after the Source Code was stolen last year... they thought well let's spend another year working on something that is losing money everyday it is not out because our competitors can now load up our partial game and get a free preview as to what it can and cannot do... PLUS THEY HAVE THE SOURCE!... After spending another year on it you think they KNOWINGLY released it with the thoughts in their mind that people would get a completely functional copy... able to play online and everything for FREE?

How asinine is this concept?

Of course they expected it. Name a newly released game that isn't on spuuurnorvlla.

 

[Edge]

Of course they expected it. Name a newly released game that isn't on spuuurnorvlla.

Ok you must have skimmed this thread... it is not whether they expected piracy... that is inevitable.. bah nm I am going to bed. I wish people would read before they reply.

 

[destrukt]

they can only play on cracked servers (like the beta)?

if not, valve can simply change a few lines of (like the beta) to prevent the peopel from using a pirated version of the game on legit steam servers.

 

[Atomi]

Those numbers aren't big. Having 4000+ seeders and 16000 leechers is something.

 

[Ecthe|ioN]

Ah .. The warez. Can't live with it, can't live without it .. Erhm. Sorry, I meant women.

 

[Gunner]

Ah .. The warez. Can't live with it, can't live without it .. Erhm. Sorry, I meant women.

Everytime you download Warez, God kills a programmer! Think of the programmers!

 

[Absinthe]

http://www.ohnoes.org/

 

[Varsity]

Hold on, the download size is under half what it should be. :s

 

[MiccyNarc]

People who warez games make up for their saved money with wasted time.

 

[Razor]

Those numbers aren't big. Having 4000+ seeders and 16000 leechers is something.

I think that was what Doom3 was upon release.

 

[JBrown03]

VALVe didn't technically lose any money from that. They lost potential money. Besides, chances are, the ones who warezed it were never going to buy it in the first place.

You think that people who pirate games wouldn't buy the game they pirate anyway? I agree that this would be the case for some people, but it's certainly not the case for everyone. I would say that most people who pirate a game would have bought it otherwise.

 

[Darth Valium]

I would say that most people who pirate a game would have bought it otherwise.

nope. most downloaders are kids and youngsters.they don't have the money/are not allowed to buy due ratings.

the most important thing to consider is a worldwide release. if you don't do this, things can easily mess up like doom3-release (massive download, cause the game was released nearly a weak later in europe then in the us. here a lot of people dl'ed it, because they weren't able to buy and play.

 

[FthrJACK]

comeon now, telling people where to go for warez is bad.

 

[briggsb2k]

Just loaded steam there and it started to verify me files, i wonder if this is a way to stop the warezed version of source from working.

 

[Peqkx]

Just loaded steam there and it started to verify me files, i wonder if this is a way to stop the warezed version of source from working.

No, probably verifying the integrity of the file, as in corruption or damages.

 

[madca7`]

Maybe the majority of the ppl who download the cs:s at bittorrent has no CC so they play CS:S now, cracked and later as hl2 is available in stores they buy it.

 

[Mountain Man]

It's a pain in the ass to do.. Gotta change the code, recompile it, and get it out to the entire user base including servers.. It would be a pain in the ass...

The whole point of Steam is to make this not a pain in the ass. Valve releases it on Steam, everybody automatically updates when they log in, problem solved.

 

[FthrJACK]

The answer could be with a key system, like PGP. Supposed to be how steamID's work but its not really implemented right (otherwise this situation wouldnt be here!)

most sierra games have key databases so that pirated versions cant be played online. the only way to play them online is on a server that is also cracked. These cracked servers often get blocked from showing in the games server browser. (they do show up in all seeing eye and similar programs though)

Now, because of the nature of the warez scene, these servers tend not to be around long. and also when a game first comes out its badly needing a patch, and so for the warez versions they then need a new cracked patch and the servers need updating and cracking also.

they arent usually around for more than a few weeks, people who have the warez version are then forced to stop playing or buy the game.

the servers tend to be in Sweden on phat pipes, run by home users. Because of this they tend to not be on 24/7 and there arent usually many of them, so that means less fun and less people to play against.

give it time, Valve will stick the boot in.

 

[Mountain Man]

OFF TOPIC!

I mean someone sued McDonalds because coffee was hot and won!

That's the urban legend version. In reality, the coffee in question was served at an unsafe temperature (185 degrees F!), and the woman in question was not the victim of merely "hot coffee" but rather of 3rd degree burns to her thighs and groin area when the coffee spilled in her lap. McDonalds had received some 700 similiar complaints in the past but did not seek to remedy the situation showing that the fast-food chain had been negligent.

Frivilous lawsuits do happen, but this is not one of them. Complete details of the case can be found here.

OFF TOPIC

 

[Zeus]

is www.************* blurred out on hl2.net?


edit-lol guess so

 

[jAkUpF]

I just got this email from gabe!!! This is what I wrote:

Hi Gabe, my name is Jacob Freeman. I have wrote to you a few times in
the past, and I even shook your hand at E3 and got your autograph. I
now have it framed and I treat it like its my first born Anyways,
just a quick question...

I have noticed that recently Counter-Strike Source has been leaked to
the net, although, oddly enough, people who download Counter-Strike
Source illegally, are able to play, through Steam. Can you update to
prevent this? It just really pisses me off when people steal games
without paying for them. I recently pre-purchased the "gold" version
and I couldn't be more happy. If my $90 bucks goes towards Half-Life
3, then I will be more than happy to buy 5 of them BTW, will there
be a Half-Life 3?

Anyways, I just wanted to make you aware of Warez version of
Counter-Strike Source, and I hope that you can make an update so the
stealing bastards can't play. Thanks and hopefully Half-Life 2 goes
gold soon!

His email:

We'll shut them down. Thanks for the mail.