I can sympathize with companies wanting to protect there investments... with using anti-piracy software and the like... but starforce is sorta crap... not so much in that its hard to get around (its not), but thats it is soooooo poorly written and often times leaves itself in your system registry long after your legit install is removed. Not only that but early versions of this cheese made alterations to your system files to auto search for utilities like deamon tools and clone cd.... this is unacceptable, as I often have to use utilities like this for legitimate purposes (such as video editing, and creating content within a dvd enviromnet on meh hdd's) not to mention plagues havoc on my raid setups.
Several companies have opted to write option software that only checks the drive once a month, which is alot easier on me... Eagle Dynamics did this with Lock-On MAC FC 1.1. which was a nice step in the right direction.
This issue goes beyond starforce though, and heres my feeling on it.
All degreed bussisness managers (that are just 'hired in') and so called 'community managers' with these publishing companies should be shot... twice... for good measure. I have lost count with how many inconsistencies I have seen from untold amount of games and software they botch up, and/or lead there companies into. Clueless about the game industry = yes, uninformed about how anything works = yes. More often then not people that 'run' things, know VERY little about the thing... its just a widget to them... somthing to draw a check off of and or manipulate without any real ryme or reason. The only exception to this rule was I once had a chance to kick the marketing manager for Neo Geo's ass at King of Fighters 3d maximum impact... he knew ALOT about his stuff, but he worked his way up... so I guess he dosnt' qualify for 'hired in'.
Piracy has been around since the vikings and probably before... give it up, it is NOT going away any time soon... we just have new boats... there called pc's.
-solution-
Instead of cocking up my ride with your diseased ridden ass software, why dont you just be honest and simply state...
"if you like this type of software, we highly encourage you to buy it; without your support we will not be able to make the next game/title/widget for you to play, thank you for your patronage, without you the fan, we couldnt do what we love in life"
and call it a day.
Atari is about as far down my Sh*t list as you can get with that piece of junk "masters of orion 3" they spewed onto the public, not to mention SM's Pirates! released way early and obviously rushed... thanks Atari... or should I say "infogrammes" as atari has been dead for about as long as microprose.
(as a little note)
I went to a game show not soon after MOO3 was released, and had the atari 'press manager' sign my copy of the game, when he refused to put "thanks for the money idot" under his signature I pelted em in the head with the box... some justice for all the little guys who got screwed on that one!
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