This reminds me of when Nintendo was caught selling ripped ROM’s from a pirate site in the WiiShop lol.
this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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Also reminds me of the time Microsoft was using a cracked version of SoundForge to make system sounds:
http://www.techpavan.com/2009/05/24/microsoft-deepz0ne-pirated-cracked-sound-forge-windows-xp-audio/
Oh, I almost forgot about that one lol.
IIRC it didn’t end with the wiishop either. Off the top of my head, there was some controversy surrounding the NES/SNES Classic consoles. I think they used emulators that were written by pirates, instead of writing their own?
They did, if I remember correctly,
This is not just Rockstar, and it's been pretty common for years. Bunch of developers when moving to digital versions and not using CDs simply packaged the digital games with no-cd cracks found on piracy sites instead of reworking the code.
Rockstar also used the Razor crack in the Steam version of Manhunt
I saw something the other day that looked at how rockstar anti piracy measures were breaking legitimate games bought on steam. Resonated with me as I bought manhunt to play on steam deck but it crashes at the end of the first level. So this would suggest that not only have rockstar implemented something that breaks games bought through legitimate avenues, but that those same games might be the result of code they "stole" for want of a better word.
XD holy shit, how is that even possible?
Too lazy to remove old DRM, so they just use a pirated .exe file.
So we all should pirate their games and point to this as exhibit A if they try to sue us.
What about GTA IV? The only legit crack I've ever found had that stupid loud jingle splash screen. Is that the official version now?
People keep misunderstanding why this is huge deal.
Obv razor is not going to file suit for copyright, that's just dumb, but the big news is that they are using a cracked version and selling it as a legitimate one. This means they somewhat approve of the crack in the game in that fashion. That is surreal and also proves a bunch of arguments against DRM. That is the real news here.
Feels like there should be class action lawsuits for the people who purchased what they thought were legit copies of the game.
I'm not very savvy for piracy, so I think I need an explanation.
Rockstar grabbed the crack made by Razor 1911 and put it on the Steam version of Midnight Club 2 instead of taking out the DRM themselves.
It doesn't matter who made it, Rockstar still owns it. Why bother doing something over when someone else did it for you for free? If someone steals my family portrait and paints a Stormtrooper on it, I'm still allowed to hang it up in my living room.
Oh come on
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It means they're a bunch of twats that have never considered the future or their customer's needs (some game devs and publishers release non-DRM versions eventually)
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You can't guarantee how safe the crack is. If there was some really cleverly hidden malware, now it's on them
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Cracks may still be imperfect and have issues. Again if something doesn't work, now it's on them
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Just how stupid does it make them seem? All this time fighting piracy and now they'd be lost without them. Because we know how the likes of R* handles their old properties. If they had to do it themselves, it would be a fuckup
Whatever it is these kinds of arguments are trying to criticize, I don't think the resolution is one that is favorable to gamers.
I'd rather have a cracked cheap DRM-free copy than one whose new price factors in development to do correctly.
Points 1 and 2 are jabs at the company postures sure but once you peel that back don't tell me you want them back on the DRM train. Who cares if the company position seems silly.
So the only two options are to keep drm forever, or use cracked versions? Ever heard of GOG? Just how much do you think it costs to make two builds of a binary?