Chronicles of Riddick: Only 3 Activations?

[cmf0106]

"After activating the third time your product using TAGES a 30-day timer starts. After 30 days you will get that activation back up to 3 total activations."

Perhaps Im not understanding this correctly, but it seems to me after three activations your copy will cease to work BUT after 30 days you will get your 3 activations back and this is ongoing. In otherwords you can have infinite activations assuming you wait the 30 days every time. Am I understanding this correctly?

[Maledict21]

I believe so, after 30 days from the time an activation was used, the activation will become available again. So in other words, you will never permanently run out of activations; the longest you will have to wait is 30 days.

[paratech2008]

I think you get an activation back every 30 days, up to 3 Activations at once.

So when you first activate the game, in 30 days you'll get that activation back. If you use more than one activation in a month (30 days) you only get one activation back, and one every 30 days, up to a maximum of three activations.

[Maledict21]

So when you first activate the game, in 30 days you'll get that activation back...

No, the 30 day "timer" doesn't take effect until the game has been activated for the third time.

[paratech2008]

No, the 30 day "timer" doesn't take effect until the game has been activated for the third time.

Ok, that is confusing... :confused:

[StingingVelvet]

I think you get an activation back every 30 days, up to 3 Activations at once.

This.

You get three at once, every 30 days they give you another but you never get more than three.

[cmf0106]

This.

You get three at once, every 30 days they give you another but you never get more than three.

I dont understand what the uproar is then. There were a ton of people on the forums complaining that they could only activate the game 3 times and that was it, then they lost the ability to play. This seems fine, 3 activations at a time, with activations replenished every 30 days.

[Maledict21]

I dont understand what the uproar is then. There were a ton of people on the forums complaining that they could only activate the game 3 times and that was it, then they lost the ability to play. This seems fine, 3 activations at a time, with activations replenished every 30 days.

That was because the 30 day reset was only added a few months ago. Originally it was just 3 non-revocable activations.

[StingingVelvet]

That was because the 30 day reset was only added a few months ago. Originally it was just 3 non-revocable activations.

And the general idea of what happens if TAGES or Atari go out of business, which isn't exactly a crazy idea.

[asoberprep]

WTF is all I'll say.

[paratech2008]

And the general idea of what happens if TAGES or Atari go out of business, which isn't exactly a crazy idea.

Same possibility if Steam goes bankrupt.

As I've said several times, $5 is barely a rental, you can't rent the 360/PS3 version for a week for $5.

I can understand getting your undies in a bind over $50+ games, but $5? Seriously?

[Ragefuii]

What's the point of this? Why would they put a 30 day activation on it? Why not just activate it once and leave it be?

[MarkG]

Same possibility if Steam goes bankrupt.

Steam is far less likely to go bankrupt than a random games company is to shut down an activation server for an old game to 'encourage' people to buy a new one.

[wexer9]

That was because the 30 day reset was only added a few months ago. Originally it was just 3 non-revocable activations.

Nah, it's been there for ages. More than a year, at least.

[MADDOGGE]

Though it's annoying and flies in the face of Steam do you really need the game installed on 3 or more rigs at a time? Unfortunately this is a 3rd party game not a Valve game so extra ♥♥♥♥ applies.

[paratech2008]

Steam is far less likely to go bankrupt than a random games company is to shut down an activation server for an old game to 'encourage' people to buy a new one.

What it would probably do is jarate gamers into not buying games with similar DRM and to flood the gaming company with hate mail.

People are refusing to buy a game for $5 because of the possibility of the game being ruined, imagine the anger of gamers who purchased the game, particularly for $50.

[TheTurnipKing]

Though it's annoying and flies in the face of Steam do you really need the game installed on 3 or more rigs at a time? Unfortunately this is a 3rd party game not a Valve game so extra ♥♥♥♥ applies.
When you get right down to it, do I really need the game at all?

The activation nonsense is why I didn't buy it. I don't see why the publisher needs that level of control over what I do with their software.

[Ghostwriter]

The game worked fine for me the first install, the DRM is also implemented worry free; although I have multiple computers, I only plan on installing it on one.

It's not complicated, and simple choices are involved; you either buy or don't. It would be great if individuals actually developed some reading comprehension on these forums, how many threads is necessary to explain the simple language used on the store page.

Posting your opinion about DRM is a useless waste of time. You can't fight the machine, yet you insist on raging against it.

[Amander]

You have 3 activations and they regenerate. You can install the game 3 times within 30 days and after the first activations regenerated, you can install the game again and after the second activation regenerated you can install the game again and so on. So absolutely no problem afterall.

[MADDOGGE]

When you get right down to it, do I really need the game at all?

The activation nonsense is why I didn't buy it. I don't see why the publisher needs that level of control over what I do with their software.Well I bought it retail when it originally released and picked it up this weekend for $5 so I really ain't going to cry about the DRM as I have 2 more activations left on the retail and 3 on the Steam version without even asking for new ones.


One of the major problems with any of these crappy DRM's is how it is explained to the customer. Instead of explaining in plain English they go all legalese confusing the player on purpose. The customer is left never sure just how many times he can install or how, or if they can get installs back. Some have revoke tools but who remembers which of their games have that. If you rig crashes and you have to do an OS install, there is no way to revoke an install.

[Amander]

One of the major problems with any of these crappy DRM's is how it is explained to the customer. Instead of explaining in plain English they go all legalese confusing the player on purpose. The customer is left never sure just how many times he can install or how, or if they can get installs back. Some have revoke tools but who remembers which of their games have that. If you rig crashes and you have to do an OS install, there is no way to revoke an install.How's "After 30 days, you get that activation back" not plain English?

[MADDOGGE]

How's "After 30 days, you get that activation back" not plain English?After 30 days you get "a" activation back is how I read it. Does that mean after 60 days I get a second activation back and after 90 days the third? This is what is meant by not being clear. No customer should be unclear as to exactly what is meant and currently they are. As I said though this isn't a big deal to me as I don't install my games on thousands of PC a month like some people apparently do.:confused:

[Amander]

After 30 days you get "a" activation back is how I read it. Does that mean after 60 days I get a second activation back and after 90 days the third? This is what is meant by not being clear. No customer should be unclear as to exactly what is meant and currently they are. As I said though this isn't a big deal to me as I don't install my games on thousands of PC a month like some people apparently do.:confused:I've just re-read the DRM notice again. After activating your product (so it's all about the activation you just used to install), you get the activation back. That's what it says. Sorry, but how on earth can you misinterpret that?

[paratech2008]

I think gamers can make a difference by refusing to buy games with "draconian" DRM on them, but if they pick on every DRM on every game, I think they might as well not buy games.

When games are below $10, IMSHO that's "Rental" territory. You can't rent console games for that much from video stores.

And Consoles are slowly getting DRM as the gaming industry is waging war with second hand console games, they want to eliminate the "Used" market like they have on the PC.

When it gets too bad, I'll just focus on what I own and say the heck with getting new games, but until then, I pick the DRM I'll tolerate, at the price I'll pay and refuse to buy some games based on their DRM.

[{Yotsuba}]

What's the point of this? Why would they put a 30 day activation on it? Why not just activate it once and leave it be?

TAGES gives back one used activation every 30 days up to your maximum of three available activations because they do not do revocations. So if they didn't give the activations back, you'd eventually use them all up with no easy way to get more. Atari did once state they would remove the DRM, but Atari being Atari, that never happened.

[MADDOGGE]

I've just re-read the DRM notice again. After activating your product (so it's all about the activation you just used to install), you get the activation back. That's what it says. Sorry, but how on earth can you misinterpret that?The very fact we are both reading the same thing and getting different interpretations is the problem.;) Still I come back to why does anyone need to install the game 3 times in one month normally?

[paratech2008]

They would gain credibility if they did remove the DRM say ~ 2 years after the game is released.

[Amander]

The very fact we are both reading the same thing and getting different interpretations is the problem.;) Still I come back to why does anyone need to install the game 3 times in one month normally?Don't get me wrong with the DRM. I'd like just not to have it there. Although it's absolutely not a pain because hardly anyone would ever install the game 3 times in a month on different computers (on the same computer, your first activation is used). But I really don't get where's the misunderstanging part. It clearly says "you get THAT activation back". "That" always points to something particular and the only thing it can point to is the activation being used in the first sentence.

[MADDOGGE]

They would gain credibility if they did remove the DRM say ~ 2 years after the game is released.I agree with that because after 2 years you have sold the bulk of the copies you are ever going to sell. Heck after the first month you have done that until you have your first major price cut 6-12 months later then you will get another sale boost from people like myself that rarely buy full price on release day and wait for deep cuts. I don't generally do MP so when I get a game really doesn't matter to me except it has to be cheap as dirt.


Oh quite so Amander. I see people blowing DRM all out of proportion. Why does someone need to install the game so many time in one month? It makes no sense. Now I said I'd never buy a game with Ubistupids on time all the time DRM but I picked up the newest PoP for like $4 during the Christmass sale so it didn't matter to me if I have issues with the nonexsistant uber perfect internet Ubistupid thinks exists playing it. However to pay full price for a game with this crap in it is totally out of the question. BTW it takes around 5 minutes for the SP game to connect to the server before I can play.

[B33 ENN]

I think gamers can make a difference by refusing to buy games with "draconian" DRM on them... I pick the DRM I'll tolerate, at the price I'll pay and refuse to buy some games based on their DRM.

I respect anyone wishing to make a stand. FOr me personally though, life is too short and I'd rather play a game I really want. I already avoid new releases for a year or so until prices are down to my preferred range, so then the package is more attractive.

They would gain credibility if they did remove the DRM say ~ 2 years after the game is released.

This is a sensible and reasonable way forward for publishers. Unfortunately, if they were sensible and reasonable, they wouldn't institute irrational and illogical DRM measures which will be unpopular with their consumers in the firstplace.

[TheTurnipKing]

Why do the publishers feel the need to restrict the number of times I can install it?

Frankly, given that PC games tend to be unreliable as they are, does it really make sense to include extra code that's primary purpose is to stop the game from working?

[Amander]

Really, are 3 installs not enough? How often do you install the game on different systems?

[Forsythia]

I don't see the need to install a game more than 3 times a month, so what's the big deal?

[sbrtheh]

I never played the game where you don't get new activations, maybe i don't know and i don't think i ever installed a game more than a few times :D