Drm

[LDK]

Seeing that Flock! has now been on sale for a considerable time (without appearing in any useful pirated form, mind you), are there any plans to release a non-SecuROM infected version so that DRM-allergic people like myself might be able to join in the fun?
Have been wanting to give the game to my daughter since I first learned of it, but I have a zero-tolerance rule against anything that needs to speak to the outside world in order to function...

[frobisher]

One of the main reasons that "useful pirated form" hasn't appeared yet is in no small way directly attributable to the application of DRM to the game, and as such there are certainly no plans to present Flock! in a non-DRM version.

There are many and varied reasons for the choice of Securom as the primary method of DRM for the PC platform and we believe the applied version used was a light a touch as possible, and if you have concerns about the reinstalling Flock! the activation limit was relaxed considerably a couple of months after launch. Flock! will be appearing on some portals using alternate DRM schemes rather than Securom if that is your issue, however if you issue is DRM plain and simple, dream on I'm afraid - Capcom and ourselves have to make a living and protect our respective copyrights.

[LDK]

Originally Posted by frobisher

One of the main reasons that "useful pirated form" hasn't appeared yet is in no small way directly attributable to the application of DRM to the game, and as such there are certainly no plans to present Flock! in a non-DRM version.

Hehe, the exact same DRM in the exact same version that gets taken to pieces as a matter of routine by those who take pleasure in that kind of activity..
Had Flock! been a AAA title with a wider target audience, I think you must be painfully aware that it would have been out in the open a long time ago.

Originally Posted by frobisher

There are many and varied reasons for the choice of Securom as the primary method of DRM for the PC platform and we believe the applied version used was a light a touch as possible, and if you have concerns about the reinstalling Flock! the activation limit was relaxed considerably a couple of months after launch. Flock! will be appearing on some portals using alternate DRM schemes rather than Securom if that is your issue, however if you issue is DRM plain and simple, dream on I'm afraid - Capcom and ourselves have to make a living and protect our respective copyrights.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for you wanting to protect your property, I always pay for the software I use and I do not use "warez" versions of anything. (Even my Windows 7 license is legit )
In general I have no qualms about disc-based DRM - if I take good care of the disc, and keep my DVD drive in working order I can be pretty certain that I can play the game whenever I damn well choose to.
With online authentication however, I am suddenly in the hands of some online "service" that decides whether I should be able to play or not - same "service" might not be available at any given point in time, like when Sony goes tits-up and files for bankrupcy ten years down the line (just as an example), and that is simply not something I am willing to participate in.

Anyway, I won't be buying Flock! Thank you very much for replying in the first place though.

[frobisher]

Originally Posted by LDK

Hehe, the exact same DRM in the exact same version that gets taken to pieces as a matter of routine by those who take pleasure in that kind of activity..
Had Flock! been a AAA title with a wider target audience, I think you must be painfully aware that it would have been out in the open a long time ago.

Actually, no (and for starters this isn't the disk check form...). The main reason it's not been cracked is that the normal method of attack has been denied to those who enjoy such pleasures

[LDK]

Originally Posted by frobisher

Actually, no (and for starters this isn't the disk check form...). The main reason it's not been cracked is that the normal method of attack has been denied to those who enjoy such pleasures

Well, if it was a disc-check form, we would not be having this conversation now, would we?

Interesting that you have come up with a cracker-resilient form of SecuROM, I know of two methods of attack for that variety, both vastly different in their approach.... Anyway, you should get credit for that - hope you sell a million copies, but not to me, no thanks

[stuff]

Since versions of Flock! in a "useful pirated form" have appeared since the question was last asked... will you remove SecuROM in a patch?

[frobisher]

Short answer is that it's not our call, any such decision would be Capcom's.

I cannot see this happening however.