Eidos Laughs At Batman Piracy Glitch

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Eidos Laughs At Batman Piracy Glitch

Submitted by Shane Whitehouse on September 11, 2009 – 9:07 am11 Comments

batmanpcbox I love it when a company decides to do something cool to deter piracy of a computer game. I am not talking copy protection in the way of Starforce or SecuROM, but something creative that does not get in the way of normal people who buy the purchased version.

A few days ago in the Eidos forums, a user by the name of Cheshirec_the_cat posted the following question:

“Hi! I’ve got a problem when it’s time to use Batman’s glide in the game. When I hold , like it’s said to jump from one platform to another, Batman tries to open his wings again and again instead of gliding. So he fels down in a poisoning gas. If somebody could tel me, what should I do there.”

via Afterdawn.com

There is a bit of a problem here, because as most PC aficianados would tell you, the PC version of Batman has not been released in any way, shape or form at retail, or via digital download services like Steam or Impulse. So how could our illustrious Cheshirec_the_cat have a copy of the game early, and have these problems? Well the answer came from a community moderator by the name of Kier:

“The problem you have encountered is a hook in the copy protection, to catch out people who try and download cracked versions of the game for free. It’s not a bug in the game’s code, it’s a bug in your moral code.”

Score one for Eidos in my books, as this is the way that piracy issues should be taken care of on the PC. Don’t use elaborate disc protection software, but instead make the game break if a crack is used. If a modified EXE file is installed, program an internal routine in several different areas of the game to purposely break it.

Also, this is not the first time I have witnessed this problem in a pirated game. Electronic Arts did something similar with the first Godfather game on the PC. With that piracy glitch, you could get into a car but the game would disable the ability to get out of the car. The glitch deterred pirates for a decent timeframe, and it was not until post-release that a fix was offered up by the warez community.

What do you think? Do you like this approach to piracy, or is it too intrusive for your tasts. Sound off below.

Tags: arkham asylum, Batman, deterrent, eidos, electronic arts, glitch, godfather, piracy, purpose

william745

i do really like this idea of copy protection for pc users it is fair for them and us the end user. while it has been patched already for this game most all forms of copy protection are broken.
http://www.fourhman.com Joe Fourhman

Very funny, very appropriate. Pirates suck and deserve what they get.
morphiend

I laud Eidos for their anti-piracy efforts. This was a MUCH better way of copy protection than stupid rootkit, CD verification, or whatever other intrusive method they can think up next.

Take that Starforce!
http://www.aeropause.com ShaneW

“It’s not a bug in the game’s code, it’s a bug in your moral code.” LOL, crafty.
Popcicle

As far as the glitch goes, it's a good deterrent. But on a side note, I've never been a fan of having to use the original disc for my games. Who wants to carry so many discs around when you travel and what's the point of installing a couple gig just to then have to use the disc as a key? I paid my money! With the Godfather unfortunately I just gave up playing the game on the road, as the no-dvd cracks wouldn't allow me to 'get out of the car'.
http://www.aeropause.com mclazyj

This is why Steam has become my main mode of buying PC games. No disc, no fuss. I know I sound like a walking advertisement for them, but it has just made buying games so much easier. I wish their pricing would change along the lines of retail outlets, as they are a bit behind, but it has allowed me to install games on my laptop without the bother of carrying the discs.
Tyathca

This is how all copy protection should be done.
william745

very true for most users steam or D2D is a godsend.
http://www.aeropause.com mclazyj

This is why Steam has become my main mode of buying PC games. No disc, no fuss. I know I sound like a walking advertisement for them, but it has just made buying games so much easier. I wish their pricing would change along the lines of retail outlets, as they are a bit behind, but it has allowed me to install games on my laptop without the bother of carrying the discs.
Tyathca

This is how all copy protection should be done.
william745

very true for most users steam or D2D is a godsend.