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Wallace and Gromit DVD Activation

cringercringer
edited March 2010 in Shopping or Activation Support
Under your technical question section for product support, it states this following:
Do Telltale's games have copy protection?

Yes, but we try to keep it as low-key and non-annoying as possible. Our downloadable games use a version of SecuROM that requires online activation. Our disc-based games also use SecuROM. Disc games don't require online activation, but the disc must be in the drive while you play.

My question is why does the Wallace and Gromit DVD require online activation instead of just allowing it to be played when the disc is in the drive?

Comments

  • Hassat HunterHassat Hunter
    edited February 2010
    Que?
    Quoted from your own post:
    Disc games don't require online activation

    EDIT:
    Or do you mean you got the DVD and it requires online activation. If so, that quite sucks :(.
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited February 2010
    The W&G disc is different and requires activation, as though you had taken the downloadable episode and burnt them all on a DVD. Except you get the case and bonus content and everything.

    It's the only DVD that's like that. So far. I have no idea if they're planning to release all of their DVDs that was from now on or if it's the exception.
  • cringercringer
    edited February 2010
    Like the previous poster said, the game DVD is requiring online activation, since it is nothing more than the online downloads burned onto a disc with additional content, as well as an autorun installer. I do, however, like how the autorun can install all the episodes at once, making installation a breeze.

    Concerning the part I quoted, "Disc games don't require online activation", was copied directly off the TellTale support FAQ page located here:

    Technical Questions Section:
    Do Telltale's games have copy protection?

    Currently this is the only negative aspect I see with this title.

    I do wish they would have informed us that they were going to require online activation of this title, regardless of whether you owned the DVD or not. To me, this seems only logical, as this would eliminate the annoyance someone would no doubt have after reading the TellTale Support FAQ area concerning copy protection on the media.
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited February 2010
    Yeah, I can imagine some people might use the DVDs on computers that don't have the Internet, and order them for that purpose. Needing an online activation would definitely be a problem in that case.
  • jweirjweir
    edited February 2010
    I'm also disappointed with their decision to go with online activation for the disc version of Wallace and Gromit. I liked the security with previous games that if Telltale ever went under for any reason (God forbid) I would still be able to play them without having to write pesky e-mails if I needed to validate etc. I would seriously think twice about ever requesting a future physical copy of any of their games if this is the direction they are headed. Not a fan of this at all Telltale.
  • axelkotheaxelkothe
    edited February 2010
    worrying news, this is. Bad, bad decision Telltale.
  • pickleheadpicklehead
    edited March 2010
    So how many times can we install the game before the DVD is useless?
  • cringercringer
    edited March 2010
    You can install off the DVD as much as you want, but I am not sure how many times the activation server will allow you to activate the game without having to contact support to reset your activation.

    The DVD is nothing more than the downloads put onto a disc with a multi-installer that runs all the download installation files, which are also on the disc, and installs them one by one. It also has extras as well.
  • SoultakerSoultaker
    edited March 2010
    What?! I ordered the game with the understanding that I could get an offline version on DVD eventually, just like they did with the Sam & Max DVD offer. Am I crazy or is this blatant breach of contract?
  • Eric528Eric528
    edited March 2010
    There is no binding agreemet that the disc will have disc based DRM only, so there is no breech of contract. Futhermore, the disc is technically a free bonus. Still, it is misleading at the very least (based on past practice) and I think they've greatly underestimated the value that their customers place on having their games free on online activation.
  • SoultakerSoultaker
    edited March 2010
    Eric528 wrote: »
    There is no binding agreemet that the disc will have disc based DRM only, so there is no breech of contract.
    That's debatable. I think the ability to run a DVD stand-alone is implied. As others have asked: what is the point of a DVD if you still need internet access to Telltale's activation server?

    It should also be noted that they did deliver stand-alone discs for both seasons of Sam & Max. As a returning customer I assumed that the Wallace & Gromit (and Tales of Monkey Island, for that matter) discs would be similar. I don't think this is an unreasonable expection; not informally and not from a consumer rights point-of-view.
    Futhermore, the disc is technically a free bonus.
    To me, the disc is the game, and the online downloads are just to tide me over till the disc arrives. It's not a free item, because it's only available to season customers. It's part of a package deal.

    I think the expectation that a game distributed on DVD can run stand-alone is a reasonable one. If Telltale wants to add online activation, they should have mentioned this fact before I ordered the game. Then I could have made an informed decision on whether to purchase the game or not.
  • Eric528Eric528
    edited March 2010
    While I agree completley that we were mislead and that Telltale really let down their customers here, the fact is the disc is a bonus. We had certain expectations based on past practice that Telltale felt were unimportant to live up to, but they technically fulfilled the agreement to provide a disc at the end of the season.

    It's worth nothing that the first releases of the Bone discs in the store also required online activation and the first Sam and Max disc featured disc based DRM because they were "listening to their customers". I really hate to say it, but the larger Telltale gets, the less they seem to care about the customer.
  • StingingVelvetStingingVelvet
    edited March 2010
    This is surprising and upsetting.

    I order these games online because of the security of knowing a disc-check disc will be provided for the cost of shipping. If this is not the case anymore, I will have to rethink purchasing the games at all frankly, as I do not support online activation DRM normally due to it feeling like a rental, not a purchase.

    Telltale will hopefully be around a long time, but the video game industry has shown us a ton of times that smaller companies (and larger ones) can close, and who knows if you will have the time, resources or interest to patch out the DRM beforehand.

    So... disappointing. I did not get Wallace & Gromit, no interest, but if my Monkey Island DVD has online activation DRM on it then it will be my last.
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