Sega has used cd-keys before on pso games... why did they avoid copy protection this time? Perhaps they figured that anyone who would buy the game would buy it anyway and then some who didn't want to buy the game would now get it since they don't have to pay for the game and only pay the monthly fee.
But in effect pisses off the people who bought the game knowing that he/she could obtain it for free.
Plus more subscriptions to the online play, due to more users playing and not being put off by a $50+ price tag, equals more money in the long run.
Creator of Tethealla, Administrator of Ephinea.
Copy protection costs the publisher money. As they are releasing PSU across multiple platforms, PC would be the only platform requiring a CD key. I'm sure they simply found that the cost for copy protection was greater than expected losses through piracy. I think a lot of publishers would discover this if they bothered to study the metrics (which, admittedly, are difficult to get a handle on).
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Antagony on 2006-11-08 14:27 ]</font>
This is Sega's way of going "FOOLED YOU!".
Still baffles me the JP version you had to register to even play offline...wait a sec hasn't this topic been made before (around the release of this game when everyone was going emo and panicy?)
Yeah I avoided this topic back when it was made a lot because no one was talking any sense. So now I am here posting in the aftermath hoping to get the answer.
Wait, you guys are going to love this theory.
The people who pirated would have to pay $60 in monthly fees (6 months) in order to get enough unlocks to match what the original game was supposed to have. As for the people who didn't pirate and paid $50 for the original game on top of this... that's just a bonus!
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Marks on 2006-11-08 14:36 ]</font>
so ... what you're saying is ... since i bought this on the PC i can let my friends install it on their pc's too and all they have to do is get a playsega whatever account and play online, too? i don't remember once registrating my game at any time. crazy stuff.
Marks, while you are entitled to your opinion, I think there's a much more optimistic way to look at it.
Copy protection software is a layer of obfuscation between the legitimate consumer and what they ultimately want (which is to play the game). Copy protection still to this day can often cause software incompatibilities and inconveniences. For example, misprinted or stolen CD keys.
A product without copy protection removes any of those potential problems and instead allows you to experience the game with less hassle.
You see, the point you post is that "they don't have to pay for the game". Of course pirates don't have to pay for the game -- they're pirates. Just because it's easy to pirate a game does not make it any more legal or ethical. Even if the game HAD a CD key or the like then it would still be pirated and they still wouldn't be paying for the game.
It's great, I have a few friends who are going to get into PSU now because they don't have to buy the game, they can simply borrow my copy and install it on their computer. To them, $50 for the game on top of the monthly fees was just too much, but they don't mind only having to pay the fees.
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