Mass Effect DRM detailed

[TQ]

Originally Posted by ATINUT

The way it looks, is I'm going to pass up getting the PC version of Mass Effect, and instead get Diskeeper Pro Premiere 2008, which I need worse than a new PC game right now, along with registering TuneUp Utilities 2008.

In the June issue of Maximum PC they tested 3rd party utilities against Vista's defragger, Diskeeper, PerfectDisk and a freebie - Auslogics.
The results: none of the 3rd party utilities increased system performance, and fact, each system actually lost some minor performance scores with PCMark Vantage. About the only difference was a the 3rd party apps had a graphical representation of what the app was doing.
I also have a friend who has an independent IT business (he and I worked together at the same radio cluster in Austin for years before we both left) and he, too, dismisses the 3rd party apps saying Vista's gets the job done.

I've been using PerfectDisk since 2000, but I think I'll hold off and see if I can live with the Vista defragger and it's invisible operations.

[TQ]

I, for one, will buy, play and enjoy this game. Hypothetical "what if" situations won't be enough to keep me from giving it a go.
I like the fact that I won't need to have the disk in my DVD drive to play. I didn't have any issues with BioShock's protection scheme and I doubt none will prevent me from enjoying Mass Effect.

[ATINUT]

Originally Posted by TQ

In the June issue of Maximum PC they tested 3rd party utilities against Vista's defragger, Diskeeper, PerfectDisk and a freebie - Auslogics.
The results: none of the 3rd party utilities increased system performance, and fact, each system actually lost some minor performance scores with PCMark Vantage. About the only difference was a the 3rd party apps had a graphical representation of what the app was doing.
I also have a friend who has an independent IT business (he and I worked together at the same radio cluster in Austin for years before we both left) and he, too, dismisses the 3rd party apps saying Vista's gets the job done.

I've been using PerfectDisk since 2000, but I think I'll hold off and see if I can live with the Vista defragger and it's invisible operations.

Sorry to say, but Vista's app is slow. It can take up to hours to defrag a harddrive, and I haven't got time to wait that long, for all the harddrives in my system to be defragged. Vista's app is just like the one in XP, an old version of Diskeeper that takes hours on end to defrag a drive, if it defrags a drive at all.

[ATINUT]

All I can say about their DRM is have fun, there's gonna be a lot of headaches.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by ATINUT

Sorry to say, but Vista's app is slow. It can take up to hours to defrag a harddrive, and I haven't got time to wait that long, for all the harddrives in my system to be defragged. Vista's app is just like the one in XP, an old version of Diskeeper that takes hours on end to defrag a drive, if it defrags a drive at all.

What Maximum PC had to say about that was this:

"We like the Vista defragmentation program for the simple fact thar it's, well, there. It comes with Vista and is enabled by default and runs its defragmentation routines during the wee hours of the morning. And even if you run your own manual defragmentation the program runs at a low processor priority, so you can easily multi-task without hampering your computing experience."

I'm looking at doing things very differently with my forthcoming Vista install, such as ditching drive partitioning, among other things I have always done with PC's, like manually doing my own defrags.
I'm going to give the Vista defragger a shot and see if I can live with the way it works. I'm of a mind that the way I've always run my PC's may be more of a mindset from the 1990's than having any basis in the logic of contemporary technology.
Heck, if my X-Fi even thinks about giving me any Vista backtalk I'll replace it with a Xonar PCIe part and ignore EAX in favor of Dolby Headphone.
It's just time to look at everything differently and see if I'm clinging to attitudes that may no longer be relevant.

Jeez...didn't get too far OT.

[ATINUT]

Originally Posted by TQ

What Maximum PC had to say about that was this:

"We like the Vista defragmentation program for the simple fact thar it's, well, there. It comes with Vista and is enabled by default and runs its defragmentation routines during the wee hours of the morning. And even if you run your own manual defragmentation the program runs at a low processor priority, so you can easily multi-task without hampering your computing experience."

I'm looking at doing things very differently with my forthcoming Vista install, such as ditching drive partitioning, among other things I have always done with PC's, like manually doing my own defrags.
I'm going to give the Vista defragger a shot and see if I can live with the way it works. I'm of a mind that the way I've always run my PC's may be more of a mindset from the 1990's than having any basis in the logic of contemporary technology.
Heck, if my X-Fi even thinks about giving me any Vista backtalk I'll replace it with a Xonar PCIe part and ignore EAX in favor of Dolby Headphone.
It's just time to look at everything differently and see if I'm clinging to attitudes that may no longer be relevant.

Jeez...didn't get too far OT.

I have my headphones hooked up to the front panel audio connector on my P182 case, and the sound is most excellent. The front panel audio, is hooked up to my HT Omega Claro.

I tried an X-Fi earlier this year on Vista 64, when I first got Service Pack 1, had the latest drivers for it, and it still had problems on Vista 64. I ended up taking that piece of junk back to the store I bought it from.

What I do with Diskeeper Pro Premiere, is I set that thing up, and it does it's job of defragging my harddrives darn fast, in the background, without causing any performance problems, even while I'm running a game. I haven't seen hardly any defrag programs that can do this.

As for the way their doing the DRM on Mass Effect, I don't like it.

[polonyc2]

all this DRM nonsense makes me appreciate how good Steam really is and how it really is the future of gaming...with Steam you get the game, no CD/DVD necessary, auto patches your games, etc...makes playing games worry free

[Cogar]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

all this DRM nonsense makes me appreciate how good Steam really is and how it really is the future of gaming...with Steam you get the game, no CD/DVD necessary, auto patches your games, etc...makes playing games worry free

Like many, I did not like Steam with the long delays and server problems they had when it was first introduced and Half-Life 2 came out. Still, once they got through those problems, the experience has become a lot nicer and I now agree that it has become one of the best ways for both the developers and honest users to do business. The developers do not have to worry about piracy and zero day issues as much, the system is relatively simple and efficient to use (if you have broadband), Steam has access to games and demos from many developers in a wide variety of genres, etc.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by ATINUT

I tried an X-Fi earlier this year on Vista 64, when I first got Service Pack 1, had the latest drivers for it, and it still had problems on Vista 64. I ended up taking that piece of junk back to the store I bought it from.

Thanks for the heads up. I think I'm actually looking for an excuse to get a sound card with a better Vista track record, but I'll give the X-Fi a chance.
I'm considering using daniel_k's Vista install disk and his modded drivers, which can still be found on Creative's Vista forum.

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by Cogar

Steam has access to games and demos from many developers in a wide variety of genres, etc.

they really have expanded very quickly...there are now just as many non Valve games available on Steam...like you said a wide variety of titles from many different publishers really has helped Steam grow...games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed etc are all now available on Steam

I still prefer to get a boxed version of my games only because I like having the manual available in a non downloadable format...for now the only games I get through Steam are Valve based hames (Half Life 2 etc) but in the future I can see myself getting more and more games through them

[Cogar]

All but one of the half dozen or so games we have purchased through Steam have been produced by other companies. (I purchased Half-Life 2 and Valve's earlier games in boxes.) In my household, we are now looking at Steam as more of a convenient and moderately secure game store than as an alternate source for Valve games. (I am actually still ticked off regarding how short Half-Life Episode 1 was and haven't purchased any Valve products since.)

[TQ]

It's all being changed...this from Blues News...

Mass Effect DRM Changes [May 09, 2008, 3:57 pm ET] - 21 Comments
The Mass Effect Community Forums offer a post from BioWare community manager Jay Watamaniuk called Official BioWare/EA Response to DRM Discussion that follows up on discontent over plans to require online authentication every ten days for Mass Effect (story) with word they are scrapping this unpopular plan for one that requires a single online authentication (thanks Gamer's Hell). Update: Word on Kotaku is this change applies to Spore, as well. The post includes a FAQ on the topic, along with this announcement:

There has been a lot of discussion in the past few days on how the security requirements for Mass Effect for PC will work. BioWare, a division of EA, wants to let fans know that Mass Effect will not require 10- day periodic re-authentication.

BioWare has always listened very closely to its fans and we made this decision to ensure we are delivering the best possible experience to them. To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services and internationally who expressed concerns that they would not be able re-authenticate as often as required, EA and BioWare want you to know that your feedback is important to us.

The solution being implemented for Mass Effect for the PC changes copy protection from being key disc based, which requires authentication every time you play the game by requiring a disc in the drive, to a one time online authentication.

This system has an added benefit of allowing players to seamlessly play the game without needing the DVD in the drive.

Key points---

•This solution allows gamers to authenticate their game on three different computers with the purchase of one disc. EA Customer Service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer support.

• Games are authorized to the machine when the player installs and launches the software for the first time.

• We’ve all had those times when the discs get lost or scratched and you can’t play a game you’ve bought because you need a working disc in the drive. With the new system players will no longer need the disc to play the game, but can instead simply retain the disc as back up for re-installation.

[ATINUT]

TQ, what about if you have problems with your OS and have to wipe and reload your boot drive 3 times. What then, are they still gonna be willing to activate over the phone, and also I'm wondering, if after say for example like 4 or 5 months are they gonna wipe the activation slate clean, and give you a new set of 3 activations.

[TQ]

I was wondering what would happen if the security servers were outsourced to a company fronting themselves to music industry copyright fascists who’s entire raison d'etre was to install backdoor spookware in an effort to generate enough amalgamated bandwidth to summon a cadre of Great Old Ones from an entropic, burned out universe to eat our brains.

[polonyc2]

Mass Effect Hands-on Preview

Mass Effect Hands-on

-if you have a high-end PC you should be able to rub your Xbox-owning friends' noses in the PC game's visuals, which are sharper and richer than those found in last year's console game

By tapping into the PC's more powerful processors and video cards, Mass Effect looks visually beautiful and fluid, and we saw none of the texture popping or frame rate stuttering that plagued the Xbox 360 version.

-The game will also scale considerably if you don't have a high-end PC. BioWare says a two-year old machine should be able to play the game

-the game will load and save a lot faster, since the entire game is written to the hard drive. You also won't need to have the game DVD in the drive. This means that quick saving takes a fraction of a second