Mafia 2. Online activation?

[Betty_Swallocks]

I came over here all excited about Mafia 2. I loved the first one. I still play it.

Then I looked at the Bioshock forum and read some of the complaints about the repressive online activation that is on that game and started to worry.

Is Mafia 2 going to suffer from the same problem?

Because to be perfectly honest, if it does then I'll just give the game a miss no matter how good it is.

I'm tired of paying good money for a game and then being treated like a criminal. The only people that this kind of copy protection hurts are the honest customers. Certainly not the pirates. Bioshock was pirated within days of release and as soon as that happened all the dishonest people had an easy time of it while the honest paying customers suffer in perpetuity.

So. Can someone tell me?

Should I continue to look forward to Mafia 2 or shall I just forget about it and find something else to play?

[sagat]

Perhaps Mafia 2 will have the same sensible decision maker as Oblivion where they left out activation all together and not like those who packaged Bioshock.

[jay187]

Online activation would be ok I guess as long as it is done once and doesnt require you to be online to play the game or something silly like that...

I think it's highly unlikely that they'd require or implement anything like this, since its single player based

[2K Elizabeth]

i don't have an answer for these kinds of questions yet (it's still early for that!) but i assure you that these questions and more will be answered in the coming weeks and months here and on the community website.

[maandverband]

Because to be perfectly honest, if it does then I'll just give the game a miss no matter how good it is.

The same goes for me.

Copy protections don't stop pirates. Those losers will never buy your games. They just wait untill the copy protection is cracked (which only takes a few days or in certain cases just a few hours) and then download the game.

It are the honest paying customers who suffer. Not everyone has an internet connection. Those people can't play your game. You just take their rights away to be able to play a game.

And the pirates? They don't care, because they just keep downloading games. No matter what copy protection is being used.

I have never played BioShock and I'm never going to play it. Why? Because an internet connection is required.

After all those years Mafia still is the best game ever made, so I'm looking forward to Mafia II, but if the game requires an internet connection, I'll never play Mafia 2, because I don't pay for a game which requires an internet connection.

[jay187]

The same goes for me.

Copy protections don't stop pirates. Those losers will never buy your games. They just wait untill the copy protection is cracked (which only takes a few days or in certain cases just a few hours) and then download the game.

It are the honest paying customers who suffer. Not everyone has an internet connection. Those people can't play your game. You just take their rights away to be able to play a game.

And the pirates? They don't care, because they just keep downloading games. No matter what copy protection is being used.

I have never played BioShock and I'm never going to play it. Why? Because an internet connection is required.

After all those years Mafia still is the best game ever made, so I'm looking forward to Mafia II, but if the game requires an internet connection, I'll never play Mafia 2, because I don't pay for a game which requires an internet connection.

I'm sure all this will be taken into consideration but it is way to early to even think of these things guys! Can't we just play Mafia in the meantime and avoid all this speculation ?

The same goes for the other topics demanding more information and in-game footage. When it's available I'm sure Elizabeth will keep us informed!

[Betty_Swallocks]

I'm sure all this will be taken into consideration but it is way to early to even think of these things guys! Can't we just play Mafia in the meantime and avoid all this speculation ?

Sorry, but I completely disagree. This is exactly the time for the fanbase to make their opinions known.

After the game is released with Securom and online activation is far too late.

If enough of us let them know now, while the game is in development, that we won't put up with the problems that afflicted Bioshock then they have time to change their mind (or decide that they can do without our business)

Like maandverband I have not played Bioshock and have no intention of doing so. It was a shame because it looked like a good game but I won't have Securom on my PC and I find online activation unacceptable.

I will be disappointed to forego Mafia 2 but I will if the protection system attacks honest buyers rather than pirates.

[Mr F]

online activation is a very bad idea. for example, i have two computers - one is bad but with internet, and second is good but without any network connections...
i bought the licensed version of HL2Ep2 - and what i got? whole week of searching some NoSteam software...
i bought the licensed version of Kane&Lynch - and still can't play it)))
online activation is EVIL.

[FuKuy]

Online activation is the future.

I love STEAM. And I don't have problems with protection system. Everything that helps to stop piracy is always welcome.

[KoT6opuC]

Hey, comon guys, where are you living if you don`t have internet?STEAM is really nice one programm, never had problems.

[Mr F]

Hey, comon guys, where are you living if you don`t have internet?STEAM is really nice one programm, never had problems.

dang, i said:

i have two computers - one is bad but with internet, and second is good but without any network connections...

[KoT6opuC]

Do you really need MAFIAII on both computers?

[Pantsless]

lol, he only needs it on one, but that one has no internet connection >.<

[DoHo]

I bought the Orange Box and had to activate it via steam. Sounds simple, right? Just hop online, have a CD Key verified... Oh! No! Not with steam! It turned into a week long affair. Firstly... I had the games on CD (DVD) but Steam insisted on trying to download them from the Steam Servers anyway... Then when it finally started doing the actual activation download thing it would pause and do nothing.

Finally when I got it working the Half-Life engine crapped out on me (I still can't play Half-Life 2 or Episode 1 without my computer crashing), granted that is not Steams fault.

Steam seems like a good system, except that it really isn't. If you're that lazy/busy that you can't buy a game from a store... you don't have time to be playing a game anyway. It's really not that hard to go to a store and buy a game.

And if you talk about pirate deterants... that's a load of crap. NOTHING will stop software piracy. NOTHING. People will ALWAYS find a way around it, and it will be the honest customers who luck out because the developers go to all this trouble to lock the game up.

[ironbear66]

Perhaps Mafia 2 will have the same sensible decision maker as Oblivion where they left out activation all together and not like those who packaged Bioshock.

I Just love Oblivion , but i don't like mmrpgs. like WoW, too much hype about them

[Styvesant]

I want something protecting the damn activation, I am sick and tired of people funding criminals pleasure, put some kind of new Starforce or something.

[pcgamer23708]

I'm 100% with "Betty_Swallocks" and "maandverband"
If the Retail Disk edition of Mafia 2 has any form of Product "screw the customer" Activation like Bioshock or Half-Life 2 I will BOYCOTT it!
No money of mine will ever go to a PC Game with Product "screw the customer" Activation.
So 2K its your game so its your call and decision, but remember you choose Product Activation and you lose many customers starting with ME! and you bet, yes you bet your game will continue being PIRATED by many! just like Bioshock was!

Ironic isn't it... I have a friend that pirates almost all the games he plays (and yes I tell him all the time its wrong what he does!) but he got, played and finished Bioshock and he is constantly telling me about the game (probably to tease me) and I, that buys all the games I play with no exception, and always first hand, NEW factory sealed, I'm not able to play Bioshock which I loved to do...
So end result: Those that PAY don't PLAY, those that STEAL do PLAY!
Very Sad...

[Styvesant]

Hahaha, you are too right there, many times I have bought a game, and had to return it cos of the activation, it was screwed, none of 2k games though :P

[Capi]

Totally agree online activation !

[Styvesant]

Totally agree online activation !

Online activation has a way of being a pain in the a**.

[Fraz]

Everything should be done to combat piracy ... as PC gamming is in danger
due to piracy ... but at the same time steps should be taken so that the
genuine customer does not get frustrated by all the hurdles ... it may not be
as simple as to say it but if a splendid game like Mafia can be accomplished
than anything is possible ...

Is there no way to stop piracy through torrents ... as i think torrents are
the main set back and the largest means of piracy in PC games ...

[Styvesant]

Everything should be done to combat piracy ... as PC gamming is in danger
due to piracy ... but at the same time steps should be taken so that the
genuine customer does not get frustrated by all the hurdles ... it may not be
as simple as to say it but if a splendid game like Mafia can be accomplished
than anything is possible ...

Is there no way to stop piracy through torrents ... as i think torrents are
the main set back and the largest means of piracy in PC games ...

Pfssshh, no doubt. However it's good to see the gaming industry is making a profit still, Torrents will be shut-down soon enough.

[jackinthebox]

Everything should be done to combat piracy ... as PC gamming is in danger
due to piracy ... but at the same time steps should be taken so that the
genuine customer does not get frustrated by all the hurdles ... it may not be
as simple as to say it but if a splendid game like Mafia can be accomplished
than anything is possible ...

Is there no way to stop piracy through torrents ... as i think torrents are
the main set back and the largest means of piracy in PC games ...

you can't stop piracy with such mechanisms... everything can be cracked! the only possibility is to make a good game and a fair price.

Pfssshh, no doubt. However it's good to see the gaming industry is making a profit still, Torrents will be shut-down soon enough.

you'd have to shut down the internet first...

[Styvesant]

It will be taken down, whatever is illegal is gonna get screwed up, TorrentSpy is already being tracked, Torrent Reactor is being charged too, I mean c'mon no way that a billion dollar industry is gonna allow free , it's not gonna happen, it might take time, but they will be caught soon enough.

[Fraz]

[QUOTE=jackinthebox;278613]you can't stop piracy with such mechanisms... everything can be cracked! the only possibility is to make a good game and a fair price.

then fair price should also be region based i think as a fair price in US may still
not be fair or affordable in other parts of the world e.g. Sub Continent ...

[maandverband]

Any news about the use of product activation in Mafia 2? I really want to play this games, because Mafia is still the best game I've ever played, but I'm NOT buying games which use product activation.

[jarbas77]

2K Elizabeth

can i ask you a question

are you one of the makers of mafia 2(create)???


can you tell ous ditaills of the game??

[ThaCrip]

you can't stop piracy with such mechanisms... everything can be cracked! the only possibility is to make a good game and a fair price.



you'd have to shut down the internet first...

that's pretty much the truth right there

p.s. but with 'online activation' stuff people have been talking about... that's a big no-no in my book. simply because if you buy a game you should be able to play it with absolutely NO internet access at all. if this happens you can guarantee i won't be buying the game. (and this is one of the very very few games that are actually worth buying to )

[Fief]

i dont believe in a limited amount of activations (5,10,15,100..doesn't matter) you should be able to use the product you purchased as many times as you like. I reformat my hard drive regularly to keep my computer up to speed. and when you only have X amount of activations it becomes a bit of a hassle. as for a 1 time online check to make sure the game is passed the release date... that's fine with me my computer is always connected to the internet. but no matter what they put in the game I will not boycott an epic game simply because DRM....that and I have been waiting forever for this game

[frankyitalysays]

This is why I got a xbox 360 and HD t.v.

[yogibbear]

i don't have an answer for these kinds of questions yet (it's still early for that!) but i assure you that these questions and more will be answered in the coming weeks and months here and on the community website.

Basically I'm now over all this DRM BS. The problem is:

1. 6 months before the game you're anticipating coming out, the developers are all "Oh yeah we want you to buy our game it's going to be wicked"
2. 3 months before when you are checking if you PC can run it... they release the proposed specs... but say that they don't know anything about the DRM
3. 1 month before when you're thinking about pre-ordering to get a nice artbook, soundtrack or making of DVD they say that there might be just a simple disc check
4. 1 week before the release of the game they announce they are using Securom with 1 activation, GFWL with constant online and a 2k online profile and extra hoops to jump through and a USB dongle with a no. that changes every hour and costs $50 to replace and a little spinning circular disc that you have to dip into a jar of honey to see the secret code while spinning it anti-clockwise

Then you go... "Well crap... all i want to do is play you awesome game? Are you going to let me?"

No says the developer because your PC doesn't support our DRM
No says the publisher because you don't live in a GFWL supported country
No says the dude at EB games because they don't stock the PC version
No says the ebay seller because they won't post photos of the unopened, not previously activated gamebox
No says your neighbour as you'll use their activations

"Oh whatever"...

Seriously when is the right time for the customer to engage the developer in DRM discussion???????????????????????

If we wait for you to "announce" what DRM is going into Mafia 2 then you'll simply say "tough luck... we can't change it... wah wah wah"

Whereas if we whinge about it now you say "Oh we haven't decided yet"

How about you ask your potential customers what sort of DRM they'd like instead? You know... do something freaky like a customer interviews... and listening to your customers...

Just wow. Shock. Horror. Never.

Anyway... closing comment:

If Mafia 2 has ANY of the following I will not be purchasing it:

• Games for Windows LIVE (saves integrated, online authentic etc. etc.)
  Securom
  Starforce
  TAGES
  Activation limitations
  Online activations for the singleplayer content
  Online saving only
  Saves not compatible between different user profiles/computers etc. etc

Done.

You can choose to meet those requirements or not. Sell your product at your own peril. Mafia 1 was awesome btw Thx.

[Mellifluous]

I'm looking forward to Mafia 2 too, and would absolutely love to play this game and support the developers. The first game was a masterpiece and there's no indication this won't be too!

However, my inability to support excessive DRM means I won't buy this game (or pirate, since I don't do that) either if it follows Bioshock 2's DRM path. I can't contribute to 2K deeming a DRM system a success if there will be more where that came from!

So I would equally love to see a different protection system for this game, that finds a more middle ground.

Here's an example of what I consider DRM done pretty well:

http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/batt...rotection.aspx

Main points:
- customer can authenticate retail version with either disc or online
- if they authenticate with disc offline, they always play with disc in drive
- if they authenticate with disc online, they can play without the disc

Consequences of this system
- game can be installed and played without access to internet
- game can be installed and still played if activation servers go down, without the need for a patch
- people who've activated online can revert to offline authentication, and vice versa

The publishers are implementing this system facing the same issues that 2K have. It protects their intellectual property in a method suitable for them. But it's also friendlier for consumers and presents them with a choice of what method they prefer.

[yogibbear]

Bump. So when do we hear about the DRM choice? Surely no GFWL and no securom and no tages and no starforce, right? Just make some sort of account login thing with no activation limits for getting expansions and DLC and then you can rape the 2nd hand market all you want without pissing o the paying customers. (i.e. copy Dragon Age and i'll be happy)

[jdwarfer]

I don't think the "problem" about online activation is so bad.
Personaly, I didn't have problems with GTA 4, or any game with such ****.

And if I have an issue and I can't play at all, then I'll wait for a crack, it's simple.
Anyway i'll buy this game, that's 100 % sure. Nothing could stop me from playing it, so if I have to crack the game, i'll do it. And it's not illegal since I buy it in the first place.

[Karabitaz]

the saddest thing is that , no matter how much money will be invested in security it's anyway going to be cracked within few days.

[donflavi]

u are right jdwarfer,i buy gta iv(pc version) when was comin out. But i downloaded from the internet after 8 months the cracked version.they have a crack and a patch donno...BUT the cracked version works better than the original game.because in the cracked version they killed that s...t games for windows live....and etc. So i sold the original game.

[Sculament]

yogibbear you should make that post of yours a single topic , and somebody should sticky it , because what you wrote right there is THE truth , the sad truth. To be honest , for a game like Mafia 2 , i will step on my principles and accept a 1time only , online activation, but i fear this whole delay of the game comes from something different. Something that could end pc gaming; you all heard about Assassin's Creed 2 new protection. I'm not gonna get into it. But i have information , that all big companies , are waiting to see the results of AC2 success with the pc market after this decision. In other words, they stick an axe in the back of the pc user, because only the PC has this protection. They are waiting to see : 1) Will the PC user scream and boycott the opressive product ? or 2)Will the pc user accept it's fate like a dumbed down sheep. If no boycott all over the world will happen , you all know what will happen. So, to resume myself , i believe that every big company right there now , is waiting to see what happens to AC2 , including the owners of mafia 2 , take two interactive or whoever. If no major boycott will take place , then you can rest assure that Mafia 2 will be delayed for a few months , for the game to be implemented with this protection system.

[jarbas77]

online activion no


because for the ps3 that is a lot of trouble


peace

[Habbuba]

If Mafia 2 has ANY of the following I will not be purchasing it:

• Games for Windows LIVE (saves integrated, online authentic etc. etc.)
  Securom
  Starforce
  TAGES
  Activation limitations
  Online activations for the singleplayer content
  Online saving only
  Saves not compatible between different user profiles/computers etc. etc

to bad for you then

[Fat_Tony]

online activion no


because for the ps3 that is a lot of trouble


peace

this appertains to the pc version dude


actually i would be very happy if 2K do the same like rockstar did with gta 4. first release the console version and after half year release the pc version.