Piracy Cripples iOS Game in Less than a Week

[ncaissie]

Originally Posted by Kaibelf

Parking your car isn't a physical good. Neither is cleaning your house. Or doing your taxes. Or babysitting your kids. People still pay for these things. Why? Because you don't deserve things for free, no matter how self-absorbed and entitled you want to act.

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So to you as long as it isn't TOO expensive for your financial situation, it's okay to just steal. Okay then.

I didn't say to steal anything. I just said I JB to get themes and not everyone JB their phone to steal apps.

[rutledjw]

Originally Posted by bpran

If they can differentiate between pirated copy and original copy of the client software, why don't they just restrict access to the server for the pirated one?

I don't think they can tell by connection. What they're saying is that we sold X copies and X+Y connections are showing up, where Y is a VERY large number. Clearly this was an oversight in design. There wasn't a user token or similar in there. I'd imagine they can do some re-design and fix the game. But who knows? Until you get into the code, it's hard to really say what it would take. So any statements are conjecture.

And if they're tapped out on funds, it might not be worth it to them. Either way it sucks. I've long had a dim view of pirates - regardless of large or small companies...

[rutledjw]

Originally Posted by m00min

I'm surprised people don't understand the difference between theft and copyright infringement.

If I were to walk into HMV and steal a CD that's theft, I'm depriving HMV of their item and their ability to sell it. If I were to download a movie I'm effectively taking a copy, the original (if that term is even applicable for downloads) is still there. That's a big difference.

This is probably one of the most pathetic justifications I've read. You're stealing. Period.. You can try to paint it as something different, but you're taking something with providing due compensation. You're "depriving" them of revenue. In a digital world, it's the same thing as taking a physical item. How can that not be obvious?

Clearly you don't build anything for your work, or you would be outraged by what you describe. When I write code for work, I expect to be compensated for it. If someone commits "copyright infringement" (stealing) then I'm not getting what is due.

[m00min]

Originally Posted by rutledjw

This is probably one of the most pathetic justifications I've read. You're stealing. Period.. You can try to paint it as something different, but you're taking something with providing due compensation. You're "depriving" them of revenue. In a digital world, it's the same thing as taking a physical item. How can that not be obvious?

Firstly, I don't pirate anything. I was trying to explain the difference between stealing and copyright infringement. Both are wrong but there is a difference.

Secondly, one download does not automatically equate to one lost sale. There are serial downloaders who will hoard everything they can get their hands on. They probably never even play/listen/watch it all, and it's highly unlikely they'd have ever bought the thing.

Originally Posted by rutledjw

Clearly you don't build anything for your work, or you would be outraged by what you describe. When I write code for work, I expect to be compensated for it. If someone commits "copyright infringement" (stealing) then I'm not getting what is due.

I'm a web designer and developer, so I understand exactly what I've described. You seem to have a very simplistic view however.

[stridemat]

MOD NOTE

Open.

[rutledjw]

Originally Posted by m00min

Firstly, I don't pirate anything. I was trying to explain the difference between stealing and copyright infringement. Both are wrong but there is a difference.

Secondly, one download does not automatically equate to one lost sale. There are serial downloaders who will hoard everything they can get their hands on. They probably never even play/listen/watch it all, and it's highly unlikely they'd have ever bought the thing.

I'm a web designer and developer, so I understand exactly what I've described. You seem to have a very simplistic view however.

Yes, I feel quite enlightened. This debate between stealing and "copyright infringement" is a red herring and I fail to see how your statements add anything nor how my stance is "simplistic". But, by all means, point out the distinction if it makes you feel better.

I'm annoyed with this entire thread

[jowie]

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

2 - I added in some code that assigns each user a unique ID. I can shut down users that pirate the app.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. Even if you assign each user a unique ID, how do you know which ones are pirates and which ones are legit?

[ArtOfWarfare]

Originally Posted by jowie

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. Even if you assign each user a unique ID, how do you know which ones are pirates and which ones are legit?

The ID doesn't change when they upload and distribute the app. All I have to do is download the pirated app, check the ID, and I can shut it down.

[jowie]

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

The ID doesn't change when they upload and distribute the app. All I have to do is download the pirated app, check the ID, and I can shut it down.

But where do you get the ID from? If someone downloads your app, hacks it and distributes it, how do you know that app came from a particular user?

[besweeet2]

Originally Posted by jowie

But where do you get the ID from? If someone downloads your app, hacks it and distributes it, how do you know that app came from a particular user?

My guess is to have the app check for iTunesMetadata.plist within the root of the sandboxed app, since cracked apps tend to remove it. This, to Mme, would be the most basic approach.

[jowie]

Originally Posted by besweeet2

My guess is to have the app check for iTunesMetadata.plist within the root of the sandboxed app, since cracked apps tend to remove it. This, to Mme, would be the most basic approach.

I found this:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ios-app-hacked

This leads me to believe that since it is possible to detect that an app is hacked, this Battle Dungeon article is possibly a publicity stunt...

[ArtOfWarfare]

Originally Posted by jowie

I found this:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ios-app-hacked

This leads me to believe that since it is possible to detect that an app is hacked, this Battle Dungeon article is possibly a publicity stunt...

I'd suggest they should just release an update that:

1 - Detects if its pirated and disallows online play.
2 - Sends a code that the server verifies that the prior (cracked) version never would have.

[muthuka]

Piracy is bad. Doesn't matter if it's for Small Dev or big company. They deserve to get paid for their work. Coming with other excuses don't make it a good thing.

I started a company only after I was affected with piracy. We didn't go anywhere since developers didn't believe in trying our solution out. But it's a great thing that itself stopped abruptly this way. Good beginning.

[BergerFan]

Good news on the piracy front - Hackulous is shutting down.

[MacsRgr8]

Originally Posted by ZacNicholson

i pirate games, and if i like them i'll buy them. if i dont i delete the game.

i.e. a demo...

[ZacNicholson]

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

i.e. a demo...

not all games have a demo

[BergerFan]

Originally Posted by ZacNicholson

i pirate games, and if i like them i'll buy them. if i dont i delete the game.

Such a pleasant fiction.

[NewAnger]

Originally Posted by BergerFan

Good news on the piracy front - Hackulous is shutting down.

It won't stop piracy though. I know of several message boards where current and all brand new apps are traded.

Pirated apps will never go away.

[yusukeaoki]

I honestly do not mind pirating.
I personally pirate games, ones that dont have demos.

I play it and if I like it, I buy the game.
If I dont, I delete the pirated game.

[Rodster]

Don't know why people pirate apps? There is so much free which are full paid apps available and Starbucks gives away free codes to full retail apps. I've received codes for Rayman, Mirror's Edge, Mass Effect, Sonic Jump and Sonic Ep 2. That's just a small sampling of the free stuff that's available.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Originally Posted by bumblebritches5

You can't steal information.

So secret services do not steal information? iLOL

[XboxMySocks]

Originally Posted by BergerFan

Such a pleasant fiction.

You act as if this is false. It's true. I know a lot of people who do it. Myself included

[shoulin333]

Steam/ VAC secure solved this problem for VALVE... Why can't their servers validate the copies against a database of valid keys of some sort. Or even just send a code to their email address when they buy the game, that email contains a unique link necessary to create and account for the game. There will always be hackers/stealers but unless Devs stand up and implement readily available counter measures and stop just giving up they will not be slowed down.

[bumblebritches5]

Originally Posted by Mr. Retrofire

So secret services do not steal information? iLOL

Hmm, that's a good question, the secret service and fbi and all that do steal information, and the difference is pretty obvious, there's nothing private about a commercial app.

[MadDawg2020]

Originally Posted by Yamcha

Sad, but I doubt piracy will ever end. I think developers need to find different ways to fund their projects, one example is kickstarter..

People are willing to pay for great ideas or games, it's evident with the success of many projects in Kickstarter.

I'm not sure of the ins and outs of game development, but we gotta find different ways to fight piracy, DRM doesn't really work..

All DRM does is ruin the experience for paying customers. The games get pirated either way.. I remember tons of upset customers because of Ubisoft DRM..

Anyway, I think anyone would be open to good suggestions..

This never makes sense to me, people are more than willing to pay $20 to a hack in a garage using kickstarter campaign to start a 'cool' new project. Why bother? Once that same project is actually up and running as an actual app, it is declared evil, because a developer wants a whole $4.99 the buy the game!
If i am correct there was also a freeware version so you could try the game out before you buy!

If that is too much then maybe we should all go back to playing XBOX and PS3, games only cost about ten times as much there and few if any of those big game developers offer usable demos for their games!

So instead of paying someone a VERY reasonable fee for their work, people just rip them off, overload the system and since many of these copies are illegally stolen, then the developer cannot afford to pay for the server and other resources needed to upkeep and further enhance the game.

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Originally Posted by m00min

Secondly, one download does not automatically equate to one lost sale. There are serial downloaders who will hoard everything they can get their hands on. They probably never even play/listen/watch it all, and it's highly unlikely they'd have ever bought the thing.

Yeah and these serial downloaders you speak of... so they just hoard everything they can get their hands on... they would never go and upload it to sites and torrents where others can copy from!!! Because its fun to waste hours downloading and filling terabytes of hard drives with stuff you will NEVER play/listen/watch.

or i dunno maybe in your world they just store them away these files on floppy disk never to be used again?