News

Garry's Mod gets 'anti-pirate error'
Posted: 13.04.2011 12:03 by Simon Priest Comments: 13
How can you try and catch out those swashbuckling software pirates? Garry Newman, creator of Garry's Mod, put together a special little error message to catch them.

If you find yourself "unable to shade polygon normals", then you're a dirty pirate. The error code includes the users' Steam ID so Garry can banish the jolly rogers.

"Just enabled this error in GMod today. It happens when you pirated it. Having fun watching people complain," twittered Newman. The official Garry's Mod forums have lit up, as has Google, with people looking how to fix this error troubling their pilfered copy.

Garry's Mod is essential a physics sandbox for users to play around in, and it started out as a Half-Life 2 mod. The $10 box-of-fun now supports most Source-powered titles from Valve allowing fans to mess around to their hearts content.

Should more developers get creative like this to weed out the leeches?
Source: Eurogamer
Related games: Garry's Mod (PC)

Comments

By BoneArc (SI Elite) on Apr 13, 2011
BoneArc
Why is everyone VS hackers these Days .... And Pirates ...
We Deserve Free games ! But that would Make the world in Chaos , so Nobody Can say anything more then : " Garry is Protecting his Property "
By MindCoil (SI Veteran Member) on Apr 13, 2011
MindCoil
I'm happy that they added this. It's a very clean anti-pirate fix.

People need incentive to make games. If all games were free, we wouldn't be seeing the quality we do now.

And if you made something that cost you money to produce would you like seeing people take it for free? Of course people are going after pirates. It's a huge issue, games are very easy to gain access to without paying.
By crossover (SI Veteran Newbie) on Apr 13, 2011
crossover
@BoneArc
Are you serious? Games should be free?
By PowerJack (SI Elite) on Apr 14, 2011
PowerJack
Everything should be free!
Specially women.
^.^
By devel (SI Elite) on Apr 14, 2011
devel
Aren't they? :\
By PowerJack (SI Elite) on Apr 14, 2011
PowerJack
Relationships cost money.
Has do everything else.
^.^
By Zvezdalina (SI Veteran Member) on Apr 14, 2011
Zvezdalina
This is quite innovative, I have to say. :-D
By Knave (SI Core) on Apr 14, 2011
Knave
hackers will always find a way around a games DRM, there is no question. They will find a way to get around this one as well.

But at least it's a way that doesn't punish those who bought the game legitimately and it got a few people banned a long the way.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Apr 16, 2011
herodotus
Hackers love a challenge so it's only baiting them by trying to implement "unbreakable" DRM.
As for women being free....c'mon. Women are like a hurricane. When they arrive they are wild, warm and wet. When they leave they take your house, car...the lot:)
By unsilviu (SI Core) on Apr 16, 2011
unsilviu
This isn't a new idea, I remember Jedi Academy did a self-check for cracks, leading to many asking for the CL_Parse_packet Entities error on the forums.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Apr 16, 2011
FoolWolf
Have been many of these creative things in the past. Degradable games, the very thought of a game degrade - the rumours that even legit games has bugs that starts the degradable software process etc.

I don't like it, you built in weaknesses in your code - the chance that it comes back and bites a paying customer in the ass is higher... Garry's mod should be tied to a STEAM account instead I think, but then again - he should have to be able to secure his revenue of money - but the balance is tricky - piss enough people off and you fall to either side... With so many new fresh guys out from Universities specializing in gaming and coding- there is a stream of new talents waiting for you to fall.. ;)
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Apr 16, 2011
SirRoderick
I just have to say this guy is pretty smart.
Very elegant solution that will likely catch a fair amount of them.
By Zvezdalina (SI Veteran Member) on Apr 17, 2011
Zvezdalina
At totally agree with herodotus' second part & SirRoderick! :-D