Just saw the games offered on Gamezebo and thought I try them. Firstly it made me register, :'(, then the download said it would take 4 hours! ::). I don't think I'll bother. How do I unregister?
I'm sorry to hear you're having some issues, bothered.
For the download speed, try restarting your download from the download page on oursite; you will likely end up connecting to a different mirror site, and it may take less time for the download to finish. Also, the reason the file is so large is because it contains both Episodes 1 and 2 in the same download. For future releases we are planning to have the new episodes act more like patch file that adds on to your existing download.
The registration for our site doesn't hand out any of your info to 3rd parties; it's still entirely free, no strings attached. Even to get our newsletter, you have to choose to sign-up for it (IIRC). Basically, there's nothing that will happen or that you will be bothered by if you stay registered. If you absolutely don't want your account here, we can delete it, but that will mean if you ever want to come back, you will need to register a new account and go through that process a second time.
We'd like to help you anyway we can to avoid that and make your experience with our game better, of course, so please let us know how we can help!
This seems like as good a place as any to ask--what exactly is the point of requiring people to register then? What do you guys actually get out of it? You can still track the number of downloads and stuff without requiring registration for an account.
Try to reduce the files from being spread around via torrents? Where said information can't be tracked?
Quote from: Baggins on November 09, 2010, 11:48:31 AM
Try to reduce the files from being spread around via torrents? Where said information can't be tracked?
How would mandatory registration have any impact on whether or not people choose to put the games up on torrents? It's not like POS can track what a user does with the file once they download it.
Note: Not a complaint--I'm really just genuinely curious. ;)
What's surprising to me is how many pirated copies of the game are out there. We try to get people to take it down when we can, but it's funny that they'll even bother to use up their own server space and bandwidth to distribute something that's free in the first place. If nothing else should alert people to the fact that pirated software comes with viruses, that should be an obvious giveaway.
As for the registration thing, no I'm sure it doesn't have any impact on how many people distribute it via Torrents or whatever.
Somewhat for that, but overall, it actually is to build our database of users and enable us to contact them when new episodes, etc, come out. I spoke somewhat in error earlier--when you register, there is a check box for being added to the newsletter which by default is checked. You can select then (or at any time, I believe) to unsubscribe to it, but it does make it easier for us to contact more people overall when new episodes are out or when we have other big announcements. (Particularly helpful since the game is in 5 episodes and not a one-time download.)
Though what I said about not giving out the emails to third parties, etc, is still accurate.
BTW... the game is worth it. Especially if you are familiar with KQ and old sierra stuffs.
Is there even such a thing as a "pirated" version of TSL? Seeing as the definition of something being pirated is something being stolen rather than purchased. Just sayin'.
Quote from: MusicallyInspired on November 10, 2010, 04:02:35 PM
Is there even such a thing as a "pirated" version of TSL? Seeing as the definition of something being pirated is something being stolen rather than purchased. Just sayin'.
I guess it depends on whether you'd consider it possible to steal something from someone that they were willing to give away for free in the first place. I agree that it's not piracy in the normal usage of the term as we're not losing money, but it is still funny to me that anybody would even go to the trouble of re-distributing a free game unless they were loading it up with spyware and other crap.
Another way to look at it, I believe, is that people might not want to sign up for anything if they don't have to. And so uploaders put the game on the usual places like usenet and stuff and maybe provide a link to this site in the info. So for people complaining about low download speeds those would be their go to places. Of course the game is free, but when C9 comes out your forum name will be linked to your account and used for transactions and also make it easier to keep track of who has downloaded what.
I would understand putting it on torrent sites. no signing up and if there are enough seeders it can be WAY faster and easier.
BTW... is that illegal? It's free in the first place but it seems like something activision wouldn't want. If it's legal you guys should make an official torrent.
We can only distribute the game through our site/mirrors linked to officially from our site. So yes, it's illegal, and no, we can't make a torrent out of it.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_piracy) (so perhaps it should be taken with a grain of salt), software piracy is the same thing as copyright infringement. If Activision owns TSL as part of your agreement and has dictated that it is to be distributed only through your website, then any other form of distribution would be infringing upon the agreement and Activision's copyright, making it piracy.
EDIT: Woah...if what I just said was true, wouldn't it technically be unlawful for Game Informer to distribute Episodes 1 and 2 on their cover CD?
Quote from: Enchantermon on November 11, 2010, 04:27:56 PM
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_piracy) (so perhaps it should be taken with a grain of salt), software piracy is the same thing as copyright infringement. If Activision owns TSL as part of your agreement and has dictated that it is to be distributed only through your website, then any other form of distribution would be infringing upon the agreement and Activision's copyright, making it piracy.
EDIT: Woah...if what I just said was true, wouldn't it technically be unlawful for Game Informer to distribute Episodes 1 and 2 on their cover CD?
Actually it's PC Gamer ;) and we checked with Activision first.
Quote from: wilco64256 on November 11, 2010, 05:40:34 PMActually it's PC Gamer ;) and we checked with Activision first.
Ugh, whoops. My bad; I was just going from memory.
Well then, that's cool of them to let you do that since it's outside the original terms. :)
I can understand adhering to ActiVision's wishes by not allowing any other sites to offer a download, but was a sign-up membership part of their terms or just your prerogative? I'm not really egging at anything I'm really just curious.
Quote from: MusicallyInspired on November 11, 2010, 10:12:55 PM
I can understand adhering to ActiVision's wishes by not allowing any other sites to offer a download, but was a sign-up membership part of their terms or just your prerogative? I'm not really egging at anything I'm really just curious.
That's actually our idea - and monkey is also correct that when we have commercial products users will need a unique account for those so there's no harm in getting those set up now.
From working at Telltale, I learned that a reminder can be a powerful tool to bring back people to play the episodes when they were out. It's amazing to see how many people would just play the first episode and then forgetabout it even if they had paid for the whole season. We live in times of too much information on the internet and people will just tend to forget about things.