Crysis Warhead - License Disabled by DRM after hardware changes

[HDTVfan]

A couple of weeks ago I purchased Crysis Warhead. At that time I installed it, put in serial number, and played it for a little while. Since them I had a hardware failure and upgraded motherboard. Also had to reinstall windows Vista. I think overall I reinstalled Crysis Warhead twice in the process of rebuiliding my system and installing a new operating system. Last night when I reinstalled Crysis Warhead, the following popup screen appeared - " The game will not start! For security reasons, only a limited number of machines can ever be licensed by a single purchase. This limit has been reached. Please purchase another registration code, reinstall, and then try again". I tried emailing EA customer service but have not had a reply. The game is worthless and I just purchased it a couple of weeks ago - I wish I had never purchased the game at all. I knew nothing about the DRM limitation when I purchased it. Beware! You may find yourself in the same predicament as me if you purchase this product and make hardware changes.

 

[Godiwa]

had the same problem with some DRM music I bought....

useless crap, wont ever buy anything with DRM again because I change hardware so often

 

[copasetic]

What a shock! :lol:

Might I suggest a work around?

 

[dagger]

What a shock! :lol:

Might I suggest a work around?

You don't have to download the whole game. Search for "Crysis Warhead crack" for crack only.

 

[jaguarskx]

That's exactly why I did not bother buying Crysis Warhead.

Stupid DRM. I hope Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3 doesn't have this level of DRM.

 

[gamerk316]

You could always file a class action...wait a sec, we already did that

 

[purplerat]

Yes the DRM is stupid, but people shouldn't act like idiots either. If you had the game for two weeks take it back to the store you bought it from and tell them it doesn't work. At the very least you'll get a new working copy. But I have a suspicion this is just a troll post and we'll probably never hear back from the OP.

 

[gamerk316]

Probably right, but we really need to release our DRM frustrations (that sounds real wrong, now that i think about it...)

We'll be getting lots of these questions over the next few months, so sooner or later, someones going to need to explain what it is so we can point to a sticky thread.

 

[dagger]

Yes the DRM is stupid, but people shouldn't act like idiots either. If you had the game for two weeks take it back to the store you bought it from and tell them it doesn't work. At the very least you'll get a new working copy. But I have a suspicion this is just a troll post and we'll probably never hear back from the OP.

Nope, they won't take it back. Many people have tried already. Retailers are aware of the DRM, and will just tell you to contact EA.

 

[DarkNet]

This is why I will never buy from EA again until they drop their greed lusting activation limits, so in the meantime, they can go get bent.

 

[jimmysmitty]

EA, what a great gaming company.

That's exactly why I did not bother buying Crysis Warhead.

Stupid DRM. I hope Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3 doesn't have this level of DRM.

Well its Ubisoft. They normally are one of the better PC gaming companies along with VALVe and Blizzard. Also Far Cry 2 is going to be on Steam so that may be the best route to go.

 

[purplerat]

Nope, they won't take it back. Many people have tried already. Retailers are aware of the DRM, and will just tell you to contact EA.

Take a nail and put a nice scratch down the CD and tell them that's how it was when you opened it. You'll get a new copy.

 

[rennervision]

I didn't want to buy it due to the DRM, but was able to get it at $19.99 and couldn't resist. I will say one of the cracks floating around the internet works beautifully. (But I've heard some don't work at all.) I can install and play it just fine without the online activation.

 

[Guest]

Now I'm a bit peeved. I bought this game the day it was released. Gameplay was great, and I rarely had any issues. Once in a while, it would request internet access to validate the license. I didn't think anything of it. However, last night I got on to play it, and it gave me the exact same message as the first poster. Note that I'm running a 2.4Ghz 2MB Dell XPS 410 with a GeForce 8600GT 512MB graphics card. I have made NO changes to my hardware since installation of this game, and now I can't play it. The first poster was spot on. I posted a concern on EA's website last night, and I'm curious to see if I'll get a response. If not, I'll be posting my concern on EVERY board I can find. Buy this game at your own risk, as you may not be able to play it for too long!

 

[dagger]

Now I'm a bit peeved. I bought this game the day it was released. Gameplay was great, and I rarely had any issues. Once in a while, it would request internet access to validate the license. I didn't think anything of it. However, last night I got on to play it, and it gave me the exact same message as the first poster. Note that I'm running a 2.4Ghz 2MB Dell XPS 410 with a GeForce 8600GT 512MB graphics card. I have made NO changes to my hardware since installation of this game, and now I can't play it. The first poster was spot on. I posted a concern on EA's website last night, and I'm curious to see if I'll get a response. If not, I'll be posting my concern on EVERY board I can find. Buy this game at your own risk, as you may not be able to play it for too long!

Apply a crack. That's what they're for.

 

[purplerat]

Does it ever occur to anybody else other than me that every time a DRM protected game is released we always seem to see these "1 post Strangers" start a thread like this only to never be heard from again?

 

[dagger]

Does it ever occur to anybody else other than me that every time a DRM protected game is released we always seem to see these "1 post Strangers" start a thread like this only to never be heard from again?

Of course. It's the same as when people encounter any other kind of software/hardware problem. They create an account in various forums seeking solution. The only difference with drm is it's an artificially created, instead of natural problem.

 

[purplerat]

If they were looking for help why never reply back? I think it's the same as those Amazon reviews of Spore where people who never played the game were making a big deal out of it. I'd say chances are people like the OP of this thread never had this issue, and probably never even played the game. They're just posting to try and stir up trouble. Here's an idea; we all pretty much agree that piracy is not as big a problem as those in the gaming industry make it out to be. I'm getting the feeling that these DRM issues are just as equally being overblown by some gamers.

 

[dagger]

If they were looking for help why never reply back? I think it's the same as those Amazon reviews of Spore where people who never played the game were making a big deal out of it. I'd say chances are people like the OP of this thread never had this issue, and probably never even played the game. They're just posting to try and stir up trouble. Here's an idea; we all pretty much agree that piracy is not as big a problem as those in the gaming industry make it out to be. I'm getting the feeling that these DRM issues are just as equally being overblown by some gamers.

Why act like a industry mouthpiece?

I happen to know a lot of people IRL that has issues with drm. It's not just online. As for the Amazon flash crowd with Spore, it's a natural reaction. Amazon deleted all the reviews later at the pressure of EA.

The reason new people don't reply is they're selfish. When you've answered their question, they already got what they wanted, so there's no reason to reply. It's common not only in drm help threads, but all other help threads as well.

 

[purplerat]

I'm not acting like a mouthpiece for anyone. I'm just being realistic. On one hand you have members of the gaming industry acting like they are under siege by piracy to the point where they can't earn a living. On the other hand you have consumers acting as if DRM is some sort of Gestapo tactic designed to steal their liberties.
Being a realist I see a one-time poster who never even responds to his own question and think it’s just as likely that there never was an issue and he’s just trying to stir up trouble. At least in that case we know he succeeded by reading other’s responses. Whether he really did have a problem and how it was solved we’ll most likely never know because I doubt he’ll be responding anytime soon.

 

[dagger]

Game consumers are shrewd because they're the ones paying, and therefore has the right to be shrewd. It's natural and proper behavior, same as consumers of all other products.

The industry doing everything to bite the hand that feeds them is not natural or proper behavior.

Costumer is always right. The realistic standpoint is with the consumers. It's the industry that lost sight of the real world.

 

[wh3resmycar]

i have a hardware change coming up (GPU), i might post here too just in case sickUROM f***s my system up. when that happens i'll claim this thread as my own lol.

if warhead gets screwed, cod5 is just weeks away so i can live without it i guess.

securom and punkbuster should be dumped in hell.

 

[purplerat]

I'm all for consumers being shrewd and voicing their opinions. But I think that over inflating claims only acts counter productive to whatever you're trying to achieve. In the case of this thread I'd put it at least at 50/50 that the OP just completely made up his story to stir up trouble. In another similar thread I recently had a guy tell me that DRM would lead to "them" completely controlling our lives. Why not just keep the debate to what's real rather than making crap up or try to portray every extreme example as being the norm?