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Players trying to launch Tron: Evolution are now met with a message telling them that the serial key has expired. This applies to the retail version as well as the Steam version which is delisted from the store. Players who previously bought the game from Steam cannot play the game, and are met w...
You wanna know why gamers hate DRM?
This is why. Fuck DRM.
Any thoughts on the whole Doom Eternal/surprise Denuvo thing?
I get the feeling it’s Bethesda trying to patch things up with Denuvo.
Because if you didn’t know, Doom Eternal shipped in a weird state. The game’s always had Denuvo, but if you installed it through the Bethesda.net launcher, it included a folder called “original” that included a raw, drm-free executable for the game, from a time before they applied Denuvo.
Just like how Sonic Mania went from 200mb down to 7mb, the Denuvo-less Doom Eternal executable was less than a tenth of the DRM-stuffed version.
This also isn’t the first time this has happened. RAGE 2 also shipped with the exact same “original” folder that contained a no-denuvo executable. These incidents were probably accidents, though it’s a bit weird to make the same mistake twice.
But now Doom Eternal has updated to require the most recent version of Denuvo, the most aggressive version yet, which runs as a kernel-level driver. For those of you out there who don’t know what “kernel-level” means, there are many layers of security in Windows, and it all depends on which execution level the program is allowed to run. The less security, the more a program is allowed to do, and it can do it faster. But less security also means it’s easier to conceal nasty processes as a byproduct of the software having more freedom. More freedom means more chances to cause serious damage to a system by doing something that’s normally safeguarded.
“Kernel-level” execution is about as close to bare metal (read: zero security) as Windows will let you get. Kernel-level execution is usually reserved for, like, very important hardware drivers (your graphics card, etc.) and ultra-essential core Windows functions.
A video game is not meant to run at a “kernel-level.” There isn’t really a need for it. It would be like sneaking in to Area 51 to hook up a PS4 to one of their TVs. Absolutely, absurdly unnecessary.
The argument could be made that a lot of piracy and cheating software also executes at the kernel-level now, and that may be true. But that’s often a one-time process during installation. Denuvo is just on, all the time, while you play the game. It’s constantly checking, every few minutes, just to make sure you aren’t doing anything naughty, even though it’s already checked 200 times.
In even the best case past scenarios, Denuvo had a performance impact. It uses a very complex system of data decryption so the executable can’t just be hacked to remove DRM checks. Decryption isn’t “free” in terms of computation, and will drag system processing speed down. Going back to Sonic Mania as an example, that game is so simple a toaster could run it, but Denuvo running in the background would still cause my recordings to stutter.
Now that the new Denuvo is kernel-level, it is effectively going right to the heart of Windows and squeezing all of its blood out. In other terms, thanks to this new version of Denuvo, users are reporting significant losses to performance, because your computer is too busy dedicating all system resources to Denuvo’s “guilty until proven innocent” way of doing business.
But Bethesda probably “has” to do this, because including two DRM-free versions of their past games was probably a breach of whatever contract they have with Denuvo, so this is them trying to repent by doubling down with an even nastier version of the software. It sucks, but there’s parts of Bethesda that also seem to suck, so the shoe fits.
And none of this even touches on the fact that letting software like Denuvo root around in the Windows kernel is probably an outrageously bad idea in general and a huge security risk. It effectively means that the security in Windows is only as good as Denuvo’s. If Denuvo’s security isn’t absolutely 1000% air tight, it becomes way easier for other people to gain kernel access to Windows, and that would be very bad for Microsoft, Denuvo, and Bethesda. Kernel access for software like this is a big risk.
I should also point out that the inventors of Denuvo also invented SecuROM, another DRM scheme, and one that has actually broken hundreds of games on Windows 10. Essentially, whatever loophole SecuROM used to maintain its anti-piracy DRM was closed by Windows 10, and now, even if you have legitimate game discs, they cannot be installed because the SecuROM check will always, always, always fail.
Denuvo is a ticking timebomb waiting to explode, essentially.
The thing is, I feel like this is how the DRM song and dance also goes, though. All of the nastiest anti-piracy DRM always reaches a kind of boiling point and then falls out of favor. I mean, nobody remembers StarForce these days, do they? I feel like we’re on the road to Denuvo going away, though that only makes it suck even harder when things like this happen.
Before anyone else contacts me about it . . . Yup, I've been aware of the Steam version of TRON Evolution not activating on a new install. I knew about it before Jim Sterling's video. (Though if you've already installed TRON Evolution before now, it should still work.)
Since I've always been quick to bash Disney Interactive in the past: I wanted to give Disney a chance to fix their shit, before talking about this. Expected too much.
Other than applying a crack to the game right now, we'll have to wait for Disney to get off their asses and remove SecuROM from the game so it doesn't need activation any more. The game is almost 10 years old now. I think we're well past the need to "protect" the game's sales.
If the DRM is removed, then maybe TRON Evolution finally could show up on GOG. Hell, Disney might even get GOG to do the work of removing the DRM for them . . .
BTW, Disney have already said they’re working on a fix (as shown in Jim Sterling's video).
- TronFAQ
So there’s this video, I’ve known about this for a while but it seems as it’s being picked up by the news, anything to get Tron back into the news but I wanted to talk about it a little, mainly the PC/Steam version.
This game has always been a kind of weird product, given that it works through Windows Live. As you may know, that no longer exists, I believe there is some way you can get it but it’s just annoying. I believe Disney has let the rights to Daft Punk’s music being used run out as well (don’t quote me on that, I saw a rumor about it) but also SecuROM, no game taken off of Steam is really covered in the news but I think it’s just the WAY this was taken off but not before some people bought it to launch an unplayable product.
I have this game downloaded on my computer and tried booting it up maybe a month ago and it wouldn’t do it because the Windows Live ID won’t work. Sure I can play the game (I literally just tested it again) but I can’t load any save file without that ID, I’ve searched it up and I have seen different problems as of recent, it being taken off the store included.
Now with that being said, it’s explained in the video but I’ll say it here. If you have it installed on your computer DON’T UNINSTALL IT!! It will NOT work again if you reinstall it.
Disney ARE talking about fixing it but take it with a grain of salt because it might not happen. Another thing is there was a rumor back in July that a NEW open world Tron game is coming which would be really surprising, we’ll see but this is all crazy.
End_Of_Line
The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection received an update in an effort to bring the game in-line with other Origin titles and improve the installation process. According to testing done by Crinrict, downloading and testing this update revealed that EA finally removed SecuROM from this game. This gives the game better compatibility with Windows 10. If you …
The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection Update + Securom
Today I decided to remove Securom from my computer because I found a post on here about Securom being harmful and making the game lag. I proceeded with all the steps to remove it, my PC was finally Securom free. I downloaded a NO CD crack (?), but my game refused to load. I deleted the NO CD .exe and used the original one which reinstalled Securom... Not just that but my game become corrupted. The pie menus weren't working when I clicked on More. And when I wanted to place a sim in 45 degree angle, it would snap back to its original position. So I deleted Securom again, opened up Origin and finally updated my game. But my game wouldn't load, not even trough Origin. I repaired the game trough Origin and ofc the Graphics Rules reverted to the defalut EA files. Please note that I have made a back up of all the files located in My Documents before proceeding with the update and the repair. I used the Graphics Rule Maker, and loaded my game without CC to test things. Go figure, everything works perfectly and there's no lag anymore, no lag while clicking the buy/build menus. I ran a test and Securom got deleted finally! So you don't have to uninstall and reinstall everything from scratch to have a good working game without Securom on your PC. I'm going to test everything later with CC and reblog this.
The reason I made this long post is to encourage everyone to follow these steps and delete Securom from your PC and update The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection.
How to delete permanently Securom: http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=6688
* DO NOT FORGET TO BACKUP YOUR GAME IN CASE ANYTHING GOES WRONG.
Tron: Evolution Becomes Unplayable Due To SecuROM DRM
Tron: Evolution Becomes Unplayable Due To SecuROM DRM | #Tron #TronEvolution #DRM #AllDigitalFuture
Due to Disney not renewing their subscription to SecuROM for Tron: Evolution, the game is no longer playable, nor listed in the Steam store. If you already installed the game and have it updated and profile attached, you can still play it, but if you uninstalled it and plan to reinstall it, you won’t be able to play it. (more…)
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Hi I was wondering if you or your followers knew of a safe no CD crack for Sims 2 M&G? I have Ultimate collection and just removed SecuROM but I was told it would reinstall w/o a crack. But all of the ones I found online had Trojan viruses in them...
I use a no-CD crack for that exact reason (SecuROM… *shudders*). I continue to use the one I downloaded years ago from Game Copy World. If anyone else has anything to add or recommend, please feel free to do so in the comments.
Good luck, anon!
ETA: Thank you, @darkmoon689 for that info re: cracks replacing an .exe often getting flagged by antivirus software. Good to know!
ETA: There a link to one on Leefish, here. Just scroll down. Thanks, @holesoulsims!
