[vois2]

I have found through months of experience that there is a way to purchase and enjoy SH3 without the hassle or worry of StarForce and its possibility to hose your optical media drive. It doesn't involve removing StarForce products from your machine, either.

That solution is to purchase the downloadable version of the game. As far as I know, the only distributor licensed in the US market to sell the downloadable version of SH3 is Direct2Drive.

While I don't agree with Ubisoft's inclusion of these sorts of protectionary drivers, here are answers to the most commonly discussed questions/comments regarding the downloadable version of SH3:

(1) The Starforce drivers are included in the downloadable version, too.
(1) Yes, they are. But not all of them. You can compare the drivers appearing on a newly-formatted OS with only SH3 installed via the downloadable version of the game, against the drivers appearing on a newly-formatted OS installed with the CD version of the game. The result? The drivers that interact with the optical media drive are not present on the install of the downloadable game. This makes perfect sense as no spin-up of media is necessary in the case of the downloadable game. In fact, I have tried to 'provoke' the Starforce drivers in the downloadable version of the game, and I have not been successful. I can't determine their functionality in the downloadable version of SH3.

(2) If you use the downloadable version of the game, you only get to reinstall SH3 four times maximum.
(2) I have learned that this rumor is patently untrue. I went on a reformat kick during this year so that I could learn more about the Windows OS. I have in that same time period installed SH3 eleven times. The element of reality is that after the fourth install, you need to contact the distributor with your original order information and your hardware code, and they will email you back another serial number code to activate the product again and again. I must give credit to Direct2Drive/GameSpy/IGN Entertainment for alleviating this particular issue with efficiency and politeness every time.

(3) Why would you pay for a game and not own the media backup of that game?
(3) With all the problems people have had with their optical media drives BECAUSE they used the CD version of the game, I think this question answers itself.