Be watching for an Update on Starforce from Toms Hardware!!!

[ThirteenthHouR]

Hi Dan, great to see Game overdrive has joined the fight for the right to freely use games/applications which we have purchased in the manner they where intended in the first place.

You may be interested that PCPlus Magazine in the UK are also getting on the bandwagon with a "Hands off our PC's" campaign.

Its about time these 'Trojankits' where dealt with once and for all.

Trojankit:

1. Security Applications installed without end user consent.
2.Software that grants Ring 0 access to Ring 3 (user level) applications.
3. Interferes with other software such as virtual drives, SCSI/SATA etc.
4. Puts its own virtual protection drivers on the system.
5. Interferes with other applications Windows registry settings.
6. Can be exploited with replacement malicious versions to grant Full Ring 0 access

[DanMattia]

Wow, that's awesome. We really need support from big-name companies as well, instead of niche-targeted companies like mine.

[ThirteenthHouR]

Support is there, due to contractual agreements a lot have not gone public yet.

However you can expect more replies over the next few weeks.

NGH, 'my site' does have lot of influence. We have reputation for honest straight forward tech support.

as you can see here some news sites have already taken this onboard.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=29429

and here

http://techdirt.com/articles/20060201/1842220_F.shtml

[Soulcommander]

Dan, your company as well as many others combined, hand in hand create a Large Network and I personally thank you for your companies stand. Many here on this forum have been a part of the SF Investigation that was conducted with Ubisoft and we have been informing and helping everyone to understand these Trojankits and what they are capable of.
It's good to see progress being made. It's a start in the right direction!

SC

Definition of Trojankit: http://www.n-gage-help.com/modules.p...&p=42089#42089

[DanMattia]

That's largely my goal in GO's part in this boycott--inform the public about Starforce and rely on word-of-mouth to generate the rest of the boycott. I must say, I've really enjoyed working directly with the public and publishers/developers, and I'm very pleased with the responses I've been reading.

[ThirteenthHouR]

A lot of magazine reviewers are angry with SF, as it has been messing with their reviews of products. They did not realise it was there when testing other software and hardware.

So the bench tests they published where wrong.

[DanMattia]

Yes, I read about a Gamespot editor who wrote into someone who contacted him about SF. After searching for it on his review rig, he was pretty angry about it and removed it.

The problem with this is that in order to review recent games, we need pretty decent machines that cost at least $1000. To have something ruin a hard drive or DVD ROM or the like means purchasing more hardware and wasting worktime to fix the problem. Granted, not a major problem, but it gets in the way of work.

[ThirteenthHouR]

I get the same problems. My Kit here cost £7000 about $13000, I cannot afford to have TrojanKits taking that down.

I have refused to review anygame that is associated with Starforce licensed users.

Gameloft etc are not happy about that, but they are directly linked with Ubisoft and other major software houses which use SF.

Given that NGH is major force in the N-Gage games market they are getting nervous.

[kiwi_2005]

A lot of magazine reviewers are angry with SF, as it has been messing with their reviews of products. They did not realise it was there when testing other software and hardware.

PCPowerplay magazine game reviewers always warn the reader if the game they reviewed has SF.

[ThirteenthHouR]

Thats good news, at least the IT press are starting to take a responsible attitude.

[GT182]

Great news indeed and good to see GO involved Dan.

May the Force be with us, not with StarForce.

[ThirteenthHouR]

Originally Posted by DanMattia

Actually, the response I've gotten from publishers is amazing. They're actually quite understanding when consulting with someone who understands their choice of protecting their software from piracy. I've mentioned using alternatives and the like, and have gotten some excellent responses from them regarding it.

Yep I have had similar positive responses, (from everybody except SF)

I have even proposed alternatives to the use of DRM's which would still be financially viable, plus preparing them for the step into Push technology.

[ThirteenthHouR]

Originally Posted by GT182

Great news indeed and good to see GO involved Dan.

May the Force be with us, not with StarForce.

As the lead article on my site says

"When you don't want the 'FORCE' to be with you! "

but R-FORCE is here to keep Darkside of the force at bay.

[TallyHO]

Thank god people have started to listen
you guys are the greatest. I was really begging to think i was cursed, With the hassle i have had over the past few years
it wasnt till my beloved GTR came out that sf became a target of my research
i kept on suffering the pio mode downgrade and my new pioneer burner went west
last year when i removed starfarce my ole 2500xp pc went back to being a lively little beast
and then i realised

hopefully we will see some publishers rethink there protection
on some imminent release's, since the sysinternals thread is now @43000+views
We should start a thread somewhere about the games We Would Have Bought if they didnt have StarFarce on em,or may be a poll somewhere lots of people won't post but they will click on a poll

maybe we can get some rereleased

Everyone i know who have bought sf games have seen it as a nessasary evil to play the games, others like me have boycotted completly
but they would run out and buy another SF free copy
Silent hunter 3... was i gutted plus loads of others
soul commander ,13thhour,DanMattia
all of you thankyou

[Gizzmoe]

Originally Posted by ThirteenthHouR

Trojankit:

1. Security Applications installed without end user consent.
2.Software that grants Ring 0 access to Ring 3 (user level) applications.
3. Interferes with other software such as virtual drives, SCSI/SATA etc.
4. Puts its own virtual protection drivers on the system.
5. Interferes with other applications Windows registry settings.
6. Can be exploited with replacement malicious versions to grant Full Ring 0 access

Cool, you have invented a new definition for "Trojankit"! What a coincidence that SF fits into your new definition and now that you´ve informed the world about what a Trojankit is everybody can call SF a Trojankit. That´s a nice change actually, calling it "Rootkit", "Virus" or "Malware" was getting old, we really needed a new term to describe it.