Creative ideas for copy protection?

[BSC]

What BSC (and others) are describing is basically a hidden watermark. I.e. a way to identify who the specific copy of the game was sold to. It doesn't actually prevent piracy, and it's easy to register a game to a false name.
Not saying it's useless. Just pointing out I think there's a difference between a watermark and a lockout.

The difference being that, with the right process in place (I gave some hints towards that but they are by no means complete), only the developer/publisher is able to create a registered game. No one else has access to the source code and the tools needed to for that. 

[mr_lou]

The difference being that, with the right process in place, only the developer/publisher is able to create a registered game.

I get that.
I'm merely saying, in regards to piracy, it won't make a difference.
If we're talking about a commercial-only title, then someone will without a doubt buy a copy in a false name, and then spread that copy.
Pirates don't care, and most players don't care either.
So I wouldn't recommend all of that effort to anyone expecting it to make a difference in regards of piracy. But it could still be a fun thing to do of course, for other reasons.


Another approach that I've heard some gamedevs take, is that they actually create a pirated copy themselves - with errors - and then spread it.
I can't remember the title, but I believe there was a game where you took the role as a software developer, and the object of the game was to make money on making games.
The pirated copy (that the gamedev released himself) was impossible to complete - because the object of the game was prevented since the games would always get pirated. :-D
Brilliant way to make a point.


In relation to @arnoldemu 's idea about filling up all the space on a disk, another dev added that this "junk" data shouldn't all be added together at the end or beginning, because then it would be relative easy to just trim the real data. A better placement of the junk data would be here and there in between the real data - using real filenames that look like they matter.

[mr_lou]

Another aspect of personalised games, is that it will probably affect the resale value a lot?

How many people wants to buy a game that has been personalised to someone else?

[Nich]

I can't offer any new technical ideas for protecting discs and cartridges, but I've noticed that in the C64 gaming community, new games are available on itch.io, but it's very common for developers to charge money for them in order to download the files. Of course, that doesn't stop crackers from doing what crackers do and uploading their cracks to CSDB.

On the other hand, the large majority of new CPC games are available on itch.io, but very few developers insist on them being purchased before they can be downloaded. However, it seems that the CPC community is respectful of games that have to be purchased. In the case of CPC Jewels and Gates to Heaven (both of which initially had to be purchased for $1.00), none of the main download sites that I know of (CPC-POWER, CPCRulez, NVG and Crackers Velus) made these games available to download, until ESP Soft made them free of charge. I hope that GGP's recently released Mighty Steel Fighters will be treated in the same manner.

Basically, what I'm saying is that uploading a CPC game to itch.io and making people purchase it in order to download it is probably the way to go to reduce piracy - although it admittedly won't stop cartridge bootleggers from purchasing a CPR image and then making and selling their own cartridges.

[mr_lou]

The large majority of new CPC games are available on itch.io, but very few developers insist on them being purchased before they can be downloaded. However, it seems that the CPC community is respectful of games that have to be purchased. In the case of CPC Jewels and Gates to Heaven (both of which initially had to be purchased for $1.00), none of the main download sites that I know of (CPC-POWER, CPCRulez, NVG and Crackers Velus) made these games available to download, until ESP Soft made them free of charge. I hope that GGP's recently released Mighty Steel Fighters will be treated in the same manner.

I have noticed this too, and I too think it's really nice to see this kind of respectful behavior in the community.

The fact that very few developers require payment has to do with the size of the CPC community I think. It's just not big enough.
It's the same reason why the Amstrad CPC version of my tracks are always free to use even for commercial projects, while I put a price on other filetype formats of the same tracks. That's my way of supporting CPC gamedevs; by offering free music regardless of their project being freeware or commercial. I doubt anyone in the CPC community is doing CPC stuff for the money. But of course, charging € 1 EUR would hardly qualify as "doing it for the money" either.

The "pay what you want" model for digital versions of the game + the "buy the physical collector's edition" combination is what works best for CPC productions, I think. And I really like that itch.io makes that possible.

Basically, what I'm saying is that uploading a CPC game to itch.io and making people purchase it in order to download it is probably the way to go to reduce piracy - although it admittedly won't stop cartridge bootleggers from purchasing a CPR image and then making and selling their own cartridges.

While that's probably true yes, I suspect it will also limit the amount of players - even if we're only talking € 1 EUR , and that's not in the interest of the developer either. And as you say, it'll still be pirated by bootleggers, which is what started this thread in the first place.

But what it's all really about, is helping the developers keep their motivation, in any way we can.
Piracy is a motivation-killer - especially after having put so much time and effort into making a physical edition of the game, so it'll be good to find ways to reduce piracy.
Money donations is a booster for most people, since it shows appreciation. Seeing an overall interest in one's project is also a booster, so don't be shy with those € 1 EUR payments on itch.io.
Having handy assets available to make life easier is also good, so musicians should go ahead and put their tracks on IGM for CPC devs to find them.
It could be interesting to hear from developers what would help them keep their motivation. So I've created a thread about that here.

[dthrone]

There are bootlegs of my stuff on ebay as well.  I'm not that bothered but...

In my physical release of SOH Tactics GX there is a special title screen not in the .cpr online and as far as I'm aware nobody has dumped this version, so people who bought off me have an some exclusive.

Almost everyone hosting the Bears! .cpr is hosting the bugged version that got fixed in 2021.  I always say, the only place to guarantee the latest version of stuff is my website.  So I strongly suspect that the ebay bootlegs are bugged, sorry   My physical editions of course AREN'T 

[chinnyhill10]

A message after the loading screen would deter the more casual bootleggers as they'd need to hack it out. Execute the message in such a way that hacking it out would be a chore.

Physical release versions as also a nice way to deter piracy. I've purchased some physical releases (you'll have seen them on my Youtube channel) and I love having them on the shelf.

Finally charging for downloads seems to work. I was happy to pay for Zeta Wing on the 64.

Remember if you are worried about the costs of a physical release, consider speaking to The Future Was 8 Bit. You won't make any money out of it (he isn't either by charging £4.99!) but Rod puts together the artwork and sorts all the duplication. The CPC is under represented in his range and it de-risks it for coders who would like a physical tape.

https://www.tfw8b.com/product-category/games/

[Egg Master]

Maybe by selling games with more content than the free downloadable versions? 
You can't stop people from reselling original CPC games or copies on eBay. 

Bootleg cartridges just show that the GX4000 lacks an "everdrive".

[mr_lou]

You can't stop people from reselling original CPC games or copies on eBay.

No one is talking about that.
We're only talking about how Amstrad CPC developers nowadays can prevent people pirating their games. Specifically the case of @Cwiiis. And @arnoldemu came up with a great method for that case.

Bootleg cartridges just show that the GX4000 lacks an "everdrive".

We have the C4CPC cartridge, which is similar to an Everdrive.

[Egg Master]

We have the C4CPC cartridge, which is similar to an Everdrive.

I have seen that on eBay, because it is no more available since years.