Quake full encrypted on CD - hackable?
Tristan Rowley
In article: <4nbu4n$p...@sun.sirius.com> whi...@sirius.com (Tom
Whitnah) writes:
what i havn't heard anything about on the 'quake full encryption'
subject is anything like "won't somebody just hack it?". i mean, afaik,
virtually everything with a key-type system has a crack for it..
anybody know something i don't, or have a suggestion?
--
Tristan Rowley
** Got my GCSEs in 2 weeks.. and i need qualifications to get a job to
pay for a decent quake machine.. wish me luck :) **
nick
On Sun, 19 May 1996 11:55:12 -0700, GONZO <kuce...@imap2.asu.edu>
wrote:
>Well, it won't be quite as simple as just posting a key on the internet.
>I read in some press release that each CD sold will have an different key
>to unlock it. No CD's will use the same key. To crack it, someone will
>have to actually hack the encryption program put a program to figure out
>the key for each CD onto the internet.
I think Lunde meant that the whole game will be posted after
it is unlocked from the cd. People seem to have fair luck getting
programs several tens of megs off the internet, even through usenet
(considering how many times duke3d registered has been posted to
various groups).
Lunde
Every game will get hacked. For Quake, someone will just have to unlock it from the
CD (pay for it) and then post it off to the internet. That will happen. The point
is, it is easier for people to pay for and play the reg. game when they have it on CD
form. All you do is just call up, give your credit card number and start playing.
There is more of a chance to get people to pay for it because they don't have to wait
for it to be shipped. It is already there, ready to be played.
GONZO
Well, it won't be quite as simple as just posting a key on the internet.
I read in some press release that each CD sold will have an different key
to unlock it. No CD's will use the same key. To crack it, someone will
have to actually hack the encryption program put a program to figure out
the key for each CD onto the internet.
-Matt
Robin Ward
>Well, it won't be quite as simple as just posting a key on the internet.
>I read in some press release that each CD sold will have an different key
>to unlock it. No CD's will use the same key. To crack it, someone will
>have to actually hack the encryption program put a program to figure out
>the key for each CD onto the internet.
It's actually impossible to install a different key on each CD,
since stamped CDs are an exact copy of the master. The odds are that
id will generate a key from your system components, or a random number.
In fact, if id is mass selling the cds at 10$ each, they will make more
money than Doom even without the registrations, when you consider it
only costs about $3-4 to manufacture and ship a game into stores.
Everyone will buy the CD shareware quake one way or another.
Robin Ward
Cyber Artistry
sw...@io.org
Phil Hall
True. And besides, there is no program that cannot be hacked, given the
intelligence and effort that will be put into it--this is QUAKE, after
all! My bet: a crack within 2 weeks of release.
Phil Hall
Scott Crosby
In article <31A29A...@www.cedarnet.org>, Phil Hall
<ph1...@www.cedarnet.org> wrote:
<snip>
> >
> > It's actually impossible to install a different key on each CD,
> > since stamped CDs are an exact copy of the master. The odds are that
> > id will generate a key from your system components, or a random number.
> > In fact, if id is mass selling the cds at 10$ each, they will make more
> > money than Doom even without the registrations, when you consider it
> > only costs about $3-4 to manufacture and ship a game into stores.
> > Everyone will buy the CD shareware quake one way or another.
<snip>
> True. And besides, there is no program that cannot be hacked, given the
> intelligence and effort that will be put into it--this is QUAKE, after
> all! My bet: a crack within 2 weeks of release.
I disagree... it IS possible to burn a variant serial number into every
CD, thus making it worthless to post reg codes online. BUT, you're
right... any program is hackable BUT I seriously believe Id has thought of
this. If they use DES (not likely, but possible) there's no fuckin' way
you're getting past it. A variant of DES that used the CD's ID# in
decryption would be difficult to crack.
I don't ese a crack happening. I do, however, see Quake being distributed
in the same way as DOOM... through piracy of the actual program. There
are ways around this, though, and ways around those ways. People _WILL_
get copies of quake.
As a programmer, though, I realize how much time and effort can go into
the development of any project, especially a game. ID will get my money
the instand Quake is available.
My 2 cents,
sKroz
Kenneth Hwang
Phil Hall wrote:
> True. And besides, there is no program that cannot be hacked, given the
> intelligence and effort that will be put into it--this is QUAKE, after
> all! My bet: a crack within 2 weeks of release.
>
> Phil Hall
Two weeks? Ha, I'll see you on that, and raise you...5 days, MAX! The
thing is, I don't see what the big deal is. Doom and Doom2 had NO copy
protection whatsoever...you could basically just copy Doom2 off the CD
to your (or anybody else's) HD. Why would they go all paranoid now?
All they really need is some simple algorithm to keep the kiddies from
passing out reg. codes. Even something simple like Winzip, which
generates a code from your name. The "eLiTe" aren't going to pay no
matter what, and neither is 10 year old Tommie (or GoDz9000 :) Let them
think they're cool. The game will sell itself if it's good, and people
will register for the same reason they registered Doom.
Cheers,
-Kenneth Hwang
ke...@uclink2.berkeley.edu
Robert Viehland
On 21 May 1996 20:16:17 GMT someone named Robin Ward (Robin Ward (sw...@io.org)) scrawled:
: It's actually impossible to install a different key on each CD,
: since stamped CDs are an exact copy of the master. The odds are that
: id will generate a key from your system components, or a random number.
: In fact, if id is mass selling the cds at 10$ each, they will make more
: money than Doom even without the registrations, when you consider it
: only costs about $3-4 to manufacture and ship a game into stores.
: Everyone will buy the CD shareware quake one way or another.
: Robin Ward
: Cyber Artistry
: sw...@io.org
--
Actually, they aren't just going to be making money that way. Figure if
ID is selling Cds for $10 in your local store, the store wants a cut of
that money, let's say the store wants $3/CD sold. That leaves ID making
a $3-$4 profit on a CD, and the CD will be bought by a LOT of people,
considering it's only $10.
But then, here's the real cash cow, you call up ID and they get
apx. $40-$50 for you, with no additional cost for CDs, etc... And, that
$40-$50 is not split with the store it's being sold in. So, you figure
that if ID sells 500000 copies of the shareware game, then there will be
a profit around 1.5 to 2 million dollars for ID right there. But, let's
say then 2/5 of the people register (not a bad turn out, it's fairly easy
to register the game, I expect the CD to get higher rates of registration
than a game distrubuted on the net, partly due to the fact the user get's
instant gratification, and partly because it will be so effortless). So
2/5 of all people register, that's going to be 200000 people registering,
at a cost of $40-50, or a $8mil-10mil profit. Now, that's just off of
Quake. THere will obviously be a Quake ][, which may be what GT
Interactive is releasing. This neat little method comes close to
doubling there income, because if they sold the retail version in stores,
then the store would get apx. half the money. That $8mil-$10mil comes
with no additional cost (except for having someone man the phones where
registrations will be pouring in), because they don't have to press any
additional CDs. not a bad deal for ID at all, espescially considering
they are distrubuting it, NOT GT. So all the money goes to them :)
Rob Viehland, aka Dino. Visit my homepage!
vieh...@umr.edu http://www.umr.edu/~viehland
Freshman CS major @ UM-Rolla Harry Browne for Pres. in '96
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out,
It doesn't matter much to me.
- John Lennon, "Strawberry Fields Forever"