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Computer game serial numbers and keys annoying

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I hate them and why do they even exist?  You spend $20 for a game for your grandchild who is chomping at the bit to open it, install it and play it.  But... during installation you find that you need a serial number or key from the packaging in order to another unlock code so you can complete the installation!  Of course the serial number is not on the back of the case, nor is it on the back of the manual or any other place in the packaging.  The folks at the store say call or email the vendor.  The vendor tells us they are sorry but there is nothing they can do.  That's $20 down the drain and I'm left with a very unhappy kid.

I recently bought another game for a different grandchild.  This game was going to be installed on a PC specifically for games that was not connected to the Internet.  Nowhere on the packaging, not even where it lists the installation requirements did it say you have to have active Internet connection to run the software.  But, you find out after you've paid for it, opened it, and begun to install it that you can't get the unlock code without going online. 

Computer games, serial numbers and keys, why do we need them? This time I DO have the serial key and I still can't install the game - simply because I don't have the PC connected to the Internet.  So yet again I begin negotiations with the vendor and after two days of arguing with them they finally cough up a code so the game can be installed.

So don't don't buy games that require codes and keys you might be tempted to say.  But nowhere on the packaging did it mention the need for any codes and I'd consider that to be false advertising.  Now let's say you have none of the above mentioned glitches. You buy your software, get it installed with no problems and run it for a couple of years.  You then get a new PC and go to install your game and it's uh oh time again.  After two years, maybe a house move and a bit of clearing out by someone and you no longer have the original packaging with the serial code.  You can kiss it goodbye because it's literally game over.  Your screwed.  Go buy a new one!


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gRim_ReapeR

gRim_ReapeR

did you know you can get a serial key/ cd key generator, it really makes things a lot easier, of course sometimes you need a specific one for a specific game, but that's besides the point, and you can also get a cracks for games that you need to connect to the internet to install.
12/02/11 gRim_ReapeR
-1
iB@stard

iB@stard

So, let me get this right...you, who have plenty of time to write that long gripe on here, did not find a moment to check out this cr@p product out before you bought it? Maybe you have more time and money than sense.
12/11/10 iB@stard
-5
Archos Phobia

Archos Phobia

I recently bought an Archos 605 30 Gbyte WIFI unit. Loadsamoney spent

Conclusion: it is total expensive piece of junk: a complete waste of money; a
huge waste.

Archos does not provide a wall socket charger = Extra at £10.

Archos 605 although it has a WIFI device is not provided out of the
box with a Web Browser. = Extra at £20, and that web browser is
effectively deficient in its capabilities.

The touch screen is awful, non responsive

Archos 605 + Web Browser does not support Youtube and Flash 10 =
crippleware.

Archos 605 does not support WMV files. Why not?

Archos 605 does not play back AAC. Codec required = more money? No way
José!!!

They don't provide a proper wallet out of the box!

Archos does not use regular connectors, only proprietary ones = pure
corporate greed.

The Archos Docking Station, what another expensive piece of kit! What
a clumsy piece of kit! Portability = Zero

And the cables for the docking station = Spaghetti junction!

Archos = Never Never Never Ever Again for me.
11/11/10 Archos Phobia
-17
miserablemoaninggit

miserablemoaninggit

Worse than the problem with serial numbers is the increasing tendency of games companies to provide little or no 'support' to games once they have been launched, unlike in the past. The prime example is this year's Aliens Vs Predators game. What a load of unbalanced rubbish it is. Sega should be ashamed that they very early on have stopped providing patches, for both game consoles and PC's, only to leave gamers with a piece of unbalanced junk that is little, or no, fun to play and is very frustrating. I'm becoming very wary of buying any computer game 'new', especially designed by Sega, and now will wait to pick-up a much cheaper 'second-hand' game.
20/10/10 miserablemoaninggit
-3
Bonus Gripes No Extra Charge

Bonus Gripes No Extra Charge

Steam currently crashes on my computer every time I start Windows.
06/08/10 Bonus Gripes No Extra Charge
3
Marie

Marie

Hi Bonus... Steam is not too bad.
It's a Game Hosting platform, so of course you have to go online and download the game in the first place.
But at least, once installed, it will actually let you play offline, and it will only update your account the next time you are back online.

On the other hand, there is another trend: computer games which actually require you to be online to play them.
And I don't mean online gaming. Pretty obvious you'd need to be online for that!

No, I mean games that you buy a CD for, which installs fully, but you are required by the manufacturer to create an account and you must be online in your account if you want to play the game.
This is to avoid copying (only 1 copy registered to 1 account)
But it is worrying: Not only are you actually forced to pay for 2 services (paying for the game, and then paying your internet provider to have a connection). Sure, most people have the internet these days. But some don't. Why should they be required to pay to be online, when they bought a full copy of a game on a CD?

And then, of course, you have people like me, who generally play when I have nothing else to do: on holiday, day off, etc. Generally, I don't have an internet connection on holiday. And now I can't even play video games?

The manufacturer has so far refused to remove that "function", despite furious reaction from the buyers (me, I'm not buying any of their games anymore).
The irony is that pirates have immediately cracked the games, so they don't need to be online to play.

So now you have pirates who have the full enjoyment of a game, offline and at any time. And you have law-abiding citizens who paid money but are actually restricted in how they can play the game!
05/08/10 Marie
-7
AOD

AOD

Dommy, hard drives are generally pretty big these days, mine is a 2TB one for example so filling it up with games would be quite an achievement.
05/08/10 AOD
-13
Dommy

Dommy

Hi Bonus .... I think that stems to the size of some of the games and the fact that games were quite large and would clog up your hard drive very quickly; hence why you install some files for the computer to run but the rest of game information such as movies, sounds, etc the computer uses the CD / DVD.
05/08/10 Dommy
-5
Bonus Gripes No Extra Charge

Bonus Gripes No Extra Charge

Worse than the need for serial numbers, is the new trend that insists upon your game being "hosted" online somewhere, and you have to "register" with a service like the godawful "Steam", and you need to be connected to the internet before you can even install the game, and are not able to play it offline at all. Furthermore I hate the fact I must put the CD in my drive when I want to play the game. My PC is not a console, it doesn't require a disc to play a game. It's installed, damn it! Whatever happened to buying a disk, runing the setup.exe and having it for keeps on your hard drive?
05/08/10 Bonus Gripes No Extra Charge
1
Willum08

Willum08

I always write the serial number on the Top Side of the installation disk, using a marker pen. That way, you don't lose it!! Don't be tempted to stick labels on any CD or DVD - doing so can cause problems.........
05/08/10 Willum08
-2
sodthekeybackurgame

sodthekeybackurgame

you can look on web for key , type your game and the key, I also hate bloody keys,

Back up game and regedit.

search in regedit for your game and find all entries to game and save the reg files.

install your game and then add on all patches and a nocd, go to your folder where you installed your game and add [new folder] add all the reg files you saved in folder, also look in my doucments for any folders from the game, including the game folder names, zip the folders if any and add to your game folder.

make a iso image of the whole game including the game folder names from you drive C:\ ect, burn all [game] [regedit files] [mydoucments game saves ect] - to a dvd - or dvd-dl

If your game goes total over time , uninstall the game, with your backup you can just extract back to your hard drive, add back all the regedit entries, my douments files, game files. presto.

most games work this way and others don't, but better way then adding a key and installing tons of patch files. remember only one backup disk in some countires allowed and you must have the disk you buy..
05/08/10 sodthekeybackurgame
-4
Dommy

Dommy

Many game companies use codes to avoid the copying of games; all current computers have the ability to copy movies, music, games and software onto disc and to avoid this, game and software companies are using codes and some combine codes with activating the game over the internet.

Codes are there to stop people copying a game or software and then giving or selling the copies; although this did not work very well as people just copied and wrote down the codes, you can also find codes off the internet but to be honest you are at risk of running into dodgy websites if you do that.

Software and games companies now have activation where you need to activate your game or software online; Microsoft Windows Vista and 7 do that and it avoids copies of software being installed on other machines, even this is probably not foolproof though.

So yes codes are here to stay and to avoid losing the codes do not throw away the packaging or instruction booklet that the code is on.

When buying games check inside the packaging to check if there is a code, many games shops that sell pre-owned games do not always check for codes, which is silly really as they are making a profit from selling the game in the first place and once a game is bought and taken out of the shop you cannot take it back.

A useful thing that codes have is you can register a game and you can receive updates, etc on some games.
04/08/10 Dommy
-4
Grumpy xx

Grumpy xx

Buy a box of Scrabble. It's far less hassle, more educational, cheaper and a lot more fun. If your kid isn't into computer games, buy him/her a yoyo or a skipping rope.

Good old fashioned fun.
04/08/10 Grumpy xx
-3

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