C-G's Virtual-Mate?

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#281
quote:
Originally posted by Peter Gilis:
And what if G-Col release someday other great and memorable story-focused BGame like CRESCENDO or KANA, [b]without VMate system? [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img][/b]

I have thought this over several times, but in the end, it boils down to:

G-Collections has proven to me that they don't really care too much about their customers, so I don't care about them anymore as well.

So, regardless what they are now going to do (even an AIR/Kanon/Toraha-bundle at half price of a single game and without VMate), I won't bother with them anymore.

#282
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
I have thought this over several times, but in the end, it boils down to:

G-Collections has proven to me that they don't really care too much about their customers, so I don't care about them anymore as well.

So, regardless what they are now going to do (even an AIR/Kanon/Toraha-bundle at half price of a single game and without VMate), I won't bother with them anymore.

Man, THAT is crazy! I'd kill someone for such games translated!! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/eek.gif[/img] You don't think you are taking your personal vendetta against G-Col too far?

And again, you are kinda right: for not explain better this VMate stuff, their Customer's Service really sucks.

I hope this new VM system is not so bad than G-Col's Customer Service.

#283
quote:
Originally posted by kmusky:
Convincing 45 people to boycott this game was very impressive, Italicus. Convincing 45 people to never buy pirated or ripper software again would be even more impressive. Convincing 1 pirate to give up the game would be more impressive still.

Lets not forget who the real villians of this are. The pirates.

Ps. There are other anti-pirating software available. Some automatically scan your hard drive and render the game unusable if it detects ripping software. Rumour has it some will unleash viri if someone tries to crack them. Would anyone prefer that G-coll used these instead?

Frankly i don't care a cent more of pirates, dude. I got insulted and mistaked as pirate enough for these insolent BBS guys to care about it anymore.

If they did what they did - the whole V-Mate stuff - to fight piracy fine with me. Their stuff is their's and i can't do too much with it. What I'm enraged for this they left me no viable way to play these games other then pay again my provider to connect. They are asking to pay again per minute what i paid them once in full. Hell no. In Italy we have to pay per minute our 56 modem internet connections. NO WAY.

This way - and that's a paradox - they scared the no internet connected part of their customers, pissed the non US ones, and even worse forcing all of them to rely - even more paradoxal - on pirates cracks to play their games. Got the point?
How i'm going to dissuade pirates if they're going to be my only hope to play my purchased game without being connected to what seems to me nothing more than a spyware?
Got the point?

This V-Mate stuff is not going to be a discouragement for pirates. Instead, they moved more people on the pirates sides, even if they are the wrong guys, because they're going to be their only hope to play G-Coll beautiful games.

WAIT. BEAUTIFUL: that was a big word. It seems to me from the story plot LMMW is going to be the third bad game in a row for G-Coll. I don't judge games from genres. I judge them because of their good or not stories, and this one seems pretty crappy to me.

It's also possible people is tired of their bad games and moved away without for this supporting piracy, and now they are blaming piracy for their sales going bad. My .02 eurocents on the matter.
Anyway, V-Mate medicine is proving several ways worse then sickness.

[This message has been edited by Italicus (edited 10-20-2004).]

#284
quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
Nice to see you promote yourself to the position of "collective voice of every G-Collections customer". Did you ever consider that there might actually be people who don't feel like you do? Or was it just an outburst of generalization in the heat of an agitated moment? Maybe there are even people who, heaven forbid, are looking forward to what they can OFFER with this system, who aren't bothered by the fact that you need internet and username/password to play!

I really don't mean any offense here, but I think this mail makes you look like a whining ass. You know almost nothing of how this system works, but still you chew them out, saying they have insulted everyone, based on nothing but guesswork and the rantings of a few hysterical board members. To be honest, I think you've managed to insult your own intelligence with this mail more than G-Collections ever could.

Did G-Collections sell you a game, then out of the blue they suddenly say "Nope, you can't play this unless you use V-Mate, sucks to be you, all your money down the drain"? No, they have announced a system for their future titles, and here you all act like you've already been hoaxed big-time! How the hell can you say they are insulting YOU!?

Many of you are acting like immature brats who can't have everything just the way you want it, and then you verbally abuse the G-Collections staff! What if every gamer acted like you do?

"WTF, I need a 1,5 GHz CPU to play this, I can't use my dinky old 700 MHz one!? Bastards, you dare to presume to tell me I have to upgrade to use your products!? I'm the customer here, ok!? You make your games and systems like [b]I want it, not you! I'm never buying from you again!"

Does this sound right to you? Sure, you're free not to like it, but go acting like they are doing you some grave injustice.

G-Collections say "From now on, our new games will be using an on-line registration system, in order to ensure that we can give you more games in the future. But in return, will lower the price and give you extra services". You reply with stuff like "You've insulted all of us", "You can't make demands like that of us; we're the customers, you do what WE say" etc etc.

If a new game requires an expensive hardware upgrade; no problem. The moment it requires internet for registration: "Whine, you can't do this to me, you've insulted me, games shouldn't require internet because it doesn't suit ME". Me, me, me.

Grow up, for heavens sake, and stop acting like connecting to the internet in order to play an adult bishoujo game is a violation of the human rights. Face the fact that internet is going to be an increasingly bigger part of our society, and if you can't be bothered to get it (akin to upgrading that dinky old 700 MHz), you're going to end up being stuck in the past, playing what was available THEN. Not everyone can (or want to) get/use internet, not everyone can afford a new computer to play new games on. And if you can't play the game whenever you want because you don't have access to internet all the day (like when you're away from the house), tough luck. Play it when you can, then. You don't need friggin' 24 hour access to adult entertainment.

It's not that I don't understand some people getting frustrated, but so many people acting like babies for something so incredibly insignificant... I'm starting to seriously wonder if you would even be able to live without these games, at least you seem enormously adamant on having the ability to play it where ever, when ever.

If there is one thing I WILL criticise G-Collections for, it's their utter inability to communicate with their customers at a time like this. As much as I disagree with many of you, I find it very irresponsible of G-Collections to stay as silent as they do at a time like this. They aren't exactly going out of their way to calm down their customers, explaining the details of the system they are going to use, etc. I assume they are busy working on their games, but if that is the case, I they have their priorities a bit messed up. G-Collections seriously need to get better in the communications department.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-19-2004).][/b]

Then you buy their games. We insulted customers are not going to do. Let's see if without insulted customers G-Coll WILL BE ABLE TO BRING INTO ENGLISH MORE GAMES IN THE FUTURE. Time for you to learn japanese or quitting hentai games world.

#285
quote:
Originally posted by Vaga42Bond:
That's a policewoman-dog.

Really?! She looks like a catgirl to me. But what i know about catgirls anyway? [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

quote:

And no Yaoi. (Unless they slipped something in after I was done that I don't know about. Or rather, don't want to know about.)

Whew... what a relief! I'm not really ready for yaoi games yet (and probably i never will).

By the way, Vaga, considerating we have too much misunderstands and angry customers here, do you care to make a FAQ or Q&A explaining better VMate?

And please don't forget to include if Internet Connection is necessary or not to play an installed Bgame w/ VM, and what Customers without IC can do to play such games.

[This message has been edited by Peter Gilis (edited 10-20-2004).]

#286
quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
As for copy protection, I wonder if they could use Starforce 3. It's not foolproof, (nothing is) but it's apparently a lot of work to crack a game with it (at least on normal games), so many groups don't bother doing it unless the game is really good, and it can't be properly emulated with stuff like Daemon Tools either (yet). At least that's what I've read about it so far.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-19-2004).]


Starforce 3 is more on a virus level then a copyprotection one. Too much strong. I'm sure they don't want to being cherged for damaging their customers HD, LOL. You're pretty endowed into matter, I see. But not as much as i am, MEGALOL!!!!

#287
quote:
Originally posted by Peter Gilis:

I hope this new VM system is not so bad than G-Col's Customer Service.

You sure are living in the world of fairies, Peter.... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/frown.gif[/img] They did it once, they can do it twice. There's no hope people like them are going to improve.

#288
quote:
Originally posted by Dark_Shiki:
Myself, I do think it's somewhat odd to consider V-mate a personal insult, but you're out of line, AG3. Did Nandemonai personally attack the G-collections staff? Nope. But you sure personally attacked him.

Really? Did I call him names, or swear at him, or anything like that? Only the first two parts of the post were directed at Nandemonai personally, the rest were addressed to everyone who been chewing out G-Collections. Honestly, I don't consider "you are insulting your own intelligence" an insult, it means that if you act like an ass, you will look like an ass, thus you become an ass. If someone feel insulted by that, how about trying to act like a civilized human being for a change? And heaven forbid that I gravely insult people by telling them that I think they look quite a bit foolish with their behaviour.

quote:
Originally posted by Dark_Shiki:
Oh really? You sure have some guts saying that, after you proceeded to thoroughly debase him and like-minded individuals.

What I said wasn't meant to insult, but it was my honest opinion on how their whining looks. If you think I say all of this in spite, or as an effort to insult people... well, then I'm probably the internet's most crappy insulter. I'm backing my opinions with arguments as to why I believe people are overreacting, I'm not randomly calling people names or telling them to die, like some did to G-Collections.


quote:
Originally posted by Dark_Shiki:
Don't take this out of context. We're talking about property rights here, not system requirements.

There's no difference, an internet connection is a system requirement, so is registering. The fact is, YOU DON'T OWN GAMES YOU PURCHASE! You buy a LICENSE to USE it, you never own the intellectual property itself. That is the reason you can't copy and distribute the games like you want either. You don't buy a license to use the games under any condition you want, you buy a license to use a game with the conditions the company asks of you.

quote:
Originally posted by Dark_Shiki:

Keep recklessly attacking others whose beliefs don't agree with yours, AG3, and you're rapidly going to lose popularity, here or anywhere else you decide to go.

Sooo... everyone here can disagree with G-Collections, call them names and tell them to die (Hi, Italicus!) and act like asses towards the G-Collections staff, but I can't disagree with them and tell them normally, though describing my perception of their behaviour with words like "immature", that I disagree. Nice to see freedom of speech (without flaming and random namecalling) is so highly regarded here that it's only given to those that don't like G-Collections now.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-20-2004).]

#289

As for “popularity”, I post to make my own opinion, not to be “popular”. If I have to relinquish my right to my own opinions just to conform to others, I’d rather go somewhere else.

#290
quote:
Originally posted by Italicus:
You sure are living in the world of fairies, Peter.... :( They did it once, they can do it twice. There's no hope people like them are going to improve.

But THERE IS a chance VM is not so crap, Italicus, even a very tiny one!

VM was created not by G-Col, but by other company to help software companies to fight the piracy. And all we know: nowadays in the business world, ABSOLUTELY NO COMPANY can make just crappy products and expect to survive much longer.

And anyway, we don't know how many companies BESIDES G-Col are using VM. What the other customers think about VM? Are they happy or angry? We don't know. Maybe they think VM is the best anti-piracy and customer support service they have, maybe not. We need more information.

We can't forget: Years ago, many of us thought the same thing about bishoujo games, when released the first time outside Japan. We thought BGames were crappy, bored and a shit piece of software. Now we are here.

#291
quote:
Originally posted by Italicus:

Starforce 3 is more on a virus level then a copyprotection one. Too much strong. I'm sure they don't want to being cherged for damaging their customers HD, LOL. You're pretty endowed into matter, I see. But not as much as i am, MEGALOL!!!!

Yeah, from what people on the Daemon Tools forum write, you could almost call it a virus. It certainly messes up your computer badly if you try to install stuff like DT. Does some pretty wacky stuff with your drivers too, I believe. I think I prefer V-Mate to SF3.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-20-2004).]

#292
quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
Yeah, from what people on the Daemon Tools forum write, you could almost call it a virus. It certainly messes up your computer badly if you try to install stuff like DT. Does some pretty wacky stuff with your drivers too, I believe. I think I prefer V-Mate to SF3.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-20-2004).]

I'm not referring to Daemon Tools,
I'm referring to the ones who have Philips compatible software - the same Crescendo copyprotection messed up on my old PC.

If you prefer a spyware to a virus fell free personally i dislike them both.

#293
quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
... tell them to die (Hi, Italicus!) and act like asses towards the G-Collections staff,

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-20-2004).]

Of course if they're kee going on that way they're going to die AND DISAPPEAR FROM THE MARKET, understand now squared head? No choice you turning into a roundhead. When a firm disapperars from the market, that firm is DEAD.

Unlike you, i'm not going to encourage them in their bad behaviour because i want them to survive.

@ PETER Good or not can't care less since this system can't allow me to play their games. Following this path, paradoxally i'll be able to play one of their games only when a crack will come out.... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/frown.gif[/img]
And from what i heard in the underground two weeks it the extimated time for cracking.

#294
quote:
Originally posted by Peter Gilis:
Man, THAT is crazy! I'd kill someone for such games translated!! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/eek.gif[/img] You don't think you are taking your personal vendetta against G-Col too far?

Because I already have all these games that I listed in japanese, the harm this decision inflicts on me is not as terrible as it sounds at first.
Actually, by this I just do the same to them as they did to me:
I decided that I don't need them just as they decided they don't need the customers that are not connected to the web (meaning me for example). Thus they simply could decide to put in VMate. No preliminary information or preparation for the regular visitors, nothing. For example: If they would have simply started a discussion on the board: "What would you think if we'd invent the following method?" and gave a link to VMate a few months ago, many people would have at least time to prepare themselves for such an act and get used to it. Instead, we only learn about it alltogether with the announcement for the first product that utilizes it out of the blue.

That's VERY bad customer care and I as a regular customer who bought all their products starting with DOR until Jewel Knight Crusaders including both versions of Kango Shicyauzo(1) felt a bit left out being treated in that manner.
Such I lost my trust in G-Collections and chose to ignore all furture releases of them.

Is that vendetta?
I don't think I ever asked anyone to refrain from buying their games. Of course, if somebody would ask me, I'd at least have to stress a bit the point of VMate, but I would never say to anybody: Don't buy!
I just decided for me that I am not interested in whatever they will have to offer in the future after this stunt, so they can't disappoint me with what they would ever do later anymore.


quote:
Originally posted by Peter Gilis:
I hope this new VM system is not so bad than G-Col's Customer Service.

You mean, because it is made by another company than G-Collections... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Well, I hope you are going to enjoy your try. To a small extent, I may even envy you, but at least there is LMM (=Little My Maid) for me to look forward to.

... as well as plenty of original japanese games.

#295
quote:
Originally posted by Italicus:
Of course if they're kee going on that way they're going to die AND DISAPPEAR FROM THE MARKET, understand now squared head? No choice you turning into a roundhead. When a firm disapperars from the market, that firm is DEAD.

Oh, I understand perfectly that this is a very unpopular and risky decision G-Collections have made, and that it could very possibly ruin the company. That's not my point. My point is that I don't agree with the arguments and the methods some people here are using. It's the company who's made the decision to use the V-Mate system, but it's ultimately the customers who decide the company's future with their actions.

I don't see more limitations than opportunities in this system based on my own equipment and pattern of use, ergo I argue FOR it. You see more limitations than opportunities based on your own equipment and pattern of use, hence you argue AGAINST it. We can't really agree on this matter, because the consequences of this are completely different for us.

I'm more perplexed about people who aren't inconvenienced by this at all (those with broadband, for instance), but still whine about it.

[This message has been edited by AG3 (edited 10-20-2004).]

#296

One thing I came to remember: Does anyone remember the survey G-Collections held quite some time back, where they asked people what kind of internet connections they had access to and how reliable it was? Don’t you think the decision they made about the V-Mate system was based on that survey? Likely, the answers that came in (probably also from people not from this “vocal minority”) showed that a large majority had reliable access to internet. I don’t remember if the questions specified internet access at home though.

I can’t think of another reason they’d implement the system, using it without a large portion of their customer base having reliable access to the internet would be foolish, to say the least. So if you don’t have access to internet at home, you may (and I emphasize MAY) be a smaller minority than you think.

#297
quote:
Originally posted by AG3:
One thing I came to remember: Does anyone remember the survey G-Collections held quite some time back, where they asked people what kind of internet connections they had access to and how reliable it was? Don't you think the decision they made about the V-Mate system was based on that survey? Likely, the answers that came in (probably also from people not from this "vocal minority") showed that a large majority had reliable access to internet. I don't remember if the questions specified internet access at home though.

I can't think of another reason they'd implement the system, using it without a large portion of their customer base having reliable access to the internet would be foolish, to say the least. So if you don't have access to internet at home, you may (and I emphasize MAY) be a smaller minority than you think.

That's true, they did a survey some time ago.

Other thing we forgot is the fact NO ONE besides G-Col knows how much the piracy is hurting their sales. Probably they never would take such risky act without tell to everybody months before if they were not desesperate.

Again, blame the piracy, not the companies trying to bring Bgames to us.

Okay. Six more days to go, and we will know for sure what really is this VMate stuff. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

#298

It’ll be bad. Copy protection schemes always are, no exception. Back when I first bought Diablo 2, I couldn’t play the damn game because of some lame protection they had on it. I know a lot of people who had the same issue with The Sims 2, a far more recent game.

Hopefully Virtual-Mate won’t alienate customers the way the other protection methods did, but something tells me this will turn out like protection methods always do.
Pirates will easily circumvent it, and then the only people who get hurt are those who don’t have the systems compatible with the copy protection.

#299

Oboy. If you’re going to go for the “You’re not buying the game, you’re buying a license!” line then I think there’s not much point in continuing debate with you, as you’ve clearly decided that the consumer HAS no rights.

Yes. Some people, at the moment, are trying to use this argument. And not just in games. Some companies are trying to prevent you from selling/trading copies of books you have purchased, or tell you what you can and cannot make with physical TOOLS you have purchased.

No one, as far as I know, has yet tried to say that you can only buy Gap trousers if you wear them with Gap sweaters and replace them if you ever stain them. But that is the road that’s being moved down.

Sure, you can take the line that when you buy something you agree to live by its rules, no matter what those rules are. But don’t be surprised if a lot of people who think they have rights are rather upset with you about that.

#300

Well, the license thingie is something required to be able to fight piracy and copyright violations in software. If the software was really theirs when they bought it, you could change things around and claim it your own, etc.