Well, like I said, he reads this board regularly, so I guess he’ll contact you if he feels like it. I don’t think I’ll bug him by e-mail again, though. He doesn’t seem to want to be bothered about the issue anymore, so I don’t want to pester him about it.
BTW, it wasn’t just his system, or his computer. He installed the game on three different computers while attempting to troubleshoot some problems he was having on one computer. As it turned out, it wouldn’t even work on the other two computers. He ended up having to reformat the original computer for one reason or another, and thus…one V-mate game turned instant coaster.
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 01-26-2005).]
quote:f CD code/activation code is good enough for Microsoft, Maxis (SimCity, Sims and its expansions, Sims2, etc), EA, and the rest of the English entertainment industry, then what exactly is VMate doing?
Those companies are big enough to risk it. We know that it will all be cracked, or the CD keys just put online for everyone to be used. And even if it were an activation code that you only had to input the first time you play, people would still complain about it, saying's it's like XP, and how they don't have Internet access.
quote:Originally posted by Benoit: [QUOTE]Those companies are big enough to risk it. We know that it will all be cracked, or the CD keys just put online for everyone to be used. And even if it were an activation code that you only had to input the first time you play, people would still complain about it, saying's it's like XP, and how they don't have Internet access.
...But I guess it could be better.
Let me pose this question to you, Benoit: How does connecting every time the game starts further the cause of anti-piracy better than a one-time activation? How would the latter be easier to crack? The vast majority of anti-Vmaters here would not have a problem with one-time activation, even though it would require one-time Internet access (activation without a connection would be easier to circumvent).
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 01-27-2005).]
Connecting every time to check the copy is harder to crack for amateurs than one-time activation systems, because they didn’t exist before, and thus no tools that they can use to crack it.
quote:Originally posted by Benoit: Those companies are big enough to risk it. We know that it will all be cracked, or the CD keys just put online for everyone to be used. And even if it were an activation code that you only had to input the first time you play, people would still complain about it, saying's it's like XP, and how they don't have Internet access.
...But I guess it could be better.
Pardon me, but small software developers use that system as well. Or variations on it. They get by. Some of them make a decent profit. So, what is the risk? Irritating your customers and turning them into pirates? That is a sure way to lose money. Word getting out that VM sucks will lose them sales. That is more lost money. The risk seems to me of using such an irritating system.
quote:Originally posted by Benoit: And even if it were an activation code that you only had to input the first time you play, people would still complain about it, saying's it's like XP, and how they don't have Internet access.
Well, at least Microsoft had a solution to this problem with XP: Activation via phone instead of online. (After all, that's how I got my XP activated. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to play my japanese games.)
Now, if Interlex would provide such a service, I'd be more than glad to re-join the group of G-Collection's customers. But of course, providing that service wouldn't be in their own interest...
[This message has been edited by Unicorn (edited 01-28-2005).]
I just wanted to point out an error in my FAQ. Once you sell a game, the buyer CANNOT change your password arbitrarily. I discovered this when I tried to change my own password for bishounen_blue–to change the password, you need to input your registered e-mail address, and then you proceed to change the password by following a link in the e-mail they send you (which expires in 48 hours, I believe). Assuming you don’t give away your e-mail address and e-mail password, your V-mate account is therefore safe.
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 01-30-2005).]
Apparently Germany is not happy with the hefty verification/etc requirements of HL2’s Steam, which is actually LESS restrictive than V-Mate.
Since a lot more people play half-life than g-collections games, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a consumer group action against V-Mate any time soon. There just aren’t enough people willing to complain about it loudly enough. However, I suspect that they would lose a court battle on a lot of issues if anyone had the balls (and the wallet) to do it…
I got there by clicking on the Japanese version of Kana, clicking on the Japanese instructions, clicking on a button there, and then clicking for the English version of the system explanation. Note that the downloadable version is still $40 for the Let’s Meow Meow example purchase they show (there’s no shipping charge, but U.S. residents don’t get charged for shipping anyway). At least you get a DVD case and G-money if you order the regular version. Really, they’ve got to be kidding if they’re going to charge $40 for a downloadable game…
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 02-09-2005).]
quote:Originally posted by Dark_Shiki: Apparently G-collections is now offering its English V-mate titles for download. Check this out: http://www.g-collections.com/vm/index.html
I got there by clicking on the Japanese version of Kana, clicking on the Japanese instructions, clicking on a button there, and then clicking for the English version of the system explanation. Note that the downloadable version is still $40 for the Let's Meow Meow example purchase they show (there's no shipping charge, but U.S. residents don't get charged for shipping anyway). At least you get a DVD case and G-money if you order the regular version. Really, they've got to be kidding if they're going to charge $40 for a downloadable game...
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 02-09-2005).]
That's just the demo thingy to explain how to buy the game. We're not that stupid enough to sell a downloadable game for the same price as a box version. At least, I hope we're not. *makes note to check with the boss* Well, not unless we offer a Bronze, Silver, and Gold Edition, with diffrent levels of neat things. Then maybe later, a Platinum Edition, and then a Director's Cut... *makes a note to ask about if that can be done*
Tho, on a serious note, I'm personally advocating the use of V-Mate to allow downloadable games. No idea if it can or will be done. (Odd... why is there a paper shredder attached to the "Employee Suggestion Box"?)
Please, no flames. The issue has already been discussed to death, and there’s no need to get peoples’ tempers flaring again. Besides, name calling isn’t exactly going to encourage communication, is it? Vaga42Bond is the only person from GC who’s willing to talk to us at all. There’s no point in driving him off with such comments.
quote:Originally posted by Dark_Shiki: So they used an "example" that isn't actually available? That's rather odd.
Well, we had no Virtual-Mate games up when we took the screenshots to explain how to buy them, so we simply stuck in one of our regular games as a placeholder. The old, "Which came first, the screenshots, or the explaination of the system that uses screenshots?" Althought... *makes a note to ask if someone should update those screenshots.*
Hmm…interesting. Other people having problems with V-mate games should try emptying this temp folder and see if that helps them. Temp folders never contain irreplaceable information, so it’s alright to just delete everything. In this case, the temp folder used by V-mate games seems to be located in documents & settings/[user profile under which the game is run]/local settings. Note that “local settings” is a hidden folder, so you have to enable “view hidden folders” in Windows Exlorer to see it.
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 02-13-2005).]
I was thinking about purchasing some of G-Collections games since they got great reviews, but lucky for me, I did some research on the Virtual Mate system since it sounded kind of suspicious . So apparently I’ll have to be connected to the internet “every time” I start the game eh
Unlike most people, I’m not mad at G-Collections for doing so, but instead I feel kind of sad for G-Collections because this system will cost them alot more money in the long term due to tech support and sale loss. G-Collections is a great company that published alot of good games, but someone in their company failed to recognize that they are marketing hentai-games not MMOG. Unlike MMOG, hentai-games are meant to be played alone, privately. I, being a private person, am very uncomfortable with the fact that someone is checking, abeit through the internet, how many times a day I get a “quick fix”.
I know there are bypasses and patches that I can get to negate this “system” but, with so many entertainment options out there, I’m unwilling to spend the time and don’t want make myself feeling like a criminal just to play their games.
Again, it is just so sad to see a small, relatively new company, alienate its customers right before my eyes. Things just don’t look good for the bishojo scene. As for now I think I’ll just stick with Peach Princess’s games, and … I guess no other companies … since they are all dead
G-Collections’ greatest games are non-V-Mate titles: Kana - Little Sister, Crescendo and Private Nurse are the titles most people agree are the best G-C has translated. Maybe not the best titles for “quick fixes” considering that they typically take hours to get to “that” point.
Hitozuma Hime Club (Secret Wives’ Club) strikes me as the most suitable for “quick fix”. Constant sex (nothing but, pretty much), even more so than the Trabulance titles. Though Tottemo Pheromone could be said to be a middle road there. Sex early and fairly often, but has more non-sex content than HHC (barely).
Now I confirmed it. G-Collections bankupted and all the staff were released. FOH would be the last game from them. No more customer services, no more goodies (did you notice that they hasn’t updated their website even after FOH’s release?). Just like that… I wonder if GC is planning to release V-Mate patches before they are totally gone. I expect some faith in their hearts, you know.
Sorry, I can’t tell you from whom I got this information (the person is somewhat afraid of retaliation, since things haven’t completely wrapped up yet at the company), but trust me, this person was very close to GC. The person has witnessed what happened to GC directly and indirectly…but anyway, we won’t see another game from them for a while, I’m sure.
