What if SD goes belly-up?

A hypothetical question

from GalCiv2 Forums
Hi all

Maybe SD themselves can answer this....

If you ever need to "cease operations" do you enivision somehow keeping your server architecture for activating games online going?

I. e. I've made an investment in SD software (notable GC2 and relevant expansions) but as far as I can tell there is NO way to re-activate the software completely offline.

I'm asking 'cause the installer said, after activation here, that I can just "copy the .sig file and avoid re-activations" - which is exactly what I did, except the game wouldn't start with the "old" .sig file copied back - it complained about a serial mismatch. This was on the same physical machine, but a re-install of Windows took place in the meantime...

I'm thus guessing that if SD ever sinks (and its SD Central servers disappear off the net) any and all Stardock TotalGaming distributed products will become useless? I. e. you'll never again be able to get them going?

Seeing that you cannot get GC specifically (and maybe other SD stuff) working without a valid SD Central server for the installer to talk to?

Why does the SDC installer then specifically state that the gc. sig (etc) file can be copied to avoid "re-activations"?
11,474 views 21 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Stardock's not going anywhere so I wouldnt' worry about it.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ok...

I'm impressed btw. No other company I've dealt with yet had the CEO himself reply in less than two hours to a post!

Thanks,

Stefan Viljoen
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I used to worry about this sort of thing when Valve first put Steam out there, and it started getting really popular. And I still worry about it to some degree (it's my nature). But honestly, by the time these companies go out of business, you probably won't want to play these games anymore. You'll be all interested in some crazy holographic something or other. These also won't work too well on your PC (or whatever replaces the PC in THE FUTURE).

So if after that period of time you can actual figure out how to get the game to run on your supercomputer, you'll probably also be successful at figuring out how to get it patched and authenticated. After all, look at the community out there now that has built up around getting old DOS games to work. Or going back a bit further, writing emulation software so Apple II games work.

In other words, there will be a method, if the time comes and Stardock has bitten the dust, and if you still need a GalCiv fix.

-HM
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Worst case scenario, they do start floating to the surface, I wouldn't doubt they or some fan site would then post patches to a website to be able to continue the work that was needed.

Look at the ol' voodoo card drivers. They still lived on via fan sites when they got dropped like a bad habit once Nvidia bought their rights.

rylan76, not only that, but getting ANY non-automated response from most other companies w/in 2hrs is rare lol.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One other thing I thought I'd mention: Stardock has been around since 1993.  We've a very long track record.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Um, yes. So had Enron. Very large oil company.

But online activation is here, not just with Stardock. I just wish it wasn't. I plan to buy TA anyway to add to my gold edition. Still don't like mandatory online activation though.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'd like to think that any respectable online distributor (and Stardock is certainly that) would, in the event of their untimely corporate demise, release the activation stipulations on their games.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Stardock has one thing going for it no other gamemaker has really- the games division is not the major profitmaker of the business- I think Stardock makes most of their money off the desktop enhancement stuff. Also, I'm sure a fansite would have a torrent for DL or something.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I agree! It's almost unheard of. I live in South Africa with typically African standards of service (i. e. none at all) so I'm really enjoying dealing with a software company that has the CEO (the freakin' CEO!!!) reply himself to an enquiry in less than two hours.

You GO Stardock...!
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I hope so too - but whomever buys the rights to their software might not be so lenient. Look at Sierra (all the Quest games they made in late 80's and early 90's) - Ken Williams sold out to Vivendi, and they absolutely prohibit (as far as I could find out) any form of "unsanctioned" distribution of games like SpaceQuest, KingsQuest, and Quest for Glory - but you cannot find these original versions legitimately nigh anyware except as Warez or shady "abandonware"...

I do think that it is unfair not to release a product to the public domain that you have no intention of ever selling again or producing again. Then again, legally you -do- have the right, since you own the franchise, but still...

Then again, this is a game freak talking, not somebody who has to pay salaries and benefits to good peoplem off software sales.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I started similar topic with same concerns (and some additional) here but answers I got was pretty aggressive.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
KiRon, your topic mainly has to do with transferring the license to another person, which is not what rylan76 is concerned about.

rylan76, your best option to prevent the problem you're worried about is to simply archive your games through Impulse or SDC. Activation is only needed to download updates, so if whatever reason Stardock vanished tomorrow, as long as you had a current archive, you could play the game (fully updated), as is, with no intervention by Stardock needed.

-HM
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Stardock wont go anywhere with the current business model they are using.

I own GC + Expansions, GCII + Expansions and Sins and I will buy any Sins expansions even if I am burned out on the game and I will buy whatever thier next major release is as well. I wont even bother waiting to hear if its any good because I know it will be.

And thats why Stardock will be around for a while because I know I am not the only one
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would think with the support Stardock gets from folk like us, the chances of them going under is unlikely. They would have to make some monumental mistakes that drive our custom away for that to happen. And with other developers releasing games, and the possibility of expansions to Sins..... and DemiGod...

I think it fair that the future is bright... besides, I assume that as long as you archive each update to the games you have, etc, you should be okay for the worst.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think the chances of Stardock going under in the short run is nil. And I believe everybody here believes the same. But we like to have copies just on general principles because you never really know what might happen in the future. Accidents for example.

I recently formatted my hard drive and reinstalled everything. Archived all the upgrades to gc2. But have no idea how to use them if needed. They were in the Stardock backup folder. Btw, there's all kinds of junk in that folder and a lot of it looks like it has nothing to do with gc2.

Then I ordered TA and got it installed. I had archive checked but no file showed up in the backup folder.

I think what would be nice is when gc2 is done and they go on to make the next game, they make all the patches available as a download. They can somehow set it up to look for a valid copy of the game before working. That would satisfy everyone and protect their investment. Lots of companies do that.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One solution you have is to burn it to DVD for posterity- but wait until they're done with it (like maybe the 2.0 patch)


Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have put them all on dvd. All except TA which didn't archive. But I don't know how to use the files to update the game. They're not exe. Hopefully 2.0 will be the final patch for the whole thing and they'll make it available.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Get used to it - all software Companies are rampaging into online only distribution as fast as they practically can, now that broadband links are so widespread. Easier for some than others due to their customer base and base product. Will always be a few that dont of course, but they will be rare in 5yrs+ time. The distribution cost savings are massive, and far outweigh any short term loss of shelf buying from non broadband users.

In a few years we will all be moaning that it took "over 5 mins to get the fri%^&g&*&^ thing" :LOL:

Such is progress ...

Regards
Zy
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Oh I agree with you on the online distribution. I haven't bought a computer game in the store in years. But that's not what this thread is about. It's about being able to have the game with all the updates saved on disk just in case. I guess it's a feeling of being in control of the product that my hard earned money was spent on. One game I have needs to be licensed online. And I have addons for flight simulator where the install file needs to be downloaded each time. I don't like those schemes either. Nothing personal.
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's about being able to have the game with all the updates saved on disk just in case. I guess it's a feeling of being in control of the product that my hard earned money was spent on. One game I have needs to be licensed online.
End of quote


Same feeling as you. it's probably the inner iconian inside screaming for super isolationism.

but I think that periodically archiving the entire application after applying all the updates from the SDC will do the trick, as from my understanding no activation is necessary unless you have just applied an update.


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