System protections, or are they system restrictions.

So years back, 20 or so, gaming was a different beast entirely.
CDs were a new thing and people still used 5.25 inch floppy disks.

Back then the closest you got to copy protection was referencing the manual on the spot.
They were the good old days.

Of course then with the advent of CD burners piracy became viable to perform at the home level.

Companies decided they had to do something to make it harder for us to copy their products.
So they started an elaborate chain of events.

Physical method were devised, and shortly after defeated.

Keys were created, but shortly after generated.

Reliance on CDs was made pointless with disc emulation.

Eventually it shifted to a system where our game keys were tied to online user accounts, the media only used for installation.

Of course with people spending so much time and effort on games like World of Warcraft it became worth the time to gain access to these attacks.
Characters end up stripped of gear and money.

People complain and companies add even more strict measures to protect account access.

So we end up with external authentication by generator or mobile phone.

The problem is when password recovery becomes a serious struggle.

Tonight I have that struggle.
Tried logging in to diablo 3 for the first time in my new place.
I discovered I changed my password at some point, so after a couple of different attempts I get locked out.

Recovery of course requires me to either answer a secret question which I have no clue about due to different frame of mind, or inputting a key from a physical copy of a game.

Can’t locate my war3 or war3x cases as I moved recently, no idea where my diablo 2 keys could be, but I did find my copy of StarCraft 2.
The system denies that key is attached to my account.
Thus I am screwed.

Can’t play my games, can’t remember the answer to an obscure question from years ago, and when the next StarCraft 2 part is released I won’t be able to play it for this reason..

Guess who’s dissatisfied with Blizzard right now.

2 thoughts on “System protections, or are they system restrictions.

  1. This exact thing happened to me back when I used to play WoW. I stopped playing some time after the release of Lich King for various reasons. When they released Cata I thought I would give it a go again, but my password would not accept and I could not recover the account. So I had to start a new account and buy digital copies of the preceding 3 games plus Cata (which I did not enjoy, by the way). This was the point that I walked away from BLizzard, even after waiting so many years for D3, I am yet to play it.

    • I’d pretty much feel the same if I’d spent that much to play and then had to spend it again in order to keep going.

      As for D3, well you’re not missing much, games like Torchlight 2 are doing the job, and apparently Path of Exile, though I’ve not tried it myself.

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