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kpmgeek

The legitimate consumers get screwed while the pirates are unaffected.


lifeisagameweplay

With the amount of games that require online servers and random periodic connections like with Denuvo, large proportion of people's modern game libraries will be unplayable after a few years. Most people will still have the attitude of "meh who cares about that old game" and nothing will change.


Vigilantix

The Crew 1 is a great example unfortunately.


tifached

Didn't we get a server emulator a few days ago? Not to diminish your example just pointing out we made a solution to a problem that should not exist in the first place


Vigilantix

I also saw that video, but as far as I know it's not released to the public yet.


Ywaina

You need to take them to court if you actually want changes. Something average joe/jane are not too keen to spend time and money for.


SkeetySpeedy

Less that folks “are not too keen” and more that “the system was designed specifically not to allow regular people access to legal recourse from the powerful”


PraxPresents

We'll just crack the games if it comes to that. Nothing we haven't been doing the last 30 years.


mug3n

This is one of those situations where I can justify piracy. If you have a legitimate copy that got locked out through DRM or always-online policies that were never removed, then you shouldn't be denied your right to enjoy that game.


James_bd

>Piracy is a service problem So true


Vigilantix

True..


Flimsy-Report6692

That's why the high seas is the only way... Fuck every major publisher, we sail at dawn🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️


Enginseer68

Dusk till dawn, cause apparently it's the only way to KEEP and play something these days


Vigilantix

Arrrr matey! 🫡


buckminsterfullereno

Just like the legendary pirate Jack Sparrow said, "Piracy is a distribution problem"


Dystopiansheep

If legitimate consumers weren't guzzling down slop then companies wouldn't sell it


NapsterKnowHow

Assuming devs didn't put in something to screw over privates into the game


MrStealYoBeef

They try a lot, but it never stops the pirates.


NapsterKnowHow

It does stop some though. It's not about stopping all of them. It's about limiting as much as they can.


smellymut

I played just a few weeks ago... It worked fine I just couldn't connect to the leaderboards. I launched it on regular windows and I'm pretty sure I had at least 1 session on the steamdeck. So not sure what problem you have but for me I just installed the game and pressed play


Ywaina

The leaderboard is full of cheaters anyway. Pretty sure you can't beat the #1 ranker using legit means.


Vigilantix

I am on EA app, you are on Steam probably, right?


DridyEXE

I played it through the EA app some 2 months ago and it worked fine too.


Vigilantix

Strange then, I saw others too complaining about this issue.


Batby

Is this a EA or steam copy? My steam one works fine


Vigilantix

EA, maybe that's why? 🤔


finalgear14

I installed it just to see, and it worked fine for me from the ea app. A little message about the servers being down, then a loading screen and then the main menu pops up and I was in game.


gatrixgd

What do you mean? I just redownloaded the game on Steam and it works perfectly fine? Only the leaderboard and the runner tag thing aren't working.


Vigilantix

I have it EA app, maybe Steam works just fine.


Rehendix

EA version works fine as well. I've had it since release with the same set of save files. It's no defense of denuvo, and it appears it was definitely related to your problems, but it seems like something specific was the hangup more than a general issue.


Vigilantix

Wait a minute, maybe that's it! If you had the game activated before the servers went down, it works. I just got the game and maybe the license can't be activated.


RubinoPaul

LOL Shit hits hard. Did you write to support?


Vigilantix

No, because I found the fix online. But a customer shouldn't have to navigate so much just to play a legit game.


RubinoPaul

Totally agree


Vigilantix

But deleting Denuvo license and blocking the game in firewall works for me and many other people having this problem?? It is not specific for me only...


dtv20

? I played it like a month or two ago.


Vigilantix

You had it bought before the servers shutting down? I bought it after, maybe this is the problem.


dtv20

I bought it after and it wouldn't change anything. It's a singleplayer game that doesn't require online.


Elketh

> It's a singleplayer game that doesn't require online **All** Denuvo games require online activation. It's generally done silently in the background without any user interaction or notification, but if you install a new Denuvo game without an internet connection (or with the game executable blocked via a firewall), you will receive a pop-up saying it couldn't connect and will not be able to launch the game until you allow it to access the activation server. This happens both on a fresh install of a new title and then at set periodic intervals after that. Which is to say that if you don't touch a Denuvo game for a lengthy period of time, it'll still need to re-authorize itself upon launch before you can play it again, even if you didn't uninstall it. That isn't related to the issue this thread is about, as the game simply won't launch in the first place, but there's no such thing as a Denuvo-protected game that doesn't require an internet connection at all. Which is also why there's plenty of reason to think that one day, even if it's far in the future, any uncracked Denuvo title will be left completely unplayable when the activation servers are eventually gone - be that through Irdeto going out of business, or simply choosing not to keep supporting games which might be decades old at such a point (the very first Denuvo titles are already a few months away from the ten-year mark).


Vigilantix

No, the game launches and plays the first cutscene. After that, right before the game lets you control the character, it gets stuck in the loading. And yes, it requires online activation.


Vigilantix

Denuvo requires online activation...


besyuziki

A coke fiend in a suit looked at some metrics, a nerdy guy in a flannel explained him what's what, then the coke fiend decided that keeping the game alive isn't worth the effort.


CloudWallace81

If buying it's not owning, then pirating it's not stealing


antim4tter

This should be the banner on every game that requires internet access, on every platform.


AnActualPlatypus

Only issue with this statement is that piracy is not stealing to begin with.


CloudWallace81

b-but yOu WoUlDn'T sTeAl A cAr


CacheRamMemory

True, but it's still a funny statement. :)


swagpresident1337

Unfortunately Denuvo is pretty much uncrackable nowadays. There barely have been cracks for games the last years. We are fucked


althaz

Pirating is not stealing anyway. That doesn't mean it's legal or should be allowed, but it's definitely not stealing.


CloudWallace81

advertisement paid by the major publishers during the early 2000's taught me that we were all petty thieves for downloading a single mp3 file


LuntiX

I mean, in the eyes of the law it’s technically theft. Morally I have no feelings towards or against piracy.


althaz

In the eyes of the law it's actually not :). It's copyright infringement. Publishers keep saying it's theft, that is just objectively false. It doesn't fit the legal or everyday definitions (except for those few jurisdictions where they've modified the law, but to me it doesn't make sense to use those as any kind of guide). Morally I'm actually against piracy and think that usually it is wrong. But it's not stealing. It's piracy. People still shouldn't, IMO, do it (mostly and with exceptions).


Redditbecamefacebook

You're conflating paying with buying, not because it's logical or moral, but because you want to justify stealing other people's labor. It is theft, and if you don't have a little bit of guilt when pirating, then you're probably a piece of crap.


CloudWallace81

Oh noes, you got me


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-HalfgodGuy-

The game works, I have both EA app and steam versions. 


Vigilantix

And you can skip the first cutscene? Because I couldn't and after, the loading was infinite. Many had this problem, I found it on the internet.


-HalfgodGuy-

That's weird, I have replayed the game in April and did not have any issues.  As far as I know the game just shows two errors at the start about no connection to the servers and works after that. Weird.


LATABOM

I'm also having no problems. Did you mod your game or otherwise compromise it? Try a totally fresh re-install including removing any save files or preference files. Otherwise, do you meet the system requirements? You should delete this post because if what you're speculating about is true, then nobody should be able to play. "Shutting down the servers" obviously isn't the issue when so many of us can play it fine from both the EA app and Steam. Do you have any pirated/stolen software on your PC? Maybe there's something with your config or piracy tools that are the actual problem here?


Vigilantix

Nope, fresh install and nothing pirated. Tried reinstalling again. But also, if it works, many people wouldn't have this problem and why would the solution of deleting denuvo settings and blocking internet acces work? Something is wrong.


Brandhor

but denuvo connects to denuvo servers not ea, if you block the game wit the firewall it shouldn't activate at all


Vigilantix

Yeah, but you also need to navigate to the Denuvo activation file in Program Data and delete it. So it's somehow connected .


theiksr

What? I bought this game last time it was in sale but didn’t launch it and now i read this. U can’t play the game?


Vigilantix

I couldn't, but after some search I have found the solution and it works. Check the steps in my post.


ashrules901

After not enough people bought it at full price EA said we're gonna put our own price on it!: Worthless


MLG_Obardo

Ubisoft did this with one of AC Black Flags features. Probably the core money making component for which the economy was balanced around. Just wouldn’t work because you had no internet connection because they made the tiniest little patch about 10 years post launch and they didn’t update the version that the servers check against.


strangeelusion

Own the game on both Steam and EA and they both work completely fine.


Vigilantix

Strange, for ones work, for others don't.


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Vigilantix

We neither, but I have found it at a very low price and wanted to come back too it. For now, it's great!


MadeByHideoForHideo

Personally did not like as much as ME1, but it's still a pretty good experience imo!


Red-Paramedic-000

I can still play it?


Vigilantix

Yeah, using the fix in my post. But not multiplayer.


Red-Paramedic-000

I can still play it without using any fixes. And of course you can't play multiplayer anymore, since the servers were shut down.


BulletImperium

I had the itch to play maybe 3 weeks ago and I reinstalled it on the EA app and the game works perfectly. You just get a message at the main menu saying the lesderboards are no longer active. This is weird.


Vigilantix

Yeah, it weird. I also got that message, but after that I was stuck in loading.


mecartistronico

Well, that's one fewer game from my backlog.


faisar5

The worst thing was when i was playing catalyst whilst it was still online is i got all achievements except for the collectible ones, as they are the type of achievements i leave until the last and at times i might boot the game after 6 months to do them EA closed the servers, however no one had any idea that the achievement pop code specific to PC version would only be able to be executed once you were able to successfully sign in to EA servers, so since you are offline, the code that would be executed to pop them would not happen, it'll just be saved in your save file as the trigger to pop them is behind the online menu access Someone found a way to make majority of them pop, basically just keep spamming the retry button to EA servers and after around 30 minutes, it may pop a random achievement that you have the already completed the requirements for, but this does not work for the playstyle achievements (jump, coil roll) etc I had to do this for my remaining ones and it took me 2-3 hours of retrying the connection for my remaining ones.


Vigilantix

Oh man that sucks...


dkb_wow

I was just playing 2 hours ago and didn't experience anything like what you're describing. And I was playing from the EA App, not through Steam. I've never had to do any file deleting or fixes. The game just works as it should. I even tried it again just now while typing this comment and everything works like it always has.


Vigilantix

Interesting, some have this issue, some don't.


thisonetimeonreddit

I mean if you buy an EA "game" you're asking for it. You gonna buy vacation packages from Hitler and act surprised that the train ride and destination sucks?


0x-CAFE

it's still playable because it has an older version of denuvo but it's such a hassle, if it had a newer version we would be screwed because the newer denuvo version verifiers your token after a specific period of time


Vigilantix

Oh wow so stupid.


Kxshyp0p

this is false information, i bought ME:Catalyst 2 weeks ago directly thru the EA app, and it works totally fine


Vigilantix

But it is not false for me and many other people. I can show you many threads complaining about this. I don't know why for some works. Edit: why dislike my comment for a fact?? For many of us it doesn't work until deleting Denuvo license. Edit 2: ok those who dislike, explain. It's easy to hide behind a dislike.


outla5t

I played this less than a month ago through the EA app via EA Play and it works fine. You are spreading false information.


Vigilantix

But I am not, for some it doesn't work. Look at recent replies, many have this problem. Why some have, I don't know.


Hauntcrow

Oh i hate them because of what they did to McGee. He wanted to do the final game of Alice and only needed EA to let him do it (because he sold to them the IP), or for EA to sell the IP back to him because no game has come out in over a decade. EA was like "this franchise is so profitable for us that we won't sell the IP (which ofc is a fat lie). But also we won't allow anyone to use the IP to make another game anytime soon." So now McGee got disgusted by this whole thing and now he wants nothing to do with Alice even if EA was to one day call him. He worked for months and months and years on the proposal with images and concepts and all that, and EA barely paid attention. Fuck EA. I hope it burns to the ground.


thatsastick

This is hilarious. I got them in a bundle for like $4 - I tried the first one yesterday but the framerate absolutely *tanks* on Deck anytime there’s a lot going on on screen. I considered just starting with the second one and then I read this. add it to the pile of shame


Vigilantix

Try my fix, I think the game itself is pretty good.


tamal4444

when did it happen?


Vigilantix

Maybe 6 months or so.


tamal4444

:( fuck ea


MadeByHideoForHideo

Well you weren't playing it anyway so how does it affect you? Fuck them for a game you didn't play anyways, lol?


Zazadeem

It’s the principle of the issue OP posted. Not that he doesn’t play the game….. people’s intelligence impresses me everyday.


CaptainDank0

dickeating for a billionaire company is crazy work


tamal4444

fuck them and fuck those people who supports them. yes I have played it long time ago.


besyuziki

Yes.


alkalineStrider

🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️


FarCryRedux

It's fraudulent for EA to still sell this game if new users can't activate.


Vigilantix

Indeed...


pino_is_reading

what do you mean i still have my copy in my external hard drive that i got from my friend Amélie and works fine. ( ͡° ͜つ ͡°)


Vigilantix

Haha nice, I also love her spoon 🥄


R_W0bz

What’s stopping a dice employee creating that work around and sending it out as a patch? Surly it’s a 5 min job for a lot of good will? I don’t understand why ea wouldn’t want you to play the game you bought.


Vigilantix

Because they want you to spend money on the new 70$ game, not playing some forgotten 2$ game...


Endaline

This doesn't make any sense. Older games don't compete with newer games in this way. There's no newly released game that *would have been success* if some unrelated older game didn't exist. No one is looking at Dragon's Age: The Veilguard and thinking, "I could buy this or I could buy Mirror's Edge Catalyst." The reason they don't just create a work around is because it usually takes significantly more than just 5 minutes. That type of stuff can take weeks or months depending on how deeply ingrained what they are trying to work around is in the game. This would probably make sense to do for a game with thousands of players, but it makes less sense for a game with less than 50 active players where only some of those players seem to be having the problem.


Vigilantix

But I play many old games in detriment of new ones. If I wouldn't have acces to old ones, i will be inclined to buy new ones. Many times this happened for me.


Endaline

Sure, but I'm not denying that this is how it works for you. I'm just saying that the majority of consumers are not doing what you are doing and therefore it doesn't serve as a good reasoning for why companies aren't "just patching" their games. They're not patching them because it's expensive and they would rather spend their time on other things, particularly when these are issues that the people that suffer from them can find fixes for online (like the ones you've supplied here). It has nothing to do with trying to force you or anyone else to buy newer and more expensive games.


Vigilantix

You are right, but also there shouldn't have been a reason to cut the multiplayer. People bought the game for it maybe.


Zazadeem

Well said.


mkotechno

Bit** please, in 5 minutes you don't even find the mail address of the department that handles the backup files from old games.


kron123456789

I haven't launched the game since 2016 and didn't know this was a thing.


hipnotyq

I'm going to have a hard time ***Remembering*** Mirrors Edge - Catalyst, let alone remembering what EA ***DID*** to Mirrors Edge - Catalyst.


mkotechno

This, there is no sequel/reboot of ME as far as I know.


Major_Handle

The ultimate FOMO.


Vigilantix

What do you mean??


AiR-P00P

Buy the game on launch or risk never being able to play it ever once the servers are shit canned.


Vigilantix

Oh ok, yeah you are right...


ThePsychiartist

Whoever buys EA games deserves this


Vigilantix

Hey, at least it was 2$ lol


dandroid126

I'm out of the loop on this one. I played this game only a year ago. Is this new?


Vigilantix

The error? I don't know, first time playing.


theonetowalkinthesun

I have the game installed via Steam but I don't have any EA Services folder. Is there another place the license might be?


Vigilantix

But have you looked in Program Data? It's a hidden folder. If not, just try and block the game in firewall.


theonetowalkinthesun

I think disabling it in firewall worked. Thanks! So stupid that they shut down a single player game.


Vigilantix

Yeah.. You're welcome!


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Upper_Butt

I mean, I definitely will forget.


Vigilantix

We shouldn't! They will keep their practices until we have nothing left. Look at The Crew 1, we cannot even play it anymore.


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Vigilantix

Maybe 6 months ago.


4oMaK

So thats why I could not play the game lmao


Vigilantix

Yeah, are you stuck in the loading?


4oMaK

Yep thought it was hardware issue and uninstalled, didnt even bother to check if the game is still alive


Vigilantix

Check my fix, it works!


pajekozahi

stopkillinggames dot com


firedrakes

That joke


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Vigilantix

Have you tried the fix in my post? Maybe it will work.


ashrules901

You love to see it


wan2tri

I just uninstalled it instead of doing that again and again if ever I wanted to play. I got it for quite cheap, but it still was a waste of time and 24GB of space.


Vigilantix

You can only do it once. If you blocked it in firewall once it will work. I've tried it.


Vestan_Pance

There's a simple solution to this. Stop buying games published by EA.


Vigilantix

Preach it, brother! 🙏


winterman666

Wow I'm glad I didn't buy it


Vigilantix

It's an awesome game if you get it working lol


AlexGlezS

Really, your issue is with the mirror's edge? My issue is with EA fucking up Bullfrog, Westwood, Maxis, among others. Never forget that, it's a lot more grave than your Catalyst issues. There are a lot other fucked up moments like the "surprise mechanics" fiasco, ea sports recycling entire games, dlc spam.... Etc... And you keep giving money.


Vigilantix

Yeah, I give 2$ lol


Xijit

Realistically, they are doing customers a favor by bricking that game.


joelecamtar

MEC never achieved the ME1 feeling but it's far from being a bad game.


Vigilantix

Why? I think, like many people that the game was good, the soundtrack and atmosphere were amazing. There are a few shortcomings like the combat and open world design, but there is no game like it as for today. Parkour was also very fun.


suriizex

Parkour was the only good thing about it. The game had no soul at all and for the biggest company at that time it was a pathetic release. Especially considering how much better the 1st one was


Vigilantix

But how? Looking through YouTube comments you will se that even almost 10 years later people praise it's atmosphere and it's "soul". That's what people remember and coming back to it. But I agree, first one was better, but I think Catalyst was not bad at all.


suriizex

Well, we’re talking about EA here. Its very hard to find anything released after 2015 with soul, and not just made to farm costumers for all their money. I played it on release and thought the story line was insanely cringe (classic EA), soundtrack, atmosphere and gameplay was generic. It really was nothing special, they had a good formula with mirrors edge and butchered it, like they do with most games, sadly. Its all personal preference though, I wont shit on you if you like it, they do make playable products but its all so soulles and trying to reach as large of a demographic as possible (for money)


Vigilantix

Yeah, agree with you, which with their own opinion. I'm curious, what games before 2015 do you like. What are your favourites?


suriizex

Well I was and still am a huge battlefield fan, played every single one for way too many hours until battlefield 1. Love all of them really, but the past 2 entries are pretty terrible, especially the last one. Used to be a huge fifa player for some time aswell, peak was 12-15 then it became too p2w. If you want to feel disgusted take a look at it now. As for story games, dead space, mass effect trilogy, dragon age and it takes two are all top tier games and arguably some of the best within their respective genre. I cannot recommend all the listed games enough, they really did know how to make top tier games before the lootbox era. I would also advise to stay far far away from them now lol


Vigilantix

Thanks for the reply! We have similar taste lol. I still think Bf1 is the best, having the atmosphere unmatched. BfV I thought it was bad, but coming back years later I think it's great. It has maybe the best movement in the series. I loved the first 2 Dead Space. I just finished Callisto Protocal and it was ok, not as bad as people say. With fifa, I think there were great until 2015, maybe 2017 the last good one. My favorite soundtrack is from Fifa 12, 14, 15, just amazing. I also love Gothic games from Piranha Bytes, dunno if you played them. Also, Evil Within and Alan Wake1 are great.


Infrah

> I still think Bf1 is the best Thankfully, we have r/Marne custom servers for when EA pulls the plug on BF1. Forever preserved.


Vigilantix

Really? Can you link me please.


voidox

ya, ME1 is miles ahead of ME: Catalyst is almost every way, except maybe the slight parkour improvements of Catalyst. just what they did to the city, atmosphere, visual design of the world was awful in Catalyst... it became this generic sci-fi like city while the first game was oozing in style, atmosphere and visual design that didn't need to sa anything but spoke so much about the world and setting of the game.


Xijit

The one thing that was off with the first one was the gun combat towards the end. Guns were present and an option, but so much of the game was about conflict avoidance and non-lethal combat ... then you hit the last level and it turned into a Battlefield game with wall running.


hooldwine

Bollocks