Starcraft 2 - worth buying?

[--Pete]

Hi,

I pick up games after they are dirt cheap and the expansions are included (and most of the game crashing bugs and huge balance problems have possibly been fixed....

Yeah. I used to get a lot of games out of bargain bins. I've still got a few that have the shrink wrap still on them. Just because a game has been around for ten years doesn't mean it isn't new to me the first time I play it.

Bliz or any other companies doing this kind of thing, I don't see it deterring the really determined pirates much. I do see it as potentially turning off buyers like me though, who thinks once I hand them over the cash, I do feel entitled to be left alone to play the game.

Those who do want to pay for the program, are given more hurdles to pass it seems with every new version.

I can't think of any solution myself really.

I completely agree with this. I am almost fanatically against pirating. If I want the same software on three machines, and the EULA doesn't allow multiple copies, I'll buy three copies or do without. But more and more I've resorted to running cracked games after I've bought the legal copy. I've hated copy protection schemes as far back as the days of the intentionally damaged floppy and the "enter the third word of the second line on the fifth page" nonsense.

If someone is willing to make the effort, no software is uncrackable. Even hardware security, such as dongles, can be bypassed by altering the code that checks.

I've never understood why the paying customer should have hassles running the software than does the pirate. Yeah, it might cut back on the casual, "I'll burn you a copy", pirating. But most people can find whatever they want at a warez site or buy a mass produced Russian or Chinese made rip off.

Just one of the stupidities of the world, I guess.

--Pete