EA Misprints Red Alert 3 Install Codes

Logan Frederick

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Aug 19, 2006
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EA Misprints Red Alert 3 Install Codes



If you're unable to install Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, blame the label printers at Electronic Arts which have left off the last character for thousands of installation codes.

Add installation barriers to the list of reasons why modern PC gaming is impenetrable to casual players. The logic makes sense; only those who bought a box copy with a unique code can access the game.

However, what happens when those who honestly purchased the product can't play it because they were given a broken code?

Nearly two thousand confused gamers have visited EA's help page [http://help.commandandconquer.com/cgi-bin/eacandc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_created=1225307942&p_faqid=20760&done=1&p_sid=X6vl52ij&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=20760&p_no_ct=1&p_sp=&p_li] for Command and Conquer for an explanation as to why their Red Alert 3 experience couldn't be started on their computers.

Due to a "misprint on a small number of manuals", only 19 characters of the 20-long instillation code were included on the labels.

EA cleverly suggests that since users already have most of the code, they should attempt to "guess" the last digit or letter by attempting all 36 potential permutations until the correct character works.

"To do this, simply enter your existing code, and then for the last character, try the letters A-Z, and then the numbers 0-9. You should eventually get the right combination, and be able to play the game," reads the instructions.

More likely to occur is hundreds of phone calls to EA's customer service center asking for replacement codes to avoid the hassle of typing in meaningless codes for twenty minutes.

Two lessons learned from this minor incident: One, even the smallest property protection can become a nuisance for paying customers and two, some manual printing company just got a nasty phone call for not catching this mistake.

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Amnestic

High Priest of Haruhi
Aug 22, 2008
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Two things about this story surprise me.

1) As one of (if not) the largest games publishing company around, this hasn't happened to them before. With all the games they throw out, I'm actually a little surprised it took so long for an incident like this to occur.

And 2) That not a single person caught this before they shipped.
 

wilsonscrazybed

thinking about your ugly face
Dec 16, 2007
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Amnestic said:
Two things about this story surprise me.
And 2) That not a single person caught this before they shipped.
It's likely that EA like other companies has a security policy that ensures no one views the codes until they are at their final destination.

Some print shop just lost a lot of money...
 

Calobi

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Dec 29, 2007
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That's how I find all my CD keys! Only, I do it for all the digits.

I jest, though.
 

Cid Silverwing

Paladin of The Light
Jul 27, 2008
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Khell_Sennet said:
Logan needs a spellchecker : p

Well I guess this is just one more nail in RA3's coffin... SecuROM was fucking bad enough, but when even the CD-Keys cause this much grief, I'd urge every purchaser to return their copy and forget this title, and all other EA titles, until Electronic Arts gets their collective heads out their asses and starts fixing their internal problems and how they treat their customer base.
Well spoken!
 

Jursa

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Oct 11, 2008
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I guess they intend to lengthen gameplay by making you spend lots of time guessing useless codes. A B C D E F.. I L R Z... crap... oh well lets start again.
 

mikekearn

Erudite Loquaciousness
Aug 27, 2008
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It's things like this that I believe are the biggest argument against any sort of copy protection at all. It does nothing to stop people from pirating the game. At most, it will slow them down for a short while until they figure out how to get around it, at which point the method will be freely distributed to eager masses.

Meanwhile? People who legitimately buy games have to scrounge for a CD key, never losing it ever, and usually even have to have the CD in the drive to play. Such is why even when I do buy games, I'll get a no-CD crack so I can put my CDs away and play anything I want without digging through my very unorganized box of games.
 

milomalo

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Mar 29, 2008
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TheNecroswanson said:
EA: "Oh just put in a random character. You'll get it eventually."
EA's Stocks: "AAAAAAH! WHERE'S THE DAMN PARACHUTE CORD!"
The Necroswanson: "Fucking Microsoft..."

:S? didnt got the joke :(
 

SirCannonFodder

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Nov 23, 2007
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milomalo said:
TheNecroswanson said:
EA: "Oh just put in a random character. You'll get it eventually."
EA's Stocks: "AAAAAAH! WHERE'S THE DAMN PARACHUTE CORD!"
The Necroswanson: "Fucking Microsoft..."

:S? didnt got the joke :(
He's saying that with statements like that, EA's share prices are going to need parachutes because of how far they'll drop
 

Sixties Spidey

Elite Member
Jan 24, 2008
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And the award for most intentional fuckwit is....... EA! Congratulations EA! You have attained 70 levels of Pure Douche for your asinine efforts on SecuROM, micropayments, and of course let's not forget your really fucking awful online community! Now, you have attained the secret 100th level of douche for intentionally "misprinting" your install codes! Congratulations EA, and remember, keep treating your customers like thieves and keep digging deeper to your grave!