Rockstar Sold Max Payne 2 Using Pirated Code

[Tom Goldman]

Rockstar Sold Max Payne 2 Using Pirated Code

Rockstar may have used a known piracy group's DRM crack for the Steam version of Max Payne 2 [http://www.gamefly.com/game/xbox/Max-Payne-2-The-Fall-of-Max-Payne/108045/].

In an embarrassing situation for Rockstar Games, the company appears to have uploaded a cracked version of Max Payne 2 for sale on download service noticed [http://store.steampowered.com/] a curious ASCII logo while looking at one of the game's executable files.

Though the image might be hard to see, it's the ASCII logo of piracy group Myth, which is known to have cracked many a game back in the day. Rockstar may have used Myth's cracked version of Max Payne 2 out of laziness so that it wouldn't have to recompile its own version without a CD check. Who knows, the logo may also have been added as some kind of inside joke.

It doesn't appear to be a joke though, as forum posters later noticed that the Myth-cracked version is no longer being sold on Steam, but it clearly was earlier. The new version of Max Payne 2 uploaded to Steam is actually an "old" version, flipping from 1.1.102.0 back to version 1.0.98.0, without the Myth logo visible in the executable.

This situation raises some interesting questions. Why the hell would Rockstar sell a version of its game cracked by pirates? Is it really that hard to "crack" the game themselves? Also, is it unethical to pirate the work of a pirate?

Via: Slashdot [http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/05/13/1441219/Rockstar-Ships-Max-Payne-2-Cracked-By-Pirates]


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[deleted_scifidownbeat]

DELETED

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Poor Rockstar. Actually they probably put one guy in charge of readying it for distribution, and he used some initiative.



Well it seems Rockstar has finally... *Puts on Glasses*

Cracked

<youtube=mR3jnW2kcUs>

Well that's today's meme quota filled

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Sounds more like an efficiency thing to me. Who knows, maybe the guys at Myth went the old-CIA route, of being so awesome at crime they were hired by their competitors. Or, you know, why not just use a pre-existing set of code that you know functions pretty damn well, so that you can move on to more important things?

 

[WitherVoice]

Also, is it unethical to pirate the work of a pirate?

While I'm not a lawyer, it strikes me that yes, it could potentially not only be unethical but illegal.

Simply put, while the cracker creates something he may have no right to create, the game developer does not gain any right to that code. So it depends what licence the cracker publishes his works under, if any.

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

Haha, that's awesome.

I guess it's not that big a deal since the end result is the same, but they're still using someone else's code for commercial purposes.

It's just funny that they'd take something free that was used against them, and then use it themselves for the same purpose except that they ask money for it.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

...(Facepalm) Good job guys... good job...

I think Rockstar has lost all rights to complain about piracy.

 

[Snotnarok]

It was just lazy of them. And let's be honest, are the pirates gonna sue them for using code to make a illegal copy of a game work?

 

[fix-the-spade]

Woops.

I guess someone had it save on their computer, that's going to be an awkwards meeting with the boss...

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

The "new" version is actually older? Interesting...I wonder if they rolled back the cracked version while they take the head off the person who actually submitted it?

 

[WitherVoice]

While I'm not a lawyer, it strikes me that yes, it could potentially not only be unethical but illegal.

Simply put, while the cracker creates something he may have no right to create, the game developer does not gain any right to that code. So it depends what licence the cracker publishes his works under, if any.

I'm not so sure. The logo is still there, and the scene allows distribution from anywhere. This is simply another form of distribution, but probably breaks scene rules for leaving out the .nfo. Legally, I don't see a problem with it, because it's not like they took out copywrite on the crack, or any other licence.

I don't think Myth is gonna come running with a lawsuit any time soon.

Well no they won't, obviously, but you don't have to take out copyright these days. Even in the US, the current rule is that if you did not explicitly and in writing GIVE your code away, the code is yours, so long as you can prove that it was in fact YOU who wrote it. Whether it is going to be enforced is one thing, but depending on a bunch of different circumstances this could still be illegal.

 

[Setsuhen]

Wow, talk about irony.

In the following months we'll hear how Ubisoft has now hired pirates to design the DRM for their games.

In all seriousness though, what they did was low.

 

[Irridium]

Poor Rockstar. Actually they probably put one guy in charge of readying it for distribution, and he used some initiative.



Well it seems Rockstar has finally... *Puts on Glasses*

Cracked

<youtube=mR3jnW2kcUs>

Well that's today's meme quota filled

GOD DAMMIT!
I was going to say that! Word for freaking word >

Oh well, I can work with it.

Sorry Rockstar, you can't just steal things from pirates. That makes you no better than them, cowboy.

[sub]Is it better, no thats what you get for making me think of something off the top of my head.[/sub]

 

[Akalistos]

Rockstar Sold Max Payne 2 Using Pirated Code

Rockstar may have used a known piracy group's DRM crack for the Steam version of Max Payne 2.

In an embarrassing situation for Rockstar Games, the company appears to have uploaded a cracked version of Max Payne 2 for sale on download service noticed [http://store.steampowered.com/] a curious ASCII logo while looking at one of the game's executable files.

Though the image might be hard to see, it's the ASCII logo of piracy group Myth, which is known to have cracked many a game back in the day. Rockstar may have used Myth's cracked version of Max Payne 2 out of laziness so that it wouldn't have to recompile its own version without a CD check. Who knows, the logo may also have been added as some kind of inside joke.

It doesn't appear to be a joke though, as forum posters later noticed that the Myth-cracked version is no longer being sold on Steam, but it clearly was earlier. The new version of Max Payne 2 uploaded to Steam is actually an "old" version, flipping from 1.1.102.0 back to version 1.0.98.0, without the Myth logo visible in the executable.

This situation raises some interesting questions. Why the hell would Rockstar sell a version of its game cracked by pirates? Is it really that hard to "crack" the game themselves? Also, is it unethical to pirate the work of a pirate?

Via: Slashdot [http://games.slashdot.org/story/10/05/13/1441219/Rockstar-Ships-Max-Payne-2-Cracked-By-Pirates]


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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! LOL
Nice! Well, since they went through all the trouble to hack the game and hacking is still an illegal action. I really don't see the problem. OK, it may stun some people (aka dumbass from Myth) but really, if you worked on stealing the game you can claim your work you did. If i where the C.E.O., i would use that as a promotional tool.

Beside, i'm not the only one that appreciate the Irony.

 

[Superlordbasil]

well that is an almost cosmic joke

 

[Akalistos]

Sorry Rockstar, you can't just steal things from pirates. That makes you no better than them, cowboy.

Well, if you work at a job and expected to get paid, only for a group of dumbass trying to steal everything from under your nose (which included your pay). Yes, i guess it does. If your stolen by someone and get it back, are you a thief?

 

[Irridium]

Sorry Rockstar, you can't just steal things from pirates. That makes you no better than them, cowboy.

Well, if you work at a job and expected to get paid, only for a group of dumbass trying to steal everything from under your nose (which included your pay). Yes, i guess it does. If your stolen by someone and get it back, are you a thief?

Stealing is stealing. And people are just going to look at this and use it as a justification. Wrong or not, thats what the response is going to be.