Pirate Syndicate, Get a Job

[The Wooster]

Pirate Syndicate, Get a Job

Pirates attempting (and presumably succeeding) to crack Syndicate have found something unusual: Career advice.

Hackers intent on cracking the PC version of Syndicate were surprised to discover a message from developer, Starbreeze, hidden amongst the game files.

The .nfo file, which comes with a cute little rendition of Starbreeze's sun logo done in the style of popular cracking groups, reads as follows:

Are you bored with watching from the sidelines? Ready to make the switch? Do you have considerable talents in any of the following areas? Art, modeling, texturing, sound design. Programming. Game design?

If you meet one or more of those criteria, and want to be a part of the fun, email us at [email protected] today!

The file, named Syndicate-SBZ.nfo, was found by Redditor MikkelManDK [http://eu.reddit.com/user/MikkelManDK]. Is it a legit offer? Perhaps, and if so, it wouldn't be the first time a cracker has switched sides. According to TorrentFreak.com, Martin Iwinski, CEO of The Witcher developer, CD Projekt, was a member of a cracking outfit back in the days of the Amiga. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2x_Q4L99ZrY] On the other hand, starting a potential interview with a jolly "Hey, I pirated your game!" is probably a poor idea.

So,(not quite) cunning trap, a genuine offer or a genuine offer? If it's the latter, I imagine the 25 people Starbreeze laid off earlier in the month [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115894-Syndicate-Studio-Lays-Off-25] are laughing their way to the food bank.

Source: TorrentFreak [http://torrentfreak.com/game-devs-want-warez-pirates-to-switch-sides-120228/]


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[VoidWanderer]

*Stands up and applauds*

Well done Starbreeze, well played. Shame about the mediocre game.

 

[Therumancer]

Hmmm, well messages hidden in game code are nothing new, it's been going on since the Apple II and C-64. If you went through games and such with programs like D-sector and stuff you could find all kinds of bizzare stuff. To be honest early on, I think there was a bit more camradarie between pirates and devs than people like to remember, some of that stuff was nasty.. you know "get out of my code you hacker" and stuff like that, but some of it bordered in easter eggs, and saying "congrats for finding this message" and so on.

While the job offer is cool in a kind of trippy way, I'd imagine it's just a nod to people looking at the code.

Something to consider is that all nods to pirates and such aside, I pretty much always assumed that differant dev teams buy copies of each other's games, and then look at the code to figure out what they can learn and emulate without getting sued. It's possible that this is an inside joke of some kind, directed at another company they know would be looking at the code. Some snide comment about poaching employees at some point or something.

Unless Starbreeze explains it, we'll never know, but I'd imagine the entire point is simply to make people go "huh" which it has done.

 

[oldtaku]

'Hey, I pirated your game!' is not a bad idea.

Interest is worth more than the hour worth of salary you might lose to that prospective employee. It means you CARED. And that's worth more than anything for a hairless ape.

 

[LorienvArden]

hum... thats just a random .nfo in the same folder as the game, not actually "a message burried deep in the mystical code of the game itself"
It's the difference of "activists posted a provocative poster near the white house" and "activists posted a provocative poster in Obamas bedroom"

It's a nice touch, but as it is already coupled with the company laying off people right after releasing their product... you'ld rather look somewhere else for work.

 

[Dogstile]

I swear cracking and pirating weren't you know, the same thing? Here, its perfectly legal to crack a game you own so long as you don't distribute it (UK).

 

[DTH1337]

Sounds effective. Should give pirates something to think about rather than waste their time constantly pirating games, many of which they don't even need.

 

[AngryMongoose]

Yeah, but let's not forgot what happened with the guy whole stole the HL2 code.

 

[Antari]

And in most circumstances, the programmers might like to have someone who was capable of cracking the game on the staff, the legal department however will have something else to say about it. Besides, you really think you can trust a company in bed with EA?

Spoiler

 

[Atmos Duality]

And then they sting everyone who applies at their address!
BRILLIANT!...no, wait...

 

[Waaghpowa]

If the offer is legit, I would think it's an attempt to hire people with the skills and know how when it comes to cracking so that they can apply appropriate counter measures on their software in the future. In some cases, hiring people who have spent their lives scamming, cracking and stealing is better than someone who's legit since they know how things work on the non legit side of things. Like Frank Abignale jr.

 

[Something Amyss]

This is pretty awesome and amusing.

 

[Zen Toombs]

DON'T LISTEN TO THEM! IT'S A TRAP! THEY JUST WANT TO SUCK YOU INTO A CORPERATE CUBICLE!

 

[ph0b0s123]

Wow, so now looking at a games directory and finding what is in essences a text files is now classed as hacking / cracking a game....

People will use hacking and cracking for even the most basic computer use nowadays....

 

[s_h_a_d_o]

Reading an *.nfo file inside the game's directory structure is hardly "cracking" the game, nor "piracy".
*rolls eyes*

 

[dyre]

Seems like it was just for laughs. I doubt Starbreeze has problems finding new employees; they seem to have too many as it is.

Wow, so now looking at a games directory and finding what is in essences a text files is now classed as hacking / cracking a game....

People will use hacking and cracking for even the most basic computer use nowadays....

I totally hacked my "My Documents" folder the other day and opened some files!

 

[ThunderCavalier]

Was on their side until I read the "25 people laid off from Syndicate studio" addendum at the bottom.

Now all I can think of is how game devs are fuming about how pirates are actually being rewarded for their efforts with their jobs.

 

[Podunk]

Starbreeze to 25 devs: We'd rather have untrustworthy hacks working for us than you!

Talk about a big middle finger to those recently let go...