FM09 Activation process announcement

Hi,

Here's the release SEGA will be putting out this afternoon with regard to activation times and retailer street dates.

Thanks

Ben

"SEGA Confirm Football Manager 2009 Activation details

SEGA have today confirmed that activation servers for Football Manager 2009 will be turned on shortly before midnight on Thursday 13th November in time for the release date of Friday November 14th across Europe.

Despite the unprecedented anticipation for Football Manager 2009, SEGA would encourage retailers not to break the Friday 14th November street date so as not to disappoint customers who will be unable to play before the release date.

Buyers of the game can activate with one-time entry of the unique code on the back of the game manual by one of three methods

1. Register with STEAM and input the code during installation. This method has the benefit of automatically patching and updating the game.

2. Activation without additional software installation is available direct with Uniloc.

3. For those without an internet connection a local telephone number will be available and presented within the installer for customers to call and register the code. Where possible this will be a local toll free number.

Once the game is registered through any of these three methods the game will be activated and available to play. No further activations will be required unless the user specifically deactivates the machine it is installed on.

Activation for the Australian market will taken place at 6.00 EDT (Sydney) 14th November.

Markets with later release dates such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia for Football Manager 2009 and Worldwide Soccer Manager in the USA will have servers turned active for midnight before their respective releases.

About Football Manager 2009

Football Manager™ 2009 is set to feature a vast array of all new features including, for the first time ever, a full 3D view of the world famous Football Manager™ match engine. Football Manager Handheld™ 2009 for Sony PSP is also set for release on the same day and sees the debut of a 2D match engine for the handheld franchise.

Football Manager™ 2009 for PC and Apple Macintosh, and Football Manager Handheld™ 2009 for Sony PSP are both set for release on November 14th.

For further information please go to www.sigames.com or www.footballmanager.com. "

excellent stuff

All good - and what about the patch will that too be released on the 14th?

which website do you go to without registering with steam to auth the game?

All good news

Will you have to have purchased the game via Steam to be able to use them for authorising the game? Or could I say purchase the boxed version from Game and then register via Steam so as to get the automatic patches?

Yay can buy it at midnight go home and play rather than wait till morning

Don't think the patch is within SEGA's control. Still, good news. Would it be right to say release date in the countries not mentioned above is a standard 14 Nov all across?

Although I'm gonna wait for the patch so scrap that

KK2003 - I think you can authenticate a retail (boxed) copy through Steam yes, if you link the game to Steam.

Although I'm gonna wait for the patch so scrap that

whs - not worth starting a game until the patch is out so hopefully it will be released early on the 14th

By midnight on Thursday 13th, I take it you mean a few minutes before Friday?

at least

I don't know if it's just me but i don't get all the people wanting to activate the game earlier than friday. I mean, the patch that fixes the injury bug is only out on friday so why would you want to start a new game before its out?

Nice one. We just need that patch and all systems are GO!

I don't know if it's just me but i don't get all the people wanting to activate the game earlier than friday. I mean, the patch that fixes the injury bug is only out on friday so why would you want to start a new game before its out?

I agree, 'tis a bit perplexing

Installing is half the fun for some people

Will you have to have purchased the game via Steam to be able to use them for authorising the game? Or could I say purchase the boxed version from Game and then register via Steam so as to get the automatic patches?

I asked matt from SEGA this and he said you can use steam even if you don't buy it through them

hi there sorry if this has been covered elsewhere i have just pre ordered the game through steam it says something on the site about pre loading the game via steam 48 hours b4 release can anyone tell me how i can go about that just i dont want to have to start downloading the game at like 5 to midnight then have to wait hours for it to download.

cheers in advance

So... hm... Polish/Czechs/Slovakian folks have right date of Steam downloaded version activation (21st)?

Can anyone confirm that it will be possible to authenticate and automatically patch with Steam if you are using a boxed version?

yeah mike should be possible

Can anyone confirm that it will be possible to authenticate and automatically patch with Steam if you are using a boxed version?

I asked this further up the page, and it seems you can.

Great stuff.

This should be a sticky.

Why wouldnt you use Uniloc with boxed? I used ordered it and will get it through mail on Friday 14th. So I'll just activate through Uniloc (clueless what this is though )

Soooo..... What if you try and activate it now?

I asked this further up the page, and it seems you can.

Yep, you can register your boxed copy with STEAM and get the patches from them.

Might be interesting >> http://redsky.uniloc.com/dvd-pub/

Soooo..... What if you try and activate it now?

you wouldnt be able to

I asked this further up the page, and it seems you can.

I even looked through the thread and didn't see anyone else had asked it! Sorry..

Really do rather want this game now. Eeee...

Soooo..... What if you try and activate it now?

You won't be able to, it will tell you there is an error until the servers are turned on.

Si what about the path at midnight too ??

Yep, you can register your boxed copy with STEAM and get the patches from them.

Will it be obvious how this is done?

I have ordered by Steam, how does the activation work, do we get a code, or is it automatic because it is a Steam download?

ah its been stickied

Absolute rubbish!!

SI you have taken away our reason to pre-order a copy of the game.

If I hadn't pre-ordered I wouldn't have bought it after playing the demo.

I'd be keeping an eye on the forums and seeing if the patch actually fixed the huge issues before I purchsed.

This is the LAST time I pre-order Football Manager and see this as a slap in the face to loyal fans who buy the game year in year out.

I have a game here that's worthless to me just now!

SHAME ON YOU!

Why it does not say anything about patch??!!

Absolute rubbish!!

SI you have taken away our reason to pre-order a copy of the game.

If I hadn't pre-ordered I wouldn't have bought it after playing the demo.

I'd be keeping an eye on the forums and seeing if the patch actually fixed the huge issues before I purchsed.

This is the LAST time I pre-order Football Manager and see this as a slap in the face to loyal fans who buy the game year in year out.

I have a game here that's worthless to me just now!

SHAME ON YOU!

Not really though....pre-ordering a game doesn't mean you should get it before release day, it just means you're guaranteed to get it on release day, no later.

It's not SI's fault that some companies have sent copies out early, SI have always maintained that the activation system would be live on release day, no earlier.

People at SI, from developers to coders to researchers (myself being one of the latter) work HARD to make FM a deeply enjoyable game, but the current problems with software piracy damages the work done and SI can lose a big chunk of cash because of it. As a result of this, nothing more, the activation system was put in place to try and combat piracy.

It's not SI's fault. It's the fault of pirates.

Y'arr.

Absolute rubbish!!

SI you have taken away our reason to pre-order a copy of the game.

If I hadn't pre-ordered I wouldn't have bought it after playing the demo.

I'd be keeping an eye on the forums and seeing if the patch actually fixed the huge issues before I purchsed.

This is the LAST time I pre-order Football Manager and see this as a slap in the face to loyal fans who buy the game year in year out.

I have a game here that's worthless to me just now!

SHAME ON YOU!

/wrists

101010

I think what would be better is release the patch then the game

Not really though....pre-ordering a game doesn't mean you should get it before release day, it just means you're guaranteed to get it on release day, no later.

It's not SI's fault that some companies have sent copies out early, SI have always maintained that the activation system would be live on release day, no earlier.

People at SI, from developers to coders to researchers (myself being one of the latter) work HARD to make FM a deeply enjoyable game, but the current problems with software piracy damages the work done and SI can lose a big chunk of cash because of it. As a result of this, nothing more, the activation system was put in place to try and combat piracy.

It's not SI's fault. It's the fault of pirates.

Y'arr.

Great pirate impression fella.

10 out of 10.

Hey cooper, do u have info on the patch mate

sooooooooooo..... what if, hypothetically, you have installed it already. The person who has done this deed has no icon on his desktop... is this normal?

Do you run Windows Vista? That would be normal then, look inside the games explorer.

Absolute rubbish!!

SI you have taken away our reason to pre-order a copy of the game.

If I hadn't pre-ordered I wouldn't have bought it after playing the demo.

I'd be keeping an eye on the forums and seeing if the patch actually fixed the huge issues before I purchsed.

This is the LAST time I pre-order Football Manager and see this as a slap in the face to loyal fans who buy the game year in year out.

I have a game here that's worthless to me just now!

SHAME ON YOU!

Ooo, you moaning old minnie!

I just think a pre-order gives you the security of knowing you're getting the game, not a guarantee you can play it before anyone else.

Did you go in to work the afternoon, by the way?

Hey cooper, do u have info on the patch mate

In another thread Neil Dejyothin says:

"We have noticed that some users are experiencing some issues with the demo, and have had a chat this morning about some of the issues being reported and have decided we will make a patch available on the day of release to ensure some of you who are having problems can get your FM fix from day one."

I'd guess they'd make it available at activation...

how have you installed it? Also i thought Macs had to register still via Uniloc or phone? Just not by STEAM? I didn't realise they would be able to play it without doing this! Its pretty Unfair!

Absolute rubbish!!

SI you have taken away our reason to pre-order a copy of the game.

If I hadn't pre-ordered I wouldn't have bought it after playing the demo.

I'd be keeping an eye on the forums and seeing if the patch actually fixed the huge issues before I purchsed.

This is the LAST time I pre-order Football Manager and see this as a slap in the face to loyal fans who buy the game year in year out.

I have a game here that's worthless to me just now!

SHAME ON YOU!

The release date of the game is FRIDAY 14TH! What part of that do you not understand? Why did you pre-order before playing the demo? I have oredered it today after trying it out for a few weeks, and it will be with me by Friday.

In another thread Neil Dejyothin says:

"We have noticed that some users are experiencing some issues with the demo, and have had a chat this morning about some of the issues being reported and have decided we will make a patch available on the day of release to ensure some of you who are having problems can get your FM fix from day one."

I'd guess they'd make it available at activation...

yeah thats wht i wanted to know even though i wont be playin the game until around 1 on friday as im buyin it after work i would like to get home install it and patch it right then !