Activation Genuinely has Ruined the Game to some Extent

Reading the forums since the announcement I thought all the moaning abou activation was a bit harsh, it had some point but thought people went over the top.

Anyway, went off out today to buy the game, got it no problem. Back home now and imreally stuggling to get it working.

Firstly I tried Uniloc. Game installed, went to start and was promoted for my code. Enter the code and then click next with it tell me that I wasnt connect to the internet. So I turn off all firewalls and peer guardian, still not working. Restart my computer with both firewalls and peer guardian off, again doesnt work. So reluctantly I go for the Steam method. I instal Steam and it autheticates the code fine and updates my game. I go to launch the game and it does not launch, just says lauching game with a progress bar thats at 100%. So i try lauching the game by going to prog files/steam etc, launch it and it asks for the code.

Now I see myself as beign very computer literate and ive played FM for years. I really do feel sorry for the majority of FM players who only play FM and arent true hardcore gamers. They must really be struggling. Imagine how many first time players were attracted by the 3d, the increased and new forms of advertising SI used to be confronted by this, I cant see them returning to the game in the future.

Anyway im now off to try the phone method, wish me luck

Imagine how those who don't come on to these forums feel, especially if they try to take the game back only to be told "Sorry we don't do refunds on PC games.".

SI have really dropped the ball this year as far as I'm concerned.

my sentiments exactly. keep gettin message saying i'm not connected. I can only think to keep trying as its possibly down to the server not being available all the time... Yep just proved this on my 4th time of trying to activate through unilok its finally done it!

Guess the server must be struggling with all the requests for activation and it will say it can't connect to it. Just keep trying as i said

Great, now the installation isnt launching at all off the dvd and thats aftr a restart as well

Yup, def need help now from SI/Sega, wheres the best and quickest palce to get it?

I uninstalled Steam without uninstalling the game first as I assumed Steam would uninstall the game (which I think it has as the steam folder is gone which is where the games files were)

meh, going to explore then click on the actual instal has got it launching again.

I guess this is the price a company must pay to slightly inconvenience a few pirates.

I wouldn't be surprised if the pirates are playing the game effortlessly before paying customers.

Although now i'm re-installing as fm.exe keeps encountering a prob and the demo ran fine and patch won't install either hope it fixes it!

So the reason im getting a not connected message is that the servers busy? Is that the word from SI?

Ill give it a few more goes and then ill try phone

How do I phone?

I went for the Uniloc option and when I launch the game its giving me the screen for online activation but cant see anything about phoning in.

Mine installed and activated through Steam straight away. I havn't had any problems with it.

I guess this is the price a company must pay to slightly inconvenience a few pirates.

I wouldn't be surprised if the pirates are playing the game effortlessly before paying customers.

I doubt very much the protection in place will prevent the game being pirated.

As for its success saleswise, just look at the figures of Oblivion, which had no protection whatsoever...

It seems I've developed dyslexia while inputing my keycode - apparently a 'L' is actually a '1'! I suspect I'm not the only one.

Still not go the game playing yet and ive been at it over an hour now!

Need to figure out how to phone in activation

GregOr or anyone. What is the procedure for the telephone activation, please? I am one of those who is not pc literate and am finding this difficult. I have bought everyone of the FM/CM games since the start. This is the only time that I feel that this system is designed to help SI and not the customer. I am 67 years old, so am not given to over the top reactions. However, I do not have all day/night to try to figure out all the permutations involved in these forums, as suggested by SI.

No idea either Oescus, ive had a look in the Q & A thread and theres no numbers.

Someone from Sega said its within the installer but I cant see it.

Anyone know how to authenticate via phone in the UK?

It is impossible to stop piracy, every protection can be broken and so will this one - i give it max 7 days for the first pirated copy to come out. Activation is nothing new to the game/program world and each and every one of them has been pirated. Hell, you can even authenticate pirated Windows so it's "genuine", this should be a piece of cake for pirates compared to that.

Activation won't reduce piracy and get more copies sold, the only thing it will do is is create confusion and installation problems for user that bought the game legally (as i can see from lots of posts on this board problems have already started). Activation won't change anything and because of that i don't understand why it's implemented.

I guess this is the price a company must pay to slightly inconvenience a few pirates.

I wouldn't be surprised if the pirates are playing the game effortlessly before paying customers.

Spot on. You would think after what happened with Sphore people would learn their lesson....

Piracy is wrong full stop but sometimes companies really dont help themselves, heres a tip NOTHING you can do will prevent the game being cracked, i think a reasonable cd check and a little bit of goodwill towards your customers would be much more effective in boosting your sales, how many impatient people unable to play have found another way of obtaining it by now...

there is this phone number to activate by phone but pe prepared to have even more problems as people have being ringing it for over 3 ours and still not got their game activated

It is impossible to stop piracy, every protection can be broken and so will this one - i give it max 7 days for the first pirated copy to come out. Activation is nothing new to the game/program world and each and every one of them has been pirated. Hell, you can even authenticate pirated Windows so it's "genuine", this should be a piece of cake for pirates compared to that.

Activation won't reduce piracy and get more copies sold, the only thing it will do is is create confusion and installation problems for user that bought the game legally (as i can see from lots of posts on this board problems have already started). Activation won't change anything and because of that i don't understand why it's implemented.

sorry didnt see your post before I posted.

Piracy is wrong full stop but sometimes companies really dont help themselves, heres a tip NOTHING you can do will prevent the game being cracked, i think a reasonable cd check and a little bit of goodwill towards your customers would be much more effective in boosting your sales, how many impatient people unable to play have found another way of obtaining it by now...

We can't just sit back and do nothing to prevent piracy though. And, one of the biggest reasons people pirate is to get the game early. Thanks to the activation/DRM method pirates couldn't crack the game early, so many people who would have pirated to get it early wouldn't have been able to.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying the activation system worked perfectly for legit buyers - I don't anyone would say that it had.

Dont you lot think your going over the top it took me 1 min to put codes in and enter the internet activation connection. All what has happened 1000s of people are trying to activate at once all you can do is keep trying and it will happen and if sega want to do it this way its how it is no point moaning beacuse nothing will change they have made there mind up and there is no going back.

I can't believe that main reason people pirate is to get the game early, surely it's just to avoid paying for the game.

We can't just sit back and do nothing to prevent piracy though. And, one of the biggest reasons people pirate is to get the game early. Thanks to the activation/DRM method pirates couldn't crack the game early, so many people who would have pirated to get it early wouldn't have been able to.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying the activation system worked perfectly for legit buyers - I don't anyone would say that it had.

hey GillsMan, is that mean in order to "prevent" piracy, legit buyers suffer from inconvinence is ok??

Well with the demo i had every problem in the book going on with mine, did not even get to test the 3d pitch untill i went to a mates house where he had it working (barely). Got the game on Wednesday and i got it set up no problem about 8pm last night and with the update it working a charm .

If they are having trouble with the servers surely this is something anyone with half a brain knew was bound to happen ?

Why bother having this verification rubbish i mean it's not going to cut out illegal copies that much because people can just leak there codes since they can be used multiple times and you cant limit them because people have the right to uninstall or re install a game if/when they please

hey GillsMan, is that mean in order to "prevent" piracy, legit buyers suffer from inconvinence is ok??

No, not at all. In an ideal world, the activation would have worked perfectly. It didn't, but had it done so, nobody would have been inconvenienced but the pirates. That was the point I was making.

From reading other threads, depending on the authentication option you choose during install you will be provided with the necessary info. i.e. you choose online you get the link, you choose phone you get the number to call so I'd suggest uninstalling and selecting phone when reinstalling.

Still waiting for my copy to be delivered so can't say if this is 100% but it does tiw in with the 'in the installer' bit.

Dont you lot think your going over the top it took me 1 min to put codes in and enter the internet activation connection. All what has happened 1000s of people are trying to activate at once all you can do is keep trying and it will happen and if sega want to do it this way its how it is no point moaning beacuse nothing will change they have made there mind up and there is no going back.

Thats some attitude to have, you dont get problems resolved without speaking out about them.

From reading other threads, depending on the authentication option you choose during install you will be provided with the necessary info. i.e. you choose online you get the link, you choose phone you get the number to call so I'd suggest uninstalling and selecting phone when reinstalling.

Still waiting for my copy to be delivered so can't say if this is 100% but it does tiw in with the 'in the installer' bit.

Im sure the option was Uniloc (Online/Phone) and Steam (Online).

I went for Uniloc but I cant see an optuon now to phone, just online

extent? i cant even play the game i would say its ruined it completely

extent? i cant even play the game i would say its ruined it completely

I said that after liek 10 mins of trying to get it working.

Its been like 2 hours now, so now its ruined my LIFE!!!!111!

I really hope that this is just a release day overload. Hopefully, once the rush is over things will settle down and today will become a dim and distant memory. Otherwise it could be a bit of a disaster for SI.

Fortunately, I ordered FM from Steam, it downloaded, installed and activated on two machines with no problem at all - probably the easiest installation I have ever experienced.

Im sure the option was Uniloc (Online/Phone) and Steam (Online).

I went for Uniloc but I cant see an optuon now to phone, just online

no your right when i installed i seen no phone option

We can't just sit back and do nothing to prevent piracy though. And, one of the biggest reasons people pirate is to get the game early. Thanks to the activation/DRM method pirates couldn't crack the game early, so many people who would have pirated to get it early wouldn't have been able to.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying the activation system worked perfectly for legit buyers - I don't anyone would say that it had.

I do take your point and Im glad to hear that there havent been any early cracks of the game. I just feel long term problems like these could cause people to turn to piracy out of frustration. Hopefully next year (if the system is used again) the flaws can be "ironed out" so to speak, though at the minute I guess it's sheer traffic volume, even half life 2 I seem to remember was very slow to activate on release day.

Dont you lot think your going over the top it took me 1 min to put codes in and enter the internet activation connection. All what has happened 1000s of people are trying to activate at once all you can do is keep trying and it will happen and if sega want to do it this way its how it is no point moaning beacuse nothing will change they have made there mind up and there is no going back.

Im sure the option was Uniloc (Online/Phone) and Steam (Online).

I went for Uniloc but I cant see an optuon now to phone, just online

no your right when i installed i seen no phone option

Dont you lot think your going over the top it took me 1 min to put codes in and enter the internet activation connection. All what has happened 1000s of people are trying to activate at once all you can do is keep trying and it will happen and if sega want to do it this way its how it is no point moaning beacuse nothing will change they have made there mind up and there is no going back.

Im sure the option was Uniloc (Online/Phone) and Steam (Online).

I went for Uniloc but I cant see an optuon now to phone, just online

no your right when i installed i seen no phone option

I'd already decided not to buy the game on release date this year (something I've done for ages), due to the amount of bugs out of the box in recent years. Just thought I'd check the forum to see how the fans had received the product, only to find that a huge number can't even access the game!!

Wow, must be a bleak time at SI towers.

I'll check back in February to see how things are going.

I'd already decided not to buy the game on release date this year (something I've done for ages), due to the amount of bugs out of the box in recent years. Just thought I'd check the forum to see how the fans had received the product, only to find that a huge number can't even access the game!!

Wow, must be a bleak time at SI towers.

I'll check back in February to see how things are going.

Snap...(I'm not buying this years edition for varying reasons) was forwarned by a friend about this happening on release day, guess I should have listened to him...glad I'm not going through what so many are...hope you all get it sorted out quickly and get some serious FM gaming on!

The most annoying thing about this is the whole point in the activation system was to delay the pirates. Sega rightfully accepted it was gunna be cracked eventually but all this 'system' got Sega/SI was what, an hour? The cracks out there. I suppose what do they care, they delayed it long enough for us to go buy the game and get our money.

The most annoying thing about this is the whole point in the activation system was to delay the pirates. Sega rightfully accepted it was gunna be cracked eventually but all this 'system' got Sega/SI was what, an hour? The cracks out there. I suppose what do they care, they delayed it long enough for us to go buy the game and get our money.

haha, they don't work though - but we've been told not to discuss the subject.

I reckon it's SEGA's fault. After all it was their inept advertising and piracy hypocrisy that killed Eastside Hockey Manager, which was arguably more fun than FM in it's 2007 incarnation. Now that game is gone and FM has problems. It's not just a coincidence that most of the FM problems have occured since SEGA came on board.

haha, they don't work though - but we've been told not to discuss the subject.

Yeh I know, I didnt wanna mention the C word but its a point that has to be made.

Hopefully Sega/SI will learn from this mistake and go back to the previous format which has worked well for so many years, after all doesnt FM hold sales records in PC games in this country?

The funniest thing is that now it has already been cracked. Oh dear.

I bought mine off steam, not a fan of having to use steam all the time but yeah DRM just ****s the wrong people around really.