We need to know if we can purchase one copy and install it on both machines.That's just fine. We specifically allow two seats per license for LAN play. Most people end up buying their own copy after playing someone else's at a LAN party anyway, it seems
I appreciate that though I want to plug for three. Of all the friends I have that play games, especially those with teenage children, there are at least 3 computers in the house. I personally still chafe at having to buy multiple copies of a game per household but if it's needed from a business perspective I understand. However it breaks out, I'm still happy Stardock works with its customers instead of treating us all like criminals.
For the anti-pirating moralists, I see it as a two way street. While certainly there are some hardcore thieves, the industry is not exactly innocent in the loss of respect that helps fuel western piracy. I actually tend to view games more on the restaurant model as opposed to retail. In a restaurant, typically if the food sucks I don't pay. I'm not talking about just not liking it, I'm talking it was sent out burnt and looks like someone just threw the food on the plate. There isn't a hardcore gamer today that hasn't played at least one game that can fit that description. Ever been to a fancy restaurant and have the food look like art but taste like crap? Again, there isn't a gamer out who hasn't played one like that. How should customers feel when the people they rely on for fun treat them like ATM's and just throw out crap product after crap product just to get cash? Games should be treated like decent quality chefs treat food-- if it's not any good, don't send it out because all it does is piss off the customer and make them never want to return.
Someone else already made the anti piracy software argument but still, I'm a paying customer, why am I the one jumping through all your hoops just so you can
not catch the crooks? Why are you treating your customers like criminals instead of like valued assets and even friends? Why aren't more companies like Stardock and allowing me to at least demo a game, or making it easier for me to cope with losses like Stardock central? I found that when I bought Galactic Civ 2 and that feature just made me a loyal Stardock supporter. I saw an interview over Sins that made the comment about making games people don't pirate but it misses the mark to me. Stardock provides a service that simply can't be pirated and makes the customer actually feel like a person, not a paycheck.
The gaming market is saturated with these mistakes from Heroes of M&M (post Shadow of Death) to Crysis. It erodes customer confidence and respect and if you don't have that, no security in the world is going to make you a profit because you won't have any customers. Pirates aren't customers, I am, serve me not them.
