[CS-FSLUG] Preparing a little e-mail for Microsoft

[Nathan T.]

On 8/15/05, mash. <re.mash at gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
> Now don't get me wrong, I am all for the benefits of backing up $200
> software, but to be honest I know no one who copies games for the sake
> redundancy. I think it is quite in Microsoft's best interest to put
> copy protection onto their games whether they say it on the box or
> not. If there is a system in place to replace purchased game's CD in
> the event of fault then that's great and should be encouraged. I
> haven't purchased a PC game since 2000 but I am pretty sure they don't
> cost that much. If the CD fails get another one. I also know that
> games shelf life pretty long and I saw a copy of Bullfrogs syndicate
> the other day, wow great game !
> 
> The protection is there against the huge percentage of people who copy
> the games for a friend or two. There is freedom and there is free.

I cannot agree with that logic, I'm not much of a gamer so I usually
play the same games for a very long time, and when I got those games
they were CAD $65+tax for each. If Microsoft wants to charge an arm
and a leg for games, and them make it impossible to make personal
backup copies then they absolutely should have some sort of notice on
the box.

In order to allow families to play Age of Empires II together, MS made
it possible for people to start the game with the Cd in and then take
it out and still be able to play a multi-player game as long as there
is one person with a CD for every three people that don't have one (or
something along those lines). So I play the game with my sister when I
get bored of playing against computer players and as such the game is
more important than most of the other ones I have; Age of Empires II
and the expansion are also the only games I have of that genre that
will run on both my sisters older desktop system desktop and on my
laptop (until I increase the ram in my laptop).

I do not think MS is in any position to charge me for another copy of
a game that cost that much, especially when the alternative would have
been burning a copy for free so I would always have a disk to run the
game off of. You may agree with their actions and reasons, but I don't
because I wasn't given a fair warning before buying the game.