Starforce question (edit: answers actually)

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 7:57 pm

I picked up a couple games at the thrift and I'm afraid I'll need to return them - Mafia's third disc doesn't work, and The Suffering: Ties That Bind has Starforce 3.5.

Anybody know how to get rid of that stuff before installation (I know how to uninstall it afterwards but would rather get it stripped off beforehand)?

Edit: Apparently it's now ad-supported and free with no Starforce, same as Area 51 (haven't played that either).
http://files.filefront.com/The+Sufferin ... einfo.html

http://files.filefront.com/Area+51+Spon ... einfo.html

Edit #2: It seems that Starforce only afflicts the first game, which is available for free anyhow. Glad I DL'ed that one, I'll play the next in order.

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:02 pm

This is the first I've heard of retail games switching to a marketing model like this. Anyone know how intrusive the ads are? Are they just in-game screens or does the download install adware pop-ups on your system?

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 3:14 am

Some other game (somebody will know the one - you play as a dude with psychic powarz) also used this model, and when I played it recently I didn't even notice any ads. So it doesn't seem too intrusive.

I'll tell you what's up with this game, though, since I just DLed it.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 7:40 am

Quick little update:

The Suffering is a first game in a series followed by "The Suffering - Ties That Bind." Hilarious on the voice acting, I hear the City 17 guys' VA cursing up a storm in this one.

Anyway, the "ad-supported" bit means that a little (tiny really) window appears and plays an Air Force ad of a rocket side cam during a liftoff, and a link to their site "do something amazing" (something like that) shows up. You get two ads on the sides of the main menu, and another ad appears after you've closed the game (but I was able to do stuff on my desktop while it was finishing up). Doesn't seem too terrible to me.

Apparently Ubisoft did this with some good titles as well:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... orted.html