$#@%&^ Serial Numbers

[marc420]

I just went to download the patch, and now its asking me for my serial number again.

Why the $#%^$ do I have to have a Serial number to patch a game? Everytime I want to patch a game, to get the bug fixes to the problems you have in the original game, I have to go digging through a bunch of old emails hunting for the serial number.

This blows. Can't you find away to fix the problems in your games without making go back and find this old info?

I'm sure this post will just get a lot of corporate speak and BS back. But it would be nice if you'd find a better way to do this.

[lkendter]

I agree that this is a pain. The first time it did this I have to ask WHY?

[Joel Billings]

I can't answer regarding the basic question of needing the reg number (that is a Matrix policiy), but I can say that you can find your reg number in your computer's registry if you ever lose it. Also, if you have a CD version, I strongly suggest writing the reg number on the CD using a Sharpie permanent marker.

[SlapBone]

ORIGINAL: marc420



Why the $#%^$ do I have to have a Serial number to patch a game?

It's to protect you, the customer. When some nimrod shares his serial number over p2p, Matrix can go in and exclude it from the patch. This is to make sure that the hard work that goes into the patches isn't enjoyed by the pirates, thereby protecting the investment you made when you purchased the game with your hard-earned money. I can't testify to how effective this is, but that is the idea [;)]

[Bodhi]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings
but I can say that you can find your reg number in your computer's registry if you ever lose it.

Careful, you'll be in for one of Erik's "dark deep secret" edits if you post any more! [;)] [:D]

[rhondabrwn]

This comes up over and over again...

"I can't find my serial number... I deleted the purchase confirmation e-mail... I can't be bothered..." and so forth.

You download a new game, you immediately open "Notepad" and create a small text file called "[game name] SN" with the serial number. Save it to your Matrix games folder along with the game. It then becomes a quick "copy and paste" job to insert the SN into the patch dialogue.

In addition, it sounds like this player probably hasn't made a backup copy of the downloaded game file onto a CD... leading to the next whine: "my computer crashed or hard drive failed and I lost my games, how do I download them again?"

The FIRST thing I do is create the SN text file, the SECOND thing is to burn the backup copy of the setup file.

Do these simple steps and stop all the whining about Matrix being unreasonable in requiring serial numbers for patches (and reinstallations of the games).

[jchastain]

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn

This comes up over and over again...

"I can't find my serial number... I deleted the purchase confirmation e-mail... I can't be bothered..." and so forth.

You download a new game, you immediately open "Notepad" and create a small text file called "[game name] SN" with the serial number. Save it to your Matrix games folder along with the game. It then becomes a quick "copy and paste" job to insert the SN into the patch dialogue.

In addition, it sounds like this player probably hasn't made a backup copy of the downloaded game file onto a CD... leading to the next whine: "my computer crashed or hard drive failed and I lost my games, how do I download them again?"

The FIRST thing I do is create the SN text file, the SECOND thing is to burn the backup copy of the setup file.

Do these simple steps and stop all the whining about Matrix being unreasonable in requiring serial numbers for patches (and reinstallations of the games).

You are right, burning a disk with the install file and the serial number is the first thing anyone should do. I find though that Matrix has an excellent system of retrieving the information for people who don't take that precaution. If you know your email address and the credit card you used for an order, you can look up the invoice and get your serial number from their website.

[5cats]

I thought it was a brilliant idea!
In our pirate-infested cyber-world, it is sooo easy to copy & P2P games. Thus costing either lost sales or higher expenses if tons of copy-protection is included. And the "protection" will only last a short time, eh? So making people register to get the patches is a simple & effective way of at least slowing the pirates down! Anyone who's too stoopid to take basic precautions deserves their fate.
Write your number down on the inside of the manual cover!
E-mail the serial number to yourself!
Pencil & paper, crash-proof back-ups!
Lmao!

[ravinhood]

And if I don't own a burner then what? All this adds up to more $$ to own and keep a game, that shouldn't be that way either. People that have do not seem to care or worry about those that havenot. I can hear it now, a cd burner is such in such $$ now, cheap, blah blah blah, but, to some out there a single $1 extra expense it a lot of money. Go live in another 3rd world country and you will see.

[Greybear46]

I purchased my copy from EB. Now that I have a new computer, I tried to install the game from the CD that I had stored in a notebook of CDs. The install message says the serial number is on the CD. Unfortunately, there is no serial number on the CD. I tossed the original box and CD envelope long ago. Like a good boy, I deleted World at War off my previous computer so there is no way to find it in the registry.

I bought a game. Sure, I should have written the serial number on the CD, emailed myself a copy of the number, created a text file for the number. Maybe some would say that I should have put the sleeve (if that's where it was) in my bank vault. Heck, someone here would probably say I should have tattoo'd the number on my chest.

BUT it's a game for goodness sake. Reading over the comments of other posters who put down those of us who tossed the stuff and now are left with an unusable product is irritating. Putting a registration number on a piece of paper that can be easily misplaced and then stating on the install that the owner can find it on the CD is customer UNFRIENDLY.

I've sent an email to Matrix asking them for guidance. If their service is like the "let them eat cake" excuses I have found on this message board left by Matrix apologiests, then I wonder how helpful I will find Matrix to be.

Greybear

[Scott_WAR]

You really cant blame Matrix for your own inability to hold on to important information. If you threw away the paper that had the serial number, AFTER you used the serial number off of it (so you KNEW it was there) then you can only blame yourself.

Lucky for you Matrix cares about its customers and will help you.



ravinhood.... IF you dont have a burner, then I wouldnt be purchasing games via digital download. You KNOW you cant burn them, so go buy the retail version.

[HercMighty]

ORIGINAL: SlapBone
It's to protect you, the customer. When some nimrod shares his serial number over p2p, Matrix can go in and exclude it from the patch. This is to make sure that the hard work that goes into the patches isn't enjoyed by the pirates, thereby protecting the investment you made when you purchased the game with your hard-earned money. I can't testify to how effective this is, but that is the idea [;)]

I can see entering in the serial number to install. This information get's saved to the registry. Encrypt it here if need be. When installing the patch have the installer check the registry to see if the serial number is excluded. If not all installs just fine and the legal customers are not hassled with haveing to enter the serial number each time a patch comes out.

[Greybear46]

You really cant blame Matrix for your own inability to hold on to important information. If you threw away the paper that had the serial number, AFTER you used the serial number off of it (so you KNEW it was there) then you can only blame yourself.

Lucky for you Matrix cares about its customers and will help you. You really cant blame Matrix for your own inability to hold on to important information. If you threw away the paper that had the serial number, AFTER you used the serial number off of it (so you KNEW it was there) then you can only blame yourself.

Lucky for you Matrix cares about its customers and will help you.

Ah yes, that's the response I expected from the Matrix apologiests here. Just a saliva dripping, head bowing genuflection to whatever policy they have in place. Like so many other copy protection schemes, the legitimate user is hurt more than the sly pirates who can find some work around to any copy protection.

I suppose I was surprised that of the dozens of computer games I own, this is the only one with a stupid registration key. Yes, it was my fault for misplacing the blanking sleeve. My attitude is not the norm on this board. Goodness, I bought the game, I want to be able to play it without having to dig up the registration key. I can do that with all my other games.

I have to manage an incredible amout of "important information" in both my personal life and my business life. Worrying about a game registration key should not be something I have to add to the list.

As a side note... I dug through my empty boxes and found the cd jacket. So I leave this board with a bitter taste from the type of treatment newbies (yes, even newbies who have demonstrated the "inability to hold on to important information") receive here from high-and-mighty Scott_WAR types. Oh yea, I'll be careful and not let the door hit me on the rear on my way out. [:(]

[Erik Rutins]

Greybear,

ORIGINAL: Greybear46
Ah yes, that's the response I expected from the Matrix apologiests here. Just a saliva dripping, head bowing genuflection to whatever policy they have in place. Like so many other copy protection schemes, the legitimate user is hurt more than the sly pirates who can find some work around to any copy protection.

I suppose I was surprised that of the dozens of computer games I own, this is the only one with a stupid registration key. Yes, it was my fault for misplacing the blanking sleeve. My attitude is not the norm on this board. Goodness, I bought the game, I want to be able to play it without having to dig up the registration key. I can do that with all my other games.

If you own dozens of computer games, I'm amazed that this is the only one with a registration key. The last two dozen mainstream games I've bought all have activation codes or registration keys written somewhere, often on the CD sleeve. This is not at all a practice unique to Matrix Games. In fact, we put it on the sleeve because that was fairly standard for retail games.

Unfortunately, with a retail copy we have absolutely no record of your purchase. We don't know that you bought it or what your code was. Our only alternative is to give you a new key if you can provide us some proof of purchase. You can e-mail me at erikr@matrixgames.com to get that moving.

Blaming us in this instance though, isn't really going to help anyone.

As a side note... I dug through my empty boxes and found the cd jacket. So I leave this board with a bitter taste from the type of treatment newbies (yes, even newbies who have demonstrated the "inability to hold on to important information") receive here from high-and-mighty Scott_WAR types. Oh yea, I'll be careful and not let the door hit me on the rear on my way out. [:(]

Ah, should have read through. I'm glad to hear you found it, I'm sorry you feel bitter about the responses you got here, but honestly once you buy the game what happens to the CD sleeve is out of our hands.

Regards,

- Erik

[Paul Vebber]

For what its worth we don't leave customers hanging, and the fans we have are supportive because we do our best to support them. I'm glad you found the reg code. Had you not, I (or someone else) would have worked with you to get youup and running.

However, it never ceases to amaze me when people show up with a chip on their shoulder and wonder why they are not welcomed with open arms by the "regulars". If you showed up in a store spouting expletives, you would likely get looks and hear whispered epitaphs from customers too.

Serial numbers are the least intrusive form of copy protection we have found.

Requiring a serial number to get patches allows us to ensure that serials passed on the internet that we become aware of can be "turned off" and thus pirates get the original game, but not the improvements in patches. That is why we check the serial number to receive patches.

Not because wwe staty up at night thinking of ways to make customers jump through hoops...

We don't require a CD to be in the drive (still the industry standard). The vast majority of customers agree that serial #s are a fair and minimally complicating procedure.

A few disagree, and you are welcome to voice that displeasure in whatever way you feel appropriate.

But if you come off like a troll, don't be surprised when the "saliva dripping" regulars let you know...

Free speech works both ways here. If you can't take it, don't dish it out.

[Scott_WAR]

ORIGINAL: Greybear46

So I leave this board with a bitter taste from the type of treatment newbies (yes, even newbies who have demonstrated the "inability to hold on to important information") receive here from high-and-mighty Scott_WAR types. Oh yea, I'll be careful and not let the door hit me on the rear on my way out. [:(]

I could just ignore this, as I do a lot of things that are really pointless to debate. The point here is that a cd key, a serial number, a registration key, whatever term you want to call it, is in NO WAY a new concept, and nearly EVERY SINGLE game you buy now, or for the past 3 years, has them. So claiming it is something new and unique is false. I bought a cd burner when I relaized I was going to download the game instead of going out and buying it. Its called thinking ahead, and its a really handy thing.

Just as it is a well known fact that PC's, of any type, are not perfect, and will at some point or another have problems, that more than likley will result in the need to either reinstall programs, or even needing an entire new windows installation. Logic again dictates that you will need your serial key to reinstall the game, which should make you think "I need to save this". Again the thinking ahead thing.

However, it is possible you are COMPLETELY new to PC gaming, and if so, it is a different matter completely, however, coming in with the attitude you did, that Matrix had done you some injustice because YOU lost the cd key, wasnt the best way for someone new to learn the way PC games work. Its not surprising you got the responses you did. Regardless, if that is the case, then I do apologize. Chalk it up to a learning experience,.... you must save the cd key for every single game you buy. You will need it at some point in the future.

[Daykeras]

Well... personally I buy multiple copies of games I really like. I do this for many many reasons. One is if I want to give it to a friend to play with me, I can. If I lose a cd key, I have extras. If my cd breaks, I have more.

Now for a new game, like WaW this is usually pretty hard. I mean, shelling out 100 bucks for 2 or 3 copies of a game seems pretty stupid... So I'm waiting for it to drop in price (hint hint ) so I can buy more.