Oblivion sharing?

[mdchesne]

I know it's not AT policy to condone sharing, but is it possible to go half-half on buying the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion game with a friend and share the key code? Other than Bethesda maybe losing out on a purchase(maybe, because friend is poor and can't afford it otherwise), would there be any of those annoying "Key already in use" errors?

Just a thought. otherwise I'll get it on my own and let him watch. lol

 

[MangoTBG]

wArEzOrZ!rOxOrz030303

 

[stratman]

I doubt it'd be legal. Wether it'd be just or not though is up for debate. In practice, if Oblivion isn't an online game, it's probably possible to do what you suggest without getting errors. You might have to avoid registering it on both computers or some such though.

Proprietary software copyright makes it illegal to help friends, should they find themselves in a situation where they need/want a product that you phyisically CAN provide.

 

[fishbits]

Why not go half-half on buying a newspaper for the "help wanted" section?

I don't think AT has any problem with sharing, the problem is with piracy. Out of curiousity, how is Bethesda "maybe losing out on a purchase" when you already plan on paying for it, and your friend doesn't? I love the part about your generously ripping of the company to keep them from losing a sale. Since you put it that way, it's a noble thing to to. Heck, it'd practically be wrong of you to NOT steal from them.
/applause

 

[Homerboy]

Its perfectly fine to share. What do you think all those copies on BT, newsgroups, P2P apps and FTPs are? The game companies are just like Robin Hood. Only the people that cant afford the game are to download it from them. They are the ones seeding and granting FTP access. Those with the money are required to buy.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
I know it's not AT policy to condone sharing, but is it possible to go half-half on buying the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion game with a friend and share the key code? Other than Bethesda maybe losing out on a purchase(maybe, because friend is poor and can't afford it otherwise), would there be any of those annoying "Key already in use" errors?

Just a thought. otherwise I'll get it on my own and let him watch. lol

The only legal and ethical way to do this is for you to finish the game, uninstall it, then give him your copy.

If he's "poor" maybe he should work to earn money for a copy if he "needs" to play it right away instead of waiting until you're done?

 

[cirrhosis]

Buy a copy for your friend. Don't be a douche.

 

[mdchesne]

just making it clear: I don't share games. Just this case makes me feel bad that I'm going to get the game (regardless) but he's SOL and having to watch. So I guess technically (and legally) I shouldn't share the key code, but then again, I'll have one pissed off housemate

 

[Savarak]

Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Buy a copy for your friend. Don't be a douche.

QFT

 

[Fulcrum]

If your friend is so "poor" as to not be able to afford a copy of a game that he wants, then perhaps he should be spending less of his time playing games he hasn't paid for and more of his of time working to earn some money. That said, if you want to buy two copies and GIVE him a copy of the game with your hard earned money then you should go ahead and do so without a question. Otherwise, I say screw him, but what you?re going to do in regards to that issue is ultimately up to your own sense of right and wrong (although it is of course objectively wrong). As for it being technically possible, I'm sure there will be a hack developed by someone to circumvent whatever protection the game may have within a short amount of time after its release.

 

[Lonyo]

If you don't use it at the same time, then really it's 100% legal, but if you both want to play at the same time on different machines, so you install it twice, it's not legal.

 

[PingSpike]

So your friend can afford the at least semi-high end PC that will certainly be needed to run Oblivion, but he can't afford to pay $50 to buy the game?

 

[mdchesne]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
So your friend can afford the at least semi-high end PC that will certainly be needed to run Oblivion, but he can't afford to pay $50 to buy the game?

he's got enough to play WoW decently (excpet for boss battles where his video lags like a MFer. But I think his specs are:
2800+ XP (maybe 2500 barton)
fx5800
512 ram
and not sure about rest

It ought to play oblivion semi-decent...maybe.. he should definately upgrade his video card tho. but yea, I'll explain to him his system problem and maybe he won't feel so bad when I'm like "DUDE! come check this out! this game rocks!... errr...sorry man, forgot you don
t have it" lol

 

[imported_FishTaco]

Originally posted by: mdchesne

Originally posted by: PingSpike
So your friend can afford the at least semi-high end PC that will certainly be needed to run Oblivion, but he can't afford to pay $50 to buy the game?

he's got enough to play WoW decently (excpet for boss battles where his video lags like a MFer. But I think his specs are:
2800+ XP (maybe 2500 barton)
fx5800
512 ram
and not sure about rest

It ought to play oblivion semi-decent...maybe.. he should definately upgrade his video card tho. but yea, I'll explain to him his system problem and maybe he won't feel so bad when I'm like "DUDE! come check this out! this game rocks!... errr...sorry man, forgot you don
t have it" lol

Are you saying your friend plays WoW but claims to be too poor to purchase Oblivion? Even if that's true, wouldn't the simple and honest answer to his problem be to give up WoW for a few months (his character will still be there when he comes back) and pay for his own copy of Oblivion?

 

[mdchesne]

i don't know WoW specs or monthly payments or w/e he does. but yea, WoW fees is one reason his funds are dwindling

 

[imported_FishTaco]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
i don't know WoW specs or monthly payments or w/e he does. but yea, WoW fees is one reason his funds are dwindling

WoW is $15 a month. I think your friend needs to take a hard look at his life if he's really running out of money because of WoW.

 

[mdchesne]

so if he stops paying those fees for x months to get the money for oblivion, will his account still be active?

-let's note that this guy is one of those "not coming out of my room until I get this sword" kind of players :roll:

 

[imported_FishTaco]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
so if he stops paying those fees for x months to get the money for oblivion, will his account still be active?

-let's note that this guy is one of those "not coming out of my room until I get this sword" kind of players :roll:

He won't be able to play while he's not paying but they'll hold his characters so when he wants to start playing again he can start from where he left off.

 

[mdchesne]

i'll let him know that (if he doesn't already). maybe he can pry himself away from that social heatsink for a while and play a real RPG

 

[duragezic]

You just won't be able to play at the same time. So you could buy two games and share them both.. best of both worlds heh..

I didn't buy BF2 or UT2k4 but I play them both with legit cd keys. What's the difference if I was to hop on my bro's computer the rare occasion I play those games instead of from my own machine when he isn't playing them anyway? We have our own HL2 each so we can tear up the DoD together. Of course it's against the EULA but unless they have some sort of unique hardware activation (which no games have that I've seen thus far) it doesn't make much difference to have it on two different machines but only one can play at a time.

 

[mdchesne]

buy two games and share them both.... lol... <-- two of the same
hmm.... neat idea... he buys one, i buy another...we share... <-- two different games

 

[LanceM]

It's a freaking video game. He can live without it until he has the money.

And like others have said, he's already paying for WoW. He can buy Oblivion just like everyone else (should).