Fallout 3 + SecureROM

No thank you!

Deadspace PC & DRM

I just read that Deadspace will have the same DRM as the Spore. Now you've done it. No Deadspace for me. EA, you can kiss my money and goodbye.

Some people may argue that 5 install is enough. But, no! As long as it's a number, it's not enough! If I buy this game, I expect to play it however I wanted. Not that I have 5 computers laying around the house - I have only 1 PC and 1 laptop, but I upgrade my PC all the time, if I forgot to uninstall, that's 1 less install limit for me. Beside, when you reinstall OS, anything can happen. I recently upgraded to Vista, and ended up install it 4 -5 times over the course of 2 nights. And, it's still not running properly. Who the heck do they think they are, telling me how many times I can install my game. And I want to play my game whenever I want, will the activation server still be there 10 years from now? I still play the original X-COM games from more than 15 years ago! Would you buy a DVD movie, that you can only play it in 5 different DVD players?

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The wait is over ... almost. I can't wait to play this game!

The Witcher

Well, started playing The Witcher on a normal difficulty setting. But I was stuck on The Beast quest for 2 weeks! Even when I loaded a earlier saved game, got all my potions, grind stones, not to mention an additional Arrd skill - I still had to reload a couple of dozens of time to finally kill the Beast. Wow, that was hard!

The good, the bad and the ugly - not the movie

I've been sick the whole week, so I took yesterday off stayed at home to play some computer game.

The good:
I bought The Witcher - Enhanced Version, came in 5 whooping DVDs, very heavy case... I've been wanting to play this for a while, but after reading the reviews, I thought I'd skip, 'cause I just couldn't bear the looong game loading time... Now, they finally fixed it, woohoo!

The bad:
After spent 30min install the game, the game won't start! What the heck!? It gives me all sorts of error, dll missing... So, I googled the missing dll, downloaded them, put them into the game directory... still no go... more errors... As it turned out, The Witcher requires Windows XP or Vista! And I'm running Windows 2000. Doh! Lucky I have a copy of XP Pro 64bit I got for free when I brought my AMD combo at an AMD event; and a Vista Business from attending some seminar. XP 64bit, not a lot of software support, guess I'll go with Vista.

The ugly:
Installed Vista, no problem, the partition size albeit a lil small - 10GB, but installed OK. Installed Partition Magic 8 to resize partition - doh, it doesn't support Vista.

Looking at the Symantec's website, they don't have a new version of the Partition Magic. Anyway, I'd pretty fed up with Symantec already, they frequently repackage the same software to make it look completely different, I ended up bought 2 copies of Partition Magic 8 - since they look completely different. So, I searched the net found a free software called: Easeus Partition Manager, completely free for home users. It look and feel just like the Partition Magic.

Let me back track a bit... The Windows 2000 install only takes about 5GB, however, the Vista took almost 10GB! What the heck is in the Vista, Mr. Gates?

The Witcher was installed on a separate partition, I was hoping it will just run - but it doesn't. So, I installed it for the 2nd time...

Vista must have had the auto update enabled, after The Witcher install, it asked for reboot to install updates. Ok, since I need to reboot, I might as well resize the partition to a bigger 15GB... I installed Easeus Partition Manager, resized the partition to 15GB, reboot.

"No system disk detected, please instead a system disk and press any key". WHAT!!! I just spent all the time install Vista and Witcher... With a heavy sign, I installed Vista again... The Witcher again...

So, how many times I installed The Witcher? 3 times - just try to start the game. And each time, I forgot to de-authorize any install. If The Witcher had DRM, I've used up all the installs I'm allowed.

I'll buy DRM enabled game when hell freezes over.

Games looking forward to buy

Fallout 3
Diablo 3
Jagged Alliance 3
Deadspace

However, if there's any DRM in these game, they can kiss my cash goodbay!

The recent Spore and Crysis game has DRM and install de-authorization - that let you de-authorize an install. However, what good is it, if the game company no longer exists. You can'tr ever install the game, as it requires online authorization.

I was browsing the SirTech website for Wizardry 8 game patch. The game was release in 2001, and the company bite the dust a few years back. It listed various sites that host the patch file, most of them landed me a 404 page - that means the file is no longer there, 1 requires to register and pay - however I'm not sure they has it. See, if a few years done the road, the game company folds, their server shuts down - you the consumer are screwed!

No DRM!!!

Say No to "Spore" and DRM!!!

Spore, interesting game from EA. I thought about buying it. But due to the strict DRM included in the game, I'm not going o buy it or play it!

Only able to activate it 3 times? Forget it!!! I have mt X-COM games, how old is that? 15 years? I still play it now and then. A few years back, I was playing it one time every single year! When I buy a game I want to be able to play it whenever I want, however often I want. Even if they bump it 50 activations, I still won't buy it - it a matter principle. Would you buy a TV that they only allow you to move to different rooms 3 times? Or buy a DVD, they only allow you to watch 3 times? Hell NO!

Boycott DRM!!

Nokia N95 Light Saber

Now I have it on my N95!

Cellphone Saber

I have a Nokia N95 from work, and I found an app that turns my cellphone into a Lightsaber. WOW, that's pretty neat. This app is freely available from "Mosh Nokia". While everyone is crazy about iPhone, I love my N95... 5MP camera, DivX, Google Map, GPS, Nokia Map, MS Office, Adobe Reader, Putty, VPN and loads of free programs to choose from.

Fancy USB

I went into a RadioShack this morning to get a USB cable, and was shocked by the price. A cheap USB come at $22, and a more expensive one come at $33! Are they made of gold or what?! I asked the clerk why they're so expensive, he said they're gold plated... No kidding! What's next, gold plated CPU?

AVP2

Why does the Predator ship always crash land? Even when they're perfectly working? I guess maybe they're just not very good with landing....

Much ado about nothing...

Well, been doing some Star Wars reading, the Legacy series...Jacen Solo is going to the Darkside and becoming a Sith Lord follow his grandpa's footstep, OMG! Mara will die.. haven't gotten to that part yet...

Also started playing UFO: Extraterrestrials, I've built a base in every continent, but I still can't do the final researches... even after I captured a lot of alien Preacher commanders. This sucks...

So I started the Knights of the Old Republic: Sith Lord, and having fun. UFO: Aftershock, it's so hard playing, I always run out of resources, despite I have quite a bit territories. The Railway tracks just consumes so much resources.

Can't wait for the Indy 4: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was in the Borders store the other day, I didn't realize there are so many Indy books...

Online registration for single player PC games(Mass Effect)?! It will do it automatically without your intervention?! Now I'm more concerned. What's next? Online registration for my tennis shoes? If I dont' plug in shoes it will trip me over from time to time? Well, I was going to buy the BioShcok, but after hearing all the registration and restrictions, I'm just going to let this one pass. I'll go buy and play something that doesn't have all sorts of restrictions!

Star Wars orchestra

HK Panoramic

Panoramic view of the harbor in HK.

Cheating Fate

I was playing Fate a few weeks ago, it was fun for a while, but afterwards it was all the same hack and slash, then rinse and repeat. I got a lil bored so I searched the net look for some hack.... The best one was editing the data file in:
C:\Program Files\WildGames\FATE\ITEMS\items.dat, and see what I got now... Well, I created my own weapon.

Order 66...

No Jedi were harmed making this order...