Intel's "DLC" hardware application...

[anariel]

Well, I was just going to get a patch for my old No One Lives Forever 2 game from Megagames.com (since sierra.com redirects to activision... which doesn't host the patch for such an "old" game...) when I stumbled upon this pearl...

Similar to what some publishers do with their games’ DLC, Intel is now selling underpowered CPUs and charging customers for the privilege of unlocking their full – already on board – potential.
 
The new program started with the Pentium G6951 CPU (coupled with Intel DH55TC or DH55PJ motherboard), which comes with a 3MB level 3 cache and with no support for HyperThreading. However, for a $50 fee Intel can remotely flip a digital switch to enable a fourth Mega Byte of level 3 cache as well as HyperThreading.
Users who want to “upgrade” their G6951 CPU have to buy an Intel’s $50 “Processor Performance Upgrade Card” then download a program from Intel’s website. The user then enters the card’s PIN into the program which can be run on Windows 7 only. A benchmark – provided by Intel – comparing the “upgraded” G6951 CPU to the plain one is available in the screens tab.
The new program is hardly justified, given that it costs Intel nothing to enable features that are already present on the chip.

The source is here, but the quote is literal.

So, it seems like the new wave for corporative parasites consists in selling you the things twice Oh, and it only works with Win7... Well, I prefer AMD anyway.

[perez007usa]

anariel; just go to Game Copy World. There are all kinds of patches and No-CD's that you can browse thru.

 Here's the link; http://www.gamecopyworld.com/

 To answer about that DLC? are they nuts!!

[Cylnar]

Corporate greed knows no limits.

Clean your guns and sharpen the guillotines.

[anariel]

anariel; just go to Game Copy World. There are all kinds of patches and No-CD's that you can browse thru.

 Here's the link; http://www.gamecopyworld.com/

That's why I prefer english versions of the games... It's easier to find the nocd crack. So I can either play without sound, or I can locate the nocd for version 1.3... or use the CD any time I wanna play.

About Intel, I'm sure it's only a matter of time until someone finds how to crack this. But I find quite... interesting: 25% of the CPU is disabled, and also the HyperThreading (whatever it is). So it can be said that they are selling only 60-70% of the product. And unless it is very very clear, I bet a lot of legal issues will follow.
The curious thing, now that the Macs are starting to seriously kick Windows in the ass, Intel takes such a step, closing itself the doors for the Mac market.

[Kandid]

This time next year 250mg baby food jars will contain 200mg and the rest will be DLC...

[perez007usa]

I tell you what, I'm happy with my HyperThread. It thinks it's a Dualcore cpu, it runs the best of dual core games. When I put my rig together, I did some tweaking to the Cpu bios. Don't ask me how I did it, I don't remember how I did  it. ( I'm old, I am that I am). I'd like to see them try and  mess with my Cpu.

[Schu]

Intel and AMD have been doing this for years, then the mobo manufacturers got wise to it and gave us ways to unlock the CPU. They'll do it again or enthusiasts will find a way to unlock the CPU just like we always do.

So let them try someone will find a way around it

[Steeal]

I completely disagree with everyone.  This is LONELY lol.   

[Tessera]

The best response to DRM schemes which punish honest users is, in my opinion, to punish the industry in return... by becoming a dishonest user. Show then that they are achieving the exact opposite of their desired results. This is why I have said on numerous occasions that DRM -encourages- piracy. It pushes decent people who previously would never have thought of doing such a thing away from Steam and Amazon.com, and towards alternatives like The Pirate Bay. And the growing statistics regarding music and software piracy have proven that assertion to be correct. By continually bullying the public and pissing people off, the industry is essentially cutting their own corporate throats. And no matter how many shuysters they trot into court... and no matter how many crooked politicians they can influence with their greasy money... nothing, absolutely nothing will change the inevitable outcome: the industry will go broke, and we will all laugh like hell... as they collapse under the weight of their own greedy, self-assured, short-sighted neo-con mindset.

To the industry: your old business models, including the Gordon Gecko section which tells you that "greed is right," are not working for you anymore. Welcome to the 21st century... and if you keep fucking up, then damned near all of you who were once giants will be begging on the street corners for booze money by the end of this coming decade. Laugh now if you must... but the rest of us will be laughing even louder in the very near future. Count on it.

[Cat]

The best response to DRM schemes which punish honest users is, in my opinion, to punish the industry in return... by becoming a dishonest user. Show then that they are achieving the exact opposite of their desired results. This is why I have said on numerous occasions that DRM -encourages- piracy. It pushes decent people who previously would never have thought of doing such a thing away from Steam and Amazon.com, and towards alternatives like The Pirate Bay. And the growing statistics regarding music and software piracy have proven that assertion to be correct. By continually bullying the public and pissing people off, the industry is essentially cutting their own corporate throats. And no matter how many shuysters they trot into court... and no matter how many crooked politicians they can influence with their greasy money... nothing, absolutely nothing will change the inevitable outcome: the industry will go broke, and we will all laugh like hell... as they collapse under the weight of their own greedy, self-assured, short-sighted neo-con mindset.

To the industry: your old business models, including the Gordon Gecko section which tells you that "greed is right," are not working for you anymore. Welcome to the 21st century... and if you keep fucking up, then damned near all of you who were once giants will be begging on the street corners for booze money by the end of this coming decade. Laugh now if you must... but the rest of us will be laughing even louder in the very near future. Count on it.

Aslo how can they make money when people have no money to buy anything with.

[Tessera]

Even if I had the money... I still wouldn't pay it to con men, bullies and thieves.

[perez007usa]

I don't have the money either. Swap games, Copy them to Cd's. When one does buy a game, Past it around, to as many friends as possible. Let's do the math,,,,,,