Kingdoms uses Securom v7 protection

**Tafferboy** · 09-01-2007, 08:33

Hi, fellow fans

I wish someone had told me this bit of information before I bought and installed Kingdoms, so this may be useful to people like myself who are averse to having unremovable third-party software on their systems. It's the same issue that has got gaming communities like NWN2 and now Bioshock riled up, and it's easy to see why.

Whether Securom can be trusted and is totally harmless is open to debate, but I totally reject having anything installed with my game without my consent and a clear way of removal. Hopefully you feel the same way, and Sega can be persuaded to release a patch for its removal (however unlikely). My post in the official .com technical forum:

Nobody answers his question? Well I will. Yes, unlike the original M2TW, Kingdoms uses the latest version of Securom - v7. If that sounds familiar, yes it's the same version used by Bioshock that has been associated with a rootkit. I know this because after installing Kingdoms (European release) yesterday, I find a registry entry "!CAUTION! NEVER DELETE OR CHANGE ANY KEY" under Securom that I can't remove. As reported in Bioshock, this entry shows up in RootkitRevealer, and the timestamp points to Kingdoms as the culprit. Ironically, I chose to buy Kingdoms over Bioshock because I didn't want this kind of unremovable junk on my system and now I still got it anyway. I am very disappointed and hope others know this is the copy protection they are getting with the game.

**Graphic** · 09-01-2007, 10:23

I can't find a registry entry like that on my machine. I honestly wouldn't care if I did.

**Darkarbiter** · 09-01-2007, 10:51

Anyone who can be bothered torrenting kingdoms can be bothered finding a way around securerom (that would include me... it ain't out here yet). When I buy a game and it has securerom on it, it just pisses me off though. Hopefully it'll just be a fad.

**The Teacher** · 09-01-2007, 10:57

does it have an impact on the puter? im going to buy it in the shop , yes a real shop, and install the mutha .. will i affect me etc?

**TB666** · 09-01-2007, 11:21

Confirmed or not ??
And is the new Securom anything like Starforce ??
Does it do any damage on your computer like Starforce or is it just sitting there ?

**Lusted** · 09-01-2007, 12:38

It's the same as in BioShock and i've had no problems with secuROM.

**John_Longarrow** · 09-01-2007, 20:57

Before I pick it up, is there any problem with installing Kingdoms on a computer that is NOT connected to the net?

**Tafferboy** · 09-01-2007, 22:11

Originally Posted by John_Longarrow

Before I pick it up, is there any problem with installing Kingdoms on a computer that is NOT connected to the net?

No, it doesn't require an online activation to install. I however humbly suggest that anybody concerned with intrusive copyright protection put off buying the game or return it if bought. Sega, like all publishers, care foremost about profit and the only way they can be convinced to release a patch removing the Securom is if consumers decide not to fill their pockets until this is done. The copy protection on future releases can only get worse if a clear message is not
sent that it is not tolerated by the majority.

Securom probably is not harmful, but to me, there's something inherently wrong and fishy in something that installs without notice, cloaks itself, does not uninstall with the game, and is impossible to remove without a painful process. Can I be absolutely sure my private information is not sent to the Securom servers? What if hackers found a way to exploit it (doubly dangerous since it can't be easily removed)? People have already reported that it conflicts with other applications, emulation software programs and even other games obtained legitimately. Ultimately, it doesn't sit well with me that as the owner of my system, I have lost the ability to customise it and remove something on it if I so wish. It's also insulting that I paid for a game and get a headache, while a pirate enjoys it free of cost and Securom junk. Kingdoms is the first game I have ever bought soon after release and I totally regret that decision. At this point, I am more concerned with getting rid of the Securom than enjoying Kingdoms.

**Halaster** · 09-01-2007, 22:44

I went over to my friends house where he had installed the game and we decided to try the Hotseat game. The game locked up all the time and is unplayable on all 4 scenarios. Piece of crap right now out of the box. Will have to try disabling the firewall and AVG.

**Swiss Halberd Pike Landsknecht** · 09-02-2007, 01:20

hmm not sure what to do now

I downloaded the 1.2 Patch for M2TW
as I'm planning on buying Medieval 2 in the next few days (bought a few months Medieval Total War Gold).

At first def wanted to also get Kingdoms expansion, as there's some parts I'd really like to have (and as result don't want to miss out), but then again I am worried now after I read about this securom protection system (1st time I've heard about it)

strange how they put it for Kingdoms but not the main game

**Bootsiuv** · 09-02-2007, 01:37

Originally Posted by Halaster

I went over to my friends house where he had installed the game and we decided to try the Hotseat game. The game locked up all the time and is unplayable on all 4 scenarios. Piece of crap right now out of the box. Will have to try disabling the firewall and AVG.

That's not surprising in the least. I now am well aware of the fact that you have to wait 1 year minimum after a TW game is released before it will have most of the major bugs worked out, and the better-than-vanilla FCM's will come out.

Granted, the game is pretty complex for a video game, and still revolutionary in what it does, so I learn to deal with it. I'm still enjoying RTW 1.6.