328 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
sure that the wording is positive, even when discussing visible bugs that appear
in the game.
Include specific instructions for installing and running the game. Also in-
clude basic gameplay information—the controller scheme, the main gameplay
mechanics, the goal of the missions, and so on. This is a good chance for the
development team to communicate what areas of the game look good and are
really fun to play. If there is time, hints and tips for playing the game can also be
included.
Journalists often play builds that are still in development, so they will for-
give anything that is listed in the build notes as being incomplete or having a
bug. If the game only has five levels out of 10 that are playable, list which levels
should be looked at in the build notes. Make sure to note which levels are not
yet finished and the major things that are still being worked on in the level. Any
placeholder assets also should also be mentioned in the notes.
19.5 PREVENTING PIRACY
Publishers are always looking for ways to minimize the impact that piracy, the
act of making and distributing illegal copies of game, has on the bottom line.
According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), piracy costs the
U.S. entertainment software industry several billion dollars each year, and this
number increases for the games distributed in international markets. While
games are copyrighted and the copyright is enforceable under law, it is fairly
easy for software pirates to create and sell copies of the game, especially in other
countries. One way to cut down, but not eliminate, pirated games is by imple-
menting a copy protection scheme.
Copy Protection Schemes
A copy protection scheme prevents the user from making an illegal copy of the
software. The console manufacturers have proprietary systems in place to limit
piracy. So these copy-protection schemes are usually only applied to PC games.
Such schemes include the following:
Third-party protection: There is third-party copy protection software
available, such as SecuROM or StarForce. A license must be purchased and
they may require a small royalty for each copy of the game sold.
CD Keys: CD keys are unique serial numbers that ship with each disc and
are usually printed on the game’s case or manual. During the installation
process, the player will be asked to type in the key in order to verify that the
disc is an authentic and not a pirated copy.
MAKING BUILDS 329
Dongles: A dongle is a piece of hardware that ships with the software and
must be plugged into the computer in order to run the program. This method
is very expensive and is not used for games. It is commonly found on high-
end software packages that costs thousands of dollars.
Proprietary copy protection schemes: Some publishers have developed
their own methods of copy-protection. These methods can take more time
to disable because the protocols the copy-protection is based on are not as
familiar to people trying to make illegal copies of the game.
These types of copy protection schemes are effective in preventing the ca-
sual user from making a copy of a game and giving it to a friend, but are not
as effective against professionals. Piracy networks have the tools to crack these
protection schemes and create massive numbers of software copies that are then
sold on the black market. As a whole, the software industry is still finding ways
to fight against this practice.
19.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY
A well-organized build process makes game development go more smoothly,
and it is not difficult to set up an automated process that is even more effective.
This chapter discussed how to set up and automate the build process and why
this is important. It also included a brief discussion of various copy protection
schemes that help prevent piracy.
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