Limit parts of the forums (maybe other sites like BIKI) to game buyers only

[Sekra]

I saw this kind of a system being used in the Paradox Interactive forums where you can only access the sub-forums of games by being a legitimate user of that game ie. they have a page in your forum profile where you can enter a CD-key for each game they publish and by entering that key and it being verified as a legal copy of the game, you get access to that games forums. I find this as an excellent idea to give legitimate users a feeling that the company actually cares about providing service to their legitimate customers.

I believe that a similar system could be adapted on these forums too if not limiting all game sub-forums to legit users but sections like for example with the A2/OA forums you could have "News", "General" and "Questions and answers" open to all users of the forum and "Suggestions", "Troubleshooting", "Beta patch testing" and the rest only open for legitimate users. And even if you would not completely close the forums from others, make it so that only legit users could post there and others would have only read access. I believe this would cut down posts from people who want to just troll and don't even own the game(s), people posting about issues that are related to pirated copies etc.

Now I understand that this is by no means an easy or quick system to build BUT since all the games seem to use a cd-key system anyhow this would provide an excellent "extra layer" for the use of these keys and as a paying customer would make me feel more appreciated too when you "gift" me with access to the information that basically would be needed only by people who own the games. On the same note although maybe going a bit too complicated, unifying the forum accounts to BIKI accounts and limiting the BIKI access to legal users only would be an excellent addition of this system.

The only thing I see a problem here is the Arma 2: Free users. I don't know how the system works in that for players (do they get cd-keys?) but then again A2: F is in itself limited from most of the stuff that would be limited in the forums anyhow like mods, single player campaigns etc.

To end I'd like to point out that I do not see this as trying to control or limit the access to information about the game(s) but rather as a service for paying customers as a thank you for buying the game(s).

Your thoughts about a system like this?

[MadDogX]

I like the idea a lot, but I don't think they will go to the trouble to implement such a system.

[.kju [PvPscene]]

what's the benefit for BI and the forum users?

I think it is terrible idea.

[zvukoper]

I hesitated. Read you post twice. But in general, it's all good idea. BIS already liked dev-heaven and I heard they find it a good source for information. Who knows, may be sometime they'll understand that forums are good as well when you know for sure the person you're having discussion with is your direct legitimate customer.

[Sekra]

what's the benefit for BI and the forum users?

Obvious benefits for the forum moderators:
-Troubleshooting section: Only legitimate users can post problems with their game
-Every other section: Weed out trolls that only want to cause trouble

Like I said in my post if you read it correctly it could just simply be post restrictions and the reading could still be open to everyone. I see no reason for anyone other than legit users to post in the game specific forums for example. And again I see the way in the Paradox Forums as a sign of support from the company for people who buy their games.

---------- Post added at 13:36 ---------- Previous post was at 13:18 ----------

Also it is a cost effective and simple way of the company to tell its customers: "Buy our game and welcome to the community"

[.kju [PvPscene]]

Less potential customers. Anything more to consider?

[Sekra]

Less potential customers. Anything more to consider?

Care to explain how would posting restrictions limit the amount of customers? "Questions and Answers" section could be open for everyone so any questions by potential buyers (and anyone else for that matter) should go there.

[NoRailgunner]

Why should BIS create an extra security risk for legitimate users? BIS would need to buy and pay for an security solution that probably doesn't have any significant advantage of the current or further one. Imho BIS don't need to show such a silly sign of "support" aka marketing stunt.
BIS are already communicating, helping and bugfixing their games - without treating someone specially. Copy protection should work very well ingame and don't annoy or upset legitimate users anywhere.

[Sekra]

Think about it like this. If you need to register your cd-key to your forum account to get technical help for example this would only be a service offered to legal users of the game(s) on the forums instead of every pirate too. And since this community greatly helps each others to solve the problems this would help the people who like to help other people be sure that the person(s) they are helping are also legitimate customers. This is a big community offering a lot of help and more content to the game(s) and with this kind of a "authentication system" the community would become a part of what you paid for instead of it helping the pirates too.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:06 ----------

Why should BIS create an extra security risk

This is nonsense. What kind of a security risk is a database boolean value of "Owner_A2"? which is linked to a forum access template? It would be silly stupid to actually write the cd-key to the account, all you need is following:

-Authentication server (already exists) that is sent queries (limit from the forum server IP only so no external access) that contain the cd-key, reply says: "valid", "non-valid", "already linked"
-With "valid" response from auth server forum account database sets "owns_a2 = true"
-Too many retries to link a key -> lock account for moderator action etc proper protocol for this incident

Where is the security risk here?

[ProfTournesol]

I don't like this idea at all. This community shall not retire within itself.