Warning for beta user that pirates beta copies of your game!

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by VTX, May 17, 2010.

  1. VTX

    VTX Well-Known Member

    #1 VTX, May 17, 2010
    Last edited: May 26, 2010
    Hi Guys,

    I just wanted to warn you for the user Eriq Piphus aka Erique555!

    He is an admin of ********** and he leaked Push Panic to that site.

    Do NOT let him into your beta programs, as he will pirate your beta!

    Check his twitter account: http://twitter.com/wwwidwaneocom

    He recently tweeted:

    'WE GOT MANY BETAS Fruit Ninja v1.2, DrNanoX, Push Panic, Super QuickHook, Deadly Dungeon, Ultimate Alphabet, Pocket Creatures To Review'

    His info:

    ----
    Hello, my name is Erique555! I am not sure if im too late, but i would like to be a beta tester for Push Panic.

    TouchArcade User: Erique555
    OS Version: 3.1.2
    Device Type: Ipod Touch 3g 8gb
    Beta Testing XP: I have currently tested Zenonia2, Fruit Ninja, DrNanoX, Beast Flyers, and Pocket Creatures.
    I am 17

    My UDID: 27814784501f343d4271feb56e93f3eecd2453ef
    ----

    UPDATE:

    kissrocknroll + Dexter420 are also friends of Eriq and active on TA! They also crack and leak beta's!!
     
  2. Future777

    Future777 FDG Entertainment<br />Co-Founder
    Patreon Studio

    Wow, what an as§$%$&hole. Thanks for the warning-- You should take legal actions against him.
     
  3. schplurg

    schplurg Well-Known Member

    Thanks! Was wondering if that was possible. I see my game was pirated two days after hitting the store. Guess I should be flattered.

    If somebody asks me if they can help test, my standard answer is "no". I like to pick em out myself.
     
  4. schplurg

    schplurg Well-Known Member

    Or perhaps send him a beta of something...bad :D
     
  5. TrueAxis

    TrueAxis Well-Known Member

    Sep 7, 2009
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    At one time we considered using beta testers here, then we heard of testers leaking out betas. The risk just out ways for testing any games we do. It's far easier picking close friends and family members.

    It would be pretty hard to sue a 17 year old - been a minor and all. These people have no regard to what damage this does. Why do you think developers don't write games on the PC now...
     
  6. TrueAxis

    TrueAxis Well-Known Member

    Sep 7, 2009
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    #6 TrueAxis, May 17, 2010
    Last edited: May 17, 2010
    Edit.
     
  7. don_k

    don_k Well-Known Member

    Oct 9, 2008
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    Why? *genuine question, if it's gonna bee too long / out of topic, please pm me as I'm interested to hear your opinion :)
     
  8. lazrhog

    lazrhog Well-Known Member

    Oct 1, 2008
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    With that UDID and knowing he was jailbroken, you could have had some real fun :)
     
  9. Foursaken_Media

    Foursaken_Media Well-Known Member
    Patreon Indie

    Lol.... trust me you'll stop being flattered when you see it appear on LITERALLY the 500th website. Its sad really... N.Y.Zombies is a moderately successful game (if even that), and I STILL -- over a month after release -- get 5-10 new Google alerts a day with new websites pirating our game.
     
  10. Sinecure Industries

    Sinecure Industries Well-Known Member

    Wow, that's pretty rotten. Even so, he won't be able to get away with it much longer - he'll have to wait until it's released like all the other punks :p
     
  11. VTX

    VTX Well-Known Member

    I know, my previous game was pirated like hell, but as it was an online only game I prevented it from being pirated in some update.

    I also know my game will be pirated on day 1, but my game is still months away from release and I really hate it that this early version has already been leaked.

    Anyway, the user who did this has been banned from Touch Arcade, so my topic will save some other devs from getting their betas leaked.
     
  12. therhino

    therhino Well-Known Member

    Jan 27, 2010
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    Nice to see they banned him, but he will probably just change his IP address and be back, one thing I suggest to all Dev's is to know your testers, select some testers who you can trust, you can't be 100% sure, but you can at least learn a little bit about the tester first, I realize some games need lots of testers so you can't always check up on each one, but it's a good idea to talk to your testers and hopefully avoid issues like this in the future, sadly piracy will remain a reality, but sometimes even a little background check (Google lol) helps.
     
  13. Eli

    Eli ᕕ┌◕ᗜ◕┐ᕗ
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold

    It probably wouldn't be a bad idea for someone to start a thread in the private developer's forum to maintain a listing of trusted beta testers around here to prevent this from happening in the future.
     
  14. VTX

    VTX Well-Known Member

    That sounds like a good idea to me!

    We could create a list with good people, that really test and give feedback :)
     
  15. Harpgliss

    Harpgliss Well-Known Member

    Nov 8, 2009
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    Here No More
    Hi,


    This is a great idea.

    I am not a developer, but as a person who has jail broke their device, I am tired of being looked at suspiciously by some because I am jail broke.

    Definitely think there should be a list also of those, like the one mentioned in this thread, of pirates and all the relevant information for developers to be aware.

    It may not help a lot but it is a start and will disrupt the flow of pirated apps, at least a little bit.

    Great thread here.

    David
     
  16. it is sad indeed, also sad for beta testers who wanted to just actually help ang gain experience for testing game such that their intention is being doubted... anyway i agree about picking just people you really know for testing games, or perhaps have them provide you references from their previous cbt. >(
     
  17. Blackharon

    Blackharon Well-Known Member

    Mar 15, 2010
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    Game Designer for Ludia
    Canada
    If he agreed to a NDA and you can prove that it was him I'd assume you should have some legal footing.
     
  18. Pamx

    Pamx Well-Known Member

    Oct 9, 2009
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    It's so frustrating that so many gamers don't seem to understand the implications of pirating/leaking games & believe that we're all sitting around just counting cash when the reality is that many of us are struggling to make any kind of living.

    I think we could go further than just avoiding certain members' services - I think there should be a system to encourage legitimate beta testers/general members to 'blow the whistle' to alert the site to this kind of activity. We've worked with some top class testers (as well as some blatant chancers) but we can't rely on them always being available. Time to plan ahead. Maybe TA could help with some kind of simple feedback/rating system along the lines of Ebay...

    I wish there was a simple way to sue the asses off these 'bad apples' but, as another poster pointed out, they're mostly under-age so not 'legally responsible' and broke anyway.
     
  19. Mondae

    Mondae Well-Known Member

    Feb 26, 2010
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    Perv, why do you care?
    #19 Mondae, May 17, 2010
    Last edited: May 17, 2010
    I feel so bad for you guys. I would want to gouge that guy's eyes out.
    I think that was a good idea that Eli had.

    BTW- If I am just starting wanting to beta test, where would it be best for me to start? Like flashlight apps and clock apps?

    ParnX: after your ten you are to know right and wrong in terms of U.S. Law. So seventeen is old enough. Do you remember that teen who file shared a few songs and was sued for thousands of dollars by record labels.

    On his twitter he just bragged about purating X2 football 2010, first.
     
  20. Aussie2

    Aussie2 Well-Known Member

    Mar 24, 2010
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    I think it's terrible that anyone could do this, developers work their a***s off making games just to see them pirated by people they've entrusted an early version of a game with, I think that the trusted beta tester thread would be a good idea but then it would be hard for new testers to start out so if deva could take some people from the thread but also give new people a chance sometimes
     

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