[casual_games] More good news on Vista!

[Dave Selle]

If save game data is written to the proper location it isn't virtualized
and this issue will not arise. 

Example: 

C:\progam data\(publisher name)\(developer name)\(game name)\"save data"

It's not as convenient or easy to find as "program files" on XP machines
but you should be able to copy save game data to and from a USB drive
for these locations.

Note: the above will also address problems with config files which are
created by games on first run and that crash on vista on subsequent
trials. 

--Dave 


-----Original Message-----
From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org
[mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Arthur Humphrey
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 1:49 PM
To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List
Subject: Re: [casual_games] More good news on Vista!

We are seeing exactly this behavior (with unwrapped installs of our
games). 
When a user installs the game in Vista or XP LUA, they need an Admin 
password. Then during that play session the savegame files are not going

into the LUA user's folder, and when they play the game later (after a 
reboot) it works fine but acts like it is the first time is had been
run. 
This is probably, at the very least, something we'll want to bring to
the 
user's attention when they install or first run the game.

The jumpdrive problem has quite a few possible solutions but I have not 
found a perfect one.

Arthur

At 10:58 AM 1/25/2007 -0800, you wrote:


>Just a point on the save game: In vista if a game writes data such as

>save games or config files to the program files directory these will

>eventually get virtualized per user under Vista which can create

>problems with users "losing" this data or even game crashes.

>

>For example if a user runs a game immediately after install (an option

>provided by many titles) they will be running with elevated permissions

>and any "program files" save data will not be virtualized on the first

>run.

>

>However, the next time they come back to play the game it will launch

>with non-elevated permissions and the data written to program files

>*will* be virtualized per user and from their perspective the save game

>data at this point has disappeared--so the users who liked to do the

>jump drive solution will not be able to use it the same way they had

>previously in any case.

>

>Many failure modes that we are seeing for games and their DRM occur on

>second run--frequently it just won't launch: to the user this clicking

>on the icon and having nothing happen.

>

>For the games this is often related the elevation issues noted above.

>We're not always sure which link in the chain is breaking to cause the

>DRM and game client failures we are seeing (sometimes in can be hard to

>tell if it's the game or the DRM) but we do know from our own

experience

>that there is real engineering required to provide reliable and smooth

>functioning DRM and game client solutions with a good user experience

in

>Vista.

>

>--Dave

>

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org

>[mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Arthur Humphrey

>Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 9:33 AM

>To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List

>Subject: Re: [casual_games] More good news on Vista!

>

>Our games broke in XP LUA, and ran well in Vista. On XP LUA our users

>were prevented from saving their games in Program Files and so the game

>broke, while on Vista a handle was created in Program Files and the

>saves were automatically created in the correct users directory. One

>point for Vista, I guess.

>

>Still we have gone ahead and changed it so our games save correctly

into

>the user's path on all operating systems. Now we are already getting

>complaints from testers who liked to bring our games (and the game

>progress) back and forth to work on a jumpdrive. Some just used to keep

>the game on that jumpdrive at all times. This is no longer convenient

>for them with the new savegame paths.

>

>Arthur

>

>At 12:05 AM 1/25/2007 -0800, you wrote:

>

>

>         Our QA labs are doing a light test sweep of the major casual

>gaming portals to see which ones are impacted severely by Vista.  It

>looks like Microsoft managed to break Trymedia DRM with Vista so it's

>likely that most if not all Trymedia wrapped games are broken under

>Vista.  This is consistent with our analaysis that at least 50% of the

>casual games currently posted on the major gaming portals are broken.

>Our labs also report that RealArcade itself is broken by Vista.  If I'm

>not mistaken all the casual games hosted by Oberon on MSN are based on

>Trymedia DRM.  It will be interesting to see if Microsofts own casual

>game offering is actually Vista ready.

>

>         Since a lot of small developers don't appear to have access to

>Vista builds yet we suggest that you try your games under a Windows XP

>LUA account.  If it breaks there, it certainly breaks in Vista.

>

>         -Alex

>         <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =

>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

>

>________________________________

>

>         From: macrovision at mkt1.macrovision.com

>[mailto:macrovision at mkt1.macrovision.com]

>         Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 9:19 PM

>         To: WildTangent Packaging

>         Subject: [Possible SPAM] ActiveMARK Windows <?xml:namespace

>prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Vista

>Communication

>         Importance: Low

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>

>         2299aa.jpg

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>         ActiveMARK Windows Vista Communication

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>         Feedback

><http://mktg.macrovision.com/mk/get?_EC=_bWbefB7rXaOX0eyvFCUeq>

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>         Dear WildTangent ,

>         You should have received the communication below on December

27,

>2006. If you have not yet had a chance to respond, we urge you to do so

>by January 15, 2007. Should you have any questions about the below,

>please contact: AM_Vista at macrovision.com

><mailto:AM_Vista at macrovision.com> .

>         Microsoft(r) has released the Windows Vista operating system

to

>manufacturing. It includes many new security enhancements which impact

>security-oriented technology such as Macrovision's ActiveMARK(tm). To

>continue providing our customers with the best DRM solution for Windows

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>         For all new packaging projects we strongly recommend that you

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RTM)

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><http://mktg.macrovision.com/mk/get?_EC=X3O_-yq58eun6aRweyKt5M> .

>         Please try to complete all testing and send feedback by

January

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>http://mktg.macrovision.com/mk/get/AM_VISTA

><http://mktg.macrovision.com/mk/get?_EC=mydnD2zuzLieimZSy_paAu>  will

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titles,

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