Did anyone ever play a game requireing a dongle?

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AMD_Gamer

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I am reading a book about network and information security and it has a section on copy protection, where it mentions a dongle. You would plug a device into the parallel port or USB of the computer in order to play the game, it never lasted as it was always cracked. Did anyone ever play a game that had this? It must have been really old like back in the 80's or early 90's as I don't ever remember any games with this?
 
Yeah, that's old school copy protection. Lots of high end programs also used that. For instance 3d Studio Max had a dongle system. As for games...I can't think of any games off hand that used a dongle. I remember lots of games using code wheels and word look ups in a manual.
 
Alot of Old School used Serial ports for them

Dongle.jpg


Now everything uses USB

Basically the software asks for a hardware key and if the dongle isn't available then its no go on software usage.
 
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Dongles have always existed in industry. They still exist now but most use RFID badges with encrypted number generation.
 
Yea, my dad does a lot of professional audio stuff and a bunch of them require USB dongles before they'll run.
 
Lots of games require you to keep the disc in the drive while playing, but USB dongles are usually reserved for high end professional software.
 
Can't think of any game that would require a dongle to play but I do remember many old games requiring code matching from the user manual. Hell, I even remember two Disney games I played that required a "code sheet" which contained drawings of Micky Mouse that you had to match.

Edit: I remember one of the sheets was printed on red paper to deter photocopying.
 
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GushpinBob said:
Can't think of any game that would require a dongle to play but I do remember many old games requiring code matching from the user manual. Hell, I even remember two Disney games I played that required a "code sheet" which contained drawings of Micky Mouse that you had to match.
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Some of those were a real bitch.

I remember playing a game that had all these alchemical symbols and formulas, and the game would periodically ask you to solve an alchemy problem, so you'd have to figure out the formula from the book.

More often that not, I was prevented from playing the game because I couldn't figure out the answer.
 
Made me think of those wheels where you had to line up 3 symbols and then type the word the appeared in the boxes lol...good times
 
Spare-Flair said:
Dongles have always existed in industry. They still exist now but most use RFID badges with encrypted number generation.
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I maintain the PC's at my friends Sign Shop and all of his latest software are USB Dongle based. There are still 2 Parallel port dongles on the machine for a couple of older programs he uses.

I actually have my Lightwave 3D v.4 dongle sitting on my desk for some reason.

Off hand, I can't recall any game that used a dongle though.
 
I believe X-Plane 9 FAA edition requires a dongle, but thats more of a FAA simulator/training than the plain jane game.

X-Plane 9 standard doesnt require.
 
We have used parallel, serial, and usb dongles for different third party programs in the past. Now our license management is controlled completely via the Internet. No more dongle swapping! They are a pain in the ass.
 
how bout Leisure Suit Larry 1 where you had to answer like 10 questions to prove your age.
 
Jutsu said:
We have used parallel, serial, and usb dongles for different third party programs in the past. Now our license management is controlled completely via the Internet. No more dongle swapping! They are a pain in the ass.
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The problem with that is it requires an internet connection. For various reasons some stations cannot be connection to the internet.
 
Mark_Warner said:
Some of those were a real bitch.

I remember playing a game that had all these alchemical symbols and formulas, and the game would periodically ask you to solve an alchemy problem, so you'd have to figure out the formula from the book.

More often that not, I was prevented from playing the game because I couldn't figure out the answer.
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that sounds like a great way to get kids thinking and problem solving... I only remember the code wheels and manual lookups.

Speaking of manual lookups, anyone remember the BOOKS for Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe and Battle of Brittain? I loved the history and info in those.
 
Hell yeah. The manual in SWOTL was a MANUAL. I poured hundreds of hours into that game, night after night. I had all the expansions too.

That games code wheel was all about nose art.
 
Yeah, dongles are still used. We have a court reporting app that uses them.

I remember old games that required you type in certain words from the manual, like "Page 12, paragraph 2, word 3". The obvious "crack" to that game was just copy the manual. This was ofcourse back when personal scanners and copy machines didn't exist for home consumers. I had access to a copy machine at work, so copying 60 pages wasn't a problem.

I also remember the little "code wheels" where you lined up pictures or words to get the secret word. I remember copying those too, and cutting them out to make my own.

Fun times.
 
I remember games with them, but can't recall which ones. I know I had at least two of them.

I also get to use them for work, many CAD tools have USB dongles. "Node locked" licenses. Hate them, prefer floating licenses.
 
never seen a game use them, but as others have mentioned, we use software at work that uses 'em.
 
black_b[ ]x;1035934419 said:
Speaking of manual lookups, anyone remember the BOOKS for Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe and Battle of Brittain? I loved the history and info in those.
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LOL yes, I do. Aces over Europe was another one.
 
A lot of the printing apps we use here in the shop require a dongle.

I should say the really old printing apps that management has been milking for years instead of buying us new licenses uses a dongle.
 
Doesn't Steel Beasts (I might have the name wrong) a tank simulation, have USB dongle. Its an older but high end military simulator (for tanks).
 
I don't remember what game it was but I remember having to look through the manual and match up a keyword or something. I want to say it was Space Quest or Police Quest III
 
Corporal79 said:
I don't remember what game it was but I remember having to look through the manual and match up a keyword or something. I want to say it was Space Quest or Police Quest III
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Many older games had that feature...games would stop at certain points and say turn to page 13 of the user manual and enter the 4th word of the second paragraph. It was simple anti-piracy, worked to an extent, but often cracks were available in short order on BBSs.
 
Yea the place I formerly worked at had Kofax scanning software that required a dongle be attached to get full functionality of the software. We had one go bad at one point and it took me about a week of going back and forth on the phone to find a parallel replacement for it...such a PITA
 
Protools has the ultimate dongole. You have to have the audio interface attached or no go. But anyway, ANY drm is a pain in the ass and a waste of time/space. Crack and be free or buy and suffer...great motivation to buy...
 
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