I don't think they will initialize it for the remaining 30 % but even if they do not getting free updates ( or the game itself ) is well deserved... can be grateful for all those idiots who set this thing in motion
Anyhow knowing how " thoughtful " they are at NLT cracking the new updater won't be too difficult
Actually it is pretty easy to make an installer/updater which is VERY difficult to crack.
First: Have a secure logon using a unique email address and every time someone logs on using it and downloads keep a count of how many times a particular update is downloaded by that person. If the same logon is found to be making multiple downloads of the same update, over and over, indicating that more than one person is using the installer/updater, block future downloads to the person (or people) using that logon immediately.
Second: Enable the installer/updater to read unique information in respect to a particular computer, e.g., motherboard serial number or network MAC address, and record it in a database on the NLT Media server, allowing future downloads only to be made by an installer/updater on a machine which matches that data every time the installer/updater executes.
Schoolkids could write simple multi-verifying apps things like that.
Man there are way many easily programmable tricks to make cracking software very, very difficult and all you need is to develop a little program which reads and relays unique information about person and PC back to base, crosscheck it against matching data stored in a database, and only allow downloads to proceed when the identity of the user, PC and amount of usage the installer/downloader has undertaken previously have been established as legitimate. (If the user and/or PC fail to verify or the amount of downloading above some specified limit, block downloading to that person/machine and make them contact NLT Media to explain themselves before re-enabling downloading privileges.) Jazz like this is elementary these days and more, much more, sophisticated things can be done to button up security and make things pretty much watertight without much trouble.
I know that NLT Media are cracking down with vengeance on bootleging and with their resources, if they are really serious about tackling piracy, rolling out an installer/updater which stops it in its tracks should be nuts to crack for them.
I could cobble something like this together myself in an afternoon, and would have done, long ago, if I were in their shoes under the same circumstances.
So I definitely wouldn't put money on being able to bootleg Genesis and future games from NLT Media by using a cracked installer/updater. Much better if some kind and generous well-heeled person, on the NLT Media Master tier, shares them on this site anonymously
for poorer people (like student me)
to enjoy either directly after downloading them or using a program like the one I wrote to build them from a kosher game after updating using the forthcoming NLT Media installer/updater.
Other than that I'm afraid it'll have to be a casual (rather than a Casula
) NLT Media $2.00 membership for me, because although I love NLT Media games to bits I can't stretch to $24 a month to keep pace with every recent release personally.
