Install on no CD Laptop

Nephus

Well, I've got a shiny retail box set for Sam and Max sitting on the couch next to me. I had always intended to get the episodes and download them, but even as cheap as they are I'm on a college student's budget. Well, I had seriously forgotten about them, despite remembering every few month but being broke at the time. I just happened to have a little extra cash and wandered by the box at Walmart. Now I'm not sure if I should open it or return it.

I've got several things stacked against me according to various posts on this forum.

1. I only have widescreen monitors
2. My desktop runs vista, which I've been reading a variety of issues with.
3. My laptop is a Fujitsu P1510D tablet PC. No CD drive, and I'm not about to lug around an external one just to play this game. Again, widescreen, and a strange resolution of 1024x600.
4. SecuROM... nuff said.

So my options are basically to either take a metaphorical piss all over the DMCA just to run software I paid for on my laptop (assuming even then that it will even run), return it in favor of getting the downloadable versions that still might not work, buy a new monitor for my desktop (yeah right), or angrily do without this game.

I'm at a bit of a loss here, and apparently out either my time or my money... helluva situation for a fan of the comics, old game, and even cartoon series.

So what should I do here?

Emily

The biggest thing you're going to have trouble with is the fact that you don't have a CD drive. The game's fine on Vista (only the downloadable version of the first episode has an issue on Vista; the rest of the episodes have no problems at all and neither does the disc version). The widescreen monitor's not a problem -- I mean, it doesn't support widescreen, but you'll be able to play on it -- but you might have funkiness due to that screen resolution. (I think you could play in a window at 800x600 and be okay.)

You know your computer better than we do, so if you're having second thoughts, and especially if keeping the disc in a drive to play will be a problem, then I suggest you take it back while you still have that option. Then download one of the demos from us to see how it plays on your machine. If you're okay with the performance, then get the download versions either from us or from Steam.

I suggest you try episode 4 - it has the longest demo, so you'll get a good taste of the game and how it runs. As I mentioned, the Culture Shock download has a problem on Vista, but if you decide to buy the games from us we can provide you with an alternate version of Culture Shock that works on Vista. Steam's version is fine on Vista, too.

Nephus

Well, the desire to see my favorite psychotic lagomorph got the better of me and I went ahead and ripped the box open. Runs absolutely fine in widescreen, after switching resolutions like 5 times and making me think it's just about to crash before the opening music starts playing.

As for the laptop, well... I guess I'll just be forced to find a more creative solution. It's a shame that these days game companies treat their customers like criminals, especially when the pirates crack the game within a few days anyway. I'm sure you've heard it all before, but DRM does nothing but impair your honest customers, because people who want to get your product for free aren't going to have any issue with removing the security on it. In fact, most of them see it as a challenge that must be overcome, more fun than the game itself. 2K is dealing with a lot of problems over Bioshock and SecuRom, and the pirates had it cracked in the first week and are playing with no problems whatsoever, yet the paying customers are having more problems than I care to list. Makes you wonder why anyone would bother to pay for that anyway eh?

Yet I love the fact that not only have you brought Sam and Max back, but that you are attempting to revive my favorite game genre of all time. As such, you deserve my money and my support, it's a shame that it doesn't seem to be a 2 way street.