Does GFWL help prevent piracy or help create piracy?

[Purple44]

I started a thread over at "Games for Windows LIVE" forum. There a bit discussion going on you might want to checkout if you are concern about Codemasters using GFWL:

Does GFWL help prevent piracy or help create piracy?

Especially if you are one the unlucky ones to get lockout of racing DIRT 2 online.


Problem with cd-key and Windows Live

Attention. This game is a scam, as it works on Windows-Live

GFWL stole my game

Steam vs GFWL ( Games for Windows LIVE ) and unsupported countries.

[Purple44]

One more DIRT 2 player to add to the list of players robbed by GFWL ( Games for Windows LIVE ):

Cannot play online with Live Account. Possibly unrecoverable key?

Hello guys at Steam,

I haven't been a steam player for too long and this is my first post here at the forums.

This is my problem:

Last week I bought a Radeon 5850 and with it I got a coupon to download and play Dirt 2 via Steam. I entered the key onto my profile, downloaded and installed the game. When it ran, a screen popped up requesting a Windows Live login. I had never used it. All I knew about it was that Live was the multiplayer component of the Xbox360, but never had I tested it on the PC.

As it was requesting a Live ID, I typed in my hotmail login and password. On the next screen I was prompted to insert the game CD Key and I did so.

After that, it started some sort of validation process and a message came up telling me that Live was not supported on my region and/or with my login.

I live in Brazil where the consoles and hardware from Microsoft are supported, but - as I discovered in the most terrible way - Live is not.

I googled the fore-mentioned problem and discovered that everyone, from countries where this service is not officially supported, creates an account with a US address and so they are able to play.

I also tried doing the same, but now when I try and register, it tells me that the CD Key I am inserting is already attached to another Live account, which, I cannot access.

I am sorry for the harsh words, but is utterly ridiculous. How can Steam sell a game world-wide, which is NOT world-wide supported? How come there are absolutely not warnings that this, which has happened to me, could happen?

I have possibly lost my serial number because of the absolute lack of care and interest from both parts, Steam sells a game that does not work world-wide which uses a service from Microsoft that doesn't work world-wide either.

It simply makes you fell worthless. You are supporting the work of developers by using an original game and you get this? It's simply appalling.

Is there a way for steam to cancel this possibly "lost" serial and send me another one? I have the original card with the serial and I can provide them with a Scan or picture of it. It's just too sad to be in a situation like that when no warning or hadsup has been given.

I hope this can be solved.

Thank you beforehand for any help.

Best regards,
Henrique