Important info: eSellerate closes down on June 30.
 

Hey guys,

there's some news regarding one of our webshops which we have used for many years, eSellerate. This shop system belongs to Digital River and they have decided to shut it down on June 30, so we will no longer be selling the non-Steam version of the game via eSellerate but rather via Fastspring, which has been our trusted partner for Perfect Team sales. The DRM (copy protection) will be handled via Quick License Manager (QLM) of the company Soraco.

If you have bought a version via eSellerate in the past, don't worry, it will NOT stop working! eSellerate will continue to operate the license/unlicense servers for the forseeable future, so you will be able to play the game(s) and move them from one computer to a different one using the unlicense & license procedure from the game settings dialog as usual. The only thing changing is that you will not be able to buy our games from eSellerate anymore starting June 30, but rather via the new shop system which will operate in a pretty similar manner.

If you have questions, let us know! :)

Cheers,
Markus

Yes, I have a question, Markus. A few years ago, you introduced a feature whereby the game needed to "phone home" periodically in order to verify its licensed status. How does this change affect that, if at all?

I'm not Markus, but I can interpret what he said.


"eSellerate will continue to operate the license/unlicense servers for the forseeable future" means exactly that. At some point, the game may become unplayable, but that's a long way away.

And people were worried about Steam for so long :laugh:

You said it. The key phrase is "the forseeable future." That could mean weeks, months, years. Nobody can say for sure that it's "a long way away."

So if what I am concerned about is true, and the "board of directors" of Digital River (or their successors) decides in a few weeks, months, or years to shut down the eSellerate system altogether to save costs, then my OOTPB XX will be in the digital trash can.

I would like, and I am asking for, an official response to this query. Even if it's along the lines of "Valid concern, but we just don't know."

Speaking for myself only I'm in for OOTP XXI so as long as they keep the heart beating on 20 that long. But it is a legit concern. People who buy games like this expect perpetuity. At least on the computer the bought it for. I'd be ticked if my Baldur's Gate game refused to start one day just because Interplay and Black Isle are long gone.

couldn't have said it better.

This is especially timely in that I was considering shutting down the long train of purchasing the game over and over at XX which I find to be fully satisfactory at this point.

Will I be enticed to buy XXI? Probably, poor sap that I am. But I don't like having to be forced into it.

So, how about it? What does "If you have questions, let us know! https://1865987047.rsc.cdn77.org/boa.../001_smile.gif" mean? There is a question on the floor, gentlemen.

Seems like a totally legit question to me but you did just ask it yesterday. What with time differences and I imagine a few other things on his plate over the course of a day, I think a little patience is warranted.

If that time comes, we'll have to figure out our official policy on stuff like that. But you know us, we always try to do the right thing.

If something happens that e-sellerate stops processing already purchased licenses, then for OOTP20, I'm pretty sure we would find a way to give an alternate license for people who asked, either to the new store or Steam. What we would do for older versions, where we don't have a version that can license in the new store, I can't say exactly.

As mentioned, hopefully that time is a long way off or never, and this is not something to worry about.

If that time comes, we'll have to figure out our official policy on stuff like that. But you know us, we always try to do the right thing.

If something happens that e-sellerate stops processing already purchased licenses, then for OOTP20, I'm pretty sure we would find a way to give an alternate license for people who asked, either to the new store or Steam. What we would do for older versions, where we don't have a version that can license in the new store, I can't say exactly.

As mentioned, hopefully that time is a long way off or never, and this is not something to worry about.

If I purchase OOTPXX from the new "store" after June 30th, will I still be able to migrate my OOTP19 leagues into XX?

Yes, for sure. This only handles licensing the game, the actual functions don't change depending on how you purchase things.

Fair enough and, based on past experience, it's the kind of answer that I expected from you folks. Please do keep it in mind, if and when the time comes, for at least XX. Although, with this type of customer care in mind, I feel more likely to continue on with OOTPD anyway.

As someone who has a game "no longer supported by my OS despite being bought from the company that provides the OS" foreseeable future isn't very reassuring.

this may make me a steam user ..... omg say it ain't so.

If this is the case then we'll get you a license of the new version of OOTP 20, free of charge. But frankly, I can't see this happening anytime soon, as Digital River would have to deal with a pretty big ****storm.

Can't ask anymore than that. I am quite reassured, thank you.

So...since I dont understand computer lingo and, well, this in particular, how would I get OOTP 20 in July? I am HOPING to have a new computer and get '20 next month.

Same as always, purchase, download, install, activate license, play.

Nothing will change in that regard.

I'm surprised they're shutting it down. You'd think it'd be easy money for them.

Well, they haven't updated their API etc for years. No 64-bit PC support etc. So, moving to the new provider actually is not a bad thing...

Will it be possible for us Esellerate owners to get new License codes for the new store for at least OOTP XX and FHM 5?

Or will our current Esellerate license key's work for the new store?

The current keys will work for the current version as long as E-sellerate keeps their license servers up. So there's no need for new codes - your current version will keep working.

If something happened to the license server, then we'd distribute keys for the new versions, but we don't anticipate that being an issue.

As someone who frequently plays older versions (and has a family member enjoying 11 and 12 right now) and whose been a very good and loyal customer in the past I can tell you I will be extremely unhappy if the day EVER comes where I/we can't play a game I purchased and own. Unhappy to the extent of looking at legal options.

I don't mean to be all negative and all, but this is the big problem in software sales. Everybody (including OOTP) markets their games as though they're selling them. Everywhere you look when you're shopping it says "Buy" or "Purchase" or "Own the best selling xxx" but then when something inconvenient happens they want to point to the EULA and try and insist it was clear you don't actually own the game blah blah blah.

But vendors can't have it both ways. Just like if you market something as 50% off you had better deliver 50% off or you're in some legal jeopardy, even if that something has some fine print down somewhere that needs a magnifying glass to see saying otherwise. If software companies want to claim we do not own the software, only the right to use it and that right can be taken away at any time and for any reason, then they need to market it that way. Make it plain to the consumer at point of purchase that they're not buying a game but renting it for the foreseeable future.

But they don't want to do that, because guess what? A lot of consumers will balk at paying $40 to $60 to rent a game, and their revenues will drop. So long as vendors market it as SELLING then we consumers OWN it when it we BUY it, eula or no eula.

I agree with you, OFG. I have the same concerns which were implied in my posts but spelled out eloquently in yours.

Yet, I have become a realist when it comes to the nature of the internet and digital technology. So much of what we deal with is temporal with expected lives measured in a few short years, if not months. Things fail and disappear merely because they have no lasting form, no structure, no permanence. People fail, give up, go away, move on and their technology disappears with them.

For the vast majority of enterprises out here, though, you would not have gotten ANY of the responses that we received in this thread. Don't get me wrong; everything that we have said here applies to OOTPD. Someday, they too will be gone.

But for as long as they are here, I trust them to live up to their commitments and promises and that makes them truly unique, in my opinion. They have said that, if Digital River shuts things down and you and I cannot access OOTPB XX, they will take action to help us (if they themselves are still here).

Unfortunately, that's the best they can do. Fortunately, they have promised to do so and based on my experience with this company over the years, that is good enough for me. In these circumstances, that is.

Anyone else having their FastSpring License Keys not working?

Yes, I totally agree. That rant wasn't directed at OOTP but toward the industry as a whole. In my heart and mind, I truly believe that if something happens to the eSellerate servers where we are unable to play older versions that OOTP will do something to do rectify that. I believe that because I have reason to. At every opportunity in the past, OOTP has always done right by me and I'm guessing all customers. It's just the type of people they are. I have a track record that legitimizes my firm belief.

I sent a ticket into both OOTP and eSeller on Wednesday - no response so far. Also posted a new thread about this tonight on here.

That said, I am already having trouble getting my release license to work and have the game start on a Surface Pro. No idea if that is related to this, not a techie at all. Just asking since this has NEVER been an issue for me before, then it happens while this thread is starting up.

Any tickets we've received this week have been responded to, except for a few from today. Most were replied to on the same day. If you haven't received a response, something may've gotten lost or gone astray.

Send me an email or PM with your license or order number or the email used when purchasing and I'll definitely reset the license and get back to you asap, though given that it's the weekend, it may not be an immediate response ;)

Thanks Lukas. I sent you a PM.

Replied :)

I have my key from beta testing. I have just purchased a new laptop and tried to unlicence on my old laptop, no dice. I am fairly certain that I have only used the key once so I tried it on the new laptop and not working either. Please help, I have PM'd Matt and Lukas and sent an e-mail to OOTP Support.

Disregard, looks like I need to update both versions and it'll work. I'm a moron.

I haven't tried to license one of my older games yet but will be trying that soon and will let other know if that works successfully.

License activation
 

I downloaded the latest update and now it says my license is not found on the server. Is this a related issue? Can you direct me to fix the problem?

Make sure you download the correct update. For non-steam PCs, there are two version now. The older version is eSellerate. Unless you purchased recently, it's probably the one you want.

:ohmy::laugh:

Same issue. Sent a PM and have heard nothing. Hoped I would hear today but guess I'm out of luck and won't have the game to enjoy on my long weekend :( I am hoping NotMuchTime has pointed me in the right direction. Really wanna play this weekend!!

That was it I can play again!!!! thanks!

I bought a game key from eSellerRate in March, when I try to activate my copy of OOTP it says the key is invalid. I sent you a PM with my info Markus.

Hello Mr. Marlin. Even thought Baldur's Gate 1-2 are very old I am actually playing them for the very first time. I'm on the last chapter of BG1 Enhanced Edition. Great game. They are actually making a BG3 and it is in development right now by the Devs who made the Divinity games.

Odds are, you may have downloaded the wrong version of the game. If you go to the link on the boards (http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=304766), you need to be sure to have the e-sellerate version downloaded. The version linked on the website downloads page is the fastspring version.

That was my issue, thanks!

Can't buy the game.
 

The link on the home page and in Marcus' original post sends me to the OOTP front page. The Buy Now option sends me to the esellerate page.

This is where the Buy Now button sends me.

https://ootpdevelopments.onfastspring.com/ootp/

new computer
 

I originally purchased OOTP 20 from esellerate. I have a new computer that I want to move my license to. It's already installed on another computer so I have to unlicense and relicense on the new computer. I downloaded the game from the link on the OOTP 20 is Released thread. But when I go to enter my license # it asks for a Fast Spring license #. So it appears that I downloaded the Fast Spring version of the game. Where can I get the esellerate version that I can download on my new computer?

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=305558

There's a link in there for each different version.

I thought that was just for the patch if you already had the game installed and didn't install the full game. I'll try it. Thanks.

That worked. Thanks again.

OOTP can't unlicense
 

Now I've got another problem. Tried to unlicense the game on my other installation and I get a message saying OOTP was unable to release the license on the license server. So now I can't move that installation to another computer. This is pretty frustrating.