Is this a pirated version of SMC+ for the PC?

[Blue Blood]

It was my munch break today and so I decided to head down to Morrisons. And I was just browsing about the electronics section, saw MC+ for 4 quid and thought I may as well buy it. So when I get home and want to install it, something doesn't seem right. First off there's no manual and instead of getting an auto-run asking me to install the game, I get this:

Just an RAR and that single "checksum.txt" (which contains only 16D50A30F03D61B6733178F19CFFB692). Confused, I extract the RAR and get this:

What's a UDF file btw? I couldn't open it directly, and tried mounting it with DAEMON which actually worked and everything went smoothly from there. But you know I was still thinking that all this was certainly unusual. Not everybody will have the tools to get so far as extract the RAR, yet alone mount the image. Since when do PC games come like this? Installation finished and I tried to run the game. What do I get? The game asks me for the DVD.

Now I want to ask you smart people, is this even a real copy of the game? Nothing about it is really convincing me. And I threw away the receipt without thinking about it. (But it's only £3.99, so I'll gladly pick up another copy if you think this a scam and can somehow be traced).

Pictures of the DVD/Case for reference. I noticed the CD is totally different to the one shown at Sonic Retro, but the Wiki only has pictures of the console CDs.

I didn't notice the poor quality of the pictures. If you want to see better ones then let me know.

Avanquest published this or something apparently. Their name is on the back cover, and this is the boxart on their site:

Edited October 13, 2009 by Blue Blood

[redmenace]

.UDF is like the DVD mounted into just one file. You have to extract it with an ISO extractor/reader, like MagicISO. The size of the .udf seemes to be accurate. You can play it from a folder in your PC our like you said, mount the thing.

I have no idea why is it displayed like this way though, because I have that game and it has all the files decompressed. The artwork looks valid though and 5€ was what I paid for mine, so if it's a pirate version, it'a damn well done one.

Edited October 13, 2009 by redmenace

[Blue Blood]

Is the disc the same though? I'm certain it's not real, and the disc I just want to be calrified.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Blue Blood

[redmenace]

No, mine is different. It has Sonic only, on the other side of the disk and with a different artwork. The trademark text is in a block down the sega logo, not around the rim.

My scanner is broken, so I can't do it. I'll take a cell phone picture and pm it to you.

Not having a manual is normal though, it just has small pamphlet about epilepsy and guidelines for the installation, and the licence contract and warranty. It's in digital format, inside the dvd.

Edited October 13, 2009 by redmenace

[Blue Blood]

I got zero documents with it. Not a single one. Thanks again for the CD pic. Here it is for others:

[Detective Shadzter]

There are two versions of the PC version now I believe. The first one being this one with the old PEGI rating that was recently discontinued -

http://www.game.co.uk/PC/Classic/~r328492/Sonic-Mega-Collection-Plus/?s=sonic%20mega%20collection%20plus

The second one is the one you have that was released not too long ago or so by that GSP company at a cheaper price with the new PEGI rating on.

[Blue Blood]

New PEGI rating is to be expected, but a getting an image WITHIN an RAR just points to a false game. Or the highest level of incompetence by the publishers which I do not expect.

[Detective Shadzter]

New PEGI rating is to be expected, but a getting an image WITHIN an RAR just points to a false game. Or the highest level of incompetence by the publishers which I do not expect.

Found it on PC World with the old PEGI rating and that Avanquest company you mentioned labelled in the description but at a shockingly high price of £9.99 -

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1011141238.1255461395@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccladeiihgeghgcflgceggdhhmdfhj.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=174012&category_oid=

I don't know what to make of an image within a RAR, I'm not that up on file stuff :-/

[redmenace]

I just don't get why the heck they put a .uif in there if they went to great lenghts to make the rest seem legit (the artwork of the cd must be new according to the new version as well). They could've extracted the .uif and burn it like that, no one would see the difference. Like this and with a .rar on top of it it's really blatant that something is wrong.

If SEGA did this, what the hell.

Edited October 13, 2009 by redmenace

[eXtaticus]

I hate to say this, but it's highly likely that you've been scammed. You may want to reclaim your cash...

[-Mark-]

Before you check anything like whether the disc matches or whatnot, I find that by far the best way to tell if it's a bootleg or not is to simply look at the quality of it. Look at the disc. Look at the case. What's the print quality like? Is the paper on the insert sleeve glossy? Is the print quality clear and sharp? Same goes for the disc (moreso, since bootlegs usually have pretty poor disc-print quality). Was it wrapped in cellophane when you bought it or not? Before anything else, those things alone should be indication enough as to whether you have the real deal or not.

I mean, it's not uncommon for these games to have changes made to the disc/ boxart/ whatever as they get re-released over and over, really. And ultimately, I really don't think a branded chain store like Morrison's is going to be dealing in pirated software. Not unless there's been some kind of mix-up along the line.

Not too sure about all the file stuff and whatnot myself, but still. If it looks and feels legit, I'd say it probably is.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Mahzes

[Blue Blood]

I hate to say this, but it's highly likely that you've been scammed. You may want to reclaim your cash...

Don't hate to say it- I'm pleased! This is actually quite cool. And at £3.99 it's no real loss either. I just want to find out what to do in regards to reporting it.

Mahzes: The print quality is good, but not perfect. And besides that, the RAR file with a disk image is proof that this is not a legitimate retail copy. It's a burned game.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Blue Blood

[Chris]

I hate to say this, but it's highly likely that you've been scammed. You may want to reclaim your cash...

Why? It's the same game - you just require a bit more technical know-how to install (by mounting or writing) it. It's not like he paid full price for it either..

I'd say it's a rather convincing fake, but you've essentially received the same game so it's not a complete waste. At least they went to the trouble of providing you with the full package.

[Blue Blood]

Why? It's the same game - you just require a bit more technical know-how to install (by mounting or writing) it. It's not like he paid full price for it either..

I'd say it's a rather convincing fake, but you've essentially received the same game so it's not a complete waste. At least they went to the trouble of providing you with the full package.

No manuals at such =/= the full package. I've paid for a fake copy of a game in a LEADING SUPERMARKET. Something's wrong here and naturally I want to do something about it. I'm going back to the store and 11am tomorrow anyway, 24hrs since I bought it.

[Detective Shadzter]

Maybe you should query it with SEGA and ask their advice.

http://www.sega.co.uk/support/

Looks like they only have a support phone number for the UK and not an e-mail address like in most other countries listed there.

[redmenace]

No manuals at such =/= the full package. I've paid for a fake copy of a game in a LEADING SUPERMARKET. Something's wrong here and naturally I want to do something about it. I'm going back to the store and 11am tomorrow anyway, 24hrs since I bought it.

Hey, Mega Collection Plus doesn't have a physical manual, it's digital. Mine doesn't and it's legit.

Maybe you should query it with SEGA and ask their advice.

http://www.sega.co.uk/support/

Looks like they only have a support phone number for the UK and not an e-mail address like in most other countries listed there.

He can submit a ticket. It's like an email of some sort and it's quickly answered. I've used it once and they were very nice and prestable.

[Blue Blood]

Hey, Mega Collection Plus doesn't have a physical manual, it's digital. Mine doesn't and it's legit.

You got some sort of warnings, whereas I got nothing. Zilch.

[BaronSFel001]

UDF = Universal Disc Format, something relegated only to certain ISO-making programs. For two years now the US PC version has been selling at Gamestop for $19.99, and as far as I know it still includes a printed manual.

[CCowell125]

No, you haven't been scammed. That is a legitimate version of Mega Collection.

If you look at the top right of the case, it says "GSP". They are a small budget games publisher, much like Sold Out Software or XPLOSIV. Usually with budget PC game re-releases, the publisher messes around with the file types. Don't ask me why, I don't know, but all of them do it, including Sold Out, who are the big boys when it comes to budget PC games.

Morrisons, who are one of the biggest supermarket retailers in the UK, would not sell you a counterfeit game. They would check that there suppliers are completely legitimate, because even selling the occasional counterfiet game has the potential to serious damage Morrisons' reputation.

SEGA Support will confirm to you that "GSP" are a licensed publisher of some of SEGA's older PC software.

EDIT: It is also worth mentioning that all budget game publishers don't include manuals. It cuts down on manufacturing costs.

Edited October 14, 2009 by CCowell125

[Blue Blood]

I know who GSP are. The disk contained an RAR archive and within that was a disk image. No manufacturer would knowingly sell that as the majority of their customers would have no idea about what to do with it. Big-name retailers could sell a counterfeit by mistake.

[CCowell125]

I would assume GSP just printed on the disc exactly what SEGA gave them.

Everything during the production is done with an low budget (of course), so I wouldn't be surprised if SEGA just e-mailed them (or put on their FTP server) a compressed RAR file for GSP. And GSP simply printing that to a disc, without any decompression, and with minimal testing.

I've bought a Sold Out Software game and two DICE games where the installer file was broken because they zipped folders, didn't have the autoplay on the root of the disc and the installer was trying to find those folders on a hard drive, and not a CD.

[Blue Blood]

May have put it on the FTP server? Haha. You know, I wouldn't put that past them. They must have one a single copy of anything related to Needlemouse (besides the trailer) and have it locked away at the center of the Earth.

Exchanged the game (not without saving all the contents to my computer) and the new one looks the same. I can't check it now cause I'm at college and using my solid-state laptop. But yeah, there's got to be some serious problems if this game is being legitimately published like this. A disk image for Gods sake- what the hell?

Edited October 14, 2009 by Blue Blood

[-Mark-]

That's lazy, budge re-releases for ya. D=

Well, probably.

EDIT: So what do you actually have to do to play it? Just extract the rar, or something more complex? Granted that's already more than you should have to do for a legit purchase, but still...

Edited October 14, 2009 by Mahzes

[redmenace]

This simply has no excuse if it's legit. Extracting the .uif and then burning the image is quick and easy, why would they put the disk image inside a .rar no less is lazy from the part of the publishers.

[Blue Blood]

That's lazy, budge re-releases for ya. D=

Well, probably.

EDIT: So what do you actually have to do to play it? Just extract the rar, or something more complex? Granted that's already more than you should have to do for a legit purchase, but still...

> Download the tools to extract RARs

> Extract the RAR

> Download the tools with which to mount virtual CDs

> Mount the virtual CD

> Install

> Download a no-CD patch so that you can run the game. No really, you're REQUIRED to do that.