Assuming the activation servers are up by then, and that you get back activations monthly, you will be able to play it, even if it does have a hardware activation.

3 computers activated by the get go. GPU change in the Desktop on month 2, one less activation. But you've already gotten 1 activation back, so you remain at 2 activations left. Laptop replacement on month 3. One more activation due to time, one less activation due to new computer.

Yes, Hardware Activation is a problem for future gaming, but so is any kind of online activation. And no, as mentioned in the BF:HL thread, if you upgrade CPU, Motherboard, GPU and HDD on your desktop at once, it's 1 hardware change, not 4. Unless you change a component, run the game, change another component and so on. In that case, it is 4 hardware changes, but it is a quite atypical way of doing things.

Never mind the DRM. Most probably, i will get it NOT at steam. NoSTEAM! No Steam is a wonderful thing, yay! Tomorrow i am going to see firsthand how good or bad the remake of the best 3d era's title actually is!

Yes, this is exactly why I won't be getting it. It's bad enough that you have a limited amount of activation's but the 'periodic entitlement verification' seals it as a definite 'to not buy' for me. This is why I have boycotted Blizzard since W3 TFT, and Ubisoft since AC2 and it now looks as if R* has joined that exclusive list.

Whatever. With sites like GOG, and kickstarter projects, trust me I have enough quality games to keep me busy for ages. I love RPG's, a genre which has been especially rich lately. I also have GTA 5 on PS3, so for a few graphical upgrades it just isn't worth giving up my principles. IMHO the series peaked at Vice City or maybe San Andreas and hasn't hit those highs since...

Tony.

Truth be said, Vice City and San Andreas ARE still the best titles in the entire series...

The whole getting activations back thing is not universal, I don't think any of the first round of games with hardware activations had that and some still might not. Bottomline is that both as a matter of principle and for practical reasons I will be avoiding all games with such systems. I also have a very flaky internet connection so "periodic entitlement verification" online is a no go, again both in principle and practice. If I were to object to one time online authentication ALA Steam I would have to quit gaming(although I hope GOG will eventually change that) plus Steam has worked VERY well offline for me. In fact my desktop computer has been offline for a couple of months now with zero Steam related issues. But that is the farthest I am willing to go on that matter.

Assault on Dark Athena (the Riddick remake/sequel) and Red Alert 3 at least originally had an activation/installation limit. At least in case of Riddick you can be sure that the GOG version comes without TAGES, don't know if it's still there in case of the Steam version. Also I don't know if it was lifted in case of Red Alert 3.

big fruit one

I still won't buy it until heavily discounted :D
+137168190404

IMO, nothing beats the atmosphere of Vice City. It is my favourite because of that. And even if I like the setting in SA less, in terms of gameplay, it is a masterpiece. Love the map, love the distinct zones, the planes...

Shame on you, you made me reinstall both of these! >.<

I hate San Andreas with a passion. Horrific characters, very bad VERY bad control scheme (that should of improved by the time it was released), extremely ugly to look at and the dialogue sweet mother... I felt my IQ drop playing this game.

did you get the 970/980? I am sure you will like it if you pre ordered it :)

Let guess you like GTA 3 better?
Soon I just got my check. Gonna deposite it soon and then I will order it.

and vice city... but all three have aged too badly for me to care.

I don't know what you are smoking if you say the controls of San Andreas are inferior compared to 3/Vice City.

...Unless you have been playing the PC. Because you don't know pain unless you played the PS2 version of 3 and Vice City with a Controller. San Andreas was a Godsend for PS2/Xbox in terms of controls.

Oh and you can swim in San Andreas. Vice City has boat missions. And this is the same game where your character drowns and dies in water.

Rockstar just needs to make the next GTA in Vice City. Please Rockstar either the 1980s or current times. I want to see babes on the beach.

I just bought all GTAs on PC except 5 for $7 and have fully modded 3, VC, and SA with controller support, high res textures, widescreen, better time cycle, better vehicles etc.

They look so much better now. It's going to be the first time I've played any of those 3 and I'm beyond excited.

I played GTA 3 and Vice City on Ps2 using the standard Ps2 controller and never had an issue. I also played GTA 3 and Vice City on the original Xbox using the standard Xbox controller and again, had zero issues. San Andreas obviously made some improvements but I wouldn't say that the controls are among them, on foot controls are pretty similar to 3/Vice City (very slightly tuned up), cars are much more prone to spinning and manual aiming is awkward.

Gaining the ability to swim is obviously an improvement but (at least for me) water was never an issue in 3/Vice City, even in the boat missions. In GTA 3/Vice City I never had to stop what I was doing to go hunt a restaurant or a gym because the game decided halfway through a mission that CJ was starving to death and took half his muscles in the time it took to finish a mission.

In the end I'll have to agree that all three aged fairly rough but are more than playable.