Hello,
I am interested in some kind of licensing scheme for standalone Java games (full application, not web-based). I’ve done some searching on google, but I’m wondering if anyone here may have some good examples of code or tools that I could use.
Thanks!
Can you be a little more specific about what you’re asking?
Are you looking for tools to use to create a game (I’d argue that there are enough open source ones out there that it would be foolish to pay for these), or a deal with a distributor, or to sell your game outright to a company, or something else altogether?
Ah, sorry.
What I mean is, if I provide an application (game) I have written for download, I want to cause the downloaded application to be usable only by the person who may have purchased it. I’d like to do that by means of a license key that is somehow tied to a customer’s system, perhaps.
Basically, something to make the game a little harder to freely distribute unless downloaded from my site. The code would only run with a correct license key in place, and the key would only work on one system.
I use the Preferences class to store a license key in, which I generate using the private half of a public/private key. I encode the user’s email address, name, and address using the private key, and the client decodes it using the public key to see if it’s ok. Then I bung the information on the title screen for good measure 
Cas
Maybe fiddle around with MAC addresses, so you can limit the amount of ‘PCs’ that can use the same key.
But… it’s a lost battle, everything clientside is crackable, keep key functionality on the server, if possible.
the more your game will be good the more it will be hacked, if it is very good there is no way to make it “unhackable”
being hacked will mean you do a great job ;), just add a simple security feature and let people hack it.
trying to securise a good software is a waste of time
Locks keep honest people honest… a little bit of protection goes a long way to discouraging casual piracy. Especially when the key contains someone’s personal details.
Cas
Thanks everyone, very helpful.
damn how did you discover that I just wanted to play its game without paying for it 