I just installed VTM Bloodlines in my gaming PC:

Specs:

video card: nVIDIA GTX 295

OS: Vista 32bit Ultimate

Ram: 4GB, 3GB usable due to Vista being 32bit

It runs fine. In fact, all 3D stuff within the VTM Bloodlines gaming world are top notch. However, a lot of the 2D stuff in the game world has turned pixelated beyond recognition. Your life bar and blood bar should have bubbles going up, right? Well, it doesn't. A lot of posters in the game world are too pixelated, it reminds me of the graphics of the very first DOOM.

Don't get me wrong. It is still very much playable. I just wish that the 2D resolution within the game would be as refined as the 3D.

Things I have tried to solve this 2D issue: Tried running the game in XP compatibility mode, tried out disabling and enabling the options in the compatibility tab in different combinations. Nothing works.

Perhaps someone would be so kind as to point me to a patch or something? I have patched VTM Bloodlines to the official 1.2v.

I emailed both EA HongKong and EA Singapore.

Both replied and are willing to help. All I need to do is submit the proper information and hopefully I will receive a new registration code with 5 new activation limit.

Since the copy of Crysis WARHEAD belongs to my cousin, EA needs his registered EA account. I hope he registered. If not, then he needs to do it ASAP.

It's worth a try, but I highly doubt it. -_-;;;

Crap.

I see.

Well, the thing is, and tell me if this is worth the effort: Before I upgraded to Vista, I ghosted my games and data hardrive into another hardrive. The original activated CRYSIS WARHEAD is there. If I uninstall this with my PC connected to the net just to be sure, will it free up the 5th activation I used?

Its worth a try, right?

Now, let me vent:

I really liked the CRYSIS franchise. It is extremely cool. When I saw Crysis WARHEAD, all it said in the box is "Internet Connection Required For Activation"

A classic example of false, misleading, or more appropriately; deceptive advertising. Why? Because EA never mentioned anything about the 5 activation limit, and the means and ways to keep and lose these 5 activations.

But I am oh so sure that they did mention it somewhere in the fine print.

Gee, EA, get real! Why make gamers bother to read the fine print of the license? Can't you game manufacturers get your lawyers to make a bulleted version of the license agreement in laymen's terms?

The customer should, in my opinion, be able to fully understand all about the 5 activation limit, how to loose these 5 activations, and the best ways to keep them. Heck, even if a customer buys CRYSIS WARHEAD without knowing about the 5 activation from the box, would it have been very difficult for EA to include with the manual inside the box, a separate sheet of paper detailing the importance of the 5 activation limit? But no, they didn't even include said sheet of paper inside the box.

And so I did not properly uninstall CRYSIS WARHEAD when I upgraded to Vista. I learned too late about all these and the proper use of the revoke tool.

And so here is my poor poor cousin. He now needs to contact EA. Perhaps I will assist him.

Because of this, my decision to purchase my own copy of CRYSIS and CRYSIS WARHEAD is negatively affected. Way to go to discourage a long time customer, EA.

Mind you, I am not complaining about how EA tries to protect their intellectual properties. I am complaining about EA's inability to properly notify their customers about certain very important things like this. The customer is left all alone, to learn all about these, the hard way.

EA, next time, give us a proper "heads up," man! Don't let us blindly get ourselves into undesirable situations because of your lack of initiative in properly and sufficiently informing your customers!

My cousin lent me his copy of Crysis and Crysis WARHEAD.

I saw both games on a shelf and it has become very cheap. Since I got the oppurtunity to play both games I am thinking of buying my own copies.

Then I upgraded to Vista.

I had to reinstall all my games (I'm still in the process of installing all, actually). Upon reinstallation of Crysis WARHEAD, and online activation, it tells me that the game will not run because I have reached my limit of 5 installations on different machines.

Technically speaking, my system is only "different" now due to my clean fresh install of Vista.

So I research on the internet about this issue. I FOUND THE LINK TO THE REVOKE TOOL: http://www.mycrysis.com/newsdetails.php?news=40361

So I thought my problems were over, and I can resume playing Crysis WARHEAD.

I turn off Vista's User Account Control as instructed in the link, I restart and use the revoke tool.

IT TELLS ME THAT MY SYSTEM HAS NO LICENSE, AND THERE IS NOTHING TO REVOKE.

I'm like, "What?"

So, here I am, thinking whether I should or should not buy my own copies of Crysis and Crysis WARHEAD. They have become cheaper but so what? Why will I buy a game that, after 5 installations in 5 different systems, will be rendered useless?

Any help from you guys will be most appreciated.

PS: We are in the Philippines. I dunno if I can contact EA Support from here with ease, and if they will really reply.