Valve Apologizes For 12,000 Erroneous Anti-Cheating Bans 202
Earlier this week, there were reports that large numbers of Modern Warfare 2 players on Steam were getting erroneously banned by Valve's Anti-Cheat software. While such claims are usually best taken with a grain of salt, the quantity and suddenness caused speculation that Valve's software wasn't operating correctly. A few days later, Valve president Gabe Newell sent out an email acknowledging that roughly 12,000 players had been inappropriately banned over the preceding two weeks. "The problem was that Steam would fail a signature check between the disk version of a DLL and a latent memory version. This was caused by a combination of conditions occurring while Steam was updating the disk image of a game." Valve reversed the bans and gave free copies of Left 4 Dead 2 to everyone who was affected.
Actual email from Gabe (Score:5, Informative)
Here is the actual email from Gabe that was sent out:
--
Hello,
Recently, your Steam account was erroneously banned from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
This was our mistake, and I apologize for any frustration or angst it may have caused you.
The problem was that Steam would fail a signature check between the disk version of a DLL and a latent memory version. This was caused by a combination of conditions occurring while Steam was updating the disk image of a game. This wasn't a game-specific mistake. Steam allows us to manage and reverse these erroneous bans (about 12,000 erroneous bans over two weeks).
We have reversed the ban, restoring your access to the game. In addition, we have given you a free copy of Left 4 Dead 2 to give as a gift on Steam, plus a free copy for yourself if you didn't already own the game.
To share your extra copy of Left 4 Dead 2 with a friend, you can 'Manage Gifts and Guest Passes' from the 'Games' Menu in Steam, or visit this article on the Steam Support site for detailed instructions: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4502-TPJL-2656 [steampowered.com].
To access your own copy of Left 4 Dead 2, visit your library of games in Steam. If you didn't already own the game, it will now be listed among your others there, and is available for download immediately.
Regards,
Gabe Newell
President, Valve
Re:Customer service (Score:3, Informative)
You just get two gift copies that you can send to other people.
Re:cheating (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Ironically (Score:2, Informative)
I'm slightly confused as to how being banned from online servers has anything to do with DRM, given that a game with no DRM could still implement a similar anti cheat system to Valve's VAC.
Assuming MW2 works anything like the Valve games with VAC (I'm thinking this may be unlikely as it has no dedicated servers), when you get VAC banned your account is prevented from playing on VAC secured servers (although the unsecured servers tend to be crap and full of people using cheats).
Re:Customer service (Score:3, Informative)
The entire game is based around the idea of other humans playing with you, not some bot. I don't have any statistics to back this up, but I would be very surprised if there were anywhere near the number of people playing single player that would qualify the statement of it having "strong single player". In fact I'd say its probably got one of the weakest single player modes of any single player games out there. Neither I, nor any of my friends have played the single player and infact we've had conversations about the futility of even providing a single player version of the game.
Re:Ironically (Score:3, Informative)
Aah VAC is not DRM, my ignorance got ahead of me!
Re:Customer service (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Customer service (Score:1, Informative)
I lost my internet access for two months. Unfortunately, Steam was in the middle of an update so I was unable to play any of my 40+ Steam purchases precisely when I had plenty of time with nothing to do. That was infuriating.
Re:Customer service (Score:4, Informative)
Three options:
-Own server(Either paid for dedicated, or just host it while you play). It'll help a bit, one less middleman, but only if the person hosting it has a good connection.
-Console command to open the server browser, and just find a good low ping one, no hoping and praying involved. "openserverbrowser"
-Force it to only choose servers below a set max ping. Use "mm_dedicated_search_maxping 150".
Re:Customer service (Score:5, Informative)
Summary's incorrect, as usual. Valve gave everyone affected a free copy of the game to gift to someone else, and a copy for themselves if they didn't already have L4D2. Essentially, Valve gave out 24,000 copies of L4D2.
Re:I don't know that I'd call it serious (Score:2, Informative)
That means that with your account, you can no longer play on VAC-secured servers on any game
Not true. You get banned for the single game and any other games that rely on the game engine. For example, I have two Steam accounts. Both have Counter-Strike 1.6 and Counter-Strike : Source. One has been VAC banned for CS 1.6. Because of this, every 1.6 engine game is also VAC banned (Half Life, Team Fortress, The Specialist). On the second account, I have CS:S VAC banned. I can't play Garry's Mod, TF2, or any other Source engine game online on that account.