Just my 2 cents... but you COULD build a special check into your code... a key sequence, etc. that makes it SUPER EASY to immediate detect if someone is using your code verbatim.
Something like... CTRL-ALT-GS to pop-up a message that says CODE STOLEN FROM YOUR NAME. You'd be able to to send that code to Apple or Android and they'd be able to immediate identify it.
Of course, there's no saying they couldn't CHANGE the code... but they look pretty lazy, so they probably won't even look for it.
They were definitely lazy. They didn't even change the title of the GS project in the Project Info tab, which was still called a title of a game I made years ago!
@ookami007 -- true on one side, but that is not the point. We don't need another way to prove it is our code to Apple, and make takedowns quicker. The main purpose is to make sure nobody can easily steal our code in the first place, thus to make takedowns unnecessary, hopefully.
@BlackCloakGS said:
It will not be out tonight we are having some trouble with the encryption algorithm we are using to protect the xml files. We will get this out to you ASAP. Hopeful tomorrow or Wednesday. Sorry for the delay.
The important part is that you get it right and that you are commited to do it ASAP. I'm sure that anyone that have waited up until now for this can wait a day or two more.
@MarcMySalad said:
The important part is that you get it right and that you are commited to do it ASAP. I'm sure that anyone that have waited up until now for this can wait a day or two more.
Normally I'd agree, but if I want to get my game out by next week, I need to submit today/tomorrow at the latest!
@MarcMySalad -- it's not so simple. For apps that we already have on the App Store, yes. They are already up there, with the issue present, so if anyone wanted to get at their code, it's pretty much ready for picking. Even if we submitted an update on Monday, by the time it gets approved, the window has already been open.
But regarding new apps (as @quantumsheep mentions), it makes no sense publishing right now, knowing about the issue, since the fix is coming soon, but at the same time, every day of waiting pushes back the release date.
adent42Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PROPosts: 3,184
edited August 2014
pops head out of code hole
FYI, we're still banging away at this. We have the basic encryption working on the engine and publishing sides, we're now testing to make sure they're actually working together as expected.
FYI, we're still banging away at this. We have the basic encryption working on the engine and publishing sides, we're now testing to make sure they're actually working together as expected.
scurries back into code hole
Thanks for the update! Good luck!
attaches a tracking device to your shirt. So you don't disappear...
PhilipCCEncounter Bay, South AustraliaMemberPosts: 1,390
edited August 2014
@FatFish I only just found this thread! How terrible for you. This was despicable behaviour from a GS member, or from any developer for that matter.
@BlackCloakGS and @ForumNinja It would be good if an issue like this was featured more prominently by being transferred to the GS Kitchen section and flagged as an Announcement. I trawl through the Forum daily, looking for important information, and yet I missed this until today? Anyway, great work in dealing with the culprit so swiftly, and in working on the encryption so promptly.
Please make it an Announcement in the Kitchen when encryption is enabled.
There will always be ways around this sort of thing-- so sorry to see what a total ripoff that developer had put together-- I see their developer page is suspended on the web-- Thanks to GameSalad for taking charge, and kudos to the community for keeping an eye out for each other!
John Gallagher
Artist, cartoonist, developer - STORYTELLER
PhilipCCEncounter Bay, South AustraliaMemberPosts: 1,390
@adent42 A note dropped down the code hole: when encryption is enabled, I guess it means we will all have to re-publish our apps to be safe in future. Any apps already in the wild will sadly still remain vulnerable.
God I hope so, I was going to publish last week until I read this thread. If we don't get it by tomorrow it won't be Monday because it is a holiday so it would be Tuesday at the earliest which is Wednesday my time.
dgackeyAustin, TXInactive, PRO, Chef EmeritusPosts: 699
Last I heard they were dealing with the pain of cross-platform endian-ness which was gumming up the works. I don't believe a working build made it into QA's hands yet so it's probably a next week thing, folks.
Dan Magaha · COO · GameSalad, Inc · danm@gamesalad.com
PhilipCCEncounter Bay, South AustraliaMemberPosts: 1,390
@pHghost Well, not really that straight forward because heaps of graphics that have transparency need to be fixed for the current Creator.
@PhilipCC said:
pHghost Well, not really that straight forward because heaps of graphics that have transparency need to be fixed for the current Creator.
What you are talking about here has nothing at all to do with anything discussed in this thread. Also, it's not really an issue with the current creator but with your own image files. You need to convert them yourself using an application that generates compatible images, there have been several threads about this in the past and should not really be discussed further in this thread.
@dgackey said:
Last I heard they were dealing with the pain of cross-platform endian-ness which was gumming up the works. I don't believe a working build made it into QA's hands yet so it's probably a next week thing, folks.
Thanks for the update!
PhilipCCEncounter Bay, South AustraliaMemberPosts: 1,390
edited August 2014
@MarcMySalad Huh? I wasn't responding to you! I was making a remark to pHghost in response to his remark to me.
People talk to each other in these threads. That's why we use @"whomever".
By the way, how many threads have you followed to do with the topic of acceptable PNGs and transparency?
You said: "there have been several threads about this in the past". I guess you didn't notice that I participated in many of them, and that I contributed info about which Mac apps I use make acceptable PNGs.
Who I address in this forum, by name or alias using @"whomever", and what I say to them, is none of your business. >:)
@PhilipCC -- well, this is a PUBLIC forum. Yes, your reply is responding to my post, but that doesn't mean others cannot answer. The @ is used so that the other person gets a notification and knows to come back to the thread, not so others cannot pitch in. If you want to have a private conversation, send a PM.
Yes, if you have old projects that use incompatible or problematic graphics, you will need to put more work in. But you can start doing that right now, with the current build and so be ready for a republish-only when the update arrives. In the end, it is your decision, whether to put some work in and have your game more secure, or not to bother.
dgackeyAustin, TXInactive, PRO, Chef EmeritusPosts: 699
Yeah, we know that for some of you, republishing older games can be a bit of work, but we try to minimize the impact to users as much as possible when we have to make changes like this.
In the grand scheme of things, it's not really that bad when you consider the number of devices and the amount of changes that have taken place in the mobile market.
Not to sound like an old codger, but way back in the prehistoric era when I first started working in games, we were dealing with supporting Windows 95,98,ME (shudder), 2000, XP, etc...
Talk about a nightmare...
Dan Magaha · COO · GameSalad, Inc · danm@gamesalad.com
Comments
It's great that gamesalad is responding this fast on this issue:)!!!
@Approw, not quite.
The regulations state "use, access, implement, or incorporate", and no distinction is made between transmitted or stored data or functionality.
The actual contents and code of the software needs to be transparent if it is to be exported into certain countries.
But, as @dgackey stated, under the current conditions of implementation it seems to be "OK".
Note 4 to Category 5, Part 2 of the CCL negates my over zealous concerns.
MESSAGING, X-PLATFORM LEADERBOARDS, OFFLINE-TIMER, ANALYTICS and BACK-END CONTROL for your GameSalad projects
www.APPFORMATIVE.com
Just my 2 cents... but you COULD build a special check into your code... a key sequence, etc. that makes it SUPER EASY to immediate detect if someone is using your code verbatim.
Something like... CTRL-ALT-GS to pop-up a message that says CODE STOLEN FROM YOUR NAME. You'd be able to to send that code to Apple or Android and they'd be able to immediate identify it.
Of course, there's no saying they couldn't CHANGE the code... but they look pretty lazy, so they probably won't even look for it.
Good idea.
They were definitely lazy. They didn't even change the title of the GS project in the Project Info tab, which was still called a title of a game I made years ago!
So you can't get any more busted than that!
@ookami007 -- true on one side, but that is not the point. We don't need another way to prove it is our code to Apple, and make takedowns quicker. The main purpose is to make sure nobody can easily steal our code in the first place, thus to make takedowns unnecessary, hopefully.
sorry for newb question but ah, this apply for Android apk too? I know I can "reverse engineer" an apk but you all are talking about Apple.
yes, it will be for android , iOS and Mac published games.
Very good!
The important part is that you get it right and that you are commited to do it ASAP. I'm sure that anyone that have waited up until now for this can wait a day or two more.
Normally I'd agree, but if I want to get my game out by next week, I need to submit today/tomorrow at the latest!
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
@MarcMySalad -- it's not so simple. For apps that we already have on the App Store, yes. They are already up there, with the issue present, so if anyone wanted to get at their code, it's pretty much ready for picking. Even if we submitted an update on Monday, by the time it gets approved, the window has already been open.
But regarding new apps (as @quantumsheep mentions), it makes no sense publishing right now, knowing about the issue, since the fix is coming soon, but at the same time, every day of waiting pushes back the release date.
pops head out of code hole
FYI, we're still banging away at this. We have the basic encryption working on the engine and publishing sides, we're now testing to make sure they're actually working together as expected.
scurries back into code hole
Thanks for the update! Good luck!
attaches a tracking device to your shirt. So you don't disappear...
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
@FatFish I only just found this thread! How terrible for you. This was despicable behaviour from a GS member, or from any developer for that matter.
@BlackCloakGS and @ForumNinja It would be good if an issue like this was featured more prominently by being transferred to the GS Kitchen section and flagged as an Announcement. I trawl through the Forum daily, looking for important information, and yet I missed this until today? Anyway, great work in dealing with the culprit so swiftly, and in working on the encryption so promptly.
Please make it an Announcement in the Kitchen when encryption is enabled.
pokes the bear
runs
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
There will always be ways around this sort of thing-- so sorry to see what a total ripoff that developer had put together-- I see their developer page is suspended on the web-- Thanks to GameSalad for taking charge, and kudos to the community for keeping an eye out for each other!
John Gallagher
Artist, cartoonist, developer - STORYTELLER
First GameSalad App JUST PUBLISHED! Roboy Red: Jetpack Attack!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roboy-red-jetpack-attack/id896014716?mt=8
This thread should be deleted. It is doing more harm than good spreading this info to everyone while a solution is not out.
Just to make sure... this issue only affects itunes apps, right? Android apps are safe?
@ookami007 you incorrect, it effects all apps in both iOS & Android.
Edit: I deleted the part about HTML5. That is kept very safe and close to home.
@adent42
Any chance this will be ready today/tomorrow?
Or are we looking at next week?
Cheers,
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
@adent42 A note dropped down the code hole: when encryption is enabled, I guess it means we will all have to re-publish our apps to be safe in future. Any apps already in the wild will sadly still remain vulnerable.![:\](http://forums.gamesalad.com/plugins/emojiextender/emoji/twitter/confused.png ":\")
@PhilipCC -- yes, of course. But it should be quite straightforward, just republish and update.
God I hope so, I was going to publish last week until I read this thread. If we don't get it by tomorrow it won't be Monday because it is a holiday so it would be Tuesday at the earliest which is Wednesday my time.
Universal Binary Template - Universal Binary Template Instructions Rev 4 (Short) - Custom Score Display Template
Last I heard they were dealing with the pain of cross-platform endian-ness which was gumming up the works. I don't believe a working build made it into QA's hands yet so it's probably a next week thing, folks.
Dan Magaha · COO · GameSalad, Inc · danm@gamesalad.com
@pHghost Well, not really that straight forward because heaps of graphics that have transparency need to be fixed for the current Creator.
What you are talking about here has nothing at all to do with anything discussed in this thread. Also, it's not really an issue with the current creator but with your own image files. You need to convert them yourself using an application that generates compatible images, there have been several threads about this in the past and should not really be discussed further in this thread.
Thanks for the update!
@MarcMySalad Huh? I wasn't responding to you! I was making a remark to pHghost in response to his remark to me.
People talk to each other in these threads. That's why we use @"whomever".
By the way, how many threads have you followed to do with the topic of acceptable PNGs and transparency?
You said: "there have been several threads about this in the past". I guess you didn't notice that I participated in many of them, and that I contributed info about which Mac apps I use make acceptable PNGs.
Who I address in this forum, by name or alias using @"whomever", and what I say to them, is none of your business. >:)
@PhilipCC -- well, this is a PUBLIC forum. Yes, your reply is responding to my post, but that doesn't mean others cannot answer. The @ is used so that the other person gets a notification and knows to come back to the thread, not so others cannot pitch in. If you want to have a private conversation, send a PM.
Yes, if you have old projects that use incompatible or problematic graphics, you will need to put more work in. But you can start doing that right now, with the current build and so be ready for a republish-only when the update arrives. In the end, it is your decision, whether to put some work in and have your game more secure, or not to bother.
Yeah, we know that for some of you, republishing older games can be a bit of work, but we try to minimize the impact to users as much as possible when we have to make changes like this.
In the grand scheme of things, it's not really that bad when you consider the number of devices and the amount of changes that have taken place in the mobile market.
Not to sound like an old codger, but way back in the prehistoric era when I first started working in games, we were dealing with supporting Windows 95,98,ME (shudder), 2000, XP, etc...
Talk about a nightmare...
Dan Magaha · COO · GameSalad, Inc · danm@gamesalad.com