There are a few ways in which developers will be able to find out if a gamer has purchased a legal copy of their game. For instance it could involve game codes which will be matched against an authentication server to see if it is on the list. Sometimes developers will insert bits of code that could inadvertently cause gamers to oust themselves for downloading pirated games.
Well a similar feature has been included in EA’s The Sims 4. Now for those who have played The Sims franchise, you know that whenever your Sim takes a bath or goes to the bathroom, they get pixelated, which helps make it a more family-friendly game. However according to a handful of reports, it seems that if you downloaded a pirated copy of the game, all your Sims will be pixelated, regardless of where they are and what they are doing.
Some gamers have taken to the forums to ask the developers about this issue without knowing that it is possible that this is a mechanic in the game that identifies gamers with pirated copies. According to a Reddit FAQ which addresses the issue, it reads, “Quit the game and restart. Please note that this seems to be an issue largely (if not only) associated with the cracked version of the game.”
In a statement EA released to Joystiq, it seems that the publisher “has no plans to aid those players unable to enjoy their pirated copies of The Sims 4. Instead, the publisher urges affected players to purchase their own copy of the game which should lack the telltale pixelation.” So if you’re experiencing that glitch, well you know what to do.
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