Some unfortunate news:
http://projectzomboid.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/sorry-weve-had-to-take-the-game-down/
Not only did someone pirate the game and make it into a standalone executable, they made it with an update button that directly downloads the new version from teh PZ website.
Dick fucking move. The guys at PZ they don't ever bother with worrying about piracy, it happens. But this is different. Most pirated games forgo automatic updates because it's keys get blacklisted, ect....and they upload a stand alone patch for the game.
Since PZ is an indie company, they weren't prepared for higher levels of piracy dickitude. So right now, the pirated version of PZ costs them bandwidth money, and because pirates can repeatedly click the "update" button, they can actual cost the PZ MORE bandwidth than a customer who bought the game and only downloads updates when they're available.
So long and short, PZ has been taken down. You can still play a cached version of it for the moment. It will be back when they have a more robust security system (they're talking about moving forward on the downloadable client now because of this.)
It just makes me sad that even when indie devs don't fuck people over with stupid crazy DRM, some pirates out there can't let well alone enough. It's not enough they can get the game for free, they've got to literally sap cash from teh PZ company while they do it.
hmm I guess from my rough memory about this game the only flaw was it cost money and I guess these guys doing the same stunt notch doing which was making people pay for beta testing which some money services hate, I hate this (the paying for beta testing not the fact the money services hate that idea, because who would want to pay to do someone else taxes?)
wait after reading the article I notice a few things.
Free volunteer beta testers hurt the company(?), and they think they can't just go on Donations because fear of people jumping to torrents that "auto update" than paying so they over react and shut down and blame the pirates early.
how I see it is this.
Coder : hey guys look I just made this program that can update the pirated copies of the game for situations where players pay can't get the game and can't update because of the pirated game they have doesn't work woo!
*Meanwhile at PZ Fort*
Urist developer: Olgn come here I heard you got some news for me.
Olgn the PR: look the dorf bucks we get from 'donation' sales are not enough to keep the nobles from kicking us out look the Koblods have tweaked our game to update constantly!
Urist : So ?
Olgn : So!? look this means the people who don't pay can get the game for free and update which drains our servers(other than the normal people who drain the servers any way)!
Urist : you mean? that we paying for beta testing ! Oh No pull the lever!
Olgn : already di...
*your project has crumbled.*
Meanwhile back at the Koblods cave
Coder: I got news my program shut down the game, shoot that sucks. Hey did toady added necromancy and zombies in yet?
Kobold : nah but I read good news on zombie survival squad being flipping huge still we can play survivor crisis z until the developers come back.
Coder: yeah lets all pour Mountain dew for Zombiod the DFzombie game that was screw over by paypal and google.
*all proceed to pour MtnDw on the ground*