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Game Maker Canceled My Legitimate License

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Aaron247

Guest
I have been using Game Maker since 2006. For one reason or another I have ended up buying the Pro version 3 separate times, the last of which was in 2012. For subsequent iterations of the program, I would use my 2012 license key to update the new version. I am using Game Maker 8.1 for my current project.

Well, yesterday as I sat down to work on a game that I've been working on for the last 10 years, Game Maker out of the blue rejected my license! It says it has been automatically checking the license every month, but now it no longer accepts it. Even when I type it in directly, it rejects it and says, "That looks like a softwrap code; update to Game Maker 8.1." But the code was sufficient for the last 8 years!

And when I emailed the helpdesk about it yesterday, they come back with, "We have no records of a license key associated with your email address. What was your license key? You didn't include it in your message."

But I did include it! They are blind to it! I am thinking it's because I bought the key through softwrap that they don't have records of it. But why does it all of a sudden not work? I saw another topic in this forum with a similar problem posted a few days ago. I don't know how or if that one's been resolved.

Thank you
 
Did you reply to them indicating you had already included your license key? And perhaps re-include the license key?

Is it possible you used a different email address when you bought the 2012 GM 8.1 software?

I would definitely persist with the Helpdesk. This is a user/community forum and we don't have access to licensing information as such.
 
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Aaron247

Guest
Thank you for the reply.

Yes, I replied telling them that I already included the license key. I also forwarded them the 'receipt' message I got from softwrap when I bought the key in 2012. I haven't yet heard back from them, and I kind of get the feeling that they won't help me.

I know it's the correct email address because I can search "game maker" in my inbox and get confirmations from when I bought it in both 2011 and 2012. I don't remember why I bought it twice within a span of 2 years, but that's what I find.
 
I have an email from Yoyo from August 2013 that says softwrap licenses can't be activated anymore, and to contact the Helpdesk for assitance.

Also there's this blog post : https://www.yoyogames.com/blog/358/farewell-gamemaker-8-1

That says existing customers should still be able to use GM 8.1 but would need to contact Helpdesk if you have any problems.

I'd be surprised if they didn't help you in the end, without giving a reason. What's giving you the impression they won't help you?

Sorry I can't be much more help than this, I would say don't give up, you've shown them your receipt and license key, that should be proof enough.
 

TsukaYuriko

☄️
Forum Staff
Moderator
If you purchased the license in 2012, it should be for 8.1. I highly doubt 7 was still being sold at that point.

With that said, I can only re-iterate what has been said - with sufficient proof of purchase, the helpdesk should be able to help you. If this for whatever reason is not what's happening, I suggest reaching out to our administrator @Nocturne, as he is in a more direct contact with the rest of YoYo Games than pretty much any other member here. I suggest attaching proof of purchase and license keys of all licenses you've ever purchased for the sake of completeness. I'm sure there will be some way to sort this out - license records don't just vanish into nothingness out of the blue...
 
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Aaron247

Guest
@IndianaBones

I got that impression from the dismissive tone noted in the helpdesk's email to me. Plus, I haven't heard back from them since my reply a day or so ago. Hopefully it's just because it's the weekend, and I'll hear back from them on Monday.

Thank you for the replies. You guys have given me hope that I will regain the license. If I don't hear back from them on Monday, I will go @TsukaYuriko 's route of contacting the administrator.
 
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Aaron247

Guest
Well, my intuition was correct. This is the reply I got from them today :


Your request () has been solved. To reopen this request, reply to this email or click the link below

Simon (YoYo Games Ltd.)

Jan 13, 11:14 GMT

Hi Aaron,

Thank you for the additional information. Upon further inspection your licence will have been a GameMaker 8.0 licence and not an 8.1 licence.

Unfortunately GameMaker 7 and 8.0 was supported by a company called Softwrap and not YoYo Games. We made an announcement in 2013 that it would no longer be possible to install or activate GameMaker 8.0 licences, a decision made by Softwrap, not YoYo Games, as laid out here - .

We then took over with GameMaker 8.1 which I'm sorry to say we no longer support. Support for GameMaker 8.1 ended in May 2015. Please refer to our blog post on why we stopped supporting it here: .
Kind Regards,
Simon
Customer Support Technician
YoYo Games
 

FrostyCat

Redemption Seeker
Softwrap keys for 7.0-8.0 look like YOY-XXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, while keys for 8.1 and GMS 1.4 look like UUIDs (i.e. xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx). They are completely different formats and would not have been interoperable in the first place. Check your email for anything looking like the latter, and try entering that.
 
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Aaron247

Guest
@Xer0botXer0
So are you saying you don't believe me? Or is it just your personality to be mean to me for no reason, when I'm already upset about this? First of all, when I started using Game Maker in 2006 and actually needed a forum for support, I used the now-defuct gamemakergames(.)com/forum, among a few others. This isn't the only game maker forum ever to exist. Secondly, who says I don't know what version I was using? I was working on the game just a few days ago in 8.1. I made that very clear. I don't know what version I was using back in 2012 because that's a long time ago, and through this game's progress I have worked on it with Game Maker 6(.1?), 7, 8 (I guess, though I don't remember definitely), and 8.1.

@FrostyCat
Thanks for the reply. I assumed I used a softwrap code to update to 8.1 when it came out; are you saying that was never an option? If that's the case, then I guess I must have purchased 8.1's key at some point...? It's possible I was given it as a gift for my birthday or something, and that's why it's not showing up in my email. That would suck because there's no way I can locate the key then.
 
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@Xer0botXer0
Thanks for the reply. I assumed I used a softwrap code to update to 8.1 when it came out; are you saying that was never an option? If that's the case, then I guess I must have purchased 8.1's key at some point...? It's possible I was given it as a gift for my birthday or something, and that's why it's not showing up in my email. That would suck because there's no way I can locate the key then.
If you had 8.0, you'd have gotten the free upgrade to 8.1 (most likely). As per these steps
https://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/15/upgrading-game-maker-8-to-gamemaker-8-1/

What I'm not sure about is: If you did update, they should have your email address. Did you have an alternative email address you may have used? Did you perhaps have a sibling/brother who upgraded when you weren't looking?
 
That's weird. I recently installed 6, 7 and 8.1 and my key worked just fine. I'm pretty sure that there was a limit to how many times you could use a SoftWrap license key. I want to say that it was 3 at first and then they changed it to 10. Perhaps that's the root of the problem?
 
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Aaron247

Guest
Yeah, idk what happened. It's possible I used my mother's email address, but she deletes her emails, so that would be a dead end. Though I don't know why I would have done that in 2012, maybe in 2006. I feel it's more likely that I upgraded using a softwrap key, and they either didn't ask for my email address or lost it somehow.

But at this point I've basically given up on regaining access to 8.1. I'm thinking of just moving on to Studio, but I'm kind of afraid of how difficult it will be to make the game work in the upgraded version, even putting aside the money I'd have to scrounge together to buy it. My plan is to try the free trial, and if it doesn't work, just give up on life and enter a monastery or something.
 

TsukaYuriko

☄️
Forum Staff
Moderator
For that to work, you'd have to first import the project into Studio 1 (as Studio 2 doesn't support such old file formats), then import from Studio 1 to Studio 2. Studio 1 is no longer on sale, so you'd have to find someone who still has Studio 1 (wink wink) who can help you with the conversion. In general, the transition usually is pretty smooth - depending on how much obsolete functionality you've used, you may need to adapt some parts of your game, but the underlying language mostly remains the same.
 
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dannyjenn

Guest
I think that some of my old registration codes were lost too. I'm wondering if maybe YoYo Games cleared their database at some point? Because I know that several years ago I purchased codes for GM 7 (Mac), GM 8.1, GM Studio 1.4 (I think some of the Modules too), and, more recently (but still quite some time ago), I purchased one for Studio 2... but I believe that the only one they still have on file is the Studio 2. (Though in my case this isn't much of a problem... all I ever use these days is Studio 2.)
 
Yeah, idk what happened. It's possible I used my mother's email address, but she deletes her emails, so that would be a dead end. Though I don't know why I would have done that in 2012, maybe in 2006. I feel it's more likely that I upgraded using a softwrap key, and they either didn't ask for my email address or lost it somehow.
Shouldn't be a dead-end. Perhaps try providing YYG's with your mother's email address, and see if they can find the registration in their DB. They should be able to re-send it through to your mother (who can fwd it to you).
 

Lukan

Gay Wizard Freak
If all else fails for you, I always have copies of 8.1, Studio 1, and GMS2 installed.
In case you need help converting, that is.
Message me if you feel the need.
 
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Elk

Guest
This is horrible

Just found this on pixeljoint

I hope youll get your problem resolved soon and to continue your project!
 
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Aaron247

Guest
@Lukan
Thank you very much for the offer. I have another person who said he would do it, but if that somehow doesn't work out, I will reach out to you.

@Elk
I appreciate it.
 
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