Game wont Launch

[Axies the Collector]

I start Death Stranding and go green for about 5 seconds. Then nothing.

i7920
12 gb ram
gtx970 (most recent driver)
windows 10 (most recent build)

Update I

Got my support ticket answered. Looks like i need to make a new PC to play the game.

Update II

Patch v1.01 no change. Still nothing after green for 5 seconds.

Update III

Built a new computer. Same graphics card. Problem is gone, and it was definitely related to older cpu's. I will check periodically to see if they fix the issue, and tag the post.

[[Leon^^]]

引用自 Sküül：

The strange thing is that the more I read, the more I find evidence that a lot of game using Denuvo had to patch themselves to run on older CPU.

No Man's Sky, Hitman 2, Anthem, DMC 5, etc

It seems like Denuvo require a SSE4. 1/2 compatibility that a lot of game don't need, but it prevent the launch if the CPU doesn't have it

I ran DMC5 without any problems on G4560 with denuvo on the day one.

[Ardain]

I don't care if the game don't start cuz denuvo, or the graphics or whatever, I just wanna know if it's gonna be possible to even launch the dang thing, at least an error message or something

[Unplanned_Organism]

引用自 TygerTrip：

But anyway, does anyone have any proof that he is wrong about Denuvo?

He makes no sense, I'll talk about his quote:

"AVX is not an implementation used in Denuvo. It is a Intel vector tech used in 3D space ( Advance Vector Extensions ). It is for graphics and has nothing to do with Denuvo. Unless you think Vectors( a point in 3d space defined by 3 coordinates ) has anything at all to do with a DRM."

"AVX is an implementation used in Denuvo" means nothing. I did say: "This implementation of Denuvo onto ds.exe probably used AVX by default, for faster decryption of the game files".
Yes, AVX is a addition to the x86 to do vector math, matrix multiply on 128 bits registers, like SSE 4.2 instructions. AVX2 in later stages will run 256 bits and AVX-512 (you know it) 512 bits.

It's a way to do a faster A * X + B, so any linear algebra can fit it. Any basic cryptographic function used in anti-copy DRMs will implement standard algorithms or custom functions that make use of linear algebra. How they choose to accelerate it is up to them. Either do multiple instructions for your larger matrices, or use SSE4.2 (big backcompatibility), or require AVX.

引用自 TygerTrip：

Anyway, the reason I'm bringing it up is I am curious if anyone knows for real about Denuvo and AVX?

Why do I think it's a DRM issue ?

1. Because it happens on startup, and there are few cases that would require a lot of wide algebra at startup, one of which is decryption of the game files in a DRM. It's not impossible for the game to be using AVX during gameplay (either basic player position or some pre/post processing for GPU calls) but it is odd at startup.
   
2. When you run the game through a debugger, it makes some calls to .dll files in the Windows core functions for cryptographic primitives: see https://imgur.com/a/M0eLUbP is using the bcrypt.dll files, so it might be Denuvo functions pulling base functions definitions.
   
3. It has already happened before: https://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=121397

One additional way would be to attach a debugger onto a version of the game without anticopy DRMs and lookup for any AVX instructions that appear. If they removed the baked-in DRM, it could launch with no issues. But don't talk about it here, even if it may be legal to own that version if you bought a copy, it may still be flagged up.

My guess is the original devs did not require the game to use AVX since the ds.exe has a lot of SSE4.2 128 bits instructions, and that the PC release had to have a DRM for safety concerns from management. Then, programmers did not check which decryption method was run at startup from Denuvo, and the one they ended up choosing was AVX based. Or, they found it was faster than nothing or SSE4.2 by a certain margin and ended up shipping it.

More on the exact location of the issue: https://imgur.com/a/DsMqNS3

Now, if it is the issue, it is up to them to find a way around it and release either a SSE4.2 version (might be almost as fast on decryption).

edit: to the original owner "viper" of the quote above, I would enjoy any additional insight on the matter.

[Unplanned_Organism]

引用自 Leon^^：

引用自 Sküül：

The strange thing is that the more I read, the more I find evidence that a lot of game using Denuvo had to patch themselves to run on older CPU.

No Man's Sky, Hitman 2, Anthem, DMC 5, etc

It seems like Denuvo require a SSE4. 1/2 compatibility that a lot of game don't need, but it prevent the launch if the CPU doesn't have it

I ran DMC5 without any problems on G4560 with denuvo on the day one.

Yes Sküül the last Core 2 Quad/Duo had SSE4 and SSE4.1 compatibility: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penryn_(microarchitecture)

SSE4.2 was introduced in the first gen Intel i7's, many of us here either own such a capable CPU or they use a Pentium which should also offer SSE4.2 (G4560'2017? and G6600'2020) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehalem_(microarchitecture)

SSE4.1/4.2 is the ideal compromise to still retain the performance they need to decrypt game files, nobody here (unless if 4.2 is mandatory, Core 2 x owners wouldn't run be able to run it).
I don't think removing Denuvo is an option.

How easy is the fix is another thing. Maybe Denuvo offers high level tools to easily remove AVX requirements, then repack a build of the game without it. I would speculate it should take about a week to run some non-regression tests or look into decryption performance. But again there's also a decision to be taken from management and original studio/license owners.

[Sküül]

引用自 Unplanned_Organism：

引用自 Leon^^：

I ran DMC5 without any problems on G4560 with denuvo on the day one.

Yes Sküül the last Core 2 Quad/Duo had SSE4 and SSE4.1 compatibility: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penryn_(microarchitecture)

SSE4.2 was introduced in the first gen Intel i7's, many of us here either own such a capable CPU or they use a Pentium which should also offer SSE4.2 (G4560'2017? and G6600'2020) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehalem_(microarchitecture)

SSE4.1/4.2 is the ideal compromise to still retain the performance they need to decrypt game files, nobody here (unless if 4.2 is mandatory, Core 2 x owners wouldn't run be able to run it).
I don't think removing Denuvo is an option.

How easy is the fix is another thing. Maybe Denuvo offers high level tools to easily remove AVX requirements, then repack a build of the game without it. I would speculate it should take about a week to run some non-regression tests or look into decryption performance. But again there's also a decision to be taken from management and original studio/license owners.

Again, I don't understand anything about IT, I'm not an smart boi for this, I work in movie creation, not in IT XD, so yeah, meybe, wathever you say this is surely true

[Pigeon]

they are probably sitting on a couch and not giving a f*ck about the issue.
Typical company trying to convince us that they are working on a fix when they don't lol
Sorry from being salty but... still encountering ♥♥♥♥♥♥ problem like that in 2020 is unacceptable.
As long as Ubisoft already fixed that ♥♥♥♥ on one of their game (atleast), every company should be able to get rid of that

[Sküül]

https://steamdb.info/app/1190460/depots/

They add a "working-branch"

[Pigeon]

引用自 Sküül：

https://steamdb.info/app/1190460/depots/

They add a "working-branch"

For debugging right ?

[Sküül]

引用自 Pigeon：

引用自 Sküül：

https://steamdb.info/app/1190460/depots/

They add a "working-branch"

For debugging right ?

description : "For build upload verification"

[Pigeon]

引用自 Sküül：

引用自 Pigeon：

For debugging right ?

description : "For build upload verification"

I hope it is related to our problem

[Sküül]

引用自 Pigeon：

引用自 Sküül：

description : "For build upload verification"

I hope it is related to our problem

maybe, maybe not, I'm starting to loose hope tbh

[Pigeon]

引用自 Sküül：

引用自 Pigeon：

I hope it is related to our problem

maybe, maybe not, I'm starting to loose hope tbh

https://twitter.com/505Support/status/1285264049211469824

They are saying the same sh*t just to make us think that they are working.
I can bet anything that at the end they will say there is no possible fix for this because removing the AVX instructions set would impact performances too much lol

[Stefy Sensei]

From the Steam DB activity in the game, they are working on a working branch of a debug. Also in their response on twitter and their past history, I can safely assume they'll patch the game sometime this week or the next. (Optimistic ETA i know :)))

Just relax, keep contacting support, if you haven't already, and come check in on them once in a while. Say hello and ask them how are they ;).

They seem decent people and have made good by us to not give BS anwers.

My game has the acces violation issue from Background 6, but I am paciently marching forward and waiting for the patch.

It must be hard for Kojima Pro. to have such a passionate and large fanbase, and most definitely they want to make you happy and enjoy the game and their outlook on life/values.

Keep going lads, you can do it.

[Sküül]

引用自 Stefy Sensei：

From the Steam DB activity in the game, they are working on a working branch of a debug. Also in their response on twitter and their past history, I can safely assume they'll patch the game sometime this week or the next. (Optimistic ETA i know :)))

Just relax, keep contacting support, if you haven't already, and come check in on them once in a while. Say hello and ask them how are they ;).

They seem decent people and have made good by us to not give BS anwers.

My game has the acces violation issue from Background 6, but I am paciently marching forward and waiting for the patch.

It must be hard for Kojima Pro. to have such a passionate and large fanbase, and most definitely they want to make you happy and enjoy the game and their outlook on life/values.

Keep going lads, you can do it.

we have untile the 28 to refund, so i hope the patch gonna come before that

[BT]

引用自 TygerTrip：

引用自 BlueTrin：

I didn’t see anything concrete but he’s wrong about his understanding of vectors.

Many computations can be vectorised: it just means that we process all the numbers (within the vector) an operator that can process the vector as a vector rather than iterating through the numbers. If the vector can be processed at once by some instructions then you can have (potentially) a gain in speed and/or efficiency. It does not mean that you are drawing a line: it seems that this poor soul think that the instructions are to draw arrows or something.

One of the applications of AVX is AI, so it is obviously not related only to vectors as they are taught at high school or graphics ...

He can check the Wikipedia page for AVX for reference.

I literally LOL'd when he stated that the ONLY use possible is representing points in 3d space! It was clear he had no understanding or experience with the subject at all, from that. Its why I didn't debate him, I figured it was just someone with low self-esteem trying to look smart. Plus the point was if Denuvo uses AVX, and I don't know for a fact if it does or not. It's ludicrous to suggest it would not have any use for it at all! Tons of problems involving heavy mathematics, such as decryption, can benefit from vector based instruction extensions, such as AVX. But I'm just being redundant, you already stated this. Thanks!

Agree, it’s not worth your time engaging him if he isn’t open minded