I've seen this debate for years...
NEVER have I seen anyone with Saturn CD-rs with the security ring. I've heard people say they did, but when they posted pics... no ring.
dj898 can back me up (and I'm surprised by his rather amateur post on the subject as he probably knows quite a bit with his massive collection)
Just like dj898 said... why have a System Disk? It'd make no sense.
If you really look deep down in it, it would be really not cost effective to even offer such a disk due to the process of making them.
A CD-R is a reflective tin platter over plastic that has a chemical smeared on it. When the laser heats up really high it causes the chemical to darken and not allow light to mass through... so that way later when read with a regular laser it is just like a divate in a normal CD made from a master.
For the disk to come with a security ring. The security ring would have to be placed in it's appropriate place by convential CD creation process (much different from CD-R burning). But then also filling in all the empty space between with chemical. This would take a whole new process of CD-R pressing... new machinery, all for a disk with limited space compared to normal CD-Rs that basically really are made to work on Saturns.
At a time when CD-Rs were expensive as hell and burned at very slow speeds... it would of made no sense to throw this much more money at something from a company already losing lots of damn money.
Shit not even Sony did this; a company with almost endless funds. They just released dev systems that ignored the security code as opposed to making propriatary CD-r's.
Originally posted by Rockin'-B@Tue, 2006-01-03 @ 12:12 PM
Well, if I would like to publish a new Saturn game, then I know how I would do it in order that it runs on any unmodded Saturn.
BTW: what kind of game are your working on?
[post=143161]Quoted post[/post]
How about try and figure out what and where exactly the security ring is... and then find some CD mastering company out there that would make you CDs with that code on it as well as your software.
With all the CD mastering companies now available (especially due to internet advertising and access) it wouldn't be that hard. The machinary has come down in price and a lot of people do it now... there has to be people low enough and willing to due something that really isn't the highest of legal... or just ignorant because you don't tell them what exactly is in your master image.
[EDIT]After some looking around... it averages between 600-1200 dollars for the manufacturing of 500 disks. Depends the company and how much work is expected (if art is being placed on the disk, art in the jewel case, IF there is a jewel case, other packaging...) You probably could find even less then 600... just have to hunt around.[/EDIT]
This process is not cost effective for someone bootleggin a copy for himself... but if you plan on mass publishing it for 100s of people so you can distribute this is your best freaking bet...
BUT
I don't know how the hell you'd locate what the security code is. Not my field