Programmer and avid game beta tester Brad Lees wrote IMG recently with word on an interesting new product designed to make the distribution of early game betas more difficult. BetaLock is the product which, when integrated into a game's code, can help identify less scrupulous testers who might be illegally leaking game titles before they are released. Here's more of a description from Lees' site:

BetaLock uses an innovative method for controlling the distribution of betas. It is not as much copy protection as it is a copy deterrent. Each user is given a key; a file containing encrypted information about the tester and the game being tested. The encryption of the key is done in such as way that no two keys will ever be the same. Even if two keys are created for the same tester and the same game, the resulting key will be different. Each key also includes a checksum to make sure the key has not been modified.

BetaLock

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