In 1996, id Software attempted to sell a shareware CD for Quake that included encrypted full versions of their other games. Customers could unlock these games by calling a phone number and providing payment and a challenge code. However, the encryption scheme was flawed, and a hacker group known as GNOMON cracked it within 39 days, releasing a tool called QCRACK.exe that generated serial numbers. This led to id Software halting distribution of the CDs, resulting in 150,000 unsold discs. AI
RANK_REASON This item discusses a historical DRM failure and its impact on a specific product release, which falls under the 'tool' category as it relates to software protection mechanisms.
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