Software piracy in the ’80s and ’90s. The second book in the CRACKERS series. Digital visions and copy parties, intrigues and industrial espionage, disk traders and pirates. Elitism, escape and persecution: The mysterious life of crackers and their scene organisations shaped the computer age.

• Hardback Edition (revised) + PDF
• 170 × 230 mm portrait format
• 336 brilliant colour pages
• 135 gr/m² semi-matt paper
• UV-resistant and abrasion-proof
• Made in Germany

Zero-day warez and 101% cracks with “++ trainer” are the golden standards among the C64 crackers. In the early 1990s, software pirates organised themselves and the underground scene grew into a global distribution network. Uploading and downloading became daily business.

The BBSes (Bulletin Board Systems) became the distribution centres, the software goldmines. And when the console games became copyable, some sensed a business opportunity. But how did teenage crackers deal with the Far Eastern black market? And what led to perhaps the largest European piracy raid of the 1990s? Which role did American calling cards play? And how were the groups able to distribute their cracks via public commerce?

Special Features and Guest articles on When Cracking became popular (written by David Almer) // The Spirit of Swapping (by Cedric/Stranger HMD) // The Wonders of ASCII graphics (by SNS) // Photocopy Protection (manuals) // World of Copy Protection (by Denis Lechevalier) // Chaos Computer Club // Compact Disk Menus // AmiExpo Fair (Amiga Messe) // Scene Letters (handwritten) // X-Copy Professional // Calling Cards, Minitel (France) // BBSses // Trojan Virus // Total Apathy (Demo).

Featuring: Mr. Z, Eagle Soft Incorporated, Dynamic-Duo, Genesis Project, Cynix, ST/Amigos, ST Bandits, The Revolution, T.O.I., Nokturnal, The Big Four, HRFH, Cynix, Hotline, MCA, Elite, Elitendo, The Empire, The Syndicate, ICS, The Blade Runners, The Medway Boys, Pompey Pirates, Automation, BBC, Sub Humans of Turkey, RBCG, The Marvellous V8, Fuzion, Positivity, Jordan Corp, The Stranglers, Hemoroids, The Corporation, VMAX, Factory, The Overlanders, TCB, The Replicants, The Masters, Euro-Soft, 42-Crew, CSS, STCS, ACF, Vectronix, Tristar & Red Sector, Quartex, Fairlight, Paradox, Skid Row, Anthrox, Activision, Lucasfilm Games, Ubi Soft, Coktel Vision, Titus, Delphine, Lankhor, Ere Informatique, Infogrames, Eclipse, Gremlin, U. S. Gold, Ocean France, Argonaut, Domark, Accolade, Sega, Nintendo, Microsoft, Stacker, IAAD, Brigade des Recherches, FAST, ELSPA, Copylock Software, RATsoft ST, DMC, Codehead, Cachet, Chaos Computer Club, Gravenreuth & Syndikus, Triton, Bobmark, Supercom Partner… and many more.

90 pages of Interviews with Rob Northen of Copylock Software // Tsunoo Rhilty of STCS // AN Cool of TCB // Axe of Delight // Arthur Dent of CSS // Floyd of 42-Crew // Robocamp of VMAX // Ellfire of Fuzion // Dom of The Replicants // EGB of Automation // Orion of Fuzion // Yoda of The Marvelleous V8 // Ratboy of STCS // Metallinos of Vectronix // Mr Fly of ICS // The Threat of ICS // Illegal of The Replicants // Bacchus of Fairlight // Zippy of The Medway Boys // Pan of Anthrox // The White Knight of Anthrox.

CRACKERS: The Data Storm illuminates the networks and visionary entanglements of the BBS age. The world of the underground elites is spinning faster and faster. Their digital utopia sets them apart from the harsh reality of a doomed games industry.