November 22, 2007 by sharky
Software Release Groups take their work just as seriously as movie releasers, if not more so. They have a protocol of ‘tags’ on their releases as well. Tags on software/games are becoming more erratic at the P2P level because much of what is found is not a genuine ’scene release’, or the release name has been changed so that it’s no longer identifiable as ‘proper’. An ever-updating list of proper software and game ’scene’ releases can always be found at www.nforce.nl (search their site or click the appropriate ’sections’ tabs on the left).
Notwithstanding, here is a list of common tags associated with ‘warez’. We’ve omitted many proper tags from this list because they don’t pertain to providing any necessary information about a release at this level of file sharing.
| ADDON | Specifies an ‘addon’ or expansion pack to previously released software. Common among games (i.e. Sims). |
| BETA | A ‘pre-release’ software or game. Not ready for the retail market as bugs aren’t worked out yet, but often software companies release “betas” to better test them and get feedback. |
| BONUSDISK | This is a ‘bonus disk’ for an original software/game release. Almost always requires the original pirated release as well. |
| CHEATS | Cheats released for a game. |
| CLONECD/CLONEDVD (Many variants of this) | These are exact replicas of the retail release. CLONECDs may or may not contain the original copyright protection. However, sometimes a ‘CRACK’ folder is added to it, or it requires a serial/registration number to ‘validate’. Read the included NFO file for instructions. (Variations include BW6CloneDVD - BlindWrite 6, SFCloneDVD - StarForce, etc. - some of which pertain to burning instructions). |
| CRACK | A “Crack” is a file included with the release that removes the copy protection from an original piece of software. This can also mean ‘cracked’ - see below. |
| Cracked | This means the main program *.EXE file (and/or other files) have been cracked to remove copy protection or a trial software nag, and after installation the cracked one(s) has to be substituted in place of the one(s) from the installation. Usually there will be a ‘crack’ directory with the release - all files from here must go in the main installation directory by default (or sometimes elsewhere) as stated by the *.NFO file. See cracks for installation instructions. “Cracked” is often seen with game ‘version updates’ releases. |
| CRACKFIX | A release that fixes a previously released faulty/non-working crack. |
| CRACK ONLY | Only the crack has been released. It is up to the user to download the original software from the vendor’s website - usually this link is included in the NFO file. |
| [DVD] | This means the release is in the form of a DVD, as opposed to [CD]. |
| DVDR | Same as above. Signifies that this is a replica of the originating source. (Crack/reg info. will be included in the NFO file). |
| DVDR9/DVD9 | This release is in the form of a dual-layer DVD (8.5GB). Can be mounted like any other release, but can only be burned onto dual-layer disks. |
| FIX/Fix | The ‘FIX’ tag is usually added to a release that fixes a previous one (that was improperly done). Examples include ‘Crack FIX’ or ‘NoCD FIX’. Other variants include DIRFIX (to fix directory paths) and |
| Incl. | Abbreviation for “included” (i.e. ‘Crack Incl.’ or ‘Keygen Incl.’) |
| Industrial | Applications designed for specific professions (CAD, Math programs, etc.). Assumed to be highly expensive at a retail level. |
| Keygen/Keymaker | A small program that generates a password or serial number for a program. These are included in many releases. See keygens for how to apply them. |
| Keygen/Keymaker Only | This release has only the keygen or keymaker, not the program. The NFO file will give you a website to download the software. This is a common tag found among smaller programs. |
| KIDDIE | A software release for kids. (usually under 12). |
| Multi/MultiLanguage | Multi-language software release. |
| [MULTI5] | Multi-language release with 5 languages included. Usually English is one of them. |
| N64 | Games for an N64 emulator. |
| NES | Games for a Nintendo emulator. |
| .NFO (file) | This is a small (but very important) text file that contains information about the release and instructions on how to make it work. A must-read for all releases. |
| NFOFIX | A release that fixes a previously released NFO file. |
| NoCD/NoDVD | This released game/program has been modified so it won’t ask for the original CD/DVD to be placed in the drive. |
| Patch | See ‘crack’. It is usually a small program that will remove unwanted trial period nags. |
| ‘Platform’ Tag | These tags refer to the platform of the release. [PC] - PC computer; [MAC] - Mac; [PS2] - Playstation 2; [PS2DVD] - Playstation 2 DVD; [PSP] - Playstation Portable; [XBOX] - Xbox; [XBOX360] - XBOX360; [Wii] - Wii; [NDS] - Nintendo DS; [XP] - Windows XP; [Vista] - Windows Vista. |
| Pro/PRO | Signifies this is the Professional ‘version’ or ‘Edition’ of the software. |
| PROPER | Similar to REPACK - this is a re-release (fix) for software that has been previously released. |
| PSX | Games for a Playstation emulator. |
| RC (RC1/RC2) | A ‘Release Candidate’ version of software for an upcoming final release. Often consumers will get a sneak preview of this software, although it potentially has bugs. |
| READNFO | This tag can pertain to both the downloader, or the site it was uploaded to (to prevent it from being NUKED). Either way, read the included NFO file. |
| Regged | Usually pertains to a software release that contains ‘registration’ info (in the *.NFO file), to remove the trial period warnings etc. Sometimes means a ‘registered’ release that has the registration info already entered in. Registration info pertains to a name/serial number/code etc. |
| REPACK | A repackaged (internal) release - due to a problem with original. |
| ROM(s) | Read-only-Memory files for game emulator software. |
| RTM | Means “Release To Manufacturing” - Same version as the retail. Obviously the ‘leak’ came from some level of manufacturing. Usually stipulates a ‘pre-release’. |
| SE | ‘Special Edition’ of a software, usually an application. |
| Serial | A serial number for the software is included in the .NFO file in the release. See serials for more information. |
| SNES | Games for a Super Nintendo emulator. |
| Trainer/TRAINER | This is a ‘trainer’ (i.e. ‘cheat’) release for a game. |
| UNLOCKER | This release will unlock all levels of a game (or other ‘locked’ features). |
| Update/UPDATE | This tag is often seen accompanied with the ‘Cracked’ tag - usually pertains to a game that has an updated version. |
| WinAll/WiNALL | Software will work for all versions of MS Windows. |
| X64/Win64 | Software for either Windows XP 64bit version or Vista 64bit (or other 64bit OSes). |
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