{"rewrite":{"id":"r_a7556923d1fa883b4d993a1d","clusterId":"c_28862a351a72771cf497f792","slug":"why-the-1996-quake-cd-was-cracked-in-39-days","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Why the 1996 Quake CD Was Cracked in 39 Days","summary":"Game developer and blogger Fabien Sanglard explains why id Software's 1996 Quake CD-ROM, which encrypted the full game catalog, was cracked in 39 days. The shareware experiment failed, leaving about 150,000 CDs unsold, according to the book Masters of Doom.","whyItMatters":"The Quake CD-ROM's encryption failure shows how a bold direct-sales experiment collapsed, leaving id Software with a warehouse full of unsold discs.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eWhen id Software shipped Quake in 1996, the full game was only about 23MB, leaving most of the CD-ROM empty. To fill the space, the developers encrypted their entire catalog on the disc, letting players pay by phone to unlock each title.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe scheme lasted 39 days. The hacker group GNOMON released Quakecrk.zip, a tool that decrypted every game on the disc. According to the book Masters of Doom, the experiment ended in failure, with roughly 150,000 CDs left in a warehouse.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"In 1996, id Software put its whole catalog on one CD, encrypted, and sold unlock codes by phone. GNOMON cracked it in 39 days. Masters of Doom says 150,000 CDs were left unsold.","twitterPost":"In 1996, id Software encrypted its entire catalog on the Quake CD and sold unlock codes by phone. GNOMON cracked it in 39 days. The shareware experiment failed, leaving 150,000 CDs unsold.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Fabien Sanglard breaks down why id Software's 1996 Quake CD-ROM encryption failed within 39 days. The shareware experiment, which encrypted the full game catalog, ended with roughly 150,000 unsold CDs.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GIGAZINE\",\"url\":\"https://gigazine.net/news/20260818-quake-shareware/\",\"title\":\"Why Was the 1996 Quake All-Games CD Cracked in Just 39 Days?\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4705,"outputTokens":498,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787051876,"createdAt":"2026-08-18T11:16:39.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T11:16:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-18T11:16:39.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_28862a351a72771cf497f792","canonicalTitle":"1996年のQuake関連ゲーム全部入りCDはなぜ39日でクラックされてしまったのか","representativeArticleId":"a_b742e29748470e505435df92","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Quake\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Fabien Sanglard\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-18T07:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-18T07:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-18T11:16:44.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GIGAZINE","url":"https://gigazine.net/news/20260818-quake-shareware/","title":"1996年のQuake関連ゲーム全部入りCDはなぜ39日でクラックされてしまったのか"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Quake"],"studios":[],"people":["Fabien Sanglard"],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}