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General discussion (archive)How DRM actually work?(35 posts)(35 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted September 30, 2012
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overread: In short - add some facts to the statements :)
Problems I've had with DRM:
Securom: Sam & Max Season 1 episode 5 refuses to run (disc version). Claims that there is no disc in the disc drive. Only episode 5 gives me these issues. Cracking solved it.

StarForce: After installing games from 05-07 that uses StarForce I got plenty of random BSODs and a noticeably slower startup time. Removing StarForce and every trace of it solved the issue. Running the game cracked gave me no issues. Older versions of StarForce does not play nice with Win Vista/7.


But the main issue with DRM, in my opinion, is when they attach things like limited activations and such things. It makes me unable to just install a game and take it for a quick spin, I have to know that this is the game that I want to dedicate some time to before installing it, unless I want to run out of activations. This is why I find that type of DRM to be unacceptable.
Posted September 30, 2012
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Dzsono: Don't forget FADE. That's what, for example, Arma 2 had before it came to GOG. Instead of preventing the game from starting, it allowed pirated versions to load and play a few missions before strange things started happening. Things like aiming would become worse as one continued playing until the game became unplayable. It's actually a pretty cool idea as far as DRM goes...
I don't get why people think this is a good idea. DRM has a history of triggering for honest customers and this can't have a good outcome. Let's take an honest customer who comes across this:

1) thinks it is a bug and stops playing the game. Doesn't buy more games from that developer because clearly they can't program games.
2) thinks it is a bug, posts on the/a forum and gets nothing but "BUY THE GAME YOU FILTHY PIRATE" comments because people seem to think DRM is infallible.
3) thinks it is a bug, contacts the games support and gets told to buy the game, has to provide proof of purchase (if they still have it) and then might be told to uninstall some unrelated software to get it to work.
4) Already knows about this measure (same outcome as 3)

Double points for when the game marks your saves as "pirated game saves" so you can't just fix it and carry on. And yet again, pirates just crack the DRM and play without issue (might take them a little while longer to notice it, but it'll still be cracked).

Or, in some cases, they might intentionally trigger the DRM to have fun with the challenge (I think this happened with the Serious Sam and the Invulnerable Red Scorpion DRM?).

In fact, this very sort of DRM caught GOG out with Moto Racer 2 (which I can't play, because of the DRM!)
Post edited September 30, 2012 by xyem
Posted September 30, 2012
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xyem: ...
Not to mention customers who are not legit ones, but are considering buying the game. Just imagine what it does with their opinion of it - I really don't think it'll shift it towards "buy now!"
Posted September 30, 2012
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Dzsono: Things like aiming would become worse as one continued playing until the game became unplayable. It's actually a pretty cool idea as far as DRM goes...
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xyem: I don't get why people think this is a good idea. DRM has a history of triggering for honest customers and this can't have a good outcome.
Don't get me wrong. I agree with you 100%. If you've read other posts of mine regarding DRM you'll see that I'm usually choking back bile when dealing with the subject. I often note the utter contempt that DRM using publishers have for their customers/fans.

I just think FADE is the only creative idea the DRM industry has had. Ever. So while I grind the enamel off my teeth at the thought of DRM only impacting paying customers, I can't help feeling the faintest whisp of romanticism that someone tried to do something different.
Posted September 30, 2012
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Dzsono: Don't get me wrong. I agree with you 100%. If you've read other posts of mine regarding DRM you'll see that I'm usually choking back bile when dealing with the subject. I often note the utter contempt that DRM using publishers have for their customers/fans.

I just think FADE is the only creative idea the DRM industry has had. Ever. So while I grind the enamel off my teeth at the thought of DRM only impacting paying customers, I can't help feeling the faintest whisp of romanticism that someone tried to do something different.
Ah, my bad. I thought you were equating "cool" with "good". Understand what you meant now.
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This is my favourite topic
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General discussion (archive)How DRM actually work?(35 posts)(35 posts)
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