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General discussion (archive)What is, and isn't, DRM?(157 posts)(157 posts)
(157 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 21, 2014
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ChrisSD: So I'm confused again. Is requiring login to download a game DRM or not DRM?
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Namur: No. It's only DRM if you are uncapable of telling apart procedures that target users and procedures that target files ot its usage.

Let's take GOG as an example. The login on GOG serves to establish your individuality ( meaning it's targetting you as an individual and not your files on GOG.COM) and grant you acess to the files you should have acess to. GOG's catalogue is a common pool or resources for all of its users, the Login serves to 'distribute' those resources accordingly.

IF the login procedure is bundled with file mananagemet sofware or similar (clients, downalodaers et all) then there's DRM at play but not by virtue of the Login but by virtue of the bundling.

DRM, if present, starts at delivery (download), the point at which you propose to start making use of your files. Login comes before that, targets you not your files, and serves to establish which files you're elegible to use in the first place.
But you need a browser (software) to login and download GOG games. So is the browser DRM?
Posted May 21, 2014
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ChrisSD: But you need a browser (software) to login and download GOG games. So is the browser DRM?
Nope. And neither is the internet just because you need to connect to download GOG games. Nor your OS even though you might need to log into it in order to use the internet, the browser and your GOG games. Nor your computer, even though you need to sign with your name before the electricity company provides the power for it. Nor the checkout counter of the store where you might have bought your PC and that required you to show your credit card, nor the scanners behind it that might have started beeping if you had just walked through it without paying. Even if the term "DRM" can be a bit vague, it's not entirely subjective and interchangeable for any kind of dependency or security system. ;)
Post edited May 21, 2014 by Leroux
Posted May 21, 2014
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ChrisSD: But you need a browser (software) to login and download GOG games. So is the browser DRM?
Still no. You're again looking at what happens *before* you have your game. DRM happens after the acquisition, such as "okay you've downloaded this... now you can't use it until you ask us!"
Posted May 21, 2014
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ChrisSD: But you need a browser (software) to login and download GOG games. So is the browser DRM?
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Leroux: Nope. And neither is the internet just because you need to connect to download GOG games. Nor your OS even though you might need to log into it in order to use the internet, the browser and your GOG games. Nor your computer, even though you need to sign with your name before the electricity company provides the power for it. Nor the checkout counter of the store where you might have bought your PC and that required you to show your credit card, nor the scanners behind it that might have started beeping if you had just walked through it without paying. Even if the term "DRM" can be a bit vague, it's not entirely subjective and interchangeable for any kind of dependency or security system. ;)
Your browser doesn't phone back to the developers to check if you are really the owner. You only download the game and updates and then you are completely independent what to do with the game. You can install and play it on any computer in the world without any restrictions and you are not dependent on a client which is some kind of spyware in my opinion.
Posted May 21, 2014
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IronArcturus: Then show me the stand-alone installer! ;)
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amok: personally I just zip the gamefolder. If you can do that and it still works on a different computer, then it is pretty DRM free in my books.
I don't tend to agree with you on things, but that's pretty solid.

Steam may not provide an ideal DRM-free experience, but if it does, it does.
Posted May 21, 2014
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Leroux: Nope. And neither is the internet just because you need to connect to download GOG games. Nor your OS even though you might need to log into it in order to use the internet, the browser and your GOG games. Nor your computer, even though you need to sign with your name before the electricity company provides the power for it. Nor the checkout counter of the store where you might have bought your PC and that required you to show your credit card, nor the scanners behind it that might have started beeping if you had just walked through it without paying. Even if the term "DRM" can be a bit vague, it's not entirely subjective and interchangeable for any kind of dependency or security system. ;)
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Silverhawk170485: Your browser doesn't phone back to the developers to check if you are really the owner. You only download the game and updates and then you are completely independent what to do with the game. You can install and play it on any computer in the world without any restrictions and you are not dependent on a client which is some kind of spyware in my opinion.
So Steam isn't DRM if you only download non-DRM games and then run them with Steam closed (like you can with Half Life 2 amongst others)?
Posted May 21, 2014
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Silverhawk170485: Your browser doesn't phone back to the developers to check if you are really the owner. You only download the game and updates and then you are completely independent what to do with the game. You can install and play it on any computer in the world without any restrictions and you are not dependent on a client which is some kind of spyware in my opinion.
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ChrisSD: So Steam isn't DRM if you only download non-DRM games and then run them with Steam closed (like you can with Half Life 2 amongst others)?
That's correct. Note that Steam still doesn't provide a DRM-free service like GOG does - no game there is advertised as DRM-free, even if they are, so you'll depend on the reports of other users, and you can't know for sure if copying the games to another computer will always be enough to make them run, and neither whether it's entirely legal to move those files around and separate them from Steam. I think Steam's Support discourages users from doing it, or in any case I've never seen them openly admit that it's possible and alright.
Post edited May 21, 2014 by Leroux
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)What is, and isn't, DRM?(157 posts)(157 posts)
(157 posts)