General Discussions

I know there has been many threads on this site regarding how gaming companies keep on coming with new-new DRM's and end up having the end-users complain about it.

For me, DRM's are pretty redundant since they don't serve their purpose of copy-protection. WAREZ groups are going to crack it anyway and users are just going to get motivated into piracy. Why? Because getting the original copies means dealing with their protections - Which nowadays is over the top. Having a permanant internet connection for playing solo is having us all go through nerd rage.

So are gaming companies digging their own grave by implementing DRM's in their games?

Because if they release their games as it is without any protection, it will have all the gamers who buy their games happy. And if they don't...Many of us are just going to turn towards WAREZ copies to deal with it. For example, I have been waiting for Mass Effect 3 for over 2 years, and it's now coming with Origin which I despise. I will be buying the original copy - But I am not as excited about it as I would've if it had the simple DVD-check protection that came with ME2.

So the bottomline for me is - Piracy is not going to be controlled no matter what the gaming companies do. So why not think logically and make the genuine buyers happy?

[Edited by HonestGamer, 1/1/2012 11:54:24 PM]

I've seen some DRM schemes work (with Steam being the top dog when it comes to keeping everything under control). Yes man can get around almost anything that man has built but man only builds because there is a need for it (the original piracy).

The old days of the hacker culture where nothing was secret and software was truly "free software" among the few along the small networks that existed before the internet did is long gone. This culture group did not even exist originally with video games since back then the majority of video games were on home consoles rather than the computer (and back then, pirating a game cartridge was easier said than done). Even PSX games were tough as nails to pirate unless you had access to technology and some soldering skills. The best DRM would be proprietary cartridges on home consoles (as was the case with the SNES, Genesis, and others).

Freedom is abused all the time by a handful of people. They are the ones you should be angry at.

[Edited by Neo7, 1/2/2012 12:01:11 AM]

Console games are a different case since you only have to insert a game disc to play. No more hooks than that. I have sold my consoles months ago so I really don't know but I have read EA is thinking of implementing the Origin system in consoles as well.

Piracy will be there if there are no protections/DRM's used. But if you look on the brighter side - Genuine buyers will be happier as they will just have to install the game and play it instantly rather than having to activate it and also keep their internet connection on to play it afterwaords. Having a serial number to protect multiplayer components of the game is fine, since that uses the gaming companies' resources (Servers) that need constant maintanence.

Also sales are just going to rise if they do this. I do read about the DRM's the game will be coming with before buying them. Not all of us have an internet connection that come with unlimited download.

If it continues like that though, I can see PC gaming coming to an end completely with console games left standing (because developers are likely to give up the platform rather than give into DRM-free). Hardware based DRM is better than nothing (and has the benefits of not having all the trouble with software DRM that the PC platform is stuck with).

[Edited by Neo7, 1/2/2012 12:29:31 AM]

I must add this, pc gaming will never come to an end there is far too much money in pc gaming for these studios,and consoles will always be around,and i agree totally with HonestGamer and his thinking.
just one more point in my world in the UK and the western part of this planet there is more than just a handful of people Neo7 abusing the rights of Freedom.
Neo7 is correct as well with cartidges that was almost impossible for the everyday user to cheat with, for me those are the days of the past and i personally say that cartridge gaming like the Nintendo will never come to the PC just to prevent piracy.