DRM on games. What do you think of it? - General

As the title says. I personally don't mind DRM that much. But the way Ubisoft or EA does it is a little bit overkill. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Didn't read the sticky" - Craptasket))[/highlight]

If it's not intrusive and/or has useful features (Steam) I am ok with it I actually prefer having a game on steam (which is a pretty strict form of DRM) to having a DRM free version

I have no qualms with DRM because I'm not a thief. DRM has never stopped me from enjoying a product I paid for and I will continue to support use of DRM where applicable.

I have no problem with DRM but when it punishes legitimate players instead of pirates it starts to become an issue.

DRM is dead, steam and origin killed it, then Microsoft killed it again, with win 8 store, PCs are not , people are always going to modify and tweak their games and some people are going to pirate, I think the lost sales figures are grossly exagurated because the pirated games take a lot of time to seep into the market, by then the maker has made their profits

[QUOTE=squids_eye;38997350]I have no problem with DRM but when it punishes legitimate players instead of pirates it starts to become an issue.[/QUOTE] There is no DRM that harms legitimate customers, and before you say always online DRM, that is a farce. Nobody is more than a few minutes away from an internet connection at any given time these days, and 90% of them either have some sort of broadband at home, or 3g/4g via their phone.

STEAM is great because now if I buy something for PC I always make sure it comes with a STEAM key. Then again, STEAM is the only good DRM I know about...

[QUOTE=gay_idiot;38997513]There is no DRM that harms legitimate customers, and before you say always online DRM, that is a farce. Nobody is more than a few minutes away from an internet connection at any given time these days, and 90% of them either have some sort of broadband at home, or 3g/4g via their phone.[/QUOTE] GFWL has given me a shitload of hassle. Also if you genuinely believe that everybody has constant access to a stable internet connection you are pretty deluded.

[QUOTE=squids_eye;38998652]Also if you genuinely believe that everybody has constant access to a stable internet connection you are pretty deluded.[/QUOTE] Where wouldn't you have one these days? The only place I can think of where you wouldn't have one is where you wouldn't be playing games anyway.

[QUOTE=gay_idiot;38998665]Where wouldn't you have one these days? The only place I can think of where you wouldn't have one is where you wouldn't be playing games anyway.[/QUOTE] My friend experiences frequent outages of his internet and he plays PC games all the time. He complains to me about how he can't play some games he wants to because of always-online DRM.

As long as it actually adds to the game experience I don't mind. Steam is one of the harsher DRM methods around but I get a great store packed with great deals and handy communication features for my friends. That said though I have stable internet right now, but up until 2 years ago I relied on wireless DSL and I can sympathize with the people who want to play games that require an online connection and get dropped constantly.

I don't mind most of the time, but my connection to the router dies now and again so I'm not too keen on always online DRM's. I don't mind the ones that need say an activation at launch and that's it but the ones that Ubisoft have done where the game closes if you lose connection is a bit far imo.

I don't mind unobtrusive ones like TDU2s just insert your key while you are connected and you can play forever offline. I don't mind origin too much outside of I wish I could just have everything on steam. Plus I get fucking amazing download speeds off origin. I was getting like 5 MBPS average downloading burnout paradise yesterday. I mainly dislike GFWL because I have had issues with games being unplayable due to it just not connecting even after reinstalling it. I had to crack my steam copy of bulletstorm because it wouldn't connect. Plus some of my friends have issues with jumping through all the hoops to reset their passwords so I can't play games like GTAIV or Dirt 2 with them because of it. I like steam so much because it adds to the game with acheivments and a deep social system all in one. Yeah you get acheivments with GFWL but you don't get the friend support, and Origin doesn't really have any of that. Always online DRM for offline games like sonic adventure 2 are a load of shit though.

[QUOTE=gay_idiot;38998665]Where wouldn't you have one these days? The only place I can think of where you wouldn't have one is where you wouldn't be playing games anyway.[/QUOTE] A lot of rural areas don't have good internet connections, especially if they are far from a city or town. Just because someone lives out of the way doesn't mean they are some farmer hick who spends all day tending the fields and wrestling pigs.

DRM is a horrible concept that only harms legitimate users. No matter how restrictive the implementation of it is, pirates will always find a way around it. Developers and publishers should consider the carrot method of fighting piracy to tempt would be pirates in to buying the media, rather than the stick that at the end of the day only affects the paying customer. Piracy in my opinion is not justifiable, but the manner in which many developers and publishers attempt to stop it is in no way justifiable as well. There's the securing day one sales argument as DRM can take numerous days or weeks to crack on a game's release, but how much piracy would that curb at the cost of nannying all legitimate users? Would it be worth it? Steam should never be considered a "good" form of DRM. DRM is DRM; and not only that, but Steam's success has also set a precedent for other publishers to follow with. Case in point with EA's Origin and Ubisoft's Uplay. Valve has said to the industry that it's ok to release games that require a user to have a second program running and logged in to an online account to be able to play the game, and people lap that up and think it's ok for some reason.

DRM is okay so long as you are not Ubisoft... Only 3 fucking installs before you have to contact support? Bullshit...

[QUOTE=Antdawg;38999591]DRM is a horrible concept that only harms legitimate users.[/QUOTE] Trying to protect your digital content from theft is not a horrible concept. Unfortuantaly there isn't any way short of having everything done serverside (like diablo 3) there is no way around it for single player modes. Online modes are easy though. But they still try and it does end up hurting the consumers. The best way to combat piracy is to have incentives for people to buy rather than pirate. Steam workshop, acheivments are ways to do this.

DRM does nothing. If someone really wants to play a game that they don't own they will find away around it. In some cases it takes as little as a couple of days before the DRM is removed from a game.

Well, I don't really mind DRM, I sometimes just wish that they would do it more like GoG, where its tied to your account, then you can download it all you want.