Game DRM

[Arctic Blast]

my steam library is worth probably 700-800 pounds in money spent

my steam library is worth exactly 70 pounds to me - 35 for Rome II, 30 for EU IV and 5 for HOI III, the rest, if i could i would give away or happily delete from my library

if the Steam Apocolypse comes tomorrow, let it come

I pretty much agree with shrugging my shoulders at a lot of what I'd 'lose', simply because it isn't a loss. 99.9% of the games that I play through (or play for an extended period in the case of bigger strategy titles) I move on from and never return to. It doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy them, it just means that I either experienced what they had to offer or they were replaced by something else.

When I buy something, I expect to be able to use it until it breaks - not possible with software - or until the heat death of the universe.

Very possible with software, actually. OS's change. System constructs change. Hell, how computers work changes. Eventually, software ceases to function in a modern computer environment.

Touching on a few other things that have been covered in here :

-Nothing wrong with DLC. Content that I get to make a personal purchase decision on? Cool. Every company does it differently, so this branding of 'all DLC is good/bad' that tends to be done is simplistic and silly. In a lot of cases, it really does look like old expansion packs. In many others, it's purely cosmetic stuff which doesn't affect game play whatsoever. In others, it's things like optional gun packs.

-There is no way that Valve could legally unlock every single game sold on Steam should they somehow end up going under tomorrow. They could definitely unlock the VALVE games, but that's it.

[JudgeDredd]

my steam library is worth probably 700-800 pounds in money spent

my steam library is worth exactly 70 pounds to me - 35 for Rome II, 30 for EU IV and 5 for HOI III, the rest, if i could i would give away or happily delete from my library

if the Steam Apocolypse comes tomorrow, let it come

Not to be flippant - but this is my view also. I have lots of games on Steam, and some of them, since my rebuild, have been reinstalled. Would I be pissed that I could not access my Steam account...absolutely. But I'd treat it the same as this Battlefront issue - that whilst it doesn't harm me, I'll continue to use - and when it does it can disappear. I won't use it again.

There are so many games in my Steam library that I simply do not care about.

As far as not caring about software I paid for - well, all those games I can't be arsed playing now - I can't do anything with...I can't pass on...so I really wouldn't be bothered about losing them. In fact if Steam gave me the option to remove games from my library completely and irrevocably, I reckon if I had 100 games in my library I would remove 90% of them...they sit there and just annoy me

If the Steam apocalypse came, I'd simply never use them again - and be about as pissed as I am at Battlefront - but it would be another DRM method I wouldn't revisit.

[JudgeDredd]

Still no sign of the codes.  >:(

[Anguille]

That said, this is the free market. If XYZ company wants to force you buy their game three times to replace two HDD meltdowns that's their prerogative. It's also the consumer's prerogative to decline that offer. Or accept it as they wish.

Simple profit and loss will determine if that course is acceptable to both consumer and publisher. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I don't have a problem with steam per se and they seem to improve their system. It's like Impulse or else in my view. I do have a big problem in the the fact that they have more and more a distribution monopol linked with a drm. Matrix has a monopol on many games but if have the download or the box, i don't have a drm problem...this is not the case with steam. Many games published are availabe from different places but you still have to go through steam and this could become a problem in the future.

[JudgeDredd]

Update

My eLicences were reset (how many I don't know - but I have them now).

I complained saying that they were punishing paying consumers. I also told them I had bought every game and DLC from them since release and it choked me to hear that I may have to buy my games again if they cannot reset the licences again - to which they replied that they had never refused to reset eLicences and that it si only there if they can clearly see abuse of the system.

I replied I thought it was a bit odd to inform a paying customer of this given that I owned all their CM games and never requested a reset of licences.

To add to that, I discovered that I seemingly hadn't backed up my copy of British Forces. I contacted them and they had a link sent to me within 20 minutes.

So - yeah. They answered and I have my games. But I'm very wary of their system now. They used eLicensing for the early CM games (I don't know specifically which ones - I presume up to and including Afghanistan) and then they moved to activations.

I'm not entirely sure activations are any better...you only get two (and can "request" another every 365 days?) - and worse, you can't de-activate.

Anyway - I'm up and running...though it was a pain in the arse and something I do not think a customer should go through.

[Nefaro]

Update

My eLicences were reset (how many I don't know - but I have them now).

I complained saying that they were punishing paying consumers. I also told them I had bought every game and DLC from them since release and it choked me to hear that I may have to buy my games again if they cannot reset the licences again - to which they replied that they had never refused to reset eLicences and that it si only there if they can clearly see abuse of the system.

I replied I thought it was a bit odd to inform a paying customer of this given that I owned all their CM games and never requested a reset of licences.

To add to that, I discovered that I seemingly hadn't backed up my copy of British Forces. I contacted them and they had a link sent to me within 20 minutes.

So - yeah. They answered and I have my games. But I'm very wary of their system now. They used eLicensing for the early CM games (I don't know specifically which ones - I presume up to and including Afghanistan) and then they moved to activations.

I'm not entirely sure activations are any better...you only get two (and can "request" another every 365 days?) - and worse, you can't de-activate.

Anyway - I'm up and running...though it was a pain in the arse and something I do not think a customer should go through.

Sounds like an extremely annoying ordeal, and one you shouldn't have had to go through.  Just having been threatened with the possibility that you may have to re-purchase them should be enough to give pause about future purchases there.  At least you weren't accused of being a pirate trying to pull a quick one on them.  ::)

How long did it take before they sorted this out? 

[JudgeDredd]

3 days I think.

[SgtRock]

Who was the idiot who came up with a DRM system based on a never changing PC configuration, that's just plain dumb?

[Tuna]

Probably someone from Apple  ::)

[Greybriar]

Who was the idiot who came up with a DRM system based on a never changing PC configuration, that's just plain dumb?

WarCraft: Orcs & Humans implemented inputting a word from the game manual. After that, there was no need to input anything and the game ran without a disk in the drive. However, if the system configuration was changed, a key word from the manual had to be entered again. All in all, this was probably the least painful copy protection scheme I've encountered.

[Staggerwing]

Maybe, now that the new iPhone 5s has biometrics, game publishers can just have you use an app to authenticate and reinstall.

[Anguille]

Who was the idiot who came up with a DRM system based on a never changing PC configuration, that's just plain dumb?

WarCraft: Orcs & Humans implemented inputting a word from the game manual. After that, there was no need to input anything and the game ran without a disk in the drive. However, if the system configuration was changed, a key word from the manual had to be entered again. All in all, this was probably the least painful copy protection scheme I've encountered.

It was there before...Field of Glory had that system too...a good system imho.

[Darkspire]

Who was the idiot who came up with a DRM system based on a never changing PC configuration, that's just plain dumb?

Not really if you think about it, if the game is an illegitimate copy then when it is first loaded then the PC configuration has changed and the protection kicks in, its like playing chess regarding cracking protection code  ;)

Darkspire

[SgtRock]

Probably someone from Apple  ::)

Definitely an Apple user, no doubt!

[JudgeDredd]

2 more I've come across which have proved a TOTAL pita!

Batman:Arkham City - using Games for Windows Live! I installed the game from STEAM and had to put the key in...fine...done. Steam provided one line for me to enter the key. When I get into the game - before I get to the menu, I get the Games for Windows Live! popup and have to sing in...then...as if that already was not a pita...I had to enter the key - AGAIN!. And not just have one box - but given 5 separate boxes to enter the code in.

Now Steam gives you the code and the option to Copy to Clipboard...and that's fine if the game gives you a box to paste into - but when it gives you 5 boxes for the different parts of the game code, copying to clipboard is useless. So here I was alt-tabbing from the game to steam to get the code - letter for letter!

That's 1.

2 is Max Payne 3 using Rockstars shite Social Club and this time, enforcing it! (I believe for GTA IV it was optional). So I type in my details and get nothing - no sign in, no error. So I request a password reset - and I get cannot connect to internet. So a quick squize on the interwebs reveals this...

Answer: We have received some reports about players seeing a "You are not connected to the Internet" message on the Social Club login screen and we are looking into this now.  If you are experiencing this issue, please try the troubleshooting below and also log in to the Support Site and click Subscribe at the top of this page.  You will receive an automatic email notification as soon as there is more information.

PC Ports: The ports to open are:
•Matchmaking: UDP port 27900
•NAT negotiation: UDP port 27901
•Activation: Port 443

For help with opening ports, please refer to: http://portforward.com/

Other ports to open if still having issues -- may not be needed:
•6667
•3783
•27900
•28900
•29900
•29901
•13139
•6515
•6500

Other potential conflicts to keep in mind:

•Windows Firewall
•Windows Defender
•Norton Internet Security
•Tiny Personal Firewall
•Zonealarm
•Sygate (proxy)
•Wingate (proxy)
•Internet Connection Sharing aka ICS - provided by Windows 98SE and higher (proxy)
•Linksys Routers (hardware firewall)
•D-Link Routers (hardware firewall)
•Cisco Routers (hardware firewall)
•Logitech Gaming Software (reports of Social Club saying you don't have Internet when devices such as wireless headsets and gamepads are connected with this software running)

Also try:

1. Make sure your router's firmware is upgraded the latest version (very important).

2. Unplug your router for 10 minutes and plug it back in. Some older routers degrade in performance over time until it is rebooted, similar to a PC.

3. Disable any firewall or other network filtering for the game.

4. Enable or disable uPnP (universal plug and play) on your router or the console settings..

5. If you don't care about security, enable DMZ (de-militarized zone) on your router for your PC's address. This turns off all of your router's firewall features for that specific PC.

6. Contact your ISP and ask them what your DNS settings should be.

7. If you have a combination modem/router unit or ADSL, try setting the unit to "Bridge Mode" to bypass the router part of the hardware.  If this fixes the issue, then you may be able to connect a second router betwen the combination unit and the console to dial the PPPoE connection.

8. Max Payne 3 uses some Gamespy features. For further tips, please see: http://www.gamespyarcade.com/support/firewalls.shtml

9. If you require a proxy to connect to the net, please try the command line "-scdetectproxy" (http://support.rockstargames.com/entries/21498272-full-list-of-command-line-parameters-for-max-payne-3-on-pc)

10. Try flushing your DNS cache in case it has become corrupted.
•Click the Microsoft Start logo in the bottom left corner of the screen
•Click All Programs
•Click Accessories
•RIGHT-click on Command Prompt
•Select Run As Administrator
•In the command window type the following and then hit enter: ipconfig /flushdns

You will see the following confirmation:

Windows IP Configuration Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

11. Make sure Windows root certificates are up to date.  For some versions of Windows, such as XP, this may require downloads from support.microsoft.com.  For others, it may be included in regular Windows updates, so we recommend downloading all available Windows updates.

WTF!? Seriously!

So it looks like they're off my hard drive and two more DRM methods to be avoided like the plague - Rockstar Social Club and Games for Windows Live