Games May Want Validation To Play

[dan350zr]

I'll just do what I did with Bioshock, buy the game and put it my closet and d/led the pirated version to play... I figure this way I have a license to play the game but I don't have to mess with there lame copy protection schemes.

If developers think there going to escape piracy by switching to consoles there smoking something whack... I can go to any newsgroup and see all the latest xbox 360 and ps3 games sitting there ready to be d/led...

 

[Guest]

What I think we need are laws in place for these gaming companies.

They want to have laws so that we have to buy their crappy games based on false hype and over the top advertising only to be dissapointed by the drab reality that is the game they released...but then when it comes down to it they can just shut down their servers and leave gamers in the dark without taking any responsibility of any kind.

I think we need to pass some laws that if a gaming company decides to shut down a server for a supported game there needs to be a certain notice time-frame and the server source code legally becomes property of the gamers that purchased the games. That way at the very least you could have open-source servers and could have other people continue hosting, rather than not have any hostin at all.

If we are to be held accountable to buy the game, the developers need to be held accountable to continue supporting it.

I will still buy SPORE even with stupid DRM, but I am extremely upset that they would go that route...whats next...shutting down the SPORE servers in 1 year due to poor sales.

Crysis had poor sales because you needed to spend $3000+ on a computer to play it and enjoy it. I think Will Wright should walk from EA with his team and release SPORE freelanced Although EA would probably just squish them like they are squishing PC gaming.

 

[werepossum]

If Bioware is going to assume I've stolen their game, then I'm going to assume the software they want to load on my computer will steal my identity and probably break my hardware to cover up their crime.

And I don't own a console, so no Bioware for me. In fact, no EA empire, period. Why would I want to support a company that assumes I'm a thief?

And yes, I love Steam. I consider it value added, and I've seldom had a problem with it.

 

[BGP_Spook]

Firstly:
"Bioware, makers of Mass Effect and Spore, will be implementing heavy-duty security..."

When the hell did Bioware start developing Spore?
I don't see Bioware anywhere on the Spore website: http/www.spore.com/

Answer: They aren't developing Spore. Maxis is still developing Spore.

EA is publishing both games and owns(essentially) Bioware and Maxis.

My guess is it isn't the developers as much as the publishers who are pushing DRM(though I am sure the developers dont mind too much). Most of the money earned by a game goes to a publisher anyway as they are the ones who generally pay for the development of a game.

The two problems I have with DRM of this type are as follows:

1. I don't want rogue programs roaming around my computer hogging my resources and hurting my performance/reliability. No matter how you slice it or spin it resident DRM are glorified spyware.

2. I want to be able to play my games after the studio closes, after the publisher goes belly up, and after whoever owns the rights to authenticate MY GAME(and it is my game to play if I payed for it) decides they either want to hold MY GAME hostage or just don't care anymore(printer/scanner drivers in Vista anyone?)

I don't pirate games. I haven't bought a game since the expansion for Rome: Total War came out as I haven't been interest in many games since then. I was looking forward to playing Bioshock. I was looking forward to playing Spore.
I have HL2(legally) as it was a gift from the uninitiated and share the same concern with with it. I would not have bought it (and if my game goes belly up for whatever reason I wont buy a replacement).

 

[moabboy]

Are they kidding about console piracy?! I was thinking about picking up a Wii BECAUSE you CAN play pirated games! I bought the Orange Box after playing a pirated version of Portal. I'm glad I bought it, but it did annoy me when I couldn't play when my internet connection was down and it wouldn't let me play in offline mode. I do own a lot of games, but it is getting to the stage where it is easier to play the pirated version as you aren't stuck with all the malware they install with the originals.

 

[dan350zr]

I wonder how long it will take for console publishers to start requiring games to link with the console that runs it... This would pretty much wipe out game renting and reselling... Sony was called out for this very thing couple years ago and they said it was only research and they wouldn't implement it... ya right... Console gamers your next on the list...

 

[Guest]

That's it. No Bioshock, Mass Effect, or Spore for me.

 

[thurauh1]

Crysis's very steep system requirements might have something to do with the poor sales as well as how boring the game was (or so I've read on varius internet sites and in 1-2 honest reviews as well).
It seems to be very popular these days to blame a lack of pc sales to piracy instead of looking inward and see what perhaps is (and was) wrong with the game. As for games on consoles not being pirated, I have seen (when IU've searched for something else related to this game tech help) the Xbox version of Bioshock on torrent sites. Note that I in way shape or form condones piracy; I just feel it necessary to say that console games can, is, and will be pirated as well. (not be me obviously, but by other people).

The big problem for me is that EA (bioware) is treating their loyal fans and customers as criminals; they just automatically assume that you are a thief, or at the very least want to be one - just waiting to pirate the game. Most legitimate consumers that buy the game won't pirate it at all. They are tired of being treated like they have stolen the games they play - or being under suspicion for doing so. And to prevent maybe 1½-2½ percent (or even 5-10%) of people from pirating games, EA/Bioware installs this on MEPC and all other EA game titles. This seems to me to be 'to build the church for Christmas Eve' since on Christmas Eve, at least here in Denmark, the churches are filled. The point, of course, is not to take dramatic and drastic measures against a very small problem. Or to make a mountain out of a molehill - as the saying goes.

 

[Guest]

DRM does suck, I've had my dvd drive stop functioning in windows a few times cause of drm nuking it. However...

Everyone seems to want to say "oh drm, thats why you dont sellz no gamz f00lz!". Do you think they add drm because there was no problem? the sales of pc games are so poor now. Crysis has shipped about 1 million copies... 1 million lol. That is the most hyped game I can remember in my 15 years of pc gaming, think back to quake 2 and 3 which shipped millions and of copies back when far fewer people had pcs.

Of course, if you dont want to believe something you can just say "oh, no one could run it, so they wanted to test it" (of course almost every game has a demo which is more than adequate for that or "there are so many games now, and consoles to compete with".

But when you look at the facts, any shitty shooter sells a million on consoles, do only gamers use consoles now? *cough*.
Crysis was aimed at the hardcore gamer, and they are the ones who download the most, you look at the sims which such a wide appeal, people who don't even know what pirating means. It sold 20 million. If you dont want to see any truth in it, you dont have to, but you might as well buy a console because its the only thing games will come out on before long.

If you dont believe it you must not have owned an amiga where for years that game market exploded. Shelves packed with quality game titles, but it pretty much imploded under piracy no company could turn a profit and it just died. I have to say, using those damn books with words on page 223 line 14 char 3 or colored swivel things was more annoying than most my drm hassles i have now.

thurauh1 - "It seems to be very popular these days to blame a lack of pc sales to piracy instead of looking inward and see what perhaps is (and was) wrong with the game."

Its seems very popular to pretend its all their fault, oh games are so shit now. Well, why do you even play them then? You could go read a book or anything else. If people yell we are getting pirated to shit, it seems obligatory to say its bullshit lol. I think the future is going to be big games on consoles and maybe just more boutique pc games. Might actually get some more inovation then because you wont have companies too scared to lose 20million on something that isnt a doom clone.

Just because you don't like something about one side doesn't mean you can just say "f*ck them!" and feel as if they get everything they deserve. Before movies / games could be so easily pirated I never could really remember too many people saying complaining the entire pc game industry or hollywood was shit and everything is not worth buying, well some people did, ones who didnt game or watch many movies anymore, but thats not who complain now.... the phrase cake and eat it too seems to come to mind just my 2c

 

[dan350zr]

With consoles having the same graphic capabilities as PC's and Microsoft and Sony willing to lose money on there hardware to sell them at prices that are way below cost of the actually hardware, It's a safe bet that PC gaming is on a road to oblivion... People just can't afford to upgrade there PC every time a new game like Crysis comes out.

The reason Sims and World of Warcraft MMO do so well is because there designed to be played on the majority of computers and not just the hardcore audience with there $3k-$5k gaming rigs...

Right now were starting to see a trend of games being designed for consoles first then ported over to the PC... I think this will pretty much be the future of PC Gaming, especially once they get RTS and MMO's running smooth on consoles...

The big losers in this will be Intel, Nvida, AMD/ATI, Logitech and all the other companies that sell hardware for PC Games... As high-end CPU's and Graphic Cards will not be required to just surf the next and use Word and Excel...

R.I.P. PC Gaming (maybe not yet, but its just a matter of time)