Woes of DRM: The punishments of being a legal & moral customer.

[Samarth 619]

Let me introduce myself, Samarth is my name. I'm an avid biker, so if you're into motorcycles, I'm the man to ask. Pulsar or Karizma? R15 or CBR150R? Ask me...!

I have recently got a laptop Inspiron 15R, which has:

Core i5 3210M running at 2.5 Ghz-3.1 Ghz,
4 GB RAM DDR3,
1 GB integrated Graphics,
768p display,
Original Windows 7 HB,
no pirated stuff at all (touchwood),

Before that, I used to play games on PCs 4-5 years earlier, and not until recently. I was surprised to see some changes in the gaming world, and so I want to raise an important issue which made me join Thinkdigit forum today. I recently checked out some games from Flipkart and purchased them. The whole Prince of Persia series, Dues Ex: HR, GTA IV Complete edition, etc, etc. While installing them, I encountered a lot of problems. Yes, I have an internet connection like some games demand. And I'll list the problems I faced with them:

1. GTA IV: Firstly, the game made me download some kind of Windows Live agent which I didn't need. I installed it. Then it asked for an update via internet. I did that too. Then, the game started asking for updating itself. And it said that the game won't be playable if I don't update. Thanks Microsoft. That day, I couldn't play the game.
Next day, tried updating it via internet, but then it asked for a restart, and on restarting, asked for an update again. And this continued on and on for 2-3 times. Asked for help on Microsoft's site, and an ambassador suggested that I download an update out of the game.
Finally, I updated it without starting the game, and then it worked.
And even then it asks for a CD everytime I play it. What's the point of asking for DVD on a laptop guys? I can't carry CD's all the places I go.

2. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands: Same old DRM bullcr*p. Kept on installing & "patching" without any end. Ultimately, had to disconnect from internet to play the game in offline mode.
In other words, FarCry & Tomb Raider:Legend are the only games I played without any CD insertions (still tolerable) and worse yet, internet DRM problems.

3. Dues Ex: Steam, a stupid piece of junk DRM, was making me download the entire game of 9.xx GB over the internet!!? Half way through, I found a way to install from the DVD from Google, but my internet was already consumed a bit by then.

My honest questions are:

1. When a Cracked copy is downloadable all over the internet for free, why are the companies harassing the loyal & legal customers like this? What did we get for being on the right side?
We can't start game properly (on the same day), the game has bugs & multiple/ endless update problems, we can't play without CD's in the drive (as if we'll carry them all around in the laptop).
Nobody forced me to go legal. Nobody can either. I just supported the companies and this is what I get in exchange.

2. How can I know that a no-CD crack for a game on the internet is safe enough? Is an Antivirus scan enough to detect it?

3. Is there any better DRM option coming anytime soon? Something that solves problems by just one internet download, and nothing more. Something that won't force us to google for options and workarounds? Something that can get the game playable within 1 hour (or 1 day) of opening it?
Steam & Windows for Live are total rubbish pieces of softwares that no customer asked for.

I'm ok with one Internet Scan/ download to detect if its a real copy or not.
Until serious care is given by companies to the customers, I won't purchase any more of their stuff.
I would like to know gamers' opinions. Are you guys using legal or pirated stuff? Which is better in your opinion? And do you think I'm wrong in getting legal stuff for my earned money, when easier & cheaper "alternate" choices are there?

 

[Soumik]

Well, NA is a big market for video games, and i dont think ppl can use p2p software in NA. The service providers track them and ban their IP.. at least thats what i have heard. So, torrent ddownloads are not available to everyone out there. But cracks are freely avaibale. The problem is that, most sites provide malware along with the cracks, so its ot easy to trust them. Its a risk.
For piracy, torrents are the safest way and really there is almost no way to stop this piracy. Diablo III used a method where, i think, they wont give the full game with the purchase. Some important parts will be downloaded when u activate your copy. Its a very effective way and piraters couldnt find a way around for a very long time... not sure its overcome now or not.
I am definitely against DRMs. At this moment, with the stupid DRM rules, piracy is a much lesser evil to me. Because of DRMs, we never get cheap used PC games anywhere. Cause they cant be used by multiple ppl. While the same is easily avaibale for console games.
The best way would be to give out free demos to all the games for everyone to try and sell the game DRM free. Then if you like it, you buy the game. Ppl can buy it play it and resale it back to stores, who will sell them as used copies at cheaper price. If the games are avaiable at a cheap price, i am sure no one will want to wait hours burning bandwidth to get a single game. Putting stupid DRMs definitely do not help in stopping piracy. It just leads more prople into it.

 

[CommanderShawnzer]

Re: Woes of DRM: The punishments of being a legal & moral customer.

i have 20 ORIGINAL PC games. i would go the other way......though but i dont have good internet

 

[Skud]

Support more DRM-free games, indie devs, CD Projekt Red (the guys behind Witcher), purchase games from GOG.com. I have started to divert my game collection as much away from Steam as possible. And stay away from Ubisoft titles. Their DRM is the worst thing ever known to human civilization.

 

[akkies_2000]

Support more DRM-free games, indie devs, CD Projekt Red (the guys behind Witcher), purchase games from GOG.com. I have started to divert my game collection as much away from Steam as possible. And stay away from Ubisoft titles. Their DRM is the worst thing ever known to human civilization.

Ubi said always on internet DRM will not be there AC 3 onwards. Infact Ghost recon: future soldier does not have it. Run Uplay in offline mod and it works.

 

[skeletor]

I'm fine with downloading via Steam. It's DRM done right for me unless the game is itself adding one more level of DRM (Ubisoft).

 

[Skud]

Ubi said always on internet DRM will not be there AC 3 onwards. Infact Ghost recon: future soldier does not have it. Run Uplay in offline mod and it works.

I am talking about the games OP mentioned.

I'm fine with downloading via Steam. It's DRM done right for me unless the game is itself adding one more level of DRM (Ubisoft).

For restoring a game from your local backup you need to be online, laughable.Also how they done updating is beyond me, Sleeping Dogs suddenly needs a 3.2Gb update, last night it had downloaded 2+Gb, today it has started all over again. To update or not - the decision must rest with the user. Now I need to stop all my other downloads or uninstall the game to stop this sh!t. And still no scheduler.

Client free is the 2nd best option after DRM free, the old school ISOs & virtual drive make more sense.

 

[Krow]

I am talking about the games OP mentioned.




For restoring a game from your local backup you need to be online, laughable.Also how they done updating is beyond me, Sleeping Dogs suddenly needs a 3.2Gb update, last night it had downloaded 2+Gb, today it has started all over again. To update or not - the decision must rest with the user. Now I need to stop all my downloads or uninstall the game to stop this sh!t.

And still no scheduler.

Right click the game, properties, updates tab, do not automatically update. For me, this turned off automatic updates for all games. I'm not sure if games randomly insist on updates to let us play even after that.

 

[Skud]

Re: Woes of DRM: The punishments of being a legal & moral customer.

Someone posted it here:-

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/gamerz/134393-steam-related-discussions-52.html#post1777360

and then, when a new update is available, it will say "The game needs to be updated" and the graphics will go all bad.

Tried with CS:GO

I couldn't make the sense why I need to stop playing while the update is downloading. Even AV software or Windows doesn't behave like that. You keep on downloading, I keep on playing, when download is complete ask me to install - that would have been better. But really that's not how most of the DRMs work.

 

[iittopper]

battlefield 3 is too much pain also , to play multiplayer , always open origin , then battlelog , should always update punkbuster , origin always update for me ( dont know why ) , single player cant be installed in more than 1 computer which was not in case of bad company 2 .

 

[CommanderShawnzer]

Right click the game, properties, updates tab, do not automatically update. For me, this turned off automatic updates for all games. I'm not sure if games randomly insist on updates to let us play even after that.

that does not apply for freshly installed games especially the disc steam games

 

[gameranand]

1. They want to make sure that atleast the MP part would be playable to legal customers only. Even I think its a ridiculous way to harass your consumers, Developers should learn from CDProjekt RED
2. For some games Antivirus detects Crack as virus for some it doesn't. As for security I guess Antivirus scan is enough.
3. As for now its going to get worse, maybe it'll change with time.

As for me I go legal for the stuff I love and for others everyone knows. I purchased Witcher Series just to pay tribute to the developers even though I know that I can play it without any issue and they don't have any DRM. It depends on your morale whether you want to pay or not for the stuff you are using.

 

[Morpheus]

battlefield 3 is too much pain also , to play multiplayer , always open origin , then battlelog , should always update punkbuster , origin always update for me ( dont know why ) , single player cant be installed in more than 1 computer which was not in case of bad company 2 .

No offense but I think you are exaggerating. First of all, you can install and play SP campaign on more than one computer but not at the same time. A single game license you buy is just for your personal use and if you want the game to run simultaneously on more than one computers, then well you are sharing it and going against your own decision to support the developers by buying the game and also publisher's policy.

Regarding MP, I agree that even I do not like to launch Origin for playing BF3. The user is authenticated with battlelog in browser as well before launching the game so there is no need of Origin on top of it. I guess EA has decided to use Origin for every new title and they do not want to make any exceptions or maybe there can be other security issues with just using browser based authentication. Battlelog is very buggy but things usually work after refreshing the page but still I would prefer in-game server browser. Regarding Punkbuster, BF3 is a multiplayer game so there are bound to be people who just want spoil the game and annoy everyone else on server with hacks so I have no problem with Punkbuster update every month or so than dealing with griefers.

 

[cyborg47]

Re: Woes of DRM: The punishments of being a legal & moral customer.

buy game, throw it into the shelf, and pirate! LOL

I agree with the GTA4 drm btw, such a pain in the ass while installing it. May be that was a revenge sort of, for getting the game for 500rs INR.

battlefield 3 is too much pain also , to play multiplayer , always open origin , then battlelog , should always update punkbuster , origin always update for me ( dont know why ) , single player cant be installed in more than 1 computer which was not in case of bad company 2 .

All I do to play battlefield 3, is open the battlelog, and join server, how is that too much pain?

 

[Krow]

buy game, throw it into the shelf, and pirate! LOL

I actually see nothing wrong with this for single player mode.

 

[Samarth 619]

Thanks guys. I see its a common problem for most gamers here. Its very sad state that we have to waste our electricity, eyesight, time and patience just to prove our legality, which was actually the company's problem earlier.
DRM is like, the company's problem has been transferred to us.

Support more DRM-free games, indie devs, CD Projekt Red (the guys behind Witcher), purchase games from GOG.com. I have started to divert my game collection as much away from Steam as possible. And stay away from Ubisoft titles. Their DRM is the worst thing ever known to human civilization.

Thanks Skud. I have seen GOG.com, but their prices are in US Dollars. Will see if I can trade with them. Thanks for the sitelink. I want to support DRM-free games & their developers with open hands. But the problem is that all good games are slowly getting on DRM now.

Take for example, Rockstar GTA V is to be released soon (14 Nov I think?). Is there any DRM free competition that can match GTA V's level of gameplay and details?


I have no problem with DRM if it was quick, and used internet. And, I have no problem in giving my identity: License, Address, internet IDs, anything, to the software companies just for their legality satisfaction.
But I don't want to get my eyes burning on the monitor, while trying to install the game.
GTA IV was the worst DRM. I spent 6-7 total continuous hours of my precious eyesight on the monitor (over a period of many days) JUST ON UPDATING/ INSTALLING the GTA IV: Complete edition, instead of playing it.

 

[Skud]

All DRMs are problematic at some point of time, in some form. You simply can't do anything about it.

 

[CommanderShawnzer]

you can