The Witcher 3 Xbox Owners Ironically Locked Out Game Due to DRM Issues

[Steven Bogos]

The Witcher 3 Xbox Owners Ironically Locked Out Game Due to DRM Issues

Owners of the Xbox One digital version of The Witcher 3 have found themselves unable to boot up their game.

Well, here's a story with a somewhat ironic twist. Despite its mockery of DRM [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/140941-CD-Projekt-RED-Pokes-Fun-at-DRM-in-The-Witcher-3], and developer CD Projekt Red's firm stance on the matter, owners of the Xbox One digital version of The Witcher 3 are finding themselves unable to play their games... due to a DRM malfunction.

Users are reporting the problem on Microsoft's support form [http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/38exar/witcher_3_wont_load_error_0x87de2726/], all quoting the 0x87de2726 error code - which is apparently a licencing error. It's only effecting the digital version of the game as of now, so if you have a disk-based version you're golden.

Microsoft is aware of the problem, but has no timetable for a fix.

You can see this as either an ironic blow against CD Projekt Red for so staunchly mocking DRM, or rather a confirmation of its philosophy that DRM only ever punishes paying customers. After all, it was Microsoft, not CDPR that imposed DRM on The Witcher 3, and indeed the PC version of the game purchased from Good Old Games [http://www.gog.com/game/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt_preorder] doesn't have any kind of DRM on it whatsoever.

Either way, things don't look good for Microsoft right now, which actually ran into a similar problem [http://kotaku.com/some-xbox-one-users-cant-play-far-cry-4-even-though-th-1677621472] with Far Cry 4 earlier in the year.

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/245107/Witcher_III_owners_locked_out_on_Xbox_One.php]

Permalink

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I don't want to sound like a hater against the Xbox One, but seriously? Something like this should happen once AT MOST per console cycle. The first time it happened, Microsoft should have sat down and figure out how to prevent it from happening again, never mind happening again 5 months later.

 

[Rastrelly]

I want to sound like a hater against Xbox One and consoles in general, but what would you expect when a market is artificially created and maintained basically by a single company, acting more or less like a government issuing taxes and writing laws for that market?

 

[Fulbert]

I understand the Microsoft position. What are those consumers going to do, go to a different storefront? Try and return their copies for a refund? Pirate the game they paid for so they can play it? Sue them?

I would've taken my sweet time to fix the issue, too, if I knew the could do none of the above.

 

[Piorn]

Please Help us, Master Witcher, these DRM are tormenting us!
> 1. I'll help you.
> 2. Let's talk about my reward first.
(X) 3. DRM are a necessary evil and I will not interfere.

 

[Dalek Caan]

Just tried my copy and it's working fine. Maybe it had to do with one of those extra pieces of DLC that where released for free? The only two I have is the Missing Miners contract and the Beard and Hairstyle set. It's the Digital version so very odd..

 

[fix-the-spade]

It's the Digital version so very odd..

It's not that odd, Microsoft just have a crappy account management system set up, they had this exact problem with the digital version of Far Cry 4. It doesn't affect every user, but enough for it to be significant.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Why would anyone consider this a blow against CD Projekt Red?
They didn't put the DRM on the game, Microsoft did that.
Even if CDP added the DRM because Microsoft required it to be there[footnote]Based only on this article, I don't know is the case or not[/footnote], the finger still gets pointed at Microsoft in the end.

 

[dangoball]

DRM only ever punishes playing customers

You meant paying, right?

Anyway, yay for glorious pc gaming master race, I guess.

 

[loa]

Can't see why I would want to get the digital only version of a huge game on a console if there's a boxed option.

It's not like it'll inherently come with advantages such as being able to change the language or anything, that is still an alien concept on consoles unlike steam which has this as a standard feature since forever.
And digital copies cost exactly as much or more than the boxed ones too so that brick and mortar retailers don't throw a tantrum.

So unless there is a massive, steam-esque sale which I imagine there isn't because Microsoft, why bother?

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

So unless there is a massive, steam-esque sale which I imagine there isn't because Microsoft, why bother?

"Because Microsoft" isn't actually that valid a grumble given that they have introduced periods of digital sales with massive price drops over the last couple of years. Not in this instance, obviously, but "because Microsoft" isn't accurate in general.

Still, whilst this is a ridiculous state of affairs, I don't really have much sympathy for those buying a game like Witcher 3 as a DL. I think around 8Gb's the biggest game I've DL'd, and that wasn't exactly speedy. I dread to think how long Witcher 3 might take to DL. Plus, as you said, there's no real advantage to having it as a DL versus a physical copy.

 

[danielcofour]

"affecting", not "effecting" and "paying", not "playing". I get it, business is tough. You have to mass-produce articles, but if they're this short, at least read it over just one time before throwing it out there.

I understand that this is a small problem. It's not really a problem actually. But it is a symptom of something which is: articles becoming less and less relevant, meaningful, accurate, useful, interesting and host of other similar adjectives. Lately I've been watching the Escapist spiral downwards in quality and it just saddens me. While previously I might have clicked on various different links and news articles, now I only ever bother to watch ZP and maybe skim the titles to see if something interesting's there. But I mostly find fluff and nonsense: "The 8 games which show the most side-boob!! You'll never guess nr. 19!!!"(Obviously a hyperbole, but I've seen plenty "Top 8 games which..." articles (none of which provided me with anything resembling useful information) recently to justify said hyperbole). Please stop, or I will stop reading this this site.

That is not a threat, that is not a demand, that is not the whining of an entitled 12-year old. That is the sadness of someone who used to enjoy reading articles on this site, and someone who's looking to spend his free time doing the thing that he enjoys most. And recently reading the Escapist is just not that.

 

[Aiberg]

the number of people trying to badmouth CDProjekt is too damn high...

 

[Denamic]

Hold on. CD Project Red is against DRM. DRM causes issues. How is this ironic or a blow against CD Project Red? I don't see the logic.

 

[Quellist]

No timetable for a fix? Well screw you M$, I'm glad i have a PS4.

If i'd bought an xbone and was being told that i'd be raging right now.

 

[Fasckira]

It only looks to be a blow against CDPR up until the second last paragraph of the article when you explain they didn't implement it.

 

[DracoSuave]

Hold on. CD Project Red is against DRM. DRM causes issues. How is this ironic or a blow against CD Project Red? I don't see the logic.

Because one does not expect a company who is against DRM to have their product become nonfunctional because of issues with DRM.

That's pretty much the textbook definition of situational irony, where the opposite of expectation occurs.

 

[Evonisia]

My only thought is: holy fuck, people buy AAA games digitally on the Xbox One? With those download speeds?!

But yeah, sucks for those people. You'd think MS could try and stop it from happening, but no.

 

[Denamic]

Hold on. CD Project Red is against DRM. DRM causes issues. How is this ironic or a blow against CD Project Red? I don't see the logic.

Because one does not expect a company who is against DRM to have their product become nonfunctional because of issues with DRM.

That's pretty much the textbook definition of situational irony, where the opposite of expectation occurs.

Irony would be if them being against DRM backfired on them. They're against DRM because it's anti-consumer. Now that the DRM actually did act up and directly hurt the consumers, it doesn't make it irony. It just means they were right.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Hold on. CD Project Red is against DRM. DRM causes issues. How is this ironic or a blow against CD Project Red? I don't see the logic.

Because one does not expect a company who is against DRM to have their product become nonfunctional because of issues with DRM.

That's pretty much the textbook definition of situational irony, where the opposite of expectation occurs.

Irony would be if them being against DRM backfired on them. They're against DRM because it's anti-consumer. Now that the DRM actually did act up and directly hurt the consumers, it doesn't make it irony. It just means they were right.

*Sirens blaring* Ello ello! Irony police here. Just doing a random check up. Won't take long.
Hmm. Sorry to urinate on one's fireworks, but this irony here's papers are all in order. Everything checks out.
Irony isn't bound to specific targets, it has many forms. Of all the games to mess up digital rights management, it would be the one made by the developer that is actively against DRM. There you have your irony! Nearly half your RDI of it too.
Right. We' re all done here. ...Florence? Warm the engine, we have a lot more irony to keep in check and a long night ahead of us!
*Sirens blaring fade*