BioWare Lifts the Lid on Dragon Age 2 DRM

[RatheMcGrath]

And so the death of PC gaming continues. I honestly could care less, its why I stick to Console versions. I like just buying a game and knowing it'll play without worrying about buying new graphics/sound whatever every time I want to play a new game.

 

[seditary]

and the game will periodically perform a login check.

I wonder when people somehow became able to unbuy games. I've already authenticated my copy with you, why the hell would you need to check periodically?

 

[Weaver]

Having the disc in the drive was "light DRM". Having to authenticate is very heavy IMO.

 

[burningdragoon]

Hell it's not "bad" merely so-so. And if you really hate the DRM THAT MUCH... JUST BUY IT ON A CONSOLE.

DA:O had DRM on the PS3 that required you to be connected. In fact, savegames were online only... a very effective and amazingly annoying thing to do.

I don't know where you got that from, but it's not true. And if it is true, then what game was I playing?

 

[CopperBoom]

This seems fair enough, I mean, there is quite a bit more complaining already on this post than I would expect but I guess that is par for the course.

Is this really so invasive?

 

[Ironic Pirate]

To anyone bitching about not having the internet: " Downloads from other providers..."

If you download the game, it's pretty much assumed you can have an internet connection from time to time right.

"...as well as the retail version"

 

[Ghengis John]

Huh. I wonder how this "online all the time" style of DRM is going to work in Canada, with their internet usage caps. Kind of a double whammy there. And since it's on the retail version too there's no guarantee you have an online connection. Well shit.

 

[joshuaayt]

Whenever a big new game comes out, I lurk around The Pirate Bay for a while- not to pirate, but rather because I make bets with my friends on how long it will take Skidrow to crack the thing. Very, very rarely, it will take a few weeks. I can't count the times I've used that money to buy the game in question, just to piss them off.

The only way to make me even remotely OK with DRM is to make it uncrackable, which is, of course, impossible- that way, we won't have the bizarre situation in which the company is actively making games less enjoyable for those who purchase them

That said, I will agree that this one is *better* than most- seems like it should offend less people than the norm for DRM. So, thank you, I suppose, Bioware, for making the process considerably less painful than it could be.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Way to go, Bioware, in making a decent attempt to be effective yet unobtrusive. As long as it doesn't push you out of the game if you're not logged on, it doesn't seem too terrible.

Hell it's not "bad" merely so-so. And if you really hate the DRM THAT MUCH... JUST BUY IT ON A CONSOLE.

DA:O had DRM on the PS3 that required you to be connected. In fact, savegames were online only... a very effective and amazingly annoying thing to do.

Really? So, the only time my game saved was when I was connected, which was only when I was buying/installing the DLC? Odd, I remember being able to just open up my save files at any time.

 

[Ghengis John]

Huh. I wonder how this "online all the time" style of DRM is going to work in Canada, with their internet usage caps. Kind of a double whammy there. And since it's on the retail version too there's no guarantee you have an online connection. Well shit.

I wonder how these bandwidth caps will affect digital distribution.

A very good question Garak.

 

[Pilkingtube]

And a version with the DRM completely removed will appear on torrent sites within weeks, thus rendering the DRM completely pointless and providing pirates with an unarguably superior product. I love how we've gotten to the point where a limit of 5 installs and periodic online verification is considered "generous". And by love, I mean hate. Oh, how "generous" of Bioware to allow me to play the game I legally purchased! That's so considerate of them, you know?

There is no install limit, the limit is playing the game on 5 different computers within 24 hours of eachother, it's hardly a massive compromise.. I don't even HAVE 5 computers that could play dragon age 2.

To be fair to them, it's hard to convince EA that "Hey.. you know those people who steal our game? They claim it's because they don't like the DRM, so how about we don't use it, that will totally stop them from pirating".. EA will pimp slap them back into reality in under 5 seconds.

 

[Lucifer dern]

Anyone have a problem with me buying the game legaly, hacking out the DRM, then playing it with out if I find it intrusive? It's illigal, but it proves a point.

It only proves a point if you let EA/BioWare know that you cracked it and even then...they may just say "eh, we got your money".

actualy my point was the opposite, that this "superior pirate copy" that people use as an excuse for piracy, is already being sold to you...
EA are welcome to my money, they pay bioware to make dame good games for me.

 

[Gindil]

Huh. I wonder how this "online all the time" style of DRM is going to work in Canada, with their internet usage caps. Kind of a double whammy there. And since it's on the retail version too there's no guarantee you have an online connection. Well shit.

I wonder how these bandwidth caps will affect digital distribution.

Oh that is just another war waiting to happen...

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I still maintain that Steam doing an online check at install isn't really a problem, since you went online to install Steam, then went online on Steam to buy the game, then downloaded it online, and then Steam patched and updated it for you, online, then you can switch it to offline mode and pretty much play it all you like and be left the hell alone.

I do find it astounding the level of download caps some ISPs think is 'fair' 20gb a month? 10gb? how about 4gb or even 2gb. This while they're proudly boasting in all their ads about 20mb, 24mb, even 50mb speeds. 1 gb is about an hour's viewing on the BBC site, if you stay away from HD. when I get a 5gb WOW patch, or buy a Steam game and find out it's 15gb, I would not be happy to find out it'll take me 6 months to download it.

 

[Adzma]

This is a GOOD system. Who the hell doesn't have an internet connection in some form these days? Sure it won't stop any pirates, but it's far better than Ubisoft's BS. I pre-ordered it on Steam anyway so I don't have anything to worry about.