CD Projekt RED Mocks DRM in The Witcher 3

[StewShearerOld]

CD Projekt RED Mocks DRM in The Witcher 3

Gamers have discovered an item in The Witcher 3 making fun of DRM.

If there's one thing that gamers can agree on, it's that DRM sucks. And while a number of publishers and developers work hard to make their games as inconvenient to play as possible, there are some who not only work to limit the spread of DRM, but also poke fun at it when the opportunity arises. Take CD Projekt RED, for instance. A big opponent of DRM, the studio has <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129595-CD-Projekt-RED-Game-Industry-Should-Use-Carrot-Not-the-Stick-With-Piracy>made statements against its inclusion in games and even keeps the products in its digital storefront GOG completely DRM-free.

Most recently, the company apparently decided to take a clever little potshot at DRM in <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/the%20witcher%203%20wild%20hunt?os=the+witcher+3+wild+hunt>The Witcher 3. Said jab was discovered when a player stumble across a unique item called Gottfried's Omni-opening Grimore (aka: the GOG). What's the Grimoire used for you ask? Well, according to the game, it can be used to get past Defensive Regulatory Magicons, "or DRM for short."

DRM, as described by the game, is a "near-unbreakable" "defense mechanism" designed to "recognize the individual administering it" using portals that pass "streams of magical energy through the body of the person entering." These streams then identify the "corporeal signature" of the person using it and keep out "unauthorized individuals." The only exception, of course, are pesky "mimics" who are able to use their skills to circumvent the Magicon's defenses. Gottfried's Omni-opening Grimoire, in turn, contains "innumerable methods for deactivating DRM, or, even better, bypassing it altogether."

The satire so thick that we're pretty sure we could scoop it up and eat it if we had a spoon handy. Give <a href=http://kotaku.com/the-witcher-3-takes-shots-at-drm-1707277761>the full item description a gander and let us know if you think it's as amusing as we do.

Source: <a href=http://kotaku.com/the-witcher-3-takes-shots-at-drm-1707277761>Kotaku


Permalink

 

[infohippie]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

TW3 is available DRM-free, which means it is probably easily available on every torrent site already. Now, I loved the first two games in the series and I really badly want this one, but due to various factors I cannot afford to buy it for a long time. But thanks to the attitude towards their customers that CDPR have always shown, I refuse completely to pirate TW3 and will simply wait until I can (one day!) eventually afford to buy it. Are you listening, EA? You cannot buy brand loyalty like this, you can only earn it by being good to your customers.

 

[Ugicywapih]

I guess the item description should also mention how the "Defensive Regulatory Magicons" usually cause considerable discomfort to legitimate users while not affecting the "mimics" whatsoever and how they can come up with false positives if the legitimate user undergoes minor physical alterations, such as maving a mole removed, getting a bruise or a cut or just plain aging.

But yeah, once again, CDPR proves they get the point.

Edit: Ooh, and some require a connection to the ley-line network used in the original enchantment, which may no longer be active.

 

[barbzilla]

Isn't it more of an advertisement for their site? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love GoG and CDPR and while I don't have any issues with this being in game; it is less of a poke at DRM, and more of an ad telling you that you can get DRM free games at GoG. The satire is strong with it though.

 

[gigastar]

Isn't it more of an advertisement for their site?

I dont believe that anyone who wasnt already aware of GoG would be able to make the connection.

Hell, if theese things werent capitalised in the subtitles i probably would have missed it too.

 

[barbzilla]

Isn't it more of an advertisement for their site?

I dont believe that anyone who wasnt already aware of GoG would be able to make the connection.

Hell, if theese things werent capitalised in the subtitles i probably would have missed it too.

I suppose you are correct, I can't fault your logic on that. It is advertisement, but they made it subtle enough that I don't have any qualms with it, and as you stated nobody who wasn't already aware of the connection would have made such a logic leap on their own.

 

[VanQ]

I guess the item description should also mention how the "Defensive Regulatory Magicons" usually cause considerable discomfort to legitimate users while not affecting the "mimics" whatsoever and how they can come up with false positives if the legitimate user undergoes minor physical alterations, such as maving a mole removed, getting a bruise or a cut or just plain aging.

But yeah, once again, CDPR proves they get the point.

Edit: Ooh, and some require a connection to the ley-line network used in the original enchantment, which may no longer be active.

CDPR should hire you to write for their next game. This was just as good as the book. Can we also include a paragraph explaining that some users may be unable to enter more than 6 times in their life?

 

[Joccaren]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

TW3 is available DRM-free, which means it is probably easily available on every torrent site already. Now, I loved the first two games in the series and I really badly want this one, but due to various factors I cannot afford to buy it for a long time. But thanks to the attitude towards their customers that CDPR have always shown, I refuse completely to pirate TW3 and will simply wait until I can (one day!) eventually afford to buy it. Are you listening, EA? You cannot buy brand loyalty like this, you can only earn it by being good to your customers.

Dead on. I really want TW3, and have for a while. Not once has the thought of pirating it even crossed my mind. Its an "I will buy it" because CDPR are being really good to their customers. Can't say that for many companies TBH, that the thought doesn't even cross my mind. With CDPR? It took until this comment for me to realise pirating was even an option, and then my first reaction was "Yeah nah, I'll just buy it in store".

CDPR: Winning at publicity and consumer trust.

 

[Naqel]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

CDPR: Winning at publicity and consumer trust.

PC downgrade didn't happen?
We already forgetting all that damage control?

Also, while autofellatio is a form of achievement, it's not something you'd normally applaud.

 

[TT Kairen]

PC downgrade didn't happen?
We already forgetting all that damage control?

Also, while autofellatio is a form of achievement, it's not something you'd normally applaud.

No, it's that most people either A) don't care, especially in the face of the game being amazing, or B) can forgive it considering it's a very minor mistake following a flawless record of pro-consumer practices.

 

[Ugicywapih]

CDPR should hire you to write for their next game. This was just as good as the book. Can we also include a paragraph explaining that some users may be unable to enter more than 6 times in their life?

The limits you speak of can be temporarily waived though, should one earn the favour of a fallen soul from a notoriously hard to contact realm of Hell. Beware however, as those miserable wretches are wont to feign ignorance on the matter, sending seekers on a wild goose chase by directing them to other denizens of their forlorn realm.

And thanks a lot for the high praise! ^^

captcha: forget this
Forget what, captcha? Am I missing something important?

 

[UberThetan]

Haven't bought it yet because I'm too damn broke. Haven't pirated it either because I'd feel terrible.

GG CDPR.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

I just started this quest. I'm laughing so much.

 

[DarklordKyo]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

TW3 is available DRM-free, which means it is probably easily available on every torrent site already. Now, I loved the first two games in the series and I really badly want this one, but due to various factors I cannot afford to buy it for a long time. But thanks to the attitude towards their customers that CDPR have always shown, I refuse completely to pirate TW3 and will simply wait until I can (one day!) eventually afford to buy it. Are you listening, EA? You cannot buy brand loyalty like this, you can only earn it by being good to your customers.

Don't some pirates only do so for an extensive demo?, you can pirate it for that reason, then buy it when you can afford it.

 

[infohippie]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

CDPR: Winning at publicity and consumer trust.

PC downgrade didn't happen?
We already forgetting all that damage control?

Also, while autofellatio is a form of achievement, it's not something you'd normally applaud.

I thought it was a storm in a teacup, to be honest. With all their extra shaders and effects and whatnot, it turned out they did not do such great things for framerate once out of the little demo and operating in the open world. So they had to tone it down a bit. So what? Idiots went mental over nothing. And it's still the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous game out there.

And I don't know about you, but I'd applaud successful autofellatio. That'd be an impressive feat!

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

TW3 is available DRM-free, which means it is probably easily available on every torrent site already. Now, I loved the first two games in the series and I really badly want this one, but due to various factors I cannot afford to buy it for a long time. But thanks to the attitude towards their customers that CDPR have always shown, I refuse completely to pirate TW3 and will simply wait until I can (one day!) eventually afford to buy it. Are you listening, EA? You cannot buy brand loyalty like this, you can only earn it by being good to your customers.

Don't some pirates only do so for an extensive demo?, you can pirate it for that reason, then buy it when you can afford it.

I could, but already having a copy I might then be tempted to wait longer, and longer, until I can pick it up for $5 on Steam in a few years. I think that'd be unfair to a company who has always tried to do right by their customers, and sending the wrong signal in a time when we are fighting for publishers to just shit on us slightly less often, let alone actually treat us well.

 

[Joccaren]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

CDPR: Winning at publicity and consumer trust.

PC downgrade didn't happen?
We already forgetting all that damage control?

Also, while autofellatio is a form of achievement, it's not something you'd normally applaud.

PC downgrade happened for reasons that were explained, and patches have been released slowly building it back up. Can't knock that. Honestly, that doesn't even register as more than a tiny blip on my radar in terms of how many people were upset about it. Really, it wasn't many, because CDPR have built up trust with their consumers. You want upsetness... Look at DA2, ME3, Sim City, Diablo III... ect.
Games that came out, and were either broken and unplayable, or that severely missed expectations.
A minor graphical downgrade for reasons that were explained by the devs [And which make sense TBH] doesn't really register as a controversy. Maybe they could have included the stuff in as higher settings, but there's arguments against that too. There's also the fact that it has happened to literally every game released in... well... the history of gaming, so I'm hardly surprised.

 

[Pinkilicious]

CDPR just keep on confirming that they are a company that genuinely care about their audience and gaming in general.

TW3 is available DRM-free, which means it is probably easily available on every torrent site already. Now, I loved the first two games in the series and I really badly want this one, but due to various factors I cannot afford to buy it for a long time. But thanks to the attitude towards their customers that CDPR have always shown, I refuse completely to pirate TW3 and will simply wait until I can (one day!) eventually afford to buy it. Are you listening, EA? You cannot buy brand loyalty like this, you can only earn it by being good to your customers.

Don't some pirates only do so for an extensive demo?, you can pirate it for that reason, then buy it when you can afford it.

That's how I've seen it work. Majority of pirates I've seen, even on pro-piracy boards/forums, got into piracy because of being burned by bug-ridden unplayable games that nobody called to attention on before, or because (in the case of things like TES and Unreal) they want to see what mods will break or have updates for. The 8chan piracy board on that note, sent Gaben a thank you letter for doing more for piracy in 2 days than anyone else in 2 years.

(also it's somewhat essential a service in the vein of roms, hacks, and ISOs of old games to preserve the playability, as most companies won't bother porting their old hits forwards, especially DOS and '95 and Commodore, whose parent companies aren't even around anymore, much less the original IP holders)

I think Steam should consider getting a guy whose sole purpose is securing old licenses and either is able to port them himself or has a small team he can hand it off to, more in the interests of preserving than in seeking outright sales, many pre-CD games would be very small anyway and not that big a hit on their servers. Microprose and Infogrames titles, old Sierra titles, small indie studio offerings like Zone 66, there's lots of nice things out there that aren't currently available anywhere. Who knows, you might even be lucky enough that some work without any additional effort!
Also I'm pretty sure if they approached Software Dynamics to put Inner Space on Steam, adding multiplayer to that would make it a real bonafide killer. Could even introduce new factions/elements like 'hackers' who corrupt files and use them to take control of NPCs (or even other players) and make them attack the police or avengers.

 

[Darknacht]

I think Steam should consider getting a guy whose sole purpose is securing old licenses and either is able to port them himself or has a small team he can hand it off to, more in the interests of preserving than in seeking outright sales, many pre-CD games would be very small anyway and not that big a hit on their servers. Microprose and Infogrames titles, old Sierra titles, small indie studio offerings like Zone 66, there's lots of nice things out there that aren't currently available anywhere. Who knows, you might even be lucky enough that some work without any additional effort!

GoG already does this and without forcing people to use their POS client.

 

[Pinkilicious]

I think Steam should consider getting a guy whose sole purpose is securing old licenses and either is able to port them himself or has a small team he can hand it off to, more in the interests of preserving than in seeking outright sales, many pre-CD games would be very small anyway and not that big a hit on their servers. Microprose and Infogrames titles, old Sierra titles, small indie studio offerings like Zone 66, there's lots of nice things out there that aren't currently available anywhere. Who knows, you might even be lucky enough that some work without any additional effort!

GoG already does this and without forcing people to use their POS client.

They don't have a whole lot, though. And most just get 'brought up to working' not 'brought up to date.'
They're a bit barebones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games
Even just using this list from one company, it's missing a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrTz2SpsIXA
Fire Fight for example. Saving doesn't work on modern systems. Radix tends to have the same problem depending on directory structure.

I view Steam at this point as a 'necessary evil' at least in regards to expanding old classics. Only instead of straight-out bribing companies to expand the games like 3DO, the bribery in this case is having a large userbase to work with and a lot of tools to make you easily findable. And one form of bribery is encouragement of API/achievements/online play.