Now, I'll admit that a few hours isn't a gigantic issue, but the principle behind the whole thing is.
We, as consumers, have a very simple agreement with the people who make the things we buy: We pay money, and we get to use the product. If something changes this agreement (mandatory waiting periods on guns, street dates for movies, games, etc.), it's considered fair to inform a consumer ahead of time.
I don't think a lot of people understand the problem here. A consumer went out of their way to attend an event whereas a retailer opened their store outside of normal operating hours to allow customers to buy a product they were excited about as soon as the retailer was allowed to sell it. Here, we have the aforementioned agreement: You pay, we sell. Everyone's happy.
The problem arises when a company says "Hello, paying customer. We don't really give a shit that you paid good money for our game. Since other people don't, we're going to punish you by not implementing our security until we're good and ready. Sure, if we cared, we could've had the servers running as soon as the clocks hit midnight GMT, but that would require more effort than we felt like. But, we already have your money, so what are you gonna do?"
Other industries would never be allowed to get away with this:
Imagine going to an auto dealership. You trade in your old car, sign all the paperwork, and get all excited to drive your new car off the lot. Suddenly, you're told that the car's ready to go, but you'll have to wait a few days until they feel like putting the wheels on.
Now, imagine going to a doctor because you're sick. You get examined, get a diagnosis, and the doctor gives you your prescription. Now, imagine going to the pharmacy and being told that you'd have to wait for them to perform a criminal background check because "hey, a lot of drug addicts would love to get meds this easy, and this is the best way we can think of to prevent it."
DRM- as it's being implemented now- is a huge problem, and a huge "screw you" to consumers. I firmly believe that it could be handled in a way that was neither intrusive nor inconvenient to paying customers if only companies actually cared about their customers. Unfortunately, companies that use DRM know that they have gamers by the genitals, since the vast, VAST majority of us lack the willpower to boycott a beloved series or exciting new product if we don't agree with a company's policies.
The only way we can change the industry is to speak with our money. I know it may be hard to pass on a game that you really want, but buying a game and then complaining about the security on an internet forum isn't going to change anything (OP, this isn't aimed at you, since you had no idea that the security would be an issue for you). No matter how much you complain, even if you complain directly to a company, they won't care if they have your money. I know a lot of people are still going to say "it was only four hours," but the DRM issue is just another way that game companies are showing their lack of concern for customers. Authentication servers are a terrible idea; sure, it's only four hours this time, but next time the servers go down, you won't be able to play the game until they get the issue fixed. Go ask anyone who's ever been disconnected in the middle of a game of StarCraft because the authentication server went down and cancelled their connection. Another example of game companies' lack of concern for customers can be found with Fallout New Vegas: The game was released in a virtually unplayable state, and it took over two months for the patch to be applied to the console releases. In any other industry, the release of a faulty product with no recall and no compensation to consumers would be absolutely unacceptable. Why are we willing to accept faulty products and terrible security programs just because "it'll get fixed eventually?"
We, as consumers, have a very simple agreement with the people who make the things we buy: We pay money, and we get to use the product. If something changes this agreement (mandatory waiting periods on guns, street dates for movies, games, etc.), it's considered fair to inform a consumer ahead of time.
I don't think a lot of people understand the problem here. A consumer went out of their way to attend an event whereas a retailer opened their store outside of normal operating hours to allow customers to buy a product they were excited about as soon as the retailer was allowed to sell it. Here, we have the aforementioned agreement: You pay, we sell. Everyone's happy.
The problem arises when a company says "Hello, paying customer. We don't really give a shit that you paid good money for our game. Since other people don't, we're going to punish you by not implementing our security until we're good and ready. Sure, if we cared, we could've had the servers running as soon as the clocks hit midnight GMT, but that would require more effort than we felt like. But, we already have your money, so what are you gonna do?"
Other industries would never be allowed to get away with this:
Imagine going to an auto dealership. You trade in your old car, sign all the paperwork, and get all excited to drive your new car off the lot. Suddenly, you're told that the car's ready to go, but you'll have to wait a few days until they feel like putting the wheels on.
Now, imagine going to a doctor because you're sick. You get examined, get a diagnosis, and the doctor gives you your prescription. Now, imagine going to the pharmacy and being told that you'd have to wait for them to perform a criminal background check because "hey, a lot of drug addicts would love to get meds this easy, and this is the best way we can think of to prevent it."
DRM- as it's being implemented now- is a huge problem, and a huge "screw you" to consumers. I firmly believe that it could be handled in a way that was neither intrusive nor inconvenient to paying customers if only companies actually cared about their customers. Unfortunately, companies that use DRM know that they have gamers by the genitals, since the vast, VAST majority of us lack the willpower to boycott a beloved series or exciting new product if we don't agree with a company's policies.
The only way we can change the industry is to speak with our money. I know it may be hard to pass on a game that you really want, but buying a game and then complaining about the security on an internet forum isn't going to change anything (OP, this isn't aimed at you, since you had no idea that the security would be an issue for you). No matter how much you complain, even if you complain directly to a company, they won't care if they have your money. I know a lot of people are still going to say "it was only four hours," but the DRM issue is just another way that game companies are showing their lack of concern for customers. Authentication servers are a terrible idea; sure, it's only four hours this time, but next time the servers go down, you won't be able to play the game until they get the issue fixed. Go ask anyone who's ever been disconnected in the middle of a game of StarCraft because the authentication server went down and cancelled their connection. Another example of game companies' lack of concern for customers can be found with Fallout New Vegas: The game was released in a virtually unplayable state, and it took over two months for the patch to be applied to the console releases. In any other industry, the release of a faulty product with no recall and no compensation to consumers would be absolutely unacceptable. Why are we willing to accept faulty products and terrible security programs just because "it'll get fixed eventually?"
but yes unfair!
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