GDC 2010: Gabe Newell Bashes DRM

[dagens24]

Gabe Newell Bashes DRM

"Hey guys, if you buy and register your game with us, you get to install it as many times on as many computers as you want, and you have the option of storing your games in our cloud so you can pick up where you left off no matter the machine!"

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I disagree with any type of install restrictions to begin with. I don't think consumers should have to register or be part of the service in order to use their product; so I don't see that as an incentive.

Downloading and installing their game from their servers for free as many times as you want isn't an incentive?

Sorry, I should have been more clear. Having to register and download a service so I can download and install my game off of their servers; fair. Having to register and use some sort of service so I can install the disk copy I just bought from the store; unfair. I believe that if I buy a game off the shelf I should be able to play it as is and uninstall/reinstall as many times as I want without hassle. Having to download something, or contact someone, or even be connected to the net at all, is unfair in my opinion; it's as if I haven't even bought the software, I'm just renting it with their permission. I remember when Half-Life 2 first came out and I rushed home to install it and I couldn't play because my net was all messed up at the time and it required a connection to steam; it sucked.

 

[John Funk]

Not an incentive as in:

- Pre-DRM I could install anything, anywhere, any time.
- How many people (other than journo's) game on more than one machine? Not many I'm betting, because how many people can afford to have two gaming PCs capable of running, say, AC2 on decent settings?

Its certainly not enough to force people into a 100% connection situation. I also doubt that anyone gaming on a PC would have any trouble finding out where a save file goes. And if you can't be arsed with third-party software, why not email the save in an attachment? Or use a memory stick?

Steam has the only incentives, and Valve has plans for cloud-gaming for that anyway; and for those without a 'net connection that's still not an incentive, just an added bonus for those with one.

...dude, will you actually read what I said? I said, if Ubisoft had just had those features but *not* the 100% connection, it would have been an incentive. We're talking about a hypothetical situation in which there was none of the "DRM," just incentives to register the game and download it even if you lose the DVDs or whatever.

 

[Woodsey]

Not an incentive as in:

- Pre-DRM I could install anything, anywhere, any time.
- How many people (other than journo's) game on more than one machine? Not many I'm betting, because how many people can afford to have two gaming PCs capable of running, say, AC2 on decent settings?

Its certainly not enough to force people into a 100% connection situation. I also doubt that anyone gaming on a PC would have any trouble finding out where a save file goes. And if you can't be arsed with third-party software, why not email the save in an attachment? Or use a memory stick?

Steam has the only incentives, and Valve has plans for cloud-gaming for that anyway; and for those without a 'net connection that's still not an incentive, just an added bonus for those with one.

...dude, will you actually read what I said? I said, if Ubisoft had just had those features but *not* the 100% connection, it would have been an incentive. We're talking about a hypothetical situation in which there was none of the "DRM," just incentives to register the game and download it even if you lose the DVDs or whatever.

Isn't that called Steam...?

 

[John Funk]

Not an incentive as in:

- Pre-DRM I could install anything, anywhere, any time.
- How many people (other than journo's) game on more than one machine? Not many I'm betting, because how many people can afford to have two gaming PCs capable of running, say, AC2 on decent settings?

Its certainly not enough to force people into a 100% connection situation. I also doubt that anyone gaming on a PC would have any trouble finding out where a save file goes. And if you can't be arsed with third-party software, why not email the save in an attachment? Or use a memory stick?

Steam has the only incentives, and Valve has plans for cloud-gaming for that anyway; and for those without a 'net connection that's still not an incentive, just an added bonus for those with one.

...dude, will you actually read what I said? I said, if Ubisoft had just had those features but *not* the 100% connection, it would have been an incentive. We're talking about a hypothetical situation in which there was none of the "DRM," just incentives to register the game and download it even if you lose the DVDs or whatever.

Isn't that called Steam...?

Sigh. We're getting nowhere fast.

 

[Woodsey]

Not an incentive as in:

- Pre-DRM I could install anything, anywhere, any time.
- How many people (other than journo's) game on more than one machine? Not many I'm betting, because how many people can afford to have two gaming PCs capable of running, say, AC2 on decent settings?

Its certainly not enough to force people into a 100% connection situation. I also doubt that anyone gaming on a PC would have any trouble finding out where a save file goes. And if you can't be arsed with third-party software, why not email the save in an attachment? Or use a memory stick?

Steam has the only incentives, and Valve has plans for cloud-gaming for that anyway; and for those without a 'net connection that's still not an incentive, just an added bonus for those with one.

...dude, will you actually read what I said? I said, if Ubisoft had just had those features but *not* the 100% connection, it would have been an incentive. We're talking about a hypothetical situation in which there was none of the "DRM," just incentives to register the game and download it even if you lose the DVDs or whatever.

Isn't that called Steam...?

Sigh. We're getting nowhere fast.

xD

Sorry, but a one-time registration with those incentives is just Steam to me.

Long week.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Seeing as Digital Distribution,and therefore STEAM, is the enemy, I say pah

And repeat it three or for time spitting

 

[karmapolizei]

Gabe Newell, the one who gives me an offline mode that requires the internet? yeah. Shut up Gabe.

Offline mode works fine for me, I don't know what's wrong with you

Yes but the problem he is having that you have to be connected to go in offline mode.

Not in my experience you don't. I guess you'll have to have been connected once per machine to retrieve your games and information for your local client to know you're entitled to play what's on your machine. But after that, whenever Steam fails to login it says "Try again or offline mode?", and I just click offline mode and that's that.

That said, these statements are a bit rich coming from Gabe.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Indeed, it really, really could've been a good service, but Ubisoft have buggered it up.

BUT there's still hope, they could still salvage it!

Well the new Ubisoft system did prevent Piracy until now.

As far as I know Silent Hunter 5 can't be played... supposedly the Campaign Missions can't be completed or something and Assassin's Creed 2 isn't even out yet... so yeah.

It's not really DRM if everyone's version of the game stops working.

 

[AceDiamond]

I think he should shut his mouth. Fanboys shouldn't be allowed to talk about anything that isn't theirs.

In which case nobody on this site should be allowed to talk about anything at any time, ever. Unless they created it.

And while that would finally shut up a lot of idiots, it wouldn't be very fair.

I don't see what the big deal is, apparently it's ok for all of us to go "BOO UBISOFT'S DRM SUCKS" but when someone in the industry does it apparently they aren't credible? Am I in Bizarro World? Yes, Steam is a form of DRM, but it isn't one that keeps me from installing a game multiple times, doesn't require me to be online at all times (offline mode does work, people), and overall it is generally unobtrusive. So again, what is the deal.

 

[The Youth Counselor]

- Pre-DRM I could install anything, anywhere, any time.
- How many people (other than journo's) game on more than one machine? Not many I'm betting, because how many people can afford to have two gaming PCs capable of running, say, AC2 on decent settings?

How many gamers here have friends and family members? I'm constantly heading over to a friend's house and every year I stay at my Uncle's where I log onto log into my Steam account to show them a game they've never played.

 

[Deathfish15]

I only had to read the title header and the first sentence to agree with it.

Ex.:

Ruse is a great RTS game that I love and would buy in a heartbeat....however it's got Ubisoft's new DRM that requires you to be connected to their servers 24/7 when playing the game otherwise you cannot play it. That I do not mind for the multiplayer part, but for singleplayer campaign or skirmishes against the AI, I find that utterly ridiculous. It's a great game and many in the open beta have said the same thing: "would have bought if it wasn't by Ubisoft with the dreaded DRM".

 

[Caliostro]

Instead, everybody just gets punished.

Not everybody. Only legitimate customers (how ironic is that?). There have been cracked versions around since a week BEFORE release.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Steam is still DRM no matter how you cut it. The chains rest lightly on you but they are still chains.

The point of DRM has never been to stop piracy because you would think that at about 10 years of abject failure they would have given up by now. The point of DRM is to kill the second hand market which costs publishers much more money than piracy ever could. And Steam, along with other digital download services, kills the 2nd hand market.

 

[NLS]

Steam really "just works" for me. Buying, downloading and playing games is usually so streamlined I love it. And as long as you have set it to remember your password, offline mode works out of the box as well. Hell, I leave it on all the time as well, since some of my friends aren't on MSN or facebook anymore.
Of course, it does happen every now and then that there's something wrong with Steam, but long-term it just drowns in the general good use I've had from Steam through all these years, and it gets better for each day.

 

[Xanthious]

Ok I know it's totally off topic but can anyone tell what game Gabe is playing in that picture? Im thinking it looks like WoW with some UI addons but I can't be sure.

 

[That's Funny]

Yeah, I think Newell should think about what he says before bashing a competitor's product.

[sub/] Even if it does suck hard. [/sub]

I don't follow.

Well like the report says, steam also has a similar system like the DRM although more leniant, I'm just saying he should look at his own product before he makes comments like that, although I respect him for saying those things anyways.

[sub/] If you don't understand any of that, don't worry, not many people understand what I say [/sub]

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Steam works. Ubisoft's doesn't.

1-0 to Steam imho.

Steam also gets points for Instant Messaging, Auto-updates, Ongoing Free Upgrades. Yeah, it loses some for DRM, and occasional crashes, but it still stays above the rest overall.

Downloading and installing their game from their servers for free as many times as you want isn't an incentive?

Well on most MMOs...and numerous other games, it's a standard.

And if we're bashing Gabe for that, what WILL we do to Kotick, Guillemot(Ubi), Molyneux or Stringer(Sony)?

 

[AndresCL]

When steam servers go down, you are fucked.

Steam doesnt sounds so good now, right?