Online Activation Is a Ripoff

[Shadeovblack]

Would you prefer there be no system in place to arrest murderers? Yes, I would.
Would you prefer there be no system in place to stop piracy? Yes, I would.
Is this the right system to stop piracy? Right and wrong are rediculous concepts.

 

[Playbahnosh]

Experienced Points: Online Activation Is a Ripoff

Online activation is not reasonable, it's anti-consumer.

Read Full Article

"They gotta do something against piracy."

I read that you are open to suggestions. So what I'm about to do is suggest something so groundbreaking it's only been around in print since the original Ford was alive.

A) Provide customers with the best product possible.
B) Provide your employees with the best treatment possible.
C) Provide this for the lowest cost possible.

Holy shit! You know what happens now?

The people who were going to buy your game anyways will buy it, the people who were on the fence because of either A or C (or maybe B) will buy it, and the people who will pirate no matter what are going to do it no matter what and frankly short of killing them all you can't do a damn thing about that.

The cost of products (overall) has steadily increased while the quality of products (overall) has steadily decreased and during this time the companies have demanded more and more from consumers.

I can think of fewer better ways to create a piracy problem than doing what companies do now.

You took the words right outta my keyboard. Frankly, I think the games industry is blind and deaf on purpose, like little kids with their hands clenched over their ears shouting "lalalalalalala, imnotlisteningtoyou, lalalalala!".

They know they can't fight piracy, they also know what they should do about their dwindling reputation and quality of their games. The games industry is very well aware of all this. The only thing keeping them from being honest, happy and good-hearted creators of art is one thing, the only thing that can corrupt people to this extreme: money

I still remember the time when video game development studios were no bigger than the malt shop down the street. When they barely scraped by with selling their products, and they needed sharewares (games with only the first few levels playable, but free) to advertize their products because very few people knew what a PC game was. Back in that time, developers were almost poor vagrants, but they loved their job and they loved creating games for others to play. When it was released, Duke Nukem didn't even came close to selling as much as, say, Peggle nowadays, still, it was still the greatest FPS on the market for YEARS.

But I digress, money corrupted the games industry to its core, there is no coming back from that now. The one and only thing a dev team and a publisher want to know: Will it sell like a mofo? If the answer is no, the game will not be made. If the answer is yes, it will get made, no matter how utterly crap the game is in terms of meaning, art, or even enjoyability. The hordes of sheep will buy it and they will like it. Meh...

 

[SimuLord]

I believe that a person who has purchased a legitimate copy of a game, who then has that game made useless due to whatever form of DRM, is well within their rights to get a cracked version of the game.

The law (at least in the US) backs you up on this---essentially there is an exception written into the DMCA that makes it legal to bypass DRM if the DRM no longer works on the system on which the software is running.

 

[Skrapt]

People use the example of World of Goo all the time as a case for DRM, why is that? It would probably have sold less with DRM.

Sorry, that argument is just as baseless as saying that it would have sold more with DRM. There's no way to ever know, so you're just projecting your ideology.

The point of World Of Goo is to point out that whether a company is "friendly" or not, uses DRM or not, piracy will STILL happen.

So arguing, as Shamus seems to do, that if enforcement isn't perfect it shouldn't happen is a non-argument. It's like arguing if we can't prevent murder perfectly, we ought to legalize it.

His other arguments against DRM are valid.. but the point of "It doesn't work anyway" isn't. Nothing will work anyway. The only thing that will stop piracy is if we released all games for free. Since developers like to eat, that ain't gonna happen.

So rather than rant on and say "Piracy happens because of copy-protection", which is garbage, let's try to figure out better ways to lessen piracy, knowing full well that we won't eliminate it. Offering extra goodies recognizing purchase may be the way to go, but let's be honest, if those goodies are digital, they too will be hacked and passed around. It's funny, but piracy may bring us back to the days of Zork et all, where buying the game bought you more than a disk and a 6 page glossy brochure, but actually got you stuff.

I never said getting rid of DRM would eliminate piracy, in fact in my post I said quite clearly that people will pirate anyway. But punishing legitimate customers for acting within the law using DRM that does nothing to stop pirates is stupid. You don't get thrown in jail for failing to break the law.

Except that arguing DRM does nothing to stop it is pure speculation on your part. For all we know, DRM prevents 90% of the pirating there would normally be because people find it takes less energy and time to simply go out and buy it than it does to pirate it. Or maybe they don't. The point is, as I specified before, we don't know.

So *any* argument which suggests that DRM does anything for or against piracy is utter bollocks. It's the arguer presenting their ideology as if it were fact. The only thing we can really say about it is that it doesn't stop it completely.

Now you know what I think would put in the biggest dent against piracy? If people like you stopped trying to justify their actions. You know what the legal, moral reponse is to if you don't like DRM, can't afford the outrageous prices, don't want to buy it without trying it first and there's no demo, or any of the other horse-shit excuses? DON'T GET THE GAME. Not by pirating, not by purchasing. Learn to do without.

And until we, as a people, start making it clear that only legitimate, acceptable way to own something is to negotiate and come to an agreement with the owner/developer/publisher, piracy will continue, and it's OUR fault. Not the developer's, not the publisher's, and not the company's.. ours.

Before trying to take the moral high ground, note that I have not, and never will pirate any video game and pay for them all legitimately through Steam. And do you seriously think DRM stops any piracy at all? The most extreme forms of DRM in games such as Spore were cracked in less then a few days, and the releases on torrent sites make it more convenient and less of a hassle to pirate then it does to buy. If you think DRM stops any kind of piracy then you obviously know nothing about piracy...

it takes 1 person to break the DRM, this is usually done in a less then a day for most games, then the game is on all torrent sites, with no kind of protection whatsoever. DRM doesn't even stop that 1 person, everyone else who downloads doesn't even have to deal with it. DRM is ineffective and it's only the legitimate customers who have to deal with it, and risk having our access to games cut off at a moments notice.

Plus putting the blame on us, for what is something that is the fault of all parties involves is rather facetious.

Holy shit! You know what actually happens?

World of Goo.

So with DRM, all those people would have magically stumped up the cash? Oh wait no, as I said, it takes 1 person to break the DRM then it's available to all DRM-free, no hassle involved. So piracy figures would most likely have remained exactly the same had the devs put DRM into world of goo.

The top 10, PC games on the pirate bay, all have DRM in their legitimate versions. Of those top 10, all are either cracked releases or point you directly to a place for an easy crack.

 

[triorph]

People use the example of World of Goo all the time as a case for DRM, why is that? It would probably have sold less with DRM.

Sorry, that argument is just as baseless as saying that it would have sold more with DRM. There's no way to ever know, so you're just projecting your ideology.

The point of World Of Goo is to point out that whether a company is "friendly" or not, uses DRM or not, piracy will STILL happen.

So arguing, as Shamus seems to do, that if enforcement isn't perfect it shouldn't happen is a non-argument. It's like arguing if we can't prevent murder perfectly, we ought to legalize it.

His other arguments against DRM are valid.. but the point of "It doesn't work anyway" isn't. Nothing will work anyway. The only thing that will stop piracy is if we released all games for free. Since developers like to eat, that ain't gonna happen.

So rather than rant on and say "Piracy happens because of copy-protection", which is garbage, let's try to figure out better ways to lessen piracy, knowing full well that we won't eliminate it. Offering extra goodies recognizing purchase may be the way to go, but let's be honest, if those goodies are digital, they too will be hacked and passed around. It's funny, but piracy may bring us back to the days of Zork et all, where buying the game bought you more than a disk and a 6 page glossy brochure, but actually got you stuff.

I never said getting rid of DRM would eliminate piracy, in fact in my post I said quite clearly that people will pirate anyway. But punishing legitimate customers for acting within the law using DRM that does nothing to stop pirates is stupid. You don't get thrown in jail for failing to break the law.

Except that arguing DRM does nothing to stop it is pure speculation on your part. For all we know, DRM prevents 90% of the pirating there would normally be because people find it takes less energy and time to simply go out and buy it than it does to pirate it. Or maybe they don't. The point is, as I specified before, we don't know.

So *any* argument which suggests that DRM does anything for or against piracy is utter bollocks. It's the arguer presenting their ideology as if it were fact. The only thing we can really say about it is that it doesn't stop it completely.

Now you know what I think would put in the biggest dent against piracy? If people like you stopped trying to justify their actions. You know what the legal, moral reponse is to if you don't like DRM, can't afford the outrageous prices, don't want to buy it without trying it first and there's no demo, or any of the other horse-shit excuses? DON'T GET THE GAME. Not by pirating, not by purchasing. Learn to do without.

And until we, as a people, start making it clear that only legitimate, acceptable way to own something is to negotiate and come to an agreement with the owner/developer/publisher, piracy will continue, and it's OUR fault. Not the developer's, not the publisher's, and not the company's.. ours.

Before trying to take the moral high ground, note that I have not, and never will pirate any video game and pay for them all legitimately through Steam. And do you seriously think DRM stops any piracy at all? The most extreme forms of DRM in games such as Spore were cracked in less then a few days, and the releases on torrent sites make it more convenient and less of a hassle to pirate then it does to buy. If you think DRM stops any kind of piracy then you obviously know nothing about piracy...

it takes 1 person to break the DRM, this is usually done in a less then a day for most games, then the game is on all torrent sites, with no kind of protection whatsoever. DRM doesn't even stop that 1 person, everyone else who downloads doesn't even have to deal with it. DRM is ineffective and it's only the legitimate customers who have to deal with it, and risk having our access to games cut off at a moments notice.

Plus putting the blame on us, for what is something that is the fault of all parties involves is rather facetious.

Holy shit! You know what actually happens?

World of Goo.

So with DRM, all those people would have magically stumped up the cash? Oh wait no, as I said, it takes 1 person to break the DRM then it's available to all DRM-free, no hassle involved. So piracy figures would most likely have remained exactly the same had the devs put DRM into world of goo.

Is there actually any proof that world of goo is more pirated than other games? I just thought it was one of the only games that measured it was all. For all we know 90% could be a low piracy rate...

Also its a fallacy to assume that all of those people would have bought the game anyway. I downloaded a copy of the pirated game from the university hub but never played further than the demo offered because I found the game too boring. Should I have just downloaded the demo? Yes. However I have slow internet and this was easier to get. It doesn't make any difference to them since I wouldn't have bought it anyway. (Note: I'm not suggesting that most people do this, I imagine this is a very rare occurrence with pirated games, but I still think a significant amount of that 90% would never have bought it, and a smaller but still significant amount probably did)

 

[theultimateend]

Experienced Points: Online Activation Is a Ripoff

Online activation is not reasonable, it's anti-consumer.

Read Full Article

"They gotta do something against piracy."

I read that you are open to suggestions. So what I'm about to do is suggest something so groundbreaking it's only been around in print since the original Ford was alive.

A) Provide customers with the best product possible.
B) Provide your employees with the best treatment possible.
C) Provide this for the lowest cost possible.

Holy shit! You know what happens now?

The people who were going to buy your game anyways will buy it, the people who were on the fence because of either A or C (or maybe B) will buy it, and the people who will pirate no matter what are going to do it no matter what and frankly short of killing them all you can't do a damn thing about that.

The cost of products (overall) has steadily increased while the quality of products (overall) has steadily decreased and during this time the companies have demanded more and more from consumers.

I can think of fewer better ways to create a piracy problem than doing what companies do now.

Holy shit! You know what actually happens?

World of Goo.

You mean an awesome game I actually bought and love playing?

Man...that came off as sarcastic towards you and it wasn't meant to be. It was more like "Basically you too hit the nail on the head." .

I even sent the devs a thank you after I finished World of Goo.

 

[Lord Thodin]

Brilliant Mr. Young. Simply brilliant. I agree that these activations will only last as long as the game has the limelight, and thus is making money to keep the servers up.

 

[Fearzone]

Nice article. I was inclined to disagree with your premise when I first read the title, but in two pages I was convinced of your point.

There is a broad anti-consumer attitude that pervades game publishing nowadays that ends with copy protection but begins with the development and premature-release of boring unfinished unpolished beta games. This has always been the case but it seems like it is everywhere now. Clearing out my hard drive yesterday, seeing how many games there were that went unfinished because they suck, most of which were well reviewed but got no more than two weeks of unenthusiastic play time from me--and then also looking at my stack of PS3 titles about to go back to Game Stop as trade-ins where the same applies--something within me became a lot more sympathetic with piracy and made me wonder if I shouldn't familiarize myself better with the bit-torrents.

For now I'll stick with my system of waiting after release and if people are still talking about a game after three months I'll check out the demo and go from there. By far the most fun I'm having with games of late is PSN downloads that go for $10-$15.

 

[Worgen]

If you want to stop piracy add value to your product and don't punish paying customers using BS excuses. Because if people like you, your product and your company they are less likely to pirate!

You mean like World of Goo? No extreme DRM, small developer, well-received game, and one of the most pirated games to come out in recent times.

That's not to say you're wrong. Just look at Spore vs The Sims 3. Even I have pirated games that I already own legally, for various reasons.

P.S. Thanks

acualy world of goo had no drm on the pc but it was pirated first on the wii

 

[WhiteTiger225]

2 Titles... 2 hells.

1. Spore - Apparently, theres an occasional glitch that when vista updates, it DEREGISTERS SPORE... now heres the even fun part of DRM... with limited activations.. what if you want to play it again in say, 5 years? Well without the registration code, you my friend, are shit out of luck.. this brings me to the next game...

2. Lord of The rings: Battle for Middle earth - I popped this bad boy in, expecting hassle free installation after 5 years. Well, since I did not have the original CD case after 5 years, I am shit out of luck. I have all the original CDs, I am installing them after all, but thats not good enough for EA customer support, who accuse me of trying to fool them. Now, even if I "DID" have the code.. what if I want to install it in 10 years... Well if EA has gone out of buisness, or doesnt even remember MAKING that game in another 3 years, I am shit out of luck. DRM actually made me take my first steps into pirating registration codes, why? Because the very producer who sold the code and CD to me has spit on my face. Which brings up a question brought on by other people shit on by the asshole that is DRM.... Is it really pirating if I am stealing a registration code for a game I bought fairly from the company just co I can use the game they sold me?

 

[Ushario]

Steam, as you said, gives you something in return for requiring internet access to play your games. It gives you lots of nice and useful features. Steam's success is no mistake and I'm amazed that publisher's haven't woken up to why.

As the best digital distribution platform you would think Publisher's would take note.

 

[Fearzone]

When I say that game quality these days is nothing like it was 5 or 10 years ago people tell me I have my nostalgia goggles on too tight.

Its nice to see that someone agrees.

As a devil's advocate counterpoint to an excellent article, there are two games that if I could install and play again, I would. One is Silicon Beach's Dark Castle for the Mac Plus (which still holds the record for my longest lived computer: 1986-1993, when the power supply caught on fire)-- however with the onset of the Mac LC and after it could no longer be run.

Also I would like to play the original Battlezone 3d for the PC again (circa 1997). I still have the disks but understand it does not run on any current version of Windows. That was my first first and favorite online game until WoW.

So, even without server validations, games can still go obsolete on you.

 

[Bretty]

I am going to disagree with the OP most games now allow you to have multiple copies of the game installed on other comps.

Lets take steam for example... I have 4 computers all with every game I own on there installed.

Lets take a newer game, CM10, which allows you to have the game installed on three different computers. Then when you uninstall you get that activation back to use again on the same or on another PC?

I am on the road a lot too, and the fact that I am not carrying CDs or worried bout installing anything on the road I am VERY happy with all this.

Sure if the company goes broke then you cant get anything from it but as we are talking about the Publishers and not the Devs who own the servers and then given that the publishers, if in trouble would be snapped up by one of the big two... So I guess I dont see it as a bad thing at all? OH and no physical DRM on my system?

 

[Destal]

Shamus, reading your article makes it sound like you're not completely up-to-date about how the new battlenet is running. I had lost my warcraft 3 cd's some time ago, but I still had the case + the CD key. The new battlenet download service is already available where you're able to tie keys to accounts, so I decided to do that. Lo and behold, I could download and install the game. So it isn't just DRM activation, there's a good level of service attached.

Obviously this does nothing to your valid argument of "what if blizzard goes broke" or "what if they change personality". I'd prefer to own my games and selling licenses for singleplayer games is invasive. If they do go under, I'll take a gamble with piracy and hope no malicious virus gets installed when I get around their activation.

I had the same problem, same game in fact. Except I did it the other way around. I lost the cases and kept the CD's. =(

In the end yes, online activation isn't the most fun thing in the world, however if it does prevent piracy at any degree you have to respect a companies rights to implement it. If you dislike the fact that you have to register online, don't buy the game. If enough people aren't buying the games due to the registration something will change. Game companies enjoy profits.

 

[UtopiaV1]

SING IT PREACHER SHAMUS!!!

While this is old news (at least, in the fast moving world of the World Wide Web) it still strikes the right chord of honest and righteous hate against publishers, businessmen and 'the man'.

You're preaching to the choir here, as i completely and 100% agree with you. Now tell it to your local mayor or congressman, or whoever the fuck has the power to do anything about this at all. That's the only direction this can honestly go...

 

[MortisLegio]

I agree, I think steam is annoying and gets in the way, I miss the days of discs that installed the game and all you needed was the disk to play it, they were simpler times.

thats how I got Starcraft

 

[Nurb]

I agree 100%, any gamer that actually physicly owns a PC gaming library would agree because they see what they're losing.

It's a shame that the kiddies of gaming today won't realize that the digital distribution fool's gold is worthless until their entire "virtural" server-side library disappears. Or until they start to see all those licensed games and wonder what might happen if their steam account is suddenly disabled because of "hackers" which happened to two of mine already. I am not a heavy multi-player, so all othe online activations and internet teathers are incredibly obtrusive, giving me little reason to pay for games.

Most PC gamers of the 90's (when many independant developers made the original games you're playing horrible sequels of now before being bought up and ripped apart) are now pirates who hope the 4 gaming conglomerates that solely make up the industry now will collapse and let new developers run things again and produce quality and originality like in the good old days

 

[Jsnoopy]

He has some very interesting points, but really i'm just glad consoles haven't yet placed any DRM things on games.