So DRM doesn't stop piracy... what do you think developers should do instead?

[Rewdalf]

Upon starting the game, a fist rockets out of the screen and punches you in the face.
Immediatly after this, a virus infects your computer and renders it completly useless...
Sure, a lot of loyal people will be scammed into paying for a punch to the face, but it might be able to slow the pirates down a bit...

 

[The Random One]

People who say 'nothing' are forgetting what a guy said back on page 1, that financial backers want to be told that the company is dealing with piracy. They won't buy just 'oh there's no way to do it'.

So I say they do nothing, and shout to every corner on the internet about how awesome they are because their games don't have any DRM. I think the increase in goodwill should make up for the ease to pirate.

 

[phar]

IMO what they should do is have a few more benefits for paying customers. For example extra guns that you automatically download upon activation. Or even have GFWL type of thing upon activation where you can track friends and achievements etc..etc. but not make it as horrible as GFWL

I dont mind doing an online activation or key check every so often.

Another idea I was discussing with a friend once was to give away a lite version of the game for free, so you can get a good trial of it and then just do a few clicks to pay and upgrade to the full version. For example Plants vs Zombies had that 1 hour trial or something. You could get a good taste of the game and sink your teeth into it. The trial ran out just as I was addicted and I went and bought the game straight away.

...but for some reason none of the big publishers never want to experiment with pricing models. Its only the small indy games that have decent pricing models.

 

[SimuLord]

Here's a crazy idea for developers. Stop making games that pirates like and start making games for people who actually buy games. As Brad Wardell of Stardock and Fredrik Wester of Paradox Interactive have both pointed out (using varying language), "our games sell well because the kinds of people who like to play our games and the kinds of people who like to pirate games are completely different people."

Just act like pirates don't even exist. A pirate isn't a lost sale. A high piracy rate is a sign that you've made thieves your main marketing segment. Not very smart business, that.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Lower your prices.

I mean, seriously. You're entire costs are fixed (development). With having minimal variable costs, that means that your cost per unit actually drops for every unit you sell (and revenue/profits going up). Why not just say "Fuck it. Let's sell this for £5 per unit and flood the market, destroy our competitors and so on."

Oh, and stop trying to fuck me. I have a rule: If it has no DRM beyond a CD key, I will happily buy it. If it has online activation, I may buy it. If it has bad DRM, I will not buy it. Needless to say, this does not have any bearing on whether I play the game itself.

 

[Cryo84R]

Stop development of PC titles. There, now you have a profit margin wider than a coffee stirring stick.

 

[Kiriona]

Or do you think they should get rights to that "You are a pirate!" song that would play as soon as you turned the game on with pirated copies? How can we stop piracy without affecting the player?

They should do this! If only just for giggles. I know I would laugh my ASS off if this popped up after starting up a pirated game.

OT: Developers should stop worrying so much about piracy and focus of making a good product. Piracy is probably never going to go away. But if a game is genuinely good, piracy might just help make it popular. It's happened before... you never know. When I 'acquire' a game for free, and it's really good, I recommend it strongly, and then start looking to buy a legit copy of it.

 

[silentsentinel]

Every disc comes with a free SAS member. You pirate something, you get stabbed. If you're good they'll make you a cup of tea.

 

[Treblaine]

Stop development of PC titles. There, now you have a profit margin wider than a coffee stirring stick.

Except when you develop a game for both PS3 and 360 (as is practically required) you effectively get a PC version for free as it is the common ground between both.

Saw this with Resident Evil 5, PC version was released a bit after 360 + PS3 version because it was so easy. Only things like 1st party PS3 exclusives like Uncharted or Killzone 2 are too hard to effectively port to PC.

Actually, even just developing a 360 version you almost get a PC version as Xbox 360 uses a modified windows environment and Direct X 9 based graphics, which is an API for PC gaming.

So you see making a PC version doesn't cut into margins, even with low sales it's almost impossible for it not to INCREASE margins. it seems one reason releasing a Pc version is not standard for EVERY SINGLE multi-platform release is fears over Piracy.

They are worried people who have PS3+PC or 360+PC will just pirate the game rather than buy it, companies have a legal and financial obligation to do everything they can to protect their copyright. If a game doesn't earn as much as expected and there is high piracy, it may be unscientific but the investors will demand to know what will be done to combat this.

Not releasing a PC version at all, or a delayed release will be quite effective, but not if the loss in potential legitimate PC game sales is high than the sales lost by the influence of piracy.

 

[SimuLord]

Lower your prices.

I mean, seriously. You're entire costs are fixed (development). With having minimal variable costs, that means that your cost per unit actually drops for every unit you sell (and revenue/profits going up). Why not just say "Fuck it. Let's sell this for £5 per unit and flood the market, destroy our competitors and so on."

This actually brings up a worthwhile question---cost accounting data is generally not shared with investors (except the end results of it---stuff like cost of goods sold, which is naught but the bottom line of managerial accounting.)

I would LOVE to get my hands on the internal cost accounting statements from a company like Valve and see the true costs of development broken out by cost driver to know just what their gross margin on an individual unit really is.

(bearing in mind that in about 4 years I'll be a CPA after I get done my master's degree. Your level of geekout over accounting data may vary.)

 

[the D0rk One]

Is it me or most of you actually like pirates?

They're cheap, immature, inconsiderate nerds who don't give a toss for the devs' efforts, not romantic swashbucklers hanging from the rigging going "Aharrr matey!" on the high seas. Probably living in their mum's basement. And virgin.

As for a solution, perhaps developing for a hack-proof platform would work. Of course, that would leave owners of other platforms (Windows, 360, Wii, etc) seriously butthurting, but since most of the a fore-mentioned seem to sympathize with the digital "Robin Hoods" they could go and hang out together and talk about how awesome their l33t h4xorz skills are, and how they (probably) don't degrade with honest work (since they're so uberly awesomsorz).

 

[Georgie_Leech]

Here's a thought. Piracy differs from regular thievery in that it can be copied and sent to other people; this is generally what happens when someone downloads free copies off the internet. I don't know much about how source code works, but...

I propose writing a function into the gameor code where attempting to alter or remove pieces of the game (other than saving, loading, deleteing save files, etc.) results in wiping the rest of the code from the system, esentially erasing the game. Although it will eventually be circumvented, it, at the very least, would make it more difficult to pirate the game, as any process to do so would have to be completed all at once.

Of course, I could be wrong. I just hopwe that there will eventually be a solution that hits the pirates harder than the customers.

While I'm thinking about it, why are PC games hit harder than console games?

 

[Thoric485]

Multiplayer and online features like profiles and achievements. Bioware's social site is a good example.

And fuck DLCs and exclusive preorder content.

 

[Peta Michalek]

I don't know much about how source code works

Right.

 

[The_Prophet]

Is it me or most of you actually like pirates?

They're cheap, immature, inconsiderate nerds who don't give a toss for the devs' efforts, not romantic swashbucklers hanging from the rigging going "Aharrr matey!" on the high seas. Probably living in their mum's basement. And virgin.

As for a solution, perhaps developing for a hack-proof platform would work. Of course, that would leave owners of other platforms (Windows, 360, Wii, etc) seriously butthurting, but since most of the a fore-mentioned seem to sympathize with the digital "Robin Hoods" they could go and hang out together and talk about how awesome their l33t h4xorz skills are, and how they (probably) don't degrade with honest work (since they're so uberly awesomsorz).

Hmm... Well, at least try to grasp the fact that some gamers (and most of the pirates are those, trust me, I know) just don't have enough money to buy games, but want to stay gamers. For example myself. I have enough money to buy maybe 3 games a year, if it's a good year.
Stop generalizing, I hate it when people do that.
As for the not giving a toss about the devs' efforts, I (and most of the pirates I know) go out of my way to buy games I consider good. I would never, ever pirate a Valve and BioWare game.
OT: What Cali said.

 

[Legendsmith]

As for a solution, perhaps developing for a hack-proof platform would work.

While they're at it they could also invent a perpetual motion machine and discover a cheap source of infinite energy.

While I'm thinking about it, why are PC games hit harder than console games?

Because PCs don't require special discs (Wii), don't require mod-chipping or modding, can install other software (Disc emulators), PC games are platform native to the tool you are using to crack with... The list goes on.

 

[Volafortis]

I feel that it's far more effective to incentivise gamers to buy the actual game, rather than to try to thwart piracy with DRM. Incentives provide bonuses to actual buyers, which are not given to pirates. DRM will always get cracked, and generally hinders legitimate buyers more than pirates.

 

[AlanShore]

As for a solution, perhaps developing for a hack-proof platform would work.

While they're at it they could also invent a perpetual motion machine and discover a cheap source of infinite energy.

It's not quite as ridiculous of an idea as it first sounds. Although a "hack-proof" platform is impossible, it is possible to redesign hardware to make it much more difficult, which is what the concept of Trusted Computing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Computing) tries to implement. However, I can't see it catching on at all as it would effectively make all current hardware obsolete along with other more "moral" objections.

 

[Peta Michalek]

Because PCs don't require special discs (Wii), don't require mod-chipping or modding, can install other software (Disc emulators), PC games are platform native to the tool you are using to crack with... The list goes on.

And most importantly piracy on the consoles is perfectly legal - rentals - so there's not much to gain by getting games completely for free.

 

[Nazulu]

I don't agree with the DRM at all but I don't believe they should do nothing either. Fighting piracy doesn't look like a battle you could win so I think they should have little toys (not exactly toys) that come with the game, or lower the prices a bit since I usually I hear that is the reason why pirates pirate in the first place.