Stolen Pixels #12: The Economics Lesson

[Al_]

It will automatically sense the presence of a DVD writer on your computer too, and add your ip address to a masterlist of "potential pirates" at their offices if you do.

That's just.. crazy, surely? Are you sure about this?

 

[shMerker]

I believe in_95 was extrapolating, not referring to anyone's specific plans but suggesting a direction things could take. I think it was intended to be absurd too.

Shamus, in all fairness that message was probably intended for people buying a used disc. Given that it would be nice if there was a clause in the EULA that gave anyone you resell the disc to the right to be compensated. Then they could have a message like this:

[http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff242/shmerker/?action=view&current=ea_drm-1.jpg]

 

[snuffler]

The Last Internet Pirate. Parody of <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G_L9tXEwmc>The Last Saskatchewan Pirate by the Arrogant Worms -not complete-

Well I used to be a gamer and I made a living fine
I had a little selection of games that I could call mine
But times went by and thought I tried game companies weren't fair
And then they came and took my games and told me fair is fair

I looked for every kind of game
But they all just seemed to blow
How's your gaming now they'd always laugh
We're great at selling them, no?

The DRM they promised me a measly few installs
But I've got no more time to stay and lick their *censored*

Then I thought who gives a damn if all the games are gone
I'm gonna be a PIRATE on the internet, I'm no pawn.

And it's a heave ho hive ho coming down the plains
Stealing Mass Effect and all their other games

And its a ho hay Hi hay Producers bar your doors
When you see the jolly snuffler on his way to steal yours

Well you think local developers would know that I'm at large
but just the other day I found unsuspecting sarge

I snuck up on their server and they were none the wiser
I hacked them all and stole their stuff and sold it on the wire

Bridges of peer to peer spans the mighty web
Developers cross in so much fear, my hacks just knock em' dead

yeah they know that captain snuff is hiding in the lanes
I'll read their emails and steal their code and surf off with their games

And it's a heave ho hive ho coming down the plains
Stealing Mass Effect and all their other games

And its a ho hay Hi hay Producers bar your doors
When you see the jolly snuffler on his way to steal yours

Well John Riccitiello he tracked me he was always at my throat
He never could catch up with me though, his company's a joke

But the cutbacks were a commin and the CEO lost his job
So now he pirates with me and we call him Stupid Sob!

 

[ConTrick]

If you missed out on Mass Effect, no need to worry: This scheme is slated to be part of the PC version of Spore as well.

If thats the case Spore will be the first game in a long time I pirate.

See what DRM has done it driven back to a dark place I never thought I'd return to!

Seconded. And I was really looking forward to Spore, too.

Maybe they should fire the team that rigourously buggers the menus in EA Sports games.

Kill two birds with one fiscally responsible stone - cheaper games with simple, intuitive menu structures that don't require a PhD in Arbitrary & Pointless Option Studies to navigate.

 

[cheesemaster]

I'm honestly surprised Shamus lasted until SP#12 before bringing up his favourite topic.

That's not an insult - from reading his blog for a couple of years, I know that if anyone can pay of DRM in a manner both accurate and hilarious, it's Shamus McLaser.

 

[Playbahnosh]

This is sad. It looks like the PC games industry is deliberately trying to destroy itself. They all want to go console. Easier programming, established customer base, clear expectations...etc. The PC market just grew up to be too much hassle for them. So now they established the scapegoat "ZOMFG! Teh P1r4te5 be stealin our stuffz!!1!ONE!COSINE0!" and slowly putting the gun into their mouths now. It's real sad, that.

 

[SultenSalami]

Unfortunately, the sentiment about spore is not correct, according to this article;

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/05/10/ea-backs-down-from-draconian-copy-protection/1

and here's a bit more detail on how the DRM will work;

http://www.gamingsteve.com/archives/2008/05/maxis-responds-to-the-spore-drm-controversy.php

But still, great comic for bringing marketing fluff to the level it really is.

 

[Shamus Young]

The info I gave on Spore IS correct, sadly. That story on BitTech talked about them abandoning the 10-day re-authentication, but they have never backed down from the need for online activation. The only change they made is that the auth will no longer "expire" after 10 days.

They still only let you install the game on three machines, after which you will get the popup pictured earlier in the thread.

 

[PurpleRain]

Disposable hookers. 'Tis the life right.

 

[Bongo Bill]

Disposable hookers. 'Tis the life right.

There's another kind?

Well, I don't know how fair it is to assert that game development is frivolously wasteful. Needlessly expensive, sure, but aside from the DRM, just about every penny of a game's budget is spent with the intention of making it a better product. Combine with the tendency, of late, to sell cheaper-to-develop games for less, and....

Rental style copy protection is a serious problem, and spending less on development is a smart solution, but I'm not sure that they match.

 

[Mistwraithe]

The logic is infallible. The development companies are trying to commit suicide, of their PC divisions anyway. No other explanation is possible.

1. Some people steal our games.
2. Punish people why buy our games.
3. More people steal our games.
4. ***** about people stealing our games and shut down the company.

It is amazing how stupid corporate management can be.

For what it's worth I have never bought a non online game which requires online activation and never will.

 

[TheKbob]

Shamus, great work, but I want to say maybe they will wise up like Bioshock did a year later and just let the whole thing drift away. Bioshock has no more limitations on it, at all, besides the CD key, that is.

I still plan on getting Mass Effect when it's cheaper and plan on getting Spore, first day. These things suck, but I also do not intend to install them on 3 machines... just my own which won't be changing configurations for at least a year, if not more.

At least the PC version of Mass Effect is superior to the 360 one and gets the extra content at no charge. There are perks. I just want an Impule/Stardock approach to all PC games. Not because I would pirate them, just be less hassle. ... and that is what I see it as. Hassle, not game ending.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Unfortunately, in my experience, the moment someone is promoted past the point where they have to deal with normal people, for instance, the moment someone in a GAME store gets promoted from store manager to area manager, they stop looking at people and start seeing 'units', and that's where the problem starts, when your customers and clients are numbers , no longer having opinions or ideas, just a money value.

Having said that, I think it is going to be rare for most people to reinstall the game on 3 seperate machines, or upgrade their pc three times during the lifespan of the game, hell most EA games dont warrant installing once.

I think the larger problem is the image the companies like EA have now, where the customers don't trust what EA are going to put onto their system and 'So 99.999% of the player base will be labeled as potential pirates?' seems to be what most people think EA's opinion is.

There's certainly going to be some seriously unhappy preowned games buyers out there in the future tho, although I guess that's against the EULA anyway, if I remember rightly, selling something you bought.

 

[9of9]

SenseOfTumour: First install. You load up your game into the PC, whoo I have Mass Effect! etc. It doesn't work, freezes at the title screen, or maybe you get so far as the intro cinematic before it locks down the whole computer.

Second install. You try your laptop, desperately hoping that maybe at least it'll be able to run it, even if it's not quite as powerful. The game declares your poor laptop drivers are not up to date and freezes at the title screen.

Third install. You upgrade your graphics card on the main PC and throw a bit more memory into the mix, fiddle with settings and maybe, just maybe, you finally get the game to work.

The patch comes out and you're back to square one

 

[CanadianWolverine]

The imagery of this is hilarious Shamus, thank you =D

On the topic of DRM, it has gotten to the point for me as a customer that even the rumor of DRM on a game will result in me not purchasing it. And I refuse to pirate games too, when I was younger and naive, that resulted in my computer being hacked (see: zombified) where I just unplugged from the internet - why would I pay someone to connect to have my gaming ripped to shreds?

I don't care anymore how good a game could possibly be, I will not purchase software with DRM, period. This is my line in the sand, DRM can go frack itself. DRM is malware, it is a hack that someone expects me to pay for. FRACK THAT. I'm done, I'll go buy another Stardock game, the rest can get stuffed for all I care.

 

[shMerker]

SenseOfTumour: This isn't even entirely about the inconvenience. It's also just a question of economics. DRM schemes increase the cost of game development, which increases the cost of purchasing a game, which increases the competetiveness of piracy. DRM is a problem because it's a waste of everyone's money. Game developers and publishers should be spending their money on things that increase the value of their product or not spend it at all, passing on quality or savings to their customers, not empty code that serves no one.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I wasn't really defending it, just stating that in most cases, I doubt many people will reinstall three times on different machines in the life of the game.

I'm certainly against DRM too, especially when it appears that lesser and non protected games seem to regularly sell more copies, if they are GOOD.

EA and the others need to understand that its the quality of the game that matters, and that customers are getting increasingly educated about the issue and we don't want what is essentially malware bundled with our games, and I'm in agreement too that I don't think spending the thousands on these ideas is worthwhile when they're ALL cracked within hours and only serve to punish the honest customer.

However, I stand by my point that most people won't hit the install limit.

 

[Playbahnosh]

However, I stand by my point that most people won't hit the install limit.

And what about the people who do?
I'm a games journalist myself, and we usually get one editorial copy to review. Most often than not the boss wants to play it, the guy assigned to the review has to play it, and maybe the others at the mag want to play it too. And we don't get additional copies, no way. On the other hand, I have games I'd like to play years from now on. I have a copy of StarCraft, that seen more than 30 installs along the years. If I buy a game, I want to have it forever, not just for 3 installs... DRM can go @#!ß itself...

And yeah, Stardock games at least have the courtesy of letting you play them...

 

[BeAuMaN]

Y'know... funny you mention ice cream, Shamus... I just thought you'd like to know, that in the days of yore when I hung out in the Neverwinter Nights Community, and talked with certain Bioware employees... they actually get FREE Ice Cream, and all they want (Well, I suppose within reason, and I think it was limited to those pre-packaged chocolate dipped cones and ice cream sandwiches). Naturally, we're mostly talking about EA, but I couldn't help mentioning this small nugget.

Also, for those who played Neverwinter Nights 2 who are wondering about Obsidian, they aren't graced with Free Ice Cream, but they do get Free Soda from the Soda Machine.

 

[malestrithe]

I just have to say that although it is bad for Ea to do things like this, so what? This is a game company where the majority of their products are iterations of Madden 95, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, NBA live, MLB Baseball and many other games that I really do not have the time or interest in looking up. Sure, they are going to piss off you, but there are a ton of casual gamers who frankly don't give a flip one way or another. These people are going to buy new games despite the warbling of the internet.

Yes, the decision is stupid. Any decision where a person who bought the product needs to do more work than "install game, play game" is going to bite the company in the ass. It is their mistake to make. Let's just stand on the sides and watch.