Valve: We've Made DRM Obsolete

[DarkRyter]

My own plan to stop piracy.

Have a kung-fu master come with every game.
Have him follow you home and live with you for the years to come, observing your every move with the game.
Moment you try something illegal, he kicks your ass.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

[sms_117b]

I think if it wasn't valve, it might have been received differently, I'll admit it's better the DRM, but not loads, I'm not sure my "steamworks" is even working properly

 

[oliveira8]

My own plan to stop piracy.

Have a kung-fu master come with every game.
Have him follow you home and live with you for the years to come, observing your every move with the game.
Moment you try something illegal, he kicks your ass.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Oohhh can I cash in your idea for when I become a succesfull gaming developer?

 

[dochmbi]

There's only one thing that works against piracy: Multiplayer games with cd-key checks. Because of that I can't simply go and pirate L4D, I have to wait for it's price to drop so I can buy it without feeling too terrible for losing the cash.

 

[oliveira8]

There's only one thing that works against piracy: Multiplayer games with cd-key checks. Because of that I can't simply go and pirate L4D, I have to wait for it's price to drop so I can buy it without feeling too terrible for losing the cash.

Its cheaper now. 30 euros on Steam.

 

[lornb]

I'll tell ya one thing. I still don't mind the CD-keys. Heck Microsoft still uses them for their Operating Systems. Same with Sony and their Music, video and sound software and Adobe as well.

Keygens.

Dear Valve,

Just. Fix. Steam.

<3 xoxox Lorn

 

[zifnabxar]

Wikipedia: Digital rights management (DRM) refers to access control technologies used by publishers, copyright holders, and hardware manufacturers to limit usage of digital media or devices

Unless I'm mistaken, Steam is DRM. They just can't call it that because then they'd be the "bad guys." I wish these companies would stop playing games with semantics.

 

[Chadling]

It might be DRM, but I feel a lot better buying stuff online directly from Valve than I do running to my nearest software dealer, picking up Spore, and being conned out of $50 because the validation key was already registered to another machine (how that happened, I have no idea).

Oh, but EA was so generous in offering to sell me a new key... No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Maybe instead of inventing new and less invasive DRM they should try Stardock's approach. Just say "piracy is bad, please don't do it" and release their games without DRM. That way you stop the "rebel pirates." Maybe use a CD key to stop casual pirates (CD keys aren't so bad), or better yet make the CD key optional for online registration purposes.

 

[Scarecrow38]

I think Steam is probably the best anti- piracy system out there. I've seen people with pirated copies of oblivion, fallout 3, call of duty 4 and lots of others. On the other hand, I have yet to meet someone who has a pirated version of Team Fortress 2 or Half Life 2.

 

[wild_quinine]

Two points.

1) Yes, as pointed out, Steam is DRM. The point of software is to work, period.

Whatever the purpose of that software, anything that gets in the way of fulfilling that purpose is a problem.

When something which is not a core part of software stops it from working, in any circumstances, legal, illegal, fair, unfair, right, wrong - that something is restricting the very essence of the software. If done accidentally, maybe it's a bug. If done deliberately, it's probably DRM. This is why people call DRM 'defective by design'.

2) Some of the new watermarked 'DRM free' solutions are really worse than the old DRM infested solutions, for the customer.

Before, if you bought a song on iTunes, either it would play if you followed the rules, or it wouldn't if you didn't.

Now, if you buy a song on iTunes it will always play, and copies of it will play, too. That's good right? Yes... unless there's a watermark.

Now if your friend makes a copy... or your sister, or brother... and shares that copy on limewire? Guess what - there's a papertrail, and it stops at your door.

If your laptop gets stolen? If some guy doing tech support for you nicks your MP3 folder whilst he's at it?

Those copies will work for all of those people, and all of the people they share copies with, ad infinitum. But the blame will only land in one place - with the person who acutally paid for the god damn thing.

I'd rather it didn't work than put myself at that kind of risk.

 

[antipunt]

I'm a bit skeptical..

 

[Nurb]

I'm more pissed about the in-game DLC.

"HEY! here's something that should have been in the game in the first place for a few dollars beyond your full purchase price of the software! Not to mention we don't have to do expansions anymore because we make more money nickle and diming you for less content! Isn't that faster and easier? I totally think it's better for us.. er.. I mean the consumer! We're so damn innovative!... say, why are you opening that torrent site?"

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Valve is my favourite video game company, mostly for steam because sure the anti-piracy systems are there, but you don't notice them. If its on your account you can play it anywhere. Heck you can even share a steam account with a friend, granted you can't both play online at the same time but you can still both play. Its the most amazing system I've ever heard of.

 

[SimuLord]

I've had a gigantic man crush on Gabe Newell ever since about 2005 or so, after they worked most of the major bugs out of Steam in the aftermath of the disastrous Half-Life 2 launch. Steam's not perfect (they offer Paradox games but the Steam version's notoriously slow to work with Paradox's patches, while the GamersGate version gets patched immediately, but that's Paradox's baby so I don't mind), but with very limited exceptions (see previous), it does everything I need it to and I can buy games without leaving the house.

As for the high horse, I hope it's a Budweiser Clydesdale. Gabe Newell's not a small man and most horses would be pretty swaybacked after supporting him in the saddle for any length of time.

 

[Ronwue]

Well, it would be awesome if other companies put as much effort into fixing stuff people complain about that's not directly related to the game aspect of the game.

 

[Nutcase]

Valve's solution to the problems of DRM is to change the definition of DRM into "not made by Valve".
Next up: Valve announces that they will start handing out all their games for free. Completely feasible, as long as they quietly redefine "free" to "50 euros".

Newell couldn't possibly be more full of shit. A cop can talk about criminal policy and make all the sense in the world, but that does not excuse subsequently assaulting innocent people with a telescopic baton and calling it "massage with a magic happy-happy care wand".

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

The new Steamworks also includes previously announced support for in-game downloadable content [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90253-Steam-Adds-In-Game-DLC-Support] and the new matchmaking and lobby system that Valve introduced in Left 4 Dead.

VALVE! I demand you to get of your high horse right now!

That matchmaking process in itself is worse than DRM. You get pissy for one day or let someone with lesser abilities play, and you can no longer get in good games. EVER.

 

[Lord Krunk]

The new Steamworks also includes previously announced support for in-game downloadable content [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90253-Steam-Adds-In-Game-DLC-Support] and the new matchmaking and lobby system that Valve introduced in Left 4 Dead.

You know, I didn't really like the new matchmaking system. Seemed to set me up with a bunch of dickweeds rather frequently. I like to choose the servers I join, but maybe that's just me.

Other than that, I agree with Gabe. Piracy must be extinguished, but DRM is not the way to go about it. The fact that Steam is essentially DRM doesn't count, because unlimited downloads and autopatching makes up for it.