What Video Games Have You Been Playing VII: The Real Ending is Locked Behind a Paywall

[Commodore]

Is online drm actually reducing piracy?

No. In fact, even the best DRM software out there now can be cracked within hours of a game's release.

Don't pirated copies come with removal of online drm?

Yeah, pretty much.

I'm still a fan of how Stardock handled piracy and DRM for Galactic Civilizations 2. Before it was made available on Steam, there stance was they didn't care if people pirated the game, but they somehow worked it so only people who purchased the game could get the patches. Part of it was that to access the patches you had to input a unique code on their website that you received upon registering your copy after purchasing it. And since the original release was plagued with some pretty significant bugs (perhaps by design as an anti-piracy measure) even people who pirated the game were forced to purchase it eventually so they could get the patches necessary to make the game playable.

 

[Takhisis]

The problem is that some people will crack a game just for the sake of it. Heh, in fact, you should look for videos of what happens when you pirate Serious Sam 3. which in fact encourages people to pirate it.

Spoiler :

At some point you get attacked by an invincible enemy, a biiig pink scorpion that cannot be killed. Recording yourself surviving for as long as possible and uploading it to YouTube has become very popular these days.

btw there are people dedicated enough to just crack a game's patched versions (I don't know why -nor how- they do it, but I know they do). Just for kicks - they aren't sellers of pirated copies either.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Moderator Action: I see we have a discussion of piracy and DRM. So far this is fine. I just want to remind all of you about the piracy rules of CFC so that no one breaks them inadvertently.

Piracy
We have zero tolerance for piracy. This includes posting pirated material, linking to pirated material, telling people how to avoid copy-protection etc, or even advocating piracy. We also consider "abandonware" to be piracy, as it has no official legal recognition. Please do not link to abandonware sites.

 

[Takhisis]

Hah, I wasn't going to post or provide pirated material. We have better places for that (find them on your own, you lot ).

I was alluding to the ‘scorpions enabled’ videos. Here's an example:

 

[Akka]

When that interval has passed the Steam client must be allowed to connect to the internet and renew the verification of the license or the application will stop.

Holy crap, that's even worse than what was before, which was already unacceptable. Can't understand how people accept this level of interference in their property (especially weird considering Americans seem to be the ones most accepting and even supporting this stuff, while being the ones most gung-ho about "property rights").

Anyway, GoG allow you to have your own game without all these restrictions, so it's really a no-brainer.

Yeah, that interval is like a week. When was the last time you were in a situation where you needed to both play your games and have been without an internet connection for a week?

Each time I changed my place of residence (which has been five times in the last two years, and it's possible it happens again this year).
Also, there is all the times where I'm on the move, so with only my laptop, and as such I'm going to only play on less demanding games so the hardware can run them. So I'll have to typically install them, which will require an authentification while I'm out of Internet connection. With DRM-free software, I can just grab a hard drive with all my exe and not have to actually PLAN around how I'm only authorized to use my own property after I've asked a third party what I'm allowed to do.

Being without internet would be intolerable regardless of Steam, so it's not really a factor for me.

I also need Internet (not only for leisure, but also for work). But it doesn't mean that it won't happen (temporary shutdown of the line, moving out and so on), and I do want to be able to use what I own when it happens.

 

[Yeekim]

However, the machine I use for gaming and design work is airgapped. If that machine had to go on-line to make money for Valve it would need network protocols, anti-virus software...a whole list of things that would slow it down that I do not need because it never connects to a network.

Ok, I get why Steam would not function well with such a setup. But even so, you're self-excluding from a whole bunch of games. And not just from online multiplayer.
For instance, my main games are Paradox games (CK2, EU4, Stellaris) and given the frequency they tinker with them (constant stream of bugfixes, free content patches, paid expansions and immersion packs), one would go crazy trying to keep up without internet connection, Steam or no Steam. This "a game is never finished" approach pretty much works as a DRM in and by itself.

EDIT: For instance, EU4, released in August 2013 is on its 67th version today. Just the base game. Not considering 13 larger expansions and God knows how many graphical/music DLC.
https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Patches

 

[Chukchi Husky]

The problem is that some people will crack a game just for the sake of it. Heh, in fact, you should look for videos of what happens when you pirate Serious Sam 3. which in fact encourages people to pirate it.

Spoiler :

At some point you get attacked by an invincible enemy, a biiig pink scorpion that cannot be killed. Recording yourself surviving for as long as possible and uploading it to YouTube has become very popular these days.

If you play a pirated version of Game Dev Tycoon, a game where you play as a game studio, after a point in the game if your studio makes highly rated games, you will lose money on the games because the people in game pirate the games.

 

[civvver]

Darkspore. They should have patched it to support offline single-player instead of killing it entirely.

While the game did have a ton of issues (not bugs but like balance issues, design flaws) it had a lot of really unique ideas as well that were executed like I haven't seen before. The interaction of the orb things and chain runs, and then building your team to handle different elemental types plus physical and magical damage was really cool.

I think it just flopped, no one played it, so they cut their losses and moved onto the sim city reboot. Why would you dump money into patching a game for offline mode expecting zero future sales? Just didn't make that much sense. I got like 200 hours out of it for $10 so I'm not mad, I beat the normal game and was done anyway.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Holy crap, that's even worse than what was before, which was already unacceptable. Can't understand how people accept this level of interference in their property (especially weird considering Americans seem to be the ones most accepting and even supporting this stuff, while being the ones most gung-ho about "property rights").

Anyway, GoG allow you to have your own game without all these restrictions, so it's really a no-brainer.

If there is a way I could agree more I can't find it.

 

[Synobun]

Everyone who uses Steam knows that they're buying access to a product on the Steam platform.

 

[rah]

While in practice for me Steam isn't that bad (except for the continual updating of the software every time I seem to log in to it) but I guess I'm just an old man and feel I shouldn't need to have to do it, so I'll go GOG whenever possible.
I guess if I had not had the freedom in the past I might not consider it so bad, but I'm old.

 

[Senethro]

I mean, sometimes GoG products have more value due to better prices or better products (like compatibility patches bundled for you) but I don't get a "FIGHTING THE POWER" buzz from purchasing there like some people do.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I mean, sometimes GoG products have more value due to better prices or better products (like compatibility patches bundled for you) but I don't get a "FIGHTING THE POWER" buzz from purchasing there like some people do.

I don't buy things from anyone to "fight the power," I just don't buy things from companies I despise...and I despise Valve.

 

[Synobun]

Show us on the doll where Valve touched you.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Show us on the doll where Valve touched you.

Between the ears. I have zero tolerance for grossly misleading marketing programs. Some exaggeration is just part of the process, but outright misdirection as a core strategy I won't forgive.

 

[Synobun]

Well, that's no help at all. What if you're like a Mr. Potato Head? Your ears could be anywhere.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Well, that's no help at all. What if you're like a Mr. Potato Head? Your ears could be anywhere.

C'mon man...when you say "show us on the doll" do you hand the kid a Mr Potatohead?

 

[Synobun]

C'mon man...when you say "show us on the doll" do you hand the kid a Mr Potatohead?

You don't?

 

[Takhisis]

AAAAAAA

Guyz guyz I've been browsing in an old cardboard box where I keep CDs and other old stuff from when I moved house and I found installation CDs for Warcraft 3, Starcraft, and their expansions. They appear to be undamaged. And I have a major midterm in two weeks, one hour and 20 18 15 minutes. Hjälp! Somebody teach me a breathing technique or yoga or something. Temporarily I've shoved said quartet of CDs down into the bottom of the box and the box into the closet but I must resist. I cannot do this, not right now.

Ok, I get why Steam would not function well with such a setup. But even so, you're self-excluding from a whole bunch of games. And not just from online multiplayer.
For instance, my main games are Paradox games (CK2, EU4, Stellaris) and given the frequency they tinker with them (constant stream of bugfixes, free content patches, paid expansions and immersion packs), one would go crazy trying to keep up without internet connection, Steam or no Steam. This "a game is never finished" approach pretty much works as a DRM in and by itself.

EDIT: For instance, EU4, released in August 2013 is on its 67th version today. Just the base game. Not considering 13 larger expansions and God knows how many graphical/music DLC.
https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Patches

The only game I run on Steam right now is Dota2. I also got Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok off them but it was free. On itch.io I got the steamless version and there was the option to pay the studio money via PayPal. Urgh.

If you play a pirated version of Game Dev Tycoon, a game where you play as a game studio, after a point in the game if your studio makes highly rated games, you will lose money on the games because the people in game pirate the games.

Yes, I'd actually read of that one on TVTropes. Awesome.

 

[Kyriakos]

EDIT: For instance, EU4, released in August 2013 is on its 67th version today. Just the base game. Not considering 13 larger expansions and God knows how many graphical/music DLC.
https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Patches

Iirc if one has the final version (DW afaik) it is still the full game. So DW+ whatever final patch = EU4. Granted, it took years to get there, but most games aren't like that OR people just prefer a popular mod instead.

Wait. I mean EU3. EU4 exists since 2013?... (never played it).