Weekend Open Forum: Has DRM spoiled your fun?

[Matthew DeCarlo]

It seems like every week the Internet is up in arms over some DRM-related injustice. The consensus tends to be that most DRM schemes cause grief for paying customers while completely failing to thwart piracy. I can't speak for any other TechSpot staffers, but that's an argument I can agree with. There's no shortage of complaints about DRM while most digital entertainment such as games and movies are readily available on various torrent sites.

Although the anti-DRM crowd is more vocal, I often see users who say they're okay with companies using DRM because it doesn't affect their experience. I imagine that's true in most cases. As annoying as Ubisoft's always-on DRM may seem, it probably doesn't affect a majority of the company's players. That raises an interesting question: Are you against DRM because of some moral predisposition, or has it actually affected you in a negative way?

To be extra clear here, we're not asking about your stance on digital control schemes that accompany today's media. We want to know whether such mechanisms have negatively affected your consumption of said content. If you're going to participate in the poll, answer honestly -- don't click "yes" solely because you disagree with the presence of DRM. Naturally, you have free reign of the comments to elaborate on your views and experiences.

In my case, I can recall at least two very recent situations (this summer) where DRM rained on my parade, so it should be no surprise where my vote lies:

• Splinter Cell: Conviction generally launches flawlessly, but earlier this summer refused to perform a proper online validation, effectively locking me out of the game (it would load to the main menu and then fail to connect, forcing me to close the game). I thought Ubisoft's servers were down so I retried a few times over the course of several days. I eventually reinstalled Ubisoft's Uplay software to correct the issue, which remains unknown to me.

• Before transferring an audiobook to my iPhone I had to authorize my Audible account through iTunes. Although it should've been as simple as entering my username and password, the login process failed repeatedly. I later discovered that my Audible password was too secure. Although my credentials worked on the company's site, logging in through iTunes wouldn't allow special characters such as an asterisk. I had to change my password.
   

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[TomSEA]

With the exception of Ubisoft's "always connected" DRM which can be a pain (and I no longer buy their products), it's frankly been a non-issue for me. And now with Steam, it's literally invisible.

Game bugs have always caused me more problems than DRM.

 

[okrings]

Short answer... yes!

I have on several occasions completely avoided buying a game because of a DRM. This doesn't mean I'd go pirating the game. It simply means I'll never get the game because of said DRM. Hello Ubisoft. You won't get my money. When I see pirates having an easier time than I'd have paying for it, I just avoid the game entirely. My resolve on this issue is way, way stronger than my *need* to play a certain game. If you piss me off, I'm not gonna be your friend. That means I don't like you, or the games you make. This isn't just about Ubisoft though. For example: Capcom did some stupid stuff to Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, but then they recognized that and fixed it. They admit they "had it wrong" according to a link to some article on Steam.

 

[Guest]

Quite honestly, Let me play the game I bought and paid for on any machine I own.
Let me back it up, so I don't destroy the original copy.
and let me play it without DRM (I don't mind 1 time activations ...and verifications for updates or patches)

quit thinking the user is out to get you.
Pirates will always break the software - no DRM will work - even UBISOFTS

They will play it without it and with less issues ...
meanwhile you PO'd your paying customers with the DRM

I may not like pirates - but it's reality.

if the game manufacturers would lower their prices and offer methods (like advertising to help pay for it)..or micro-payments that non-paying users be more willing to entertain. they could reap more $$$ than they are doing now

kids don't have deep pockets...don't expect them to follow rules or buy expensive games
just find another way to deliver the product cheaper or free-to play - so pirates don't have options

 

[Guest]

Yep, havn't bought a PC game since 2007 because of stupid draconian DRM. I also refuse to waste money on Steam games that you never really own.

 

[JudaZ]

DRM have sabotaged gaming, for me several times. .

Now with Steam i have no issues anymore though .. but i used to pirate games just to get good working version. I still do that with DVD's from timd to time ...

(Cant remember how many times I have bought a DVD, often as a pre-order as well and payed extra, and the menus are all screwed up . So i have to rip the disk and fix the menus, and then burn a copy. (Whats that all about??) First one it happen to me was with Crouching tiger , crashed right at the start. And there was nothing physically wrong with the disk. The menu files was actually created incorrectly (i checked it and found out when i rewrote and fixed them)

DRM sucks..

 

[Guest]

The more game companies try to treat paying customers like criminals the more likely they are to turn paying customers into pirates. I have pirated games that I would have other wise bought because of odious DRM. On the other hand I have bought games that I first pirated because after a trial run I decided the game was good enough for the developers to have my money. But pay $60 for a DRM infected piece of crap that I have to have an always on internet connection to play? Never!

 

[Somian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwCuh0rlF-A

 

[Cota]

I avoid having to use Disk's or scratching them by using alcohol 120%, but i was nailed for almost a month by STEAM, offline mode nailed me pretty nice

Im a heavy pirate, i play them and if they are good i actually buy it via Retailer, steam or Paypal.

Sincerely i dont know what in the heck the big guys have in their heads :\

 

[Guest]

The only thing relating to DRM that has spoiled my fun is a internet full of whiners about how DRM has spoiled their fun. I still dont know what all the fuss is about. Even the always on internet connection type DRM - why are people complaining? World of Warcraft is one of the most popular PC games of all time; no one complains about always needing an internet connection.

 

[TekGun]

Guest said:
World of Warcraft is one of the most popular PC games of all time; no one complains about always needing an internet connection.

Not having played wow so I might be wrong, but I didn't think there was a single player option where you wouldn't need to use the internet.

 

[mrtraver]

That's because World of Warcraft is AN ONLINE GAME. Most games have a single-player component, so with an always-connected requirement, it is impossible to play those games on a laptop in a place with no internet access, such as Grandma's house.

I don't have a laptop so that has not actually impacted me yet, but what has impacted me directly was when SucuWRONG disagreed with my system like a chilidog that sat on the counter for three days before consumption, and would not let me install Command & Conquer 3 directly from the disc. Ironically, this forced me to copy the contents of the disc to a folder on my hard drive, then run the installation from there.

I don't like having to insert a disc every time I want to play a game, and I especially don't like it when my kids have to, since no matter how careful we are, we WILL scratch or break a disc eventually if it is constantly being moved from a case/sleeve to a drive and back. I don't mind one-time authentication schemes based on a serial key, if I don't have to use the disc any more, as long as I am not limited on how many installations I can do (or at least un-installing a program automatically gives me back an installation chit). I very rarely buy games now unless I have found a working cracked .exe that allows me to skip the disc.

 

[DeliciousPie]

The Ubisoft DRM is particularly frustrating because the pirated versions DON'T have it! So it only affects people who purchased it legitimately which completely defeats the purpose of it in the first place.

 

[Archean]

To stay clear of DRM issues, I prefer to use steam, but IMO most companies are going way overboard with their implementation of DRM.

 

[Guest]

I miss the option "No, since I started pirating games around 5-6 years ago, and wouldn't even have noticed the difference if customers didn't complain about it the whole time."

 

[slamscaper]

There are a few forms of DRM that I think cross the line, but I definitely have to say that Ubisoft's "always on" DRM is the most ridiculous by far. I will never buy any of their games that contain this insanely unfair DRM.

Ubisoft's DRM has indeed negatively affected my gaming experience, because I really want to play Assassins creed 1/2 on the PC, but as I said I'm not going to buy them with this type of DRM.

Would you still purchase the new Windows OS if it crippled your PC when your internet connection went down? I don't think so. What if Adobe's latest version of Photoshop wouldn't let you edit image files when your connection was down? Would you accept that? Both Microsoft and Adobe have had their software pirated on a mass scale, however they have never resorted to the draconian tactics that Ubisoft has. Yeah, Microsoft's WGA can be a bit annoying, but it's not on the same level as Ubisoft's scheme. Not by a long shot...

 

[Kralnor]

TomSEA said:
With the exception of Ubisoft's "always connected" DRM which can be a pain (and I no longer buy their products), it's frankly been a non-issue for me. And now with Steam, it's literally invisible.

Game bugs have always caused me more problems than DRM.

Exactly how I feel. Apart from perhaps Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft doesn't really release any titles that I am interested in. That said, I haven't bought anything off them.

 

[Burty117]

I've had DRM issues with the original Crysis. Because it was such a hard game to run I upgraded my rug several times and in doing so, re-installed windows and Crysis over 5 times so therefore it would not install after the fith time. I tried calling EA To no avail, instead I had to speak to someone over a live chat window and after giving him my license key a few dozen times he reset my install limit, but even so, If I reinstall windows another 2 times I'll have to do it again that's why I'm against such DRM systems, although I love steam! Works flawlessly

 

[MikeFE]

I can understand the need for anti-piracy measures. Piracy affects all honest gamers and should be fought. However, the innocent should not suffer because of the guilty. I have no problem with the way Steam works, but I will not buy single-player games that require you to be online all the time. (I'm not into multiplayer online games, but it's obvious they require you to be online.) I can live with a one time online check, but that should be it.

Games I would have like to buy, but didn't because of their anti-piracy measures include:
Assassin's Creed, BioShock 2, and others.

And for every one who hates DRM and loves Good (old) Games: go to gog.com
(And get The Witcher 2 from there - or other classics - without DRM.)

 

[Guest]

Steam is pretty much as good as DRM is going to get, Hardware locks just mean you can be locked out of your products if you get a new PC and ubisoft's online DRM is horrible as I have a very intermittent connection to the internet.

 

[spydercanopus]

YES it has!! I will never be able to play the original Warcraft again because I don't have the paper to "type the Nth word on Nth line, starting with the letter X."

 

[Benny26]

I'm all for protection, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. I personally think it has been taken too far now...it has spoiled my fun at least once, that's for sure.

 

[red1776]

Well a glitch here and there with Steam and changing hardware...but considering that every other facet of life employs one form or another of 'DRM' ... ID, verification,application, passport, password, proof of ownership, title, notarized, signature, license etc...etc..it really doesn't seem like that big a deal.

...was that subtle enough?

 

[Guest]

One really bad experience with SecuROM and I have avoided buying games with DRM since. I start by checking specifications to make sure it won't cook my machine. Probably avoided spending close to $1,000 over the last 3-4 years.

Hey, I have games going back 10-15 years which I may still play. About half of them were published by the now defunct. The second problem with DRM is that it has no sunset provision - if you want to play a DRM choked game and 'pubbie' has gone kaput, you will then have to break the law to play it. So, message to the industry - I (like many others) do not buy your DRM choked games.

I think the DRM folks perpetuate ideas of exaggerated losses to mythic levels which the publishers and the government are swallowing too easily. Too bad. I will be a better customer if you resolve my issues: 1- no sunset, 2 - cpu burden, 3 - difficult removal

 

[Ivangela]

Punkbuster on Battlefield 2 kicks me off the servers all the time so I stopped playing. Won't buy games with it at all...their loss as I'm a paying customer. In fact, I've actually considered piracy instead as I paid $50 for a game I can't play. Maybe I'll torrent Battlefield 3!!!