EndWar For PC Delayed By Piracy

[ReepNeep]

So why isn't this done...now?

You got me there. *shrugs*

My best guess is that the decisions regarding copy-protection measures are being made by people who don't really understand the topic. In other words, the suits and shareholders of the publisher. Some of what I've read supports this although I don't have any links for you. They just don't understand how much is enough, and what goes way too far.

Another possibility is that since many of the DRM schemes are made by subsidiaries of the major media houses (Securom is owned by Sony, for instance) is that they're trying to drive people away from the PC platform. Another is that they are trying to cement the idea that you don't own your media (which is legally accurate anyway) in the minds of the populace. This might be a bit conspiratorial for some, but I don't think it's too far fetched.

*EDIT* I'd like to expand on that last idea.

The market seems to be moving towards games as an service ongoing service rather than a piece of property. Look at XBox Live's subscription model. Look at Everquest and WoW. Look at the Episodic Gaming trend as exemplified by Telltale's Sam and Max and American McGee's Grimm. Look at Games for Windows Live games not including features like LAN play and even the ability to host dedicated servers away from the Microsoft panopticon. The hosting servers get shut down, you can't play the game. Look at the rise of digital distribution as a whole.

I firmly believe that the PS5/Xbox1080 will not have an optical drive and all software will be 'bought' through Sony/Microsoft's online service.

 

[Jimmyjames]

I firmly believe that the PS5/Xbox1080 will not have an optical drive and all software will be 'bought' through Sony/Microsoft's online service.

I think you're right.... but it is happening right now. I seriously doubt that the PS4 and XBox720 will even have a physical media drive. The PS3 proved that people don't care about an awesome media player. They just want good games (a-la XBox 360)

 

[Goon165]

I would ***** but Ubisoft gave me a VIP Demo key

 

[Poyer]

the thing is, pirates are not just downloading every game out there. i pirate because most games are shit, and i don't want to spend 600sek (84usd) on a game that i install, play for an hour and go 'what the fuck is this shit?'. if i download a good game, i buy it later. there are few games i would buy without knowing what i'm in for.

iv'e never downloaded any game by valve for instance, to me that would be sacrilege, as i'm sure it would be to most of you.

 

[Goon165]

and with steam it's nigh impossible to pirate their games

 

[Cyclomega]

I can't help but wonder how much good this is going to do. They, pirates, will still crack the console version. I, in the mean time, will be spending my money on independent and Stardock games. When this game finally does roll-around there's a good chance my entertainment budget will be empty for awhile and they still will have lost a sell. I understand how frustrating it is to have something you made taken out of your control. Sometimes though you just have to let go.

10 says PSP will be available one or two days before official release, it happens with every other game, either that or 48 hours after release max.

Anyway, it's become the best excuse not to develop for PCs.
I took a spit take when I read a comment by a Crysis developer or Head Project Manager here on an Escapist news report saying that Crysis sold bad "because of piracy". It can, OF COURSE, not be because you can't fully and smoothly run the game unless you have a magical PC from the future with alien technology that only exists in cartoons and space opera series...

So well, "BAAAAAAWWWWW our DRM-ridden, sub-par derivative overpriced game sells bad, it can't be because it sucks and is a cockslap on our customers' faces since the game is limited to three installs whatsoever, hard drive formats included, it only because PC games are ALL pirated ! Let's whine hypocritically about it in the media like flashers in denial caught in a police trap !"

So, does it come as a surprise that people stopped caring about buying pc games, except for Steam ?
The EA Store is a shame, as greedily insulting as subprime loans, 2K and EA's SecuROM rootkits are nothing short of KGB/1984-like measures, but privatised...
I seriously think that the more they try to "protect" their games from the people who play them, the less I'll care about paying them for "new" license exploitations (like Star Wars games), derivative reiterations, and such. At best I'll get them used, at worst... well, you know...

I don't know if X360 and PS3 have much cracked games, because apparently bans on Live and PSN are swift and merciless, but hell, it's been a year since I bought a game for my PSP (last time I did, it wasn't softmodded yet).

 

[ReepNeep]

I firmly believe that the PS5/Xbox1080 will not have an optical drive and all software will be 'bought' through Sony/Microsoft's online service.

I think you're right.... but it is happening right now. I seriously doubt that the PS4 and XBox720 will even have a physical media drive. The PS3 proved that people don't care about an awesome media player. They just want good games (a-la XBox 360)

Unlikely, suitable speed internet connections aren't widespread enough globally to make it viable for the next generation. Plus, you seriously think that will work? Cracked Authorisation, and a cracked OS just like now.

You can't stop piracy, that's fact. Something that has to be inherently accessible to be used will broken in to.

That argument right there is the reason it isn't being done right now. It is also the reason I specified the PS5. In 3-4 years? Probably not. In 10 the network infrastructure will most likely to the point that it will work in most 1st-2nd world countries. They might even issue seperate hardware to developing markets that has a disk drive and leave the online only stuff in markets that can support it. The Phantom is the future, laughing stock or no.

Console piracy is already impossible (PSP nonwithstanding) without a hardware mod of some sort. You need to be able to run custom code on them to bypass the security features. The vast majority of console owners don't even know what a modchip is. Out of the ones that do, few are willing to risk ruining their hardware by installing them.

The online-only nature of the box will also totally kill used game sales which is a bigger goal than killing piracy to the console makers. Anyone ever seen a Steam game in Gamestop?

 

[waku2waku]

Too bad EA has not fully embraced trusting its customers more by unbundling DRM and SecuROM. Another blog noted Pete Hines has announced that Fallout 3 will ship with little to no DRM whatsoever because they want to trust their paying customers. See http://www.aeropause.com/2008/10/fallout-3-to-ship-on-pc-minus-drm/

If you want to pressure EA games to unbundle DRM and SecuROM, there?s a campaign that just started to refuse to buy EA games until they remove DRM and SecuROM from their software. Check it out at http://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/ea-games-without-drm-and-secu-rom

Figure each game costs $50 minimum, and if 500 people sign on, that would be $25,000 in lost revenue. For its loyal customer base, secretly adding DRM and SecuROM in their install is just not the way to treat us.

The three issues are that DRM and SecuRom are being installed without the user realizing it; DRM limits the number of computers you can install it on; and SecuROM has been affecting some peoples computers to the point that they needed to re-format their hard drive and uninstall the game to get their computer returning to normal.

And it takes just a minute to sign up. You can even sign anonymously.

 

[Amnestic]

Console piracy is already impossible (PSP nonwithstanding) without a hardware mod of some sort.

DS and PSP notwithstanding thanks. R4 made it all too easy to pirate DS games on-the-go, though Nintendo are taking them/took them to court iirc.

 

[Lt. Sera]

Out of the ones that do, few are willing to risk ruining their hardware by installing them.

Only because the 360 RROD's so damn much. I guess making an unreliable product really paid off ;P

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Anyone think the downplaying of console piracy is going to bite us in the ass later? It's a huge problem for the 360, and bungie actually had to lay down the banhammer for halo 3 since a lot of people hacked the game. Wii, PSP, and DS - they have TONS of homebrew stuff for them.

The PS3 - it's complicated so even though it "can be done" those who want a challenge headache usually go through with it.

Still, ignoring console and focusing on PC is going to end up like "Pearl Harbor". Especially since it's so easy to combat against.

 

[Jimmyjames]

The internet won't be fast enough for a system of that scale for a long time, globally.

I remember reading something about ten years ago that said the internet isn't fast enough to deliver video on demand for the average consumer. That was just ten years ago.