Help me create the perfect DRM

[Akalistos]

I came up with an idea for a DRM. It has problems and I want you all to perfect it. Also, I'm not looking for some hypothetical DRM. I want to show Ubisoft (and ofter publishers) this and see if they will replace their current DRM with it.

Spoiler: The original idea

What if every game had a unique code and you have to make some kind of account to download the rest of the game. So every pirated copy has the same code, as a result every one of those copies are treated as the same game. That means everyone shares the same saves (which in some cases is game breaking). Also if more than a certain number of copies (lets go with four) are played at the same time, everyone is locked out of the game for ten minutes (I'm pretty sure that'll cause a lot of inconvenience by the time the pirated copy gets downloaded around fifteen times (and I'm confident that piracy wouldn't be a problem if only fifteen people downloaded it).

Spoiler: (2 updates) The current idea

(2 updates)

What if every game had a unique code and you have to make some kind of account to download the rest of the game. You must go to your e-mail and sign in before you can download, and you must be signed in to the same e-mail every time afterwords (you can change which e-mail is need, though).

Once registered, the game it self get's something added to the game's code to show that it has been registered, the same thing happens on the servers so if an unregistered version of the same code is found again, we call the cops or something. So if a pirated copy has the registered version of the code, nothing happens as long as only a certain number of copies are used at a time. This is so players can play from multiple computers and let friends borrow it.

If more than a certain number of copies (lets go with four) are played at the same time, everyone is locked out of the game for ten minutes (I'm pretty sure that'll cause a lot of inconvenience by the time the pirated copy gets downloaded around fifteen times (and I'm confident that piracy wouldn't be a problem if only fifteen people downloaded it).

I want this to be temporary. Like with Alpha Protocol.

[HEADING=1]Instead of gunning down my idea, justify my reason for making this thread by telling me how to improve it.[/HEADING]It sadden me that I must highlight the above statement.

I want to get rid of DRMs as much as the rest of you. But a DRM is like a wound, it can't just disappear, it needs time to heal. I'm just trying to apply disinfectant.

To anyone who says "The only good DRM is no DRM" is MISSING THE POINT.

Nope, bad idea. When i bought a game, i want it full. No delay.

 

[azukar]

Can I get some support for the idea that

the best DRM is the type employed by Stardock, in Galactic Civilisations II etc.

You pay for the game, and you OWN THAT COPY. You can install it on as many computers as you like, but only one will have the serial number needed to download the tonnes of updates they bring out.

Oh, and make games good enough that people don't really want to steal them.

 

[minus_273c]

Basically you're describine what Steam does already.

 

[brunothepig]

the best drm form is the one arkum asylum had. Gimped game features.

This is exactly right. The best DRM is one which can delay piracy for a long time (thus getting sales from those who are willing to buy the game if they can't get it for free) without punishing paying customers. Covertly sabotaging the game in case of verification failure is the best way to achieve this.

Yep. Piracy can't be completely stopped, and any DRM that requires people who legally bought it to inconvenience themselves in any way is a failure. Because, as has been said, piracy won't be stopped. Hell, if worst comes to worst someone would make a keygen. Which from what I can see destroys your current DRM plan?
So, in summary, inconvenience the pirates, not the buyers. Remove some stuff, let the game sell for a while, before someone inevitably pirates a full copy. I'm sick of DRM with install limits, or that requires an account on various clients (hotmail included) or that needs a constant internet connection (yeah, fuck you Ubisoft).

 

[Mr. Gency]

snip

snip

I updated the OP once more, check it out.

 

[Tharwen]

For your system...

Sorry, but that won't work. Pirates would either remove the requirement for a key, or generate their own ones and play with them instead.

 

[MetalGenocide]

How about instead of wasting time on an impossible task, developers just make an genuinely awesome game that is totally worth the money, so people don't need to pirate it huh?

From an programmer stand point, everything is hackable, everything. Even if the game that is sold is nothing more than an launcher(while most of it is stored on an online service/server), it still needs to place data on the user's machine(install game duh). There are any number of ways, of someone knowing what he's doing(usually a group of people), to get what he needs done. Knowledge is power. Unless they make a way to erase memory of "all the pirate hacker teams" in the world. Which won't happen.

Then, there are legal complications. Your company can't just add malicious software and call it a day.

How about this -- the company (Activision, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, etc.) 'leak' a version of the game to Torrent Sites -- naturally, these files will get spread around to other sites by pirates. Naturally, a lot of people will download this and install it... and then be incredibly disappointed when they find out that their version of the game only has the first few levels (or in sandbox games, a severely limited area of the world map)... but also that their IP Address has been reported for piracy.

Not exactly DRM, but would be quite effective nonetheless. And after that, how many people would be willing to take the chance downloading your next game? Or the one after that? Effectively, if all game publishers bought into this, you could stamp out video game piracy.

People have already got used to seeing fake uploads, and download from trusted sources. Also there are proxies.

 

[Akalistos]

snip

snip

I updated the OP once more, check it out.

I don't play online and thus, haven't plug it on the internet yet. No... still bad. Look at the Dating Sim DDR that was in the news last week for ideas.

 

[Mr. Gency]

snip

But publishers are under the impression that everyone will pirate there games if they don't use some kind of DRM, and if we end up with a good enough DRM, I would like to let publishers know about it. I trying, to the best of my ability to get rid of DRMs, and the only way I can think of to do that is to find a way to rebuild the publishers trust in the gaming community. If you have a better idea let me know (anything you come up with can help).

 

[Twilight_guy]

The simplest solution is just to stop making games. That, of course, is an undesirable solution.

Any code that you put on a game can be cracked given enough time. Hackers are bastards and they will spend every moment of their life working out of spit to fight "the man." Spore and the Humble Indie deal have shown us they they have no scruples and no morals whatsoever(Note: not all pirates are this way but I'm referring to certain groups here). The more you fight, the tighter the knot gets. Therefore, I propose a trap. A bit of code secretly lodged onto a game that is sold as "DRM free." The game is distributed and after some time has passed and you ensure a good number of copies have been stolen, you have the game begin to send out a signal sending personal IP address and such to a central server that then proceeds to use the hidden code to fry every computer with an illegal copy. The problem of course is that this plan is infesable an illegal and will only slow them down... but its a happy thought.

A more real solution would be to use a system like OnLive. Simply don't give people your game. Rent it, send them the video feed and control there input. So long as you can hold back hackers from getting into your system and leaks within your company the pirate will be sitting outside a mile high concrete wall looking in pinholes. The unfortunate side effect is that you don't sell games, you sell a service to get to your games and that's a hard sell.

 

[Mr. Gency]

snip

snip

I updated the OP once more, check it out.

I don't play online and thus, haven't plug it on the internet yet. No... still bad. Look at the Dating Sim DDR that was in the news last week for ideas.

Well then what if, in the "So crazy, it just might work" part, I made it so that you can download the "pirated" update from any computer onto a USB drive (or some other form of portable memory) or, if the game is on a disk you can download it onto the disk, itself.

 

[blankedboy]

I love the way the Steam DRM works, and how Valve manage to patch it again and again. Quite awesome.

What does DRM even stand for?

 

[Mr. Gency]

The simplest solution is just to stop making games. That, of course, is an undesirable solution.

Any code that you put on a game can be cracked given enough time. Hackers are bastards and they will spend every moment of their life working out of spit to fight "the man." Spore and the Humble Indie deal have shown us they they have no scruples and no morals whatsoever(Note: not all pirates are this way but I'm referring to certain groups here). The more you fight, the tighter the knot gets. Therefore, I propose a trap. A bit of code secretly lodged onto a game that is sold as "DRM free." The game is distributed and after some time has passed and you ensure a good number of copies have been stolen, you have the game begin to send out a signal sending personal IP address and such to a central server that then proceeds to use the hidden code to fry every computer with an illegal copy. The problem of course is that this plan is infesable an illegal and will only slow them down... but its a happy thought.

A more real solution would be to use a system like OnLive. Simply don't give people your game. Rent it, send them the video feed and control there input. So long as you can hold back hackers from getting into your system and leaks within your company the pirate will be sitting outside a mile high concrete wall looking in pinholes. The unfortunate side effect is that you don't sell games, you sell a service to get to your games and that's a hard sell.

OnLive is also probably going to be expensive. You also make a good point about how only some pirates are obsessed with... um... pirating. So I should make as many ways of conveniently getting the game legally.

 

[Mr. Gency]

I love the way the Steam DRM works, and how Valve manage to patch it again and again. Quite awesome.

What does DRM even stand for?

Digital Rights Management.

 

[Mr. Gency]

Some snip later...

Your DRM is what my "So crazy it just might work" idea came from.

 

[Akalistos]

snip

snip

I updated the OP once more, check it out.

I don't play online and thus, haven't plug it on the internet yet. No... still bad. Look at the Dating Sim DDR that was in the news last week for ideas.

Well then what if, in the "So crazy, it just might work" part, I made it so that you can download the "pirated" update from any computer onto a USB drive (or some other form of portable memory) or, if the game is on a disk you can download it onto the disk, itself.

Pirated? Yeah, that would work in the meeting. But yeah, insert a CD-Key for the update and download it from a computer to a hard drive (like my psp) and insert it into my PS3... Might just work for me. I did the same thing to update the OS a few month ago.

 

[CWestfall]

What if to play the game, you give the publisher your physical address; they then dispatch a representative to ensure you have a valid receipt and give you the actual copy of the disk. He will then move in with you and watch you play the game to ensure you don't do anything illegal like upload it to The Pirate Bay.

 

[Reyalsfeihc]

How about this -- the company (Activision, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, etc.) 'leak' a version of the game to Torrent Sites -- naturally, these files will get spread around to other sites by pirates. Naturally, a lot of people will download this and install it... and then be incredibly disappointed when they find out that their version of the game only has the first few levels (or in sandbox games, a severely limited area of the world map)... but also that their IP Address has been reported for piracy.

Not exactly DRM, but would be quite effective nonetheless. And after that, how many people would be willing to take the chance downloading your next game? Or the one after that? Effectively, if all game publishers bought into this, you could stamp out video game piracy.

That reminds me of what EA did with Battle for Middle Earth 2, where after five minutes if you were playing a pirated version of the game all your units and your base simultaneously died!

 

[Mr. Gency]

That reminds me of what EA did with Battle for Middle Earth 2, where after five minutes if you were playing a pirated version of the game all your units and your base simultaneously died!

I now have a new favorite DRM.