Bioshock - a DRM infection?
Zuntar
North Carolina Icrontian
Like many consumers, I don't like being forced into installation of Digital rights management software, or DRM for short. Clicking the agree button is just apart of the normal process during installation of virtually all software. But when was the last time you actually read the fine print? It appears the industry is trying every thing they can, even if it teeters on being malicious.
The companies do have the right to make money from their products and not have it roam the internet and get downloaded for free, but the problem is while they are trying to keep hackers and pirates at bay they are also ticking off the consumers whom actually buy thier products. Some might perceive DRM to be part of the "game" when dealing with software, but it appears that with the PC version of Bioshock, the new game from 2KGames, it literally is a part of the game.
SecuROM a solution to DRM issues by non other them Sony (surprise, surprise) is the tag along culprit on this game. SecuROM works much like Steam or the iTunes system. Users will have to weigh the options when installing this game, even if it's just the demo!
The Inquirer
The companies do have the right to make money from their products and not have it roam the internet and get downloaded for free, but the problem is while they are trying to keep hackers and pirates at bay they are also ticking off the consumers whom actually buy thier products. Some might perceive DRM to be part of the "game" when dealing with software, but it appears that with the PC version of Bioshock, the new game from 2KGames, it literally is a part of the game.
SecuROM a solution to DRM issues by non other them Sony (surprise, surprise) is the tag along culprit on this game. SecuROM works much like Steam or the iTunes system. Users will have to weigh the options when installing this game, even if it's just the demo!
The Inquirer
0
Comments
I'll still be giving this game a wide berth as a result.
Plus, they've upped the available activations to 5, due to complaints.
Sure... but how does it work if/when you upgrade your hardware? I'd hate to have to uninstall and reinstall if I were constantly upgrading my computer the way I used to.
Nope. One of the things I like about steam is how much it simplifies copyright management.
At very least, the FAQs on steampowered seem to suggest it's bundled.
Which frankly, is the most retarded thing i've ever seen.
I mean, it doesn't even go through a visible 'install' process, it just downloads and works.
Very steam specific securom instructions to just be coincidence.
It doesn't make sense that the drm infestation is bundled into the steam version, since its basically great at stopping copying really (though unprotected exes must make cracking the securom version a doddle, thinking about it). I love and dislike steam for many things, but i really like the ability to install it anywhere and play my games. Which is why, given the choice, i buy a game on steam rather than on CD/DVD
I'll never buy bioshock with this in place, which is a great shame as i liked the demo on my 360. regardless i won't buy it for either.
Who the hell is going to be affected by that really?
I'd rather enjoy a good game than get upset about copy protection and EULAs.
Pirating the game is actually beneficial (other than financially) as you don't get excess crap installed, nor any restrictions.
I can live with the DVD checks, and that kinda thing. Serial keys etc. But invasive DRM that punishes a consumer should not be there...
And the minimum amount of installs to cause a lockout is 5... bearing in mind that you can only play the game with the bloody DVD in the drive (i'd imagine), isn't that just slightly stupid? Whats the point of restricting future installs...
The whole thing is retarded, with regards to limited installs. Install it as much as you wan't, which isn't against the EULA. Most to tend to state you can only play it once at a time, which is what CD/DVD checks tend to do.
Thing is, most people are whining about future problems that are gonna happen if companies like Securom and Starforce continue to exist. Do you want to get to a stage where you got your single key, that had to be revoked... then have to call 4 different DRM companies, to get all the keys for the 10 games you've got installed when Windows shafts itself?
I bloody don't.
I personnaly check before buying a game if it uses a DRM, principaly starforce, wich is a real pain in the ass for the game appreciation imo.
If it use a DRM, i'll find a pirate version. If it doesnt (you'll find that some game compagny took the nice decision to stop using DRM on their games) then i buy it.
There's some game compagny out there that are totaly against DRM, like stardock (1st one that comes to my mind because they have been in a little mediatic war with starforce lately). Any games from stardock now comes w/o DRM, and w/o cd-check, you install the game, you store the cd in ur closet and you can play whenever you want. You just need to register into a 3rd party software with the cd-key to get access to the lastest patch/content. I think its how every games should work !
I've bought their lastest game Galactic civilization 2 just for the cause and encouraging those who makes games in the good way, i didnt even played the game yet lol
Why would i buy i game, then install it and look for a NO-CD crack on the net the second after ? My .02
None of those 'points' you've raised really apply to the Steam version anyway. If Valve go out of business in 10 years and I can't play Bioshock any more then who cares?
Valve has addressed this question a hundred times.
If they go out of business they will do a steam update that bypasses there authentication servers.
Then you could just get a gcf pack from somewhere like filefront.
However what people should be worried about is when securerom goes out of business.... There will be no way to activate the games.
The game itself looks awesome. Unfortunately, I don't want to install a game on my machine that comes with extra software, particularly if that software (like SecuROM) runs as a resident process. That's just a waste of my system resources all because other people might want to steal the game.
Unfortunately that makes me much less likely to play the game, because I won't steal it, but I won't buy it either because I don't want DRM infections.
DRM, rootkit, and spyware are three kinds of malware that make me shy away from use of any product that comes bundled with them. It's just sad that an otherwise potentially great game comes with this malware.