Mass Effect for PC: Why do people hate DRM?

Iria · May 12, 2008, 04:18 AM

Bioware's highly acclaimed and formerly XBox 360 exclusive RPG Mass Effect is fast approaching its release on the PC. Most PC gamers were undoubtedly pleased to hear about enhanced graphics, faster load times, and a re-designed menu system; but it's likely that fewer were happy to hear about the evil digital rights management that will be unscrupulously bundled with the game.
________
Source: GameCritics.com

SFOSOK · May 12, 2008, 05:56 AM

That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have read in a long time.

Lowfat · May 12, 2008, 09:07 AM

Any anti-piracy doesn't bother me one bit. I've never had a problem with it before.

BlueMak · May 12, 2008, 10:03 AM

The guy owns 30 games in total for about 2 years of PC gamer he is. He should really stfu about people complaining for hardware problems with DRM.
Just because he didn't have problems in the huge 2 years he is a fanatic PC gamer as he is with I am sure the thousands of new PCs, it doesn't mean that other wanna be pirates don't have conflicts.
I wonder if this guy is getting paid by any companies or he is naturaly a d**k.

Quack.

ET3D · May 12, 2008, 11:35 AM

When I buy a game, I do want to feel I own it. I want to be able to lend it to people, like I lend my books or DVD's. Why shouldn't I be able to do that?

**dj_stick** · May 12, 2008, 02:02 PM

soon games will probably start using dongle protection like many "pro" apps....

Vikingod · May 12, 2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_stick

soon games will probably start using dongle protection like many "pro" apps....

I doubt that, but I do see services like Steam becoming increasingly popular as an anti-piracy measure.

Tril · May 12, 2008, 06:03 PM

Personally I don't care much as long as it does not inconvenience me.

For example, I don't like how it's done in Bioshock. During the installation, it tries to download a patch for the game directly from the servers of the company and if it does not succeed in downloading the patch, the installation is aborted.

I tried to get this game working on linux with Wine, just to test its compatibility. I could not even go past the installation because the patch downloading failed. That's not too bad because it's meant to be played on Windows so I can't blame the company if it does not work on linux.

What worries me is that in a few years or maybe much later, I might want to play again and if the server to download the patch no longer exists, I won't be able to install the patch.

I don't think DRM in games does much to prevent piracy. The big players in the hacking and releasing of pirated games will always succeed in bypassing the anti-piracy protections.

BlueMak · May 12, 2008, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tril

I don't think DRM in games does much to prevent piracy. The big players in the hacking and releasing of pirated games will always succeed in bypassing the anti-piracy protections.

That's the thing, no matter what, unless we are talking about web based games (some www-MMOs and games like WoW and Eve), you can always find a pirated/warez/whatever version of any new game, no matter what the DRM it has. DRM only greatly helps the people that sell DRM to the game companies. If anyone wants to not buy a game, he/she can always find a copy online or offline. It's very very easy. The only people affected by this in a negative way are the paying customers who get the....and at a lesser degree the game companies.
People who are unwilling to pay for a game, it doesn't matter if the game is 40, 30 or 20 euros. They will not buy it.
DRM can cause otherwise gamers that do pay for their games, to not buy them perhaps even use a pirate copy. And yes, I can say that from experience from people I know.

Unless of course the companies want mainstream PC gaming to collapse for the favour of consoles.

calidan · May 13, 2008, 01:01 AM

The DRM for Mass Effect has changed. You are only going to have to activate it once after install now. It won't check every 10 days but you still only have a total of 3 activations though.

BioWare listens, SecuROM changed for Mass Effect

BlueMak · May 13, 2008, 01:39 AM

Slightly better, but still shit.

(I have no interest in the game since I have it on the 360, but still...)

calidan · May 13, 2008, 01:57 AM

I preordered it on Amazon and saved 10 bucks. So I am getting it for 39.99 exactly. No tax and no shipping. I would like to buy it through Steam but I don't know if it's going to be released through them.

Markius · May 13, 2008, 03:20 AM

im all for copy protection, a company should try to protect its product from theft...BUT the 3 activations? thats straight up retarded. What about the people who format their rigs all the time?

Tril · May 13, 2008, 06:12 AM

I did not read about it but it's probably similar to Bioshock. You have three separates installs that you can use. When you uninstall, it gives one back. That means you can reinstall it as many times as you like as long as you uninstall it.

SFOSOK · May 13, 2008, 08:46 AM

Thank the lord, don't know why they would consider that heavy DRM in the first place.

Probably to see how many fans they could piss off or test the waters before release.

BlueMak · May 13, 2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tril

I did not read about it but it's probably similar to Bioshock. You have three separates installs that you can use. When you uninstall, it gives one back. That means you can reinstall it as many times as you like as long as you uninstall it.

Even if it is true, I don't seen how it is much better in the long run.

May 12, 2008, 04:18 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Mass Effect for PC: Why do people hate DRM? Bioware's highly acclaimed and formerly XBox 360 exclusive RPG Mass Effect is fast approaching its release on the PC. Most PC gamers were undoubtedly pleased to hear about enhanced graphics, faster load times, and a re-designed menu system; but it's likely that fewer were happy to hear about the evil digital rights management that will be unscrupulously bundled with the game. ________ Source: GameCritics.com

May 12, 2008, 05:56 AM	#2
SFOSOK 939 Goin Strong Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ontario Posts: 7,033 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have read in a long time. __________________ Warning - Explicit Content Preceeding METAL!!

May 12, 2008, 09:07 AM	#3
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	Any anti-piracy doesn't bother me one bit. I've never had a problem with it before. __________________

May 12, 2008, 10:03 AM	#4
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,465 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	The guy owns 30 games in total for about 2 years of PC gamer he is. He should really stfu about people complaining for hardware problems with DRM. Just because he didn't have problems in the huge 2 years he is a fanatic PC gamer as he is with I am sure the thousands of new PCs, it doesn't mean that other wanna be pirates don't have conflicts. I wonder if this guy is getting paid by any companies or he is naturaly a dk. Quack. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.**

May 13, 2008, 01:01 AM	#10
calidan Frozen in Carbonite Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 1,409 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	The DRM for Mass Effect has changed. You are only going to have to activate it once after install now. It won't check every 10 days but you still only have a total of 3 activations though. BioWare listens, SecuROM changed for Mass Effect __________________ Steam Community :: ID :: calidan "Don't try to be like Jackie. There is only one Jackie.... Study computers instead." - Jackie Chan

May 12, 2008, 11:35 AM	#5
ET3D Hopeless Dreamer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dreamland, near the pool of infinite graphics cards Posts: 3,057 Rep Power: 105 System Specs	When I buy a game, I do want to feel I own it. I want to be able to lend it to people, like I lend my books or DVD's. Why shouldn't I be able to do that?

May 12, 2008, 06:03 PM	#8
Tril S-3D enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,676 Rep Power: 64 System Specs	Personally I don't care much as long as it does not inconvenience me. For example, I don't like how it's done in Bioshock. During the installation, it tries to download a patch for the game directly from the servers of the company and if it does not succeed in downloading the patch, the installation is aborted. I tried to get this game working on linux with Wine, just to test its compatibility. I could not even go past the installation because the patch downloading failed. That's not too bad because it's meant to be played on Windows so I can't blame the company if it does not work on linux. What worries me is that in a few years or maybe much later, I might want to play again and if the server to download the patch no longer exists, I won't be able to install the patch. I don't think DRM in games does much to prevent piracy. The big players in the hacking and releasing of pirated games will always succeed in bypassing the anti-piracy protections.

May 13, 2008, 01:39 AM	#11
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,465 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	Slightly better, but still shit. (I have no interest in the game since I have it on the 360, but still...) __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

May 13, 2008, 01:57 AM	#12
calidan Frozen in Carbonite Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 1,409 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I preordered it on Amazon and saved 10 bucks. So I am getting it for 39.99 exactly. No tax and no shipping. I would like to buy it through Steam but I don't know if it's going to be released through them. __________________ Steam Community :: ID :: calidan "Don't try to be like Jackie. There is only one Jackie.... Study computers instead." - Jackie Chan

May 13, 2008, 03:20 AM	#13
Markius DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 2,350 Rep Power: 0	im all for copy protection, a company should try to protect its product from theft...BUT the 3 activations? thats straight up retarded. What about the people who format their rigs all the time? __________________ DriverHeavens Aussie... "Lifes tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late"

May 13, 2008, 06:12 AM	#14
Tril S-3D enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,676 Rep Power: 64 System Specs	I did not read about it but it's probably similar to Bioshock. You have three separates installs that you can use. When you uninstall, it gives one back. That means you can reinstall it as many times as you like as long as you uninstall it.

May 13, 2008, 08:46 AM	#15
SFOSOK 939 Goin Strong Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ontario Posts: 7,033 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	Thank the lord, don't know why they would consider that heavy DRM in the first place. Probably to see how many fans they could piss off or test the waters before release. __________________ Warning - Explicit Content Preceeding METAL!!