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Many of you may be of the opinion that the only good DRM is no DRM, but Sega’s take on the tech world’s most reviled acronym is definitely a step in the right direction.
Here’s how it works: super-spy RPG Alpha Protocol will require an online connection precisely one time for an initial activation – after which, you can play the game on a boat, in a moat, in a box, with a fox, or in other less Suess-inspired locales. Better still, for those stranded on desert islands or other areas that have somehow avoided the Internet’s dominion, there’s an official workaround. The only drawback? Installs are limited. However, deactivating installs will be as painless as possible.
Here’s the kicker, though: Sega’s guaranteed that it’ll release a patch that removes the DRM entirely within 18-24 months. In other words, if Sega’s servers ever kick the bucket, Alpha Protocol will still be alive and kicking. Other game publishers have implied that they’ll employ a similar strategy, sure, but Sega’s the first to look us in the eyes and actually promise it.
It’s not ideal, obviously, but we can live with it. Now, we promised ourselves we wouldn’t beat a dead horse by rambling on about a certain other type of DRM that’s been flooding the news streams lately, so we’re going to be as subtle as possible about it. UBISOFT SHOULD DO THIS. Now then, honest opinion: is that too subtle? Should we maybe add some neon lights?
Comments are closed on this article
aviaggio
May 05, 2010 at 5:39pm
What if they decide to NOT remove the DRM two years later? What recourse do we have? NONE.
So they sell the game based upon the idea the DRM will be removed at some point and then when the time comes they announce they've changed their minds.
Sorry, but I simply don't trust any company that makes future promises like this.
snapple00
May 05, 2010 at 8:28pm
Haha. It's just a game man.
It sounds like gaming is more of a way of life for you if you are having trust issues with a company.
hades_2100
May 05, 2010 at 4:01pm
This is how Bioshock worked. You had a fixed number of activations. If you uninstalled, you got the activation back.
So what's the big deal?
Zallomallo
May 05, 2010 at 1:27pm
My ideal DRM would be either no cd or no internet. If you do not have the CD then a one-time internet check is used on startup. If the CD is there then no problems. Also make it minimal CD checking, not auditing your PC processes for iso stuff.
I mean really the best way to stop piracy is not to cripple videogames, it's to go after distribution. What they are doing with taking down websites is great. This way the source of torrenting is taken down, not game quality, or that 60-year-old man who downloaded twelve songs off the internet.
Just my 2 cents.
omen3330
May 11, 2010 at 1:30pm
I completely agree with your method. I also feel that the developer should offer incentives for registering your game like the Cerberus network in ME2. Sometimes I forget to take a disk to a LAN or just don't feel like poping one in.
Elric
May 05, 2010 at 10:49am
This might be one case where the DRM is actually better than the game. :)
Some of the trailers for this game have me wondering just how bad it's going to be but another part of me wants to buy it just to say "I support SANE DRM".
HeartBurnKid
May 05, 2010 at 8:48am
That depends... does it install malware that usurps your CD-ROM drivers and bitches about .iso mounting tools (i.e. SecuROM)?
Chef098
May 05, 2010 at 8:35am
This has already been done... Battlefield Bad Company 2 had the same DRM structure. Are we patting sega's back for coming up with this idea or not going down the Ubisoft Assassins Creed 2 DRM death grip?
IFLATLINEI
May 05, 2010 at 5:45am
This is how it should be done. We all want our favorite developers to protect their work but not at the expense of the people using it. We should never have to even think about it. This is a great solution . Now theres only one thing left. Make sure the game is still playable online with friends when the servers get taken offline. This can be done with some dedicated server software gamers can run on their own extra PC's
isamuelson
May 05, 2010 at 5:19am
This is exactly what Ubisoft should have done.
Excellent job. It's non-intrusive and it also takes into account two very important factors:
- Those who don't have internet access although limited installs still suck, but at least you have the ability to install it. This is kind of like how Battlefield: Bad Company 2 works. You could install it and use CD check with unlimited installs or else, install with no cd check but with 10 installs.
- They promise to remove the DRM 18-24 months later. This is what 2k did with the first BioShock.
I sure hope other companies follow this approach because I will purchase their software with this kind of DRM.
ShadowDragoonFTW
May 05, 2010 at 3:23am
If you ask me, this is a MUCH better solution. I think it's downright perfect (or as close to perfection as the video game industry will ever get). Simple, intuitive, and not overbearing.
festiva_man
May 05, 2010 at 3:00am
I really appreciate this kind of thinking. They know that they can't beat pirates and they only hurt consumers using intrusive DRM. Go Sega. Now, make another damn console. Dreamcast was superior and so was the genesis. You guys rock.
skiwolf7
May 05, 2010 at 2:39am
You should've added the neon lights. That was way to subtle for the idiots at Ubisoft to actually catch it.
