W-A-S-D: DRM Or No Game At All? Pick Your Poison

Nathan Grayson — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:43:47 -0500

So, Gears of War 2 isn't coming to the PC. Ever. Straight from Lead Game Designer CliffyB:

"Here's the problem right now; the person who is savvy enough to want to have a good PC to upgrade their video card, is a person who is savvy enough to know Bittorrent to know all the elements so they can pirate software. Therefore, high-end videogames are suffering very much on the PC."

"Right now, it makes sense for us to focus on Xbox 360 for a number of reasons. Not least PCs with multiple configurations and piracy."

And finally, when questioned about a PC port for our jump-suit clad selves of the future:

"No."

But along with giving me one extra reason to cry myself to sleep at night -- as well as driving a nice, fat stake into GFW's termite-infested coffin -- Bleszinski's comments raise an interesting question: What's worse? Tearing open a game box only to find the sour scent of DRM sulking its way into your nostrils, or never being given the chance to purchase (or "rent," for the more bitter among you) a game at all?

After all, PC gaming's most vocal masses thrust their picket signs toward the sky by not purchasing or playing DRM-ridden games. And, for many, DRM taints the gaming experience to which it's attached anyway, so why play something that only serves to send an army of cracks riveting through your dam on upsetting emotions? It would seem, then, that Gears of War 2's non-presence on the PC is akin keeping one's yap shut during a heated argument. No positive opinion, but nothing negative either.

Before I plunge into the meat of this argument, though, a quick review. Why do we hate DRM? Primarily, for two reasons: 1) It chains us to a slab of restrictions that could have ramifications on down the line. For instance, what happens if a publisher's bank account flatlines, and it's forced to finally push the big red, oh-so-tempting self-destruct button on its authentication servers? 2) DRM's existence is based on the assumption that we (presumably honest customers) are larcenous scoundrels who pilfer and subsequently abuse any product we happen to snatch from Bittorrent's illicit shelves. Guilty until proven innocent, etc.

Really though, after digging a few files out of your brain's "Common Sense" folder, it becomes apparent that most of the current ire over DRM stems from the second reason -- simply because those of us who are tech-savvy enough to even get a tiny vein throbbing in our foreheads over DRM are also tech-savvy enough to download a DRM crack with little to no hassle.

And so, Gears of War 2's plan to ~~begin~~ ~~finish~~ continue the fight only on Microsoft's curvaceous, big-in-Japan console is like the less relentlessly-hammered-into-our-minds portion of Minority Report. The part where people are tossed in the slammer (and also shaved bald, for some reason) with no margin for innocence -- where "guilty until proven innocent" is twisted into an instant and irrevocable lifetime sentence.

With Sp...the "S" word -- not to mention BioShock -- at least we were given a choice of whether or not to plunk our money down on a game. On top of that, EA and 2K's intentions were, while certainly money-driven, on some level, good. With Gears 2, however, Epic is raking its thumb across its neck -- damning us with no chance for a retrial.

We aren't even worthy of DRM.

And that, my friends, is one hell of a burn.

Dear Microsoft, it's Time to Ditch Fix Games for Windows Live

Will Smith — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:57:34 -0600

It's no big secret that Games for Windows Live sucks. While the name is comically bad, it's the most minor problem facing the fledgling service. It misses much of the mojo that makes Xbox Live for the...um... Xbox awesome. Once you're in an actual Games for Windows Live-compatible game, it works OK, but even starting a game and getting connected to Live can be a big problem.

1. Fix the Friends List Problem

If Microsoft is serious about helping PC gaming, Microsoft has to get on the stick and, at bare minimum, bring Games for Windows Live to the same level as the Xbox version. That means we need an always-on application that monitors our friends list and lets our pals send us game invites while we aren't necessarily playing one of the few games that actually supports Live. Creating this app should be Microsoft's number 1 priority.

2. PC Gamers Demand Dedicated Servers

Shared listen servers may be acceptable for console gamers, but PC gamers demand the better connection that only a dedicated server can provide. While Games for Windows Live includes some support for dedicated servers, games played on dedicated servers don't contribute to your achievements or ranking online. That's just unacceptable. A killer online service for the PC must include fully-fledged support for dedicated servers. Hell, making this work would be of huge benefit to PC and Xbox customers--with dedicated servers, Team Fortress 2 would have stood a chance on Xbox 360.

3. Live for the PC is Generally Wonky

Games for Windows Live is plagued with connection problems, odd error messages, tricky-to-install updates, and a host of other problems make GfW Live more frustrating than fun. Some games suffered from epic matchmaking queues. Some seem to work, but never connect. Some rigs won't connect on the same network that work perfectly with an Xbox. Sure, once the connection is working, it's great. Until then, it's frustrating as hell.

4. Where's Live Marketplace?

Call me a whore for commerce, but I actually like Xbox Live Marketplace. It's really swell to be able to go out and purchase games, movies, and TV shows for play on my Xbox then download them on the spot. While there's a lot of crap on the service--I'm looking at you, card game genre--there are some legitimately wonderful games available or soon to be available for download. With downloadable demo version of every single game, Marketplace is a no-brainer. Why isn't there a PC version? Hell, we don't even mind converting our perfectly fungible US tender into goofy Microsoft 'points' in order to make purchases on Live Marketplace.

5. Why Am I Paying for This?

As of my last count, there are precisely seven games that support online play using Games for Windows Live. Seven. For the privilege of playing Halo 2, Shadowrun, Gears of War, Viva Pinata, Juiced 2, Kane & Lynch, and Universe at War online with my friends, I have to pay $60 a year. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problem paying for Live as an Xbox owner. I have tons of games to play, and I like that people actually have something to lose by being asshats. But, the value proposition for Live for Windows is out of whack if you don't own an Xbox, and the arbitrary limitations that Microsoft has imposed on free Games for Windows Live accounts (you can't use your friends list for matchmaking, can only play in random matchmaking games, and can't collect multiplayer achievements) don't make much sense.

The good news is that there's an easy fix for Games for Windows Live's woes...

The Future is Steam Powered

This is where I talk about Steam. Steam does everything that Games for Windows Live does, minus the Xbox Live integration (and really, do we want to play PC games with console weenies?). Steam offers the same voice chat and matchmaking that GfW Live does, but ups the ante with so much more! I'm going to break it down feature by feature:

1. Steam Includes an Always-On Universal Friends List

This seems like a simple thing, but Microsoft hasn't been able to deliver it since GfWL launched in June of last year. The lightweight Steam app lies nestled snugly in my system tray, notifying me of friend's game invites, scheduled events, or questions from folks who are in-game. When I launch a game in Steam (even the ones not published by Valve), I simply press Shift+Tab and much of Steam's functionality is available in an overlay. This is how a friends list should work.

2. Steam Makes Being a PC Gamer Easier

The worst part of playing PC games online is the constant patching. Updating a game like Call of Duty or Company of Heroes is a constant, never-ending affair, filled with confusion and heartbreak. Steam automatically patches games you purchase through the service, in much the same way that Xbox Live automatically patches Xbox games when you first load them. The other glorious thing about Steam is that games you purchase using the service don't include intrusive copy-protection software or CD-checks that frequently fail to work. You buy your game, you download it, and it simply works.

3. Dedicated Server Support

In your Steam client, you'll see a handy little tab. It's called Tools, but it's really the home for Dedicated servers. You can download and install the dedicated server client for many games straight from the Steam client. Additionally, Valve's made good tools to keep dedicated servers up to date with the latest patches. Since most home users Internet connection can't deliver as much bandwidth as a game server demands, there are also third-party dedicated hosts, who you (and your friends) can pay to host servers for you.

4. Clan-Management Functionality

This seems relatively minor, but to people who are serious about competitve team-based games, its vital. Giving users the ability to form and manage clans (Valve calls them "Groups") kicks ass. Not only does Steam's Group feature offer roster management, it also gives you the ability to schedule events, denote the server your event will be on, join any of your clanmates in games, and even participate in clan-only chat. The conveniences Steam offers to competitive players are far superior to both Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live. The only thing that comes close is Xfire. (Feel free to join the Maximum PC Steam group if you're interested!)

5. Steam is available today

This is the best part. Steam is available right now, and it's free to anyone. If you want to start using the friends list, all you need are some games you've purchased from Steam and some friends. When Games for Windows gets its ducks in a row, I'll play games with my Xbox brethren. Until then, I'll be playing some Team Fortress 2 on Steam.

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