Is EA's SecuRom/DRM really that bad?

[Kraco]

Sounds like someone's mad they can't burn their hentai any more.

Joking aside, you can't blame them all that much. .... atleast upwards of 40% of the people who're playing those new games/releases have it pirated.

It's quite ironic then that those 40% with illegal copies can use their computers normally while those who bought their games legally are punished for it, and can't anymore use their CD/DVD writers. You know, you can't anymore even buy a computer without a burner drive unless you assemble the computer by yourself and purposefully get a read only drive.

Doesn't sound like the most ingenious ever marketing plan.

[David Craft]

Sounds like someone's mad they can't burn their hentai any more.

Joking aside, you can't blame them all that much. Publishing and developing a game for the PC has huge piracy risks. They'd make way more money on the console versions, which is the way you see the industry moving. I'd imagine for PC games, atleast upwards of 40% of the people who're playing those new games/releases have it pirated.

rofl, yar... well THATS IMPORTANT ya know?


But no SERIOUSLY, I understand the situation. As I said I AM a software developer. I work for a small company but even we have to deal with these kinds of things. I do get pissed when some one uses my work I have spent countless hours working on without paying for it.
That being said, what they are doing is NOT the answer. The fact that Spore, one of the worst DRM protected games, is also the most pirated games PROVES this. Pissing off your real customers is only going to make them rebel. These companies need to find better alternatives. A big one is online material. Take StarCraft (the original) for example... That damn game STILL sells copies in stores, and its 10 years old. Sure you go pirate it but if you want to play online, well you have to have a valid key. This is a 10 year old strategy that's still working.

~Davud

[Xelbair]

Starcraft is working only thanks to the Korea, and you can play on ICCup without proper key.

I agree with you, if i can afford program/game i buy it, but sometimes companies forces me to get pirated version - for example spore - because of securom or other protections(anyone remember Starforce? i could not play legal games on that).
Not always protection is good idea - Bethesda haven't protected Oblivion, and it sold really well.

I also don't agree with animus, pc is pirated, and xbox360/ps2/psx/any other console than ps3 is not? The only platform that is not cracked is ps3, that is one of reasons that i choose to bought it, compared to xbox360.

I can't say i don't use pirated software, but if i can use legal ones i do(i have got Openoffice, AVG and gimp instead of Office, paid anti virus, photoshop). There are only 2 cases in which i regularly use pirated software, 3d Studio Max and Autocad. I love 3d graphics and i can't model without most of 3ds functions, and autocad helps with 3d and it also helps with geometry at school, thanks to this i could model, using paper, a whole castle using primitives.

[animus]

Starcraft is working only thanks to the Korea, and you can play on ICCup without proper key.

I agree with you, if i can afford program/game i buy it, but sometimes companies forces me to get pirated version - for example spore - because of securom or other protections(anyone remember Starforce? i could not play legal games on that).
Not always protection is good idea - Bethesda haven't protected Oblivion, and it sold really well.

I also don't agree with animus, pc is pirated, and xbox360/ps2/psx/any other console than ps3 is not? The only platform that is not cracked is ps3, that is one of reasons that i choose to bought it, compared to xbox360.

I can't say i don't use pirated software, but if i can use legal ones i do(i have got Openoffice, AVG and gimp instead of Office, paid anti virus, photoshop). There are only 2 cases in which i regularly use pirated software, 3d Studio Max and Autocad. I love 3d graphics and i can't model without most of 3ds functions, and autocad helps with 3d and it also helps with geometry at school, thanks to this i could model, using paper, a whole castle using primitives.

I didnt say those consoles aren't moddable, I was only talking about the PC. The amount of people that have a modded 360 compared to those playing pirated PC games are vastly different. Only a rare, I'd guess 3-5% even have a modded 360.

[Xelbair]

It depends on country, for example here, in poland, games are really expansive(typical earnings 2000 PLN, one console game 200 PLN, oh and half of those 2k PLN goes as taxes) a lot of people have modded consoles.

[Buffalobiian]

Well, this was interesting. I put Fallout 3 into my DVD drive, and it autobooted. I cancelled it, then ran the Setup.exe directly. (This step was recommended by Besthesda if you encountered Securom problems while installing). Then I renamed Fallout3Launcher.exe with .old on the end, then downloaded the craced version from gamecopyworld. Note that fallout3Launcher.exe has been run from the DVD, but not ONCE since being installed. After that I applied the patch to 1.0.0.15, which yielded this message:

"Fallout3Launcher.exe doesn't match the original file. The file has not been replaced."

Good, I thought. So I've been playing the game for a few days without the disc. Ever.

Today, I decided to run a little check, and guess what I found: (click to enlarge)



So despite the crack, Securom is in fact on my computer. I ran a full computer scan, and the result was this:

[13:33:01 PM] SafeDisc 4.81.000 detected -> C:\Program Files\Activision\Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare\iw3sp.exe
[13:34:29 PM] SecuROM 7.00.00.0022 detected -> C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3\FalloutLauncher.exe
[13:37:13 PM] SafeDisc 2.80.010 detected -> C:\Program Files\EA Games\Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2\dinocd_nfshp2_242\nfshp2.exe
[13:37:19 PM] SafeDisc 2.80.010 detected -> C:\Program Files\EA Games\Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2\NFSHP2.exe
[13:38:48 PM] SafeDisc 2.70.030 detected -> C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\halo.exe
[13:42:55 PM] SecuROM 7.00.00.0268 detected -> C:\Program Files\Sierra\FEAR\FEAR.exe
[13:42:57 PM] SecuROM 7.00.00.0026 detected -> C:\Program Files\Sierra\FEAR\FEARMP.exe

Basically, older and less intrusive protection were on my computer since yonks back, which probably explains the registry keys. Note there isn't the "DO NOT MODIFY THESE REGISTRY ENTRIES" messages in the regedit window, indicating that those older games didn't have install limits, or aggressive key detection.

Also, the version of Securom that comes with Fallout 3 is 7.36.0006, not 7.00.00.0022, so there's really no problem.

Just interesting that albeit a benign version, the no-DVD crack still contains SecuROM.

Note that Halo, which is also NO-CD cracked, still contains SafeDisc.

Anyone else have anything funny like this?

[Animeniax]

Good stuff, Buff. I'm going to run that utility on my PC and see what it finds. I know versions of SecuROM were installed with my installations of Bioshock, FEAR, and CoD4. Like you said, they all had the non-invasive versions, unlike newer games with limited online activations.

[Buffalobiian]

One problem I see with that program is that it only seems to scan the .exe files, so I have my doubts on whether it will pick up the remnants of the bitchy SecuROM after you uninstall games like Mass Effect or Dead Space.

I know there's an official uninstaller for SecuROM on the official website, and I think it gets rid of everything except the reg keys. They stay.

[Buffalobiian]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 DRM explained

DICE's lead programmer, Mikael Kalms, has explained the DRM system that will be put in place for the final and beta versions of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on PC, revealing that the game will make use of the controversial SecuROM DRM.

"The version which we use is a wrapper around the main game executable," Kalms wrote on the official Battlefield blog. He then promised that the entire DRM package will therefore be uninstalled when the game is and that it only runs when the game does.

For the actual mechanics of verification DICE has provided players with two options; one online, one offline.

The offline authentication is intended for those who don't have an internet connection or who aren't comfortable with the idea of an install limit and is a basic disc check system that requires the CD to be in the drive whenever the game is run.

The online option means you only need the disc to install the game, but limits you to only ten concurrent installs. Install credits are automatically refunded, so to speak, whenever the game is uninstalled - though you'll need to be online for both the installation and uninstallation. The online authentication only needs to run once though, then you can run the game for 10,000 days (27 years) before being forced to authenticate again.

A version of the SecuROM DRM will also be applied to the closed beta, which is only available to those who have pre-ordered the game. The beta is set to start on January 28th, while the full game ships on March 2nd.

source: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/...rm-explained/1

I'm pretty pleased with how DRM was handled this time round, providing it does exactly what Kalms says it does and nothing more.

10 install limit and what not is pretty lenient in comparison to how things were before. My main issues with SecuROM were its ability to imbed into your system and the potential to brick your optical drive. It seems to suggest that the former case won't be a problem anymore.

[darkshadow]

That is indeed a pretty good way of implementing it, I hope they do this on future titles.

[animus]

I was listening to GameTrailer's podcast titled Epic Battle Axe ep 68 and they had a section on Ubisoft's uber fail DRM for Assassin's Creed 2. It was quite interesting considering there was ONLY online authentication.

They had a server crash and chalked it up to hackers invading their servers and nobody could play the game and people were infuriated. Not to mention also, they said that even the slightest internet hiccup on the player's connection could end up in an instant return to the game's main menu and if you haven't saved your SOL.

[darkshadow]

They actually patched it so that if you got disconnected it would save at the exact same spot you were dc'd, so after the connection comes back on you can continue.

But still, this is the biggest bullshit protection ever.

[Votkrath]

I think SecuRom is pretty useless/unnecessary since they won't benefit from it with the money they put into this.

From a personal point of view I've only had problems with it, nothing good have come out of it.

So in other words they make the time it takes to pirate it and make it working about 10mins longer if even that but makes the experience worse for the people who have actually bought the game, so is it actually worth it? They seem to think so at least.

That's at least what I think based on personal experience.

[KrayZ33]

there is no working crack for Assassin Creed 2 yet (at least no one with working missions etc)


it works because the DVDs don''t have all the necessary data on it.
so even if you crack the DVD, u won't be able to play the game.

You need files from the servers to trigger scripts/events etc.

so unless someone knows exactly *what* files are missing and how *many* files are needed, there won't be a way to crack it.

[Buffalobiian]

I was listening to GameTrailer's podcast titled Epic Battle Axe ep 68 and they had a section on Ubisoft's uber fail DRM for Assassin's Creed 2. It was quite interesting considering there was ONLY online authentication.

But still, this is the biggest bullshit protection ever.

I think SecuRom is pretty useless/unnecessary since they won't benefit from it with the money they put into this.

there is no working crack for Assassin Creed 2 yet (at least no one with working missions etc)

Why UbiSoft's DRM was great


Nicely written article that holds some truth.

[Kraco]

Why UbiSoft's DRM was great


Nicely written article that holds some truth.

And that’s what matters. See, what you have to understand here is that the DRM isn’t for you – it’s for Ubisoft.

lolwut? I'm sure there are lots of people out there that buy games without even knowing most of them employ some sort of DRM but not one percent of those who do know what the DRM is can be thinking it's for the sake of the customers.

[darkshadow]

Even though I've been playing, and highly enjoying, assassin's creed 2 without any issues with the DRM, I still think it's a totally shitty way of implementing it.

Plus it's a short lived victory at best, since now that it's cracked, other titles will be cracked much much faster.

I hope they follow DICE's way of doing DRM in the future, that's the only one that is acceptable.

[Buffalobiian]

I hope they follow DICE's way of doing DRM in the future, that's the only one that is acceptable.

What way's that? I consider the Steam DRM model pretty acceptable, even if it means I HAVE to have a working internet.

[darkshadow]

Uhm you posted about it yourself buff ;P

http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread...4&postcount=69