Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
DRM has been such a hassle in computer games that a lot of people went and downloaded them just to get them without DRM. So what did DRM do in case of a lot of computer games? It just caused people to download them when they would have paid otherwise.
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It also is pushing the game developers to find new ways to enforce the DRM.
Two key examples are XBox Live and Valve's Steam. Both systems "phone home" to ensure that the game is a legit copy. If the account is invalid or the game is tampered with (in a manner detectable by the system), the player is typically barred from services such as online play.
Also, aren't major developers like EA still using DRM? Isn't Wiiware locked to the Wii device itself? Doesn't Apple require DRM for anything sold through its App Stores? The characterization that the game biz has abandoned DRM doesn't sound accurate.
Last but not least, I still have serious doubts that the majority of infringement is because of allergic reactions to DRM (and/or availability issues). Offer your stuff without DRM and/or at a low price, and it'll still be on Pirate Bay within a week of release -- that is, if people are remotely interested in that content. I have no doubt that
some people do this, they are just overwhelmed by people who, for whatever reason(s), don't want to pay.