STUDY SHOWS: Ditching DRM could reduce piracy, prices

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Baen is probably the most used example of "getting it right", because they simply are.

In the videogame world, GOG.com are the new golden standard of DRM free done right. Only a small number of their games are free, but the complete lack of DRM, the full Windows 7 compatibility of games that were initially made for Windows 98, and the fact they actually do nice things for their customers, has made that site a roaring success since they opened about a year ago.

They recently reached 6,000,000 unique downloads and elebrated by giving their entire current catalog of games for free to the person that made that download. The rest of us got a free game that would normally be $9.99 (their highest price point).

GOG.com have very loyal fans.

[sabredog]

I have just become one, having purchased two games on my son in laws recommendation

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

My fault. My apologies.

I have this weird compulsion to bring up video games everywhere I go, no matter what the conversation initially was about. Though my doctor did say that once the adjusted dosage starts having an effect, I'll eventually be able to have conversations about other things as well.

lol so do i. i've been a gamer for 25 years and that industry has many of the same issues that we're experiencing with ebooks, sometimes even moreso.

i'm sure you're familiar with drm in the form of needing a persistant online connection in order to even play your game.

to translate that to ebooks that would be like needing your ereader online at all times. if your internet connection goes down you would be unable to read the book you paid for.

yup, thats the gaming industries genius idea for drm. of course those with cracked/pirated copies face no such restrictions and are playing away while legitimate customers are stuck with a coaster....unless they get fed up, hit the interwebs and become "part of the problem". which many do. so much of the piracy in the game industry is a drm inflicted self-fulfilling prophecy.

it may seem like apples and oranges but the two industries are very similar.

[Halo]

Whenever I think of DRM I'm reminded of the attached image. I know it deals with DVDs, but the idea is the same. Pirates often get a much better customer experience than honest paying customers. That's a shame.

I definitely "vote with my wallet" and purchase only DRM-free books. I'm glad to see some studies that are revealing how bad for business DRM can be. The music industry finally got it. I guess the movie and book industries will need to learn the lesson independently.

[Halo]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i'm sure you're familiar with drm in the form of needing a persistant online connection in order to even play your game.

Yes, that's a terrible idea. It's the reason I haven't purchased StarCraft II and won't buy Diablo 3, even though I've purchased the predecessors to those games. I will spend my money on other entertainment.

I remember reading in the news last year when some company that had this same form of DRM had their activation servers crash and were down all weekend and several days into the week. The people that paid for the game were not able to play it. It's very anti-customer.

The smart companies will begin to look at a lack of DRM as a competitive advantage. They need to find a way to clearly market the convenience of not having a product restricted after the sale.

[ScalyFreak]

I love that image! I am so stealing that for my next blog argument against DRM!

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Halo

I remember reading in the news last year when some company that had this same form of DRM had their activation servers crash and were down all weekend and several days into the week. The people that paid for the game were not able to play it. It's very anti-customer.

Assassins' Creed 2. Huge PR backlash for Ubisoft, and a well deserved one.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by Halo

Whenever I think of DRM I'm reminded of the attached image. I know it deals with DVDs, but the idea is the same. Pirates often get a much better customer experience than honest paying customers. That's a shame.

I definitely "vote with my wallet" and purchase only DRM-free books. I'm glad to see some studies that are revealing how bad for business DRM can be. The music industry finally got it. I guess the movie and book industries will need to learn the lesson independently.

One of the reasons I have AVI files for DVD's and blu-rays we own. we have a very efficient media server.

Good thing is the latest trend are triple play releases where you get the blu-ray, DVD and the AVI in one package.

Back to ebooks. I have been enjoying a swath of indie SF ebooks of late and they have all been excellent reads. No bloody DRM on any of 'em!

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Assassins' Creed 2. Huge PR backlash for Ubisoft, and a well deserved one.

not too long ago there was a case where EA used drm to keep a player from playing dragon age 2 because the guy badmouthed them on the games message boards. they literally blocked a guy from a game he dropped $60 on because he hurt their feelings.

"A player is unable to install Dragon Age following a temporary ban from the BioWare community forums.

User v_ware claims he was banned for asking if Bioware had 'sold their souls to the EA devil'. The ban then locked him out of the Bioware Social Network, blocking him from being able to play Dragon Age 2. A Bioware Social Network account is required to install copies of the game from the EA Store."


http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/...age-2-player/1

and of course theres the famous amazon removal of copies of 1984 that customers paid for.

[TheSFReader]

Thanks for the answer, FBone and kennyC.

Nonetheless, the "language" of the 2005 decision doesn't equate the "acts" of unlawful copying to that of theft, but their unlawfulness.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by frahse

Your argument that people do bad things, doesn't mean that we should legalize bad things. That argument is specious at best. I am surprised that you use it.

That's a simplistic and incorrect way of putting it.

Legalising gun ownership isn't the same as legalising murder.

I hope you see the point.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

That's a simplistic and incorrect way of putting it.

Legalising gun ownership isn't the same as legalising murder.

I hope you see the point.

Uh oh......

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

not too long ago there was a case where EA used drm to keep a player from playing dragon age 2 because the guy badmouthed them on the games message boards. they literally blocked a guy from a game he dropped $60 on because he hurt their feelings.

"A player is unable to install Dragon Age following a temporary ban from the BioWare community forums.

User v_ware claims he was banned for asking if Bioware had 'sold their souls to the EA devil'. The ban then locked him out of the Bioware Social Network, blocking him from being able to play Dragon Age 2. A Bioware Social Network account is required to install copies of the game from the EA Store."


http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/...age-2-player/1

and of course theres the famous amazon removal of copies of 1984 that customers paid for.

So always buy games like that on a credit card, so you can charge it back when they do stupid things?

[frahse]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

That's a simplistic and incorrect way of putting it.

Legalising gun ownership isn't the same as legalising murder.

I hope you see the point.

No.

You are conflating two issues that you brought up for some reason.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by frahse

No.

You are conflating two issues that you brought up for some reason.

Okay, you don't get it. Maybe if you gave it some time and careful thought...