Latest Ubisoft DRM measure - all SP saves stored on a cloud server - by EvaUnit02
lost_soul on 25/2/2010 at 03:31
Quote Posted by Renzatic
Hyperbole helps no one, man.
See, DRM by its definition, is simply a ham-fisted attempt to stop piracy and help make these development houses (and publishers obviously) some well deserved cash. The end result might end up with a bunch of people being screwed, but the intent is just to protect their investment. Simple as that.
So, what about those companies that use DRM to attack the used market? Does that seem right? Or what about the companies that use it to screw over disabled people?
(
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/amazon-backs-off-text-to-speech-feature-in-kindle/)
Also, have a look at this:
(
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/13980.cfm)
They're using DRM to attack consumer rights in an entirely new way! :)
Jason Moyer on 25/2/2010 at 03:34
Quote Posted by Ostriig
Thanks! So it still uses a virtual drive of sorts, it's just that it's hidden from you.
It's also constantly updated so that games which block virtual drives typically work.
lost_soul on 25/2/2010 at 03:48
Funny you mention that. I've been reading reviews on Amazon before and I've seen similar complaints from people who said they were stationed in Iraq.
Namdrol on 25/2/2010 at 05:59
Quote Posted by lost_soul
So, what about those companies that use DRM to attack the used market?
Actually, I'd say from reading around, that the used market is becoming the primary target of all this current DRM.
To quote (
http://www.mcvuk.com/features/595/No-stone-unturned) Ian Livingstone, titular head of Eidos (whatever that means now) -
Quote:
What do you make of the rise of pre-owned at companies such as GAME?You can’t exactly claim that the practice is good for either publishers or developers. Development costs continue to rise and content creators need to benefit from the sales of their goods wherever they occur.
If no revenue share is offered by retail on sales of pre-owned titles to developers or publishers, these content owners will develop creative online ways to ensure consumers retain ownership of their video games.
In the short term this might be authorisation codes, identification codes or essential online data necessary to play. In the long term, there will be less boxed products.
Pretty much laying it out right there.
lost_soul on 25/2/2010 at 07:11
Quote Posted by Namdrol
Actually, I'd say from reading around, that the used market is becoming the primary target of all this current DRM.
To quote (
http://www.mcvuk.com/features/595/No-stone-unturned) Ian Livingstone, titular head of Eidos (whatever that means now) -
Pretty much laying it out right there.
And if there were anything resembling justice, this sort of thing wouldn't be tolerated.
"Oh gee, I find it hard to sell people bottled water because they have running water in their homes that they *paid* for. Does this give me the right to turn off their water supply?"
Malf on 25/2/2010 at 07:12
Of course, none of these content creators consider lowering the price of new games.
That's what used to happen when you found somebody in competition with you for your profits.
Saying that though, GAME's second-hand prices are a slap in the face, often being only a pound or two less than the new game.
But just because you can restrict the sale of second-hand goods, doesn't mean you should.
lost_soul on 25/2/2010 at 07:26
Quote Posted by Malf
Of course, none of these content creators consider
lowering the price of new games.
That's what used to happen when you found somebody in competition with you for your profits.
Saying that though, GAME's second-hand prices are a slap in the face, often being only a pound or two less than the new game.
But just because you
can restrict the sale of second-hand goods, doesn't mean you
should.
I realize that when you buy used games at your local shop, they're about %80 retail price, but you can get them online at somewhere like Amazon for a (usually) much better deal. This especially applies if it is an older game.
june gloom on 25/2/2010 at 07:47
Amazon is almost the best site ever for internet shopping, let's be perfectly honest.
Nameless Voice on 25/2/2010 at 09:20
As far as I'm concerned, the only reason to buy games is to support the developers, to pay them for their work and encourage them to make more good games. Developers get no money from second-hand sales. They also suffer no direct loss (e.g. compared to someone not buying the game at all). Doesn't that sound a lot like the effects of piracy?
So anyone who thinks that buying games second-hand is somehow "better" than piracy is deluding themselves.
The exception, of course, is when the developer no longer exists, or the game is no longer on sale new, and you absolutely must have the box for some reason.
You've already mentioned Amazon, so you probably know that they often seem to new sell games for a bit less than any other retailer, so you'd be a lot better to buy from them if you want to save money.
Ostriig on 25/2/2010 at 10:35
Quote Posted by Nameless Voice
Developers get no money from second-hand sales. They also suffer no direct loss (e.g. compared to someone not buying the game at all). Doesn't that sound a lot like the effects of piracy?
So anyone who thinks that buying games second-hand is somehow "better" than piracy is deluding themselves.
That's not true. Assuming an absolute, that people who buy second-hand wouldn't buy first-hand, the existence of a second-hand market has, unlike piracy, an actual positive effect by stimulating the first-hand market - i.e. more people may be willing to pony up for a brand new game with the knowledge that if they end up not liking it, or when they're done with it, they can offload it to a reseller and recuperate some of their money.
Assuming that, more realistically, some of those second-hand sales would be first-hand sales if there were no other alternative, it's still a matter of whether those gained sales would outnumber those lost from certain buyers not being willing to purchase games as easily as they would if they knew they could cut some costs by reselling, which I don't think we have the info to determine at this point.
Either way, we do not have enough information to say for certain whether the effects of the second-hand market are positive or negative for the industry, and even in the event they were negative, they still would be nowhere near to those of piracy.
