Thread: PC games and DRM

I'm getting more annoyed with the distributors of games and their methods to prevent piracy.

With Microsoft you don't even need a internet connection to register your application. But games companies and stretching things just too far.

I don't mind being online during the installation of a game if that's the end of it once the install has been verified as legitimate but no it's becoming worse by the month.

I bought Silent Hunter 5 and for nearly 3 consecutive days could not play it because Ubisoft requires a permanent internet connection. Great, inconvenient but almost tolerable since I have genuine unlimited download for my account, but their servers went down and stayed down with no news about what was going on.

I would like to buy and play Metro 2033 but not only do you need a permanent net connection but also a Steam account. FFS!

The latest Command & Conquer is out and, yup a permanent net conenction required.

So you can't have this on laptop and travel arround without incurring additional costs.

Games are going to be cracked unless the distributors do something to improve economies of scale. However being penalised for being honest is a bit much.

Rant over. What say you about all of this DRM lark?

Not just that but you are bombarded with their crap, steam is a good example it is like dog shite on your shoes easy to get on and a pain to get rid off with all their pop ups.

Easiest way about it and you want to be legit: Buy the game, then download a cracked version that doesn't require connection, Steam etc. If you get in the shit, show them you've bought a copy and tell them to feck off. Mission accomplished.

I'm pissed off with it. The limited number of installs also means that the games you buy... well, actually, you're just renting them at full price. They have no resale value.

I'd always been a PC gamer... but having been monumentally disappointed with the recent COD:MW2 or Battlefield:BC2, which are both ports from console to PC... well, I now play mainly on my console. They're cheaper to buy, easier to maintain, and you can resell games you don't like.

I used to be a big PC gamer a few years ago, playing all the original Battlefield games and the like online. I've been thinking about delving back into PC gaming soon, but things like this put me off.

Originally Posted by Forks

I used to be a big PC gamer a few years ago, playing all the original Battlefield games and the like online. I've been thinking about delving back into PC gaming soon, but things like this put me off.

Quite. What i've noticied though is how game development, particularly for multiplater online FPS has changed...

I also loved the original Battlefield games on PC, so much so I bought a copy for my PS2 out of curiosity... the port from PC to console was so bad and arcade like, it was rubbish, small maps a very limited number of players (you could get 64 players on a larger BF2 map on PC).

Now however the tide seems to have turned. They take a 'PC' game like BF2 / CODMW, delevop it for console and then port it to PC afterwards... so you get the same limited online play of a console, but suffer DRM also.

Given a good spec PC for gaming is near £1000, and the games are console games ported to PC, at the moment you're better off buying a PS3/Xbox and a huge telly.

I have a PS3 and only tried a couple of strategy games on the PC last week as the PS3 don't do this type of game, after 2 hours trying to register a game I was straight back to my PS3 where I think I will stay.

if I hadn't been one of the said victims of the Ubisoft DRM/constant internet connection required fiasco it would almost have been funny, but no. I bought Assassins Creed II, it just sat collecting dust as it were as I was unable to connect and thus unable to play for the first week. Great, what a way to punish people who buy the game legitimately! Ironic really, they implement these methods to stop people downloading the games, but people download the games BECAUSE of these DRM methods.

I miss the PC gaming of 5-10 years ago, no such copy protection or if it was it was just a simple have the CD in the computer or a serial key. Better quality games and more choice back then. Sadly, I don't see a way out of this downward spiral as more and most people have moved away from PC to console and so the game studios have moved over to consoles or been bought out by larger producers like EA and Ubisoft

I just get most of my stuff on steam piece of pi55 really. No DRM to worry about and when you activate you just go to offline mode and carry on unless i need to be online for multi player or i already am.

"take a 'PC' game like BF2 / CODMW, delevop it for console and then port it to PC afterwards... so you get the same limited online play of a console, but suffer DRM also."
Bad Company 2 was never part of the battlefield game series, its an off shoot, it was always a console game so it is pointless developing for a pc first and thus will always be limited by the console specs if you are waiting for the true succession for battlefield 2 then battlefield 3 is coming out and should be exclusive to PC.

the new AVP game wound me right up as Steams servers were down and I had to wait a day to even install the bloody thing, and unless I'm being dim (which cant always be discounted ;) ) I dont see any way to play it offline.
I'd quite happily use a cracked version if it meant less fannying around for me.

Originally Posted by TopBadger

Now however the tide seems to have turned. They take a 'PC' game like BF2 / CODMW, delevop it for console and then port it to PC afterwards... so you get the same limited online play of a console, but suffer DRM also.

I'd agree with that for a large number of games that get released these days. It's not true everywhere- some developers, eg valve, seem to realise where their key market is (oh god I can't want for episode 3). But for both those games you mention, massive disappointment. They were very clearly lazy console ports to the PC- technically good, but the level design was lousy. BC2 suffered from some of the poorest AI I've ever seen- it felt like playing Medal of Honour years back. And not being able to go prone? Bit of a joke really.

Where PCs will always excel is in more hardcore, simulation type games; rFactor, MS Flight Sim, Armed Assault. No interest for these on consoles, yet plenty on PC.

Also the more intelligent games will continue to prosper on PC; EVE Online, Civilization, Total War... If it requires more than 2 brain cells to play, nobody wants it on a console. So we get the markets for these things.

It is a shame the extent to which PC developers are selling out to consoles though- for example, BC2 has a great graphics & physics engine, and looks and feels just fine for a battlefield game- so why not go that extra tiny bit and make Battlefield 3 with what they already have... Same goes for COD, it was 95% perfect, and totally trashed by IWNet and map design...


tl;dr - TheMinister rants on and on about console sellouts, without actually answering the original question.


Buy a console if you liked MW2, BC2. Buy a PC if you liked HL2 and Portal. Buy a therapist if you liked Wii Fit.

Originally Posted by ark-angel

I just get most of my stuff on steam piece of pi55 really. No DRM to worry about and when you activate you just go to offline mode and carry on unless i need to be online for multi player or i already am.

I got involved with Steam, something which baffles me, when registering my Napoleon TW. Also joined the ARRSE group in the community area.

How does a player go offline and when that happens does he need to install a disc to play?

In fact, do my game discs just become bird scarers if steam seems to take over everything

Originally Posted by Volunteer

Originally Posted by ark-angel

I just get most of my stuff on steam piece of pi55 really. No DRM to worry about and when you activate you just go to offline mode and carry on unless i need to be online for multi player or i already am.

I got involved with Steam, something which baffles me, when registering my Napoleon TW. Also joined the ARRSE group in the community area.

How does a player go offline and when that happens does he need to install a disc to play?

In fact, do my game discs just become bird scarers if steam seems to take over everything

If you have no internet you can still play a game you got off Steam, it just comes up with a little error box stating 'Could not connect to Steam network' then gives you the choice to continue in offline mode or retry :D

Learn something everyday, thanks, BBT.