Final Fight Brings Restrictive DRM To the PS3

Channard writes "As reported by Joystiq, the PS3/PlayStation Network version of Final Fight Double Impact features a rather restrictive piece of digital rights management. In order to launch the game, you have to be logged into the PlayStation Network and if you're not, the game refuses to launch. This could be written off as a bug of some kind except for the fact that the error message that crops up tells you to sign in, suggesting Sony/Capcom intentionally included this 'feature.' Granted, you do have to log into the PlayStation Network to buy the title but as one commentator pointed out, logging in once does not mean you'll be logged in all the time. Curiously, the 360 version has no such restrictions, so you can play the game whether you're online or offline. But annoying as this feature may be, there may be method in Sony's madness. " Channard continues, "The key difference between buying titles on the 360's Marketplace and Sony's PlayStation Store is that buying a title from the Marketplace only usually entitles you to play that title on a single console. A PlayStation Network account, on the other hand, can be used to license up to five consoles, meaning any title purchased from that account can be played on five different consoles. And these consoles can be de-authorized and re-authorized at will, allowing gamers to switch licenses around. This has led to a practice known as PSN game sharing, whereby gamers can purchase a title together, thereby paying a fifth of the cost of the game, and still allowing anyone to play the game on their console. Whether this has had any direct impact upon Sony or Capcom's apparent decision to implement this forced sign-in system is unknown. [Though an email from a Capcom employee seems to confirm this.] But Final Fight is the first title to feature this system — it'd be interesting to know whether this was done at Sony or Capcom's request."

Comments

Re:If you don't like it don't buy it

[Anonymous Coward]

And the company kaput. Killed by "phantom pirates".

With companies the size of Sony it's going to be more like: bailed out with tax payer money.

Re:If you don't like it don't buy it

[eeCyaJ]

Phantom Pirates vs. Ghost Ninjas?

Re:easy, i play spring RTS

[Anonymous Coward]

And how, pray tell, do you get this on the PS3?

With the OtherOS feature . . .

oh wait.

Thank you Sony

[Vanderhoth]

Dear Sony,

I now see that by removing the Other OS feature I paid for with my PS3 console you were intentionally trying to upset me so I would no longer be a customer for any Sony or related products. I see you did this for my benefit so that I actually might be spared enormous headaches down the road when playing games as I do not have a persistent connection to the net with my console. You truly are a noble and caring company.

Your former, but grateful customer,
xxxxxxx

A more useful letter

[Errol backfiring]

Dear Sony,

Could you please share your secret of making a profit by pissing off customers? I am very intrigued how you manage to do that. We are a company of people with a proud heart for our jobs. Time and time again you demonstrate that satisfying customers is not the way to go.

But what is? What makes your customers want to buy products that will be crippled remotely after a while or even directly at sale? Is it some marketing trick? Do you select your customers for misplaced good faith? Is it some other twist of genius?

Curiously,
An honest craftsman.

Re:If you don't like it don't buy it

[Junior J. Junior III]

"Which, predictably, they'll attribute to piracy..."

Which would be incredibly stupid on their part,

So, then, it's virtually assured that Sony will indeed attribute a dip in sales to piracy.

Re:Sony you're off my x-mas list.

[VGPowerlord]

Haiku is based on
the number of syllables
per line, not words 'yo!

Re:If you don't like it don't buy it

[Anonymous Coward]

torrentz, plz?