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Anger With Game Content Lock Spurs Reaction From Studio Head Curt Shilling
MojoKid writes "Studios and publishers are fighting back hard against the used game market, with the upcoming title Kingdoms of Amular the latest to declare it will use a content lock. In this case, KoA ups the ante by locking out part of the game that's normally available in single-player mode. Gamers exploded, with many angry that game content that had shipped on the physical disc was locked away and missing, as well as being angry at the fact that content was withheld from used game players. One forum thread asking if the studio fought back against allowing EA to lock the content went on for 49 pages before Curt Shilling, the head of 38 Studios, took to the forums himself. His commentary on the situation is blunt and to the point. 'This is not 38 trying to take more of your money, or EA in this case, this is us rewarding people for helping us! If you disagree due to methodology, ok, but that is our intent... companies are still trying to figure out how to receive dollars spent on games they make, when they are bought. Is that wrong? if so please tell me how.'"
This has been going on forever right in front of your face everyday, and you don't even know it. Tomorrow there is one less ravioli in your can, or your block of cheese is 20g less, however, you pay the same price. This is how they increase the cost of things. Games offer so much more content than your random games of yesteryear, and they have to pay the folks to keep cranking out this DLC stuff. This is how they increase the cost.
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
Well you've given up the fight.
* No need to find new crack every time the game updates (or even check for new version.. it auto-updates)
Finding a crack was always easy. There is always the risk that a game update will break the game. So it is wise to wait. After a few days a recrack will be out. Wait a bit more and the recrack would be topped by another group. I know some games like Batman had some very good systems to protect it. Games for windows LIVE puts off many people from buying it.
* In-game chat system, with one-click multiplayer join function (for those games that support it)
A decent UI was often done well on the PC and done without DRM steam.
* Savegames are stored on Steam's servers and synced between machines (for those games that support it)
I'd rather have my own save games and be able to mess about with the hex values. I enjoy that.
* Consistent screenshot / gallery system across games, with upload support to Steam servers.
A bug reporting feature, great.
* Game statistics and achievements, displayed online on your profile.
I don't want to have the time I've pissed away on a game linked to a profile, posted to facebook, saved on a server, sold to a bidder, data minded to for years to come.
* Direct access to high-speed download of games, no virus risk, minimal game install process.
If I have the game on DVD you have no need to re-download the whole thing. The server farm may have high-speed. The home owner may have limited speed and/or a download limit. There is a risk of a virus if there system gets hacked. The install process is just a dull as it ever was.
* No need to search around, try different downloads, find one that downloads fast, then find out if it has virus, then find out if it works... Just click-click-click-click-click, and it downloads, full speed.
I'm not too sure what you mean by this one. I don't want the game to auto update. I'll do it. My game, My machine, My choice. Have a link in the game menu to open up a page.
Yes. Steam can fail (server down, can not start single player game), and it's offline modus can really do with some improvement (you have to be online to play offline? What?), but overall it does give some value over pirating games.
There is no value. What have they added? They are often more expensive than the shop boxed retail price. If they did lock out all piracy they will no drop their price at all. It’s another place for your credit card details to be kept, hacked and shared about. It’s another login to remember.
I’m not too sure how well it works in a house that shares the game amongst several siblings. But I’m sure they don’t like 5 boys playing one game. With their own saved games / user account per box.
They monitor your free time. Track a log everything. Stop you reselling. Turn a product that you should own into a rental and charge the same.
Steam is used for DRM, tracking, marketing and sales. As an idea - you have no other choice of DRM company when you buy a game which is a bit against a free market.
In the future you should be able to pick your DRM company of preference. Much like a search engine company does in your browser. I’ll pick the one that only wants to verify the game and doesn’t do anything else. / Rant over - proofreading left to my army of fishpoomonkeys.
And, (I'm just throwing this out there) a registered Republican.
You are welcome on my lawn.