I was literally fuming when I was reading how the pirates actually defend their actions in the forums and comments sections of all the websites that have covered this genius trick. By the way, nice work! So, I was brainstorming and thought of a DRM that may work, but would probably need some in-depth planning, and great difficulty to execute.
On purchase, current user’s hardware ID is sent to a database. On the first time of starting the game, the user has to be connected to the Internet, (now I know where you think I am going here, no, it’s different from that stupid SimCity protection…) and their systems hardware ID is scanned. If it matches the one on the database, a file is stored on the computer that will have that hardware ID contained inside it self. From that point on, each time the game is started, it will go through a process.
Scan computer’s hardware ID, query database if hardware ID is valid.
If no internet connection is available, check for hardware ID file. If found, match the computer’s hardware ID with that files stored hardware ID, if failed, don’t allow access.
If no file is found, alert user that for first run times on this game have to be connected to the Internet, and then exit.
I understand that some crackers may either find a bypass around this, or find a way to decrypt the hardware ID storage file and modify it, but you’ll have to think of some ways past that. Maybe periodic checks that will go through that 1,2,3 process, or if they bypass it, maybe try improving/adding encryption on that hardware ID file. Just sharing some thoughts. Not sure if it is entirely possible, but really, it’s worth a shot.
All DRM techniques can be circumvented, even always on techniques where servers give a lot of the game information to the client are eventually emulated. It’s simply a waste of time to put the many man hours into creating them. Spend that time making the games better instead of wasting them on pointless DRM.
I agree @Mouaku, this is a big waste of time. This kind of DRM is not even efficient. Furthermore, a lot of people wouldn’t like to see their hardware ID stored somewhere. And to finish, “always connected DRM” are evil. I travel a lot by plane.
I would definitely buy good games. And never even hack or download a “always online DRM” game.
And if 5 years from now Greenheartgames goes out of business and/or shuts down their servers, will you @Rollersteaam aka Jordan Peters, personally refund money for the now not-working product?
If not, then this DRM WILL HURT end users.
That single statement suggests that the method I shared actually consists of always being online. If you actually interpreted it properly, you would know that you would only need to be online if you were running the game for the FIRST time.
If they shut down their servers it wouldn’t make a difference. You wouldn’t be able to buy the game at that point anyway, and you would have already run the game atleast once before they shut the servers down, so this method, if you actually read it, would still work.
I don’t even know how both of you actually misread what I said. Note what I said in the post.
Next time actually read what the OP says before you start trying to degrade my thought process and intelligence in general.
Scenario : Bought the game “years ago”, reinstall OS, reinstall the game.
The servers are down, and you don’t have the “magic file” -> impossible to play the game anymore even if you bought it.
Second point : Changing some hardware like Graphic Card, memory, etc … will make the hardware ID change. You’ll say okay take the ID of the motherboard and I say : okay if I play the game on more than one computer, like desktop at home and a laptop when traveling ?
In every case there will be always real case scenario where you’ll see how much a DRM protection is so wrong and will always “condemn” the wrong people.
Yes, you have merit to what you state, but there are always things Greenheart Games could always do if they went bankrupt, like release an update to the game that would disable the DRM. You all have valid points, but it depends on how Greenheart Games execute the DRM, which would depend on their fan service.
Maybe it is best to just let the pirates live and let be, but I’m just giving suggestions for what could be used in future games that Greenheart Games may release, and they could execute this idea perfectly and get great benefit. There is always a way.
DRM is not protecting the game in any point, neither pushing somebody to buy the game. It’s do exactly the opposite, why would I buy a game that will restrict the use of it ?
You have no idea how many games I bought and I have “cracked” (if the fact of downloading some files and copy/paste it is cracking) just because I was SO annoyed by their protection. Why “pirates” would have an easier life than the one that buy the game ?
But that’s the thing, without DRM, everybody just downloads the game for free and doesn’t give a crap about the developers, they just care about how they got a game for free and how joyous they are at not paying a mere 8 dollars for a game they love to play anyway… DRM just filters out that amount, it also delays the amount of time the torrents actually get released for the game, because it makes the beginner and intermediate crackers become stalled, so that the big crack scene guys do it instead. Which can pan over a week depending on your luck and how good your DRM actually is.
You have a good point when you say it’s “delay” the crack and then the “pirating” of the game. That’s maybe the only good point, I remember the month it needed to find a crack for Assassin’s Creed II.
Meaning … DRM are not that “useless”… but some publisher (like EA games, Blizzard) are really using the wrong way to do it. now that I think of it, the less annoying and discreet DRM I encounter is the one of Steam.
Of course, there is already a lot of workaround for EVERY game that use it, but well, if steam update their DRM that could be good.
I agree, the Steam DRM is extremely good. It doesn’t affect the end user at all and stalls the pirates in their tracks. It’s what makes Steam, and the game that it sells, actually sell. If only DRM was that good.
You know which of your friend have/will buy the game, making you interested in it and to that you add the sales … I really think that steam is the new “business plan” for game developer (and also now they are supporting linux (beta)).
Greenheart Games is trying to get Game Dev Tycoon to steam, if they succeed, in the future they’ll be able to use it for their other games.
[quote=“Balor, post:8, topic:1149, full:true”]
You have no idea how many games I bought and I have “cracked” (if the fact of downloading some files and copy/paste it is cracking) just because I was SO annoyed by their protection. Why “pirates” would have an easier life than the one that buy the game ?[/quote]Yup, I had to do that with my FarCry3, HAWX2 and AC3. I hate ubisoft’s uplay abomination.
Look at CD Projekt RED’s attitude toward piracy with The Witcher 2 game. There are many articles about them but there’s a sample quote:
“I mean, we really do believe that it’s better to deliver high quality content and support gamers on several different levels. So, either releasing modding tools, or giving DLC for free, or doing huge updates which are like 10 gigs and give them out free. Instead of doing DRM, because that’s, frankly speaking, a pain in the ass for the users.”
After they changed their attitude I actually went out of my way and bought the game, even tho I’m yet to play it(not my type). But I do support them as developer/publisher. They are not being a dick to me as a gamer and I support that with my wallet.
[quote=“Balor, post:13, topic:1149”]
Greenheart Games is trying to get Game Dev Tycoon to steam, if they succeed, in the future they’ll be able to use it for their other games.
[/quote]Off-topic from this thread, but I doubt Steam will allow such a blatant ripoff of GameDev Story on Steam.
I completely agree with this statement, I loved their first game, and their attitude towards the player. For the first game, the first update they published … was to disable their DRM, and since then, no more DRM. But again, I think it’s because their second game was multi-platform meaning, they knew on console it’s difficult to hack and don’t need a DRM other than the one of the constructor.
That’s like saying Steam won’t allow LITERAL direct copies, (unlike Game Dev Tycoon…) on Steam, and that bad games aren’t allowed either.
Take a look at Euro Truck Simulator. Take a look at all of the simulators for that matter. They are all bad. And they are all LITERAL direct copies.
WarZ was allowed on Steam without greenlight, no idea how, it even had misleading details in it’s description before they were confronted and changed it to fit the real information.
And besides, Game Dev Tycoon is basically a Game Dev Story PC version, that is MUCH more polished and better in a lot of ways.
@Rollersteaam the “always online is evil” was more a general point of view. I am not trying to degrade your intelligence or your thought, that is, indeed, interesting. I’m not freely trolling you, just giving my point of view : DRM with that kind of control is wrong in the way that they restrict end users rights. Doing the best game possible and encouraging people to share the experience and buy it, that’s the best way to sell games - or team with fellows dev, and make a platform like steam.