Shattered Horizon developer Futuremark Games Studio has stuck its oar into the recent Ubisoft DRM controversy, criticizing the publisher for its oppressive punishment of paying customers. Producer Jaakko Haapasalo believes DRM should be convenient and hassle-free at all times. We like the cut of his gib.
"The question I ask myself with all DRM approaches is will it be more or less convenient for me, as a paying customer?" he explains. "If it stays out of my face, I'm cool with it. But if it gets in the way of being entertained, inconveniences me or seems unnecessarily restrictive then ... well, it's not like there is a shortage of other games demanding my attention."
CEO Jukka Mäkinen adds: "Exactly. Whatever the DRM used, games need to be hassle free for those who have bought their copy the proper way. Taking good care of the customer is always better than chasing the thieves."
It amazes me how publishers think that overbearing and restrictive DRM is a good idea, still. When will they get it through their stupid brains that pirates will find a way around it, leaving only those who legally purchased the game with a series of hoops to jump through that they don't deserve? Idiots.
PC DRM should be 'hassle-free' - dev [CVG]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
Likes
PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
32 comments | showing # 1 to 32
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
12:20 PM on 03.09.2010
| 
Also, it's a multiplayer only games and the DRM is built-in that way.
So... useless comments.
Well said, Jim.
It is truly mind boggling, MIND BOGGLING, that these people still don't get it. No matter what counter measures are used it takes a day or two at most to hack it while paying customers continue to pay the price.
I also appreciate this statement: "Taking good care of the customer is always better than chasing the thieves."
hit em where it hurts, their wallets.
Same. I don't buy Steam only games.
SecuROM has never given me issues outside of "Oi, you! Insert the bleedin' disc!" and I think the only time I had problems with any DRM was activating Mass Effect 1 and Far Cry 2 because the week I bought them my internet connection crapped out, so I took my rig over to my dad's house and have been fine since.
Whilst I can see UbiSoft's logic, I don't agree with how they've handled the situation at all. DRM is, from a publisher's PoV, almost a necessity now but they've crossed lines that shouldn't be crossed. Assassin's Creed 2/The Settlers 7/Whatever else aren't MMOs or online multiplayer games for the most part, so why do they need a constant connection? And the booting you out of the game? That's the big problem! At least Steam lets you continue playing if your net craps out in Online Mode.
It saves your progress right where you were if you are disconnected and it also allows you to reconnect with the game paused if you can. A quick alt-tab or router reset can have you back in the game in seconds.
Not saying the DRM is great or anything, but a lot of people seem to be making it out to be far worse than it is just to make a point, which makes no point, because you built your arguement on fallacy.
You can download the game anywhere with an internet connection.
Chat.
Friends.
Community.
Acheivments.
Steam Cloud (control's and graphics settings stored server side.)
In game features (Browser, Friend Joining and more.)
What does Ubisoft give you:
~10% downtime.
No offline mode.
Ubi's system actually has a lot of that, and most of those Steam features you can use without even buying the game on Steam, just launch it from there.
In any case, the fact is Steam, no matter how well hidden, is an account-based DRM system which eliminates many consumer rights, just as Ubi's does. It might not require a constant internet connection but offline mode is known to be very buggy and Valve can take your games away anytime it chooses, plus you can never resell, never give away, never do anything with them Valve does not allow.
So to say "DRM is bad" and then have your only game be a Steamworks DRMed title, makes you look like an ass.
My understanding is that if you're playing and it disconnects then you're stuck going back to the previous checkpoint.
http://www.destructoid.com/confirmed-ubisoft-s-new-pc-drm-is-out-of-control-164079.phtml
So again I doubt it can get much worse than that.
Your info is out of date, read the patch notes for 1.1.
It definately has down sides, I am not really defending it. I personally am not effected because I have a stable connection on my desktop PC which I never move, so it works perfectly here, but many people will have issues.
My only core point in this thread was about the hypocrite who speaks against DRM and then uses Steamworks for his online only game.
coming from the guy who has played like 3 PC games evar!!!! lol
j/k ;)
Agree on ME2/Dragon Age... very consumer friendly. I don't think those DLCs stop any piracy though, people just pirate the DLCs.
As for Steam being painless, that really depends on your point of view. I could link you to dozens for forum topics by people that hate Steam and refuse to buy games that use Steamworks, so it's all a point of view thing. Personally my main concern with DRM is "can I play this in 20 years?" Steamworks games, being so dependent on a program that might not be running 20 years from now, are more in question than say SecuROM, which can be easily patched out. So it all depends.
Not to mention social networking, achievements ... etc. Steam provides a lot of value in return for just a smidgen of hoop-jumping: one online login every 10 days (or something).
I love steam, and it is a perfect example of why this developer is right. The DRM has to be good for the user.
Steam has advantages, but most of them I get by buying retail and then launching through Steam, plus I get to have a hard copy I can feel like I own, rather than a subscription.
Most of the stuff you list I actually find easier with discs... installing after a reboot for instance, it takes less time to install of a disc than to download, and backing up that much data is annoying unless you have a massive external drive, which I do not have nor need otherwise.
Don't get me wrong though, Steam has benefits, but unfortunately those benefits blind people to a DRM system which takes away all sense of ownership and power over your game collection. I just can't sign on to that, it is worse than Ubi's DRM to me.
Opinions and all that...
It doesn't matter how stable your connection is, if you lose contact with Ubisofts servers then you can't play your game, and they have already demonstrated that they cannot guarantee the servers will be up at all times. Hell, the servers have been down on 2 separate occasions already.
This would be acceptable if the game was an online game, but we are talking about single player titles like Assassins Creed 2.
You might not like Steam, and thats fine, but it lets you play your games when you want to. Online or offline. Also, if a crack group can make Steam games work without Steam with an ini file and a bat file, then I'm pretty sure Steam would be able to patch Steamworks out in 20 years if they needed to.
Also, how is he a hypocrite? He is speaking out against intrusive DRM, not DRM in general. Steam is not intrusive, especially for a game that is purely online anyway.
I didn't miss any point... I find Steam intrusive, you do not, that's opinions for ya I guess.
In fact, since AC2 launched and "DRMs" without me even noticing, but Steam has caused me endless hassles, I would say you are the opposite of correct from my point of view.
Anyway, this is an uphill battle... Steam fanboys never admit its faults or its massive DRM.
I would like to know how exactly you find Steam more intrusive. You log in once, and on occasion it validates game files. In return, it offers a community, support to carry saves and configurations across other computers, automatic updates for games, and a nice in game overlay allowing you to talk to friends or even surf the web quickly. When was the last time you were kicked from portal or hl2 or any other single player game using only basic steam DRM because you couldn't pass a connection test while in game? Also, Valve has stated that in the event of the shutdown of steam, steam's version of DRM would be stripped from any games a person has on their account.
Valve has never stated that officialls, and in fact Steam's SSA states the complete opposite, that you are not promised functioning games tomorrow, let alone in 20 years.
As for the rest, one simple answer is I have no desire or need for the community features. I have no desire or need for carrying my saves on a server for offline games. I don't like automatic updates because a lot of times you do not want to update for one reason or another.
And yes, Ubisoft requires a constant internet connection which... shocker... I have anyway. Steam requires I run a client with pop-up ads and annoying bugs. I find that sort of in your face thing more intrusive... Ubi's thing isn't even noticeable.
For the record: my preference is NEITHER. I just find it amusing that Steam is a-ok or even loved by the press and this Ubisoft thing is now the DEVIL'S SPAWN when frankly they're both intrusive DRM that hinders customer rights.
A kind of DRM that provides more than it restricts ("You just have to register it online the first time you play, and occasionally we'll check your hardware and compare it with everyone else's so we can make sure we have something that runs well for everyone.") is a good thing, both for the consumers (Yay features!) and the game publishers (yay DRM!).
I've noticed that most Steam-based that I've seen tend to have lesser immediate piracy levels than other games. Most companies know they can't totally prevent piracy, but the important thing for them is to prevent 0day piracy, as keeping a game out of pirates' hands for the first few days usually results in better game sales. If Steam makes it hard for stuff to get cracked, then the developers have maybe made a few more sales, and good for them! If their games are any good, they deserve it.
The only way to escape from all the anti-piracy security systems they have in place in (any disk-based product) is to get the pirated copy.
Ironic? Yes.
Sad? Definitely.