Stardock Investigates Non-Intrusive Solution to DRM
Software developer Stardock Systems revealed Friday that it is working on a new, non-intrusive copyright security solution.
Widely known for its games Galactic Civilizations, Sins of a Solar Empire and Dark Avatar as well as Object Desktop, its desktop enhancement utility suite, Stardock is no stranger when it comes to speaking out against anti-piracy software. In fact, the company has released a few of its titles without any kind of copy protection and even established "The Gamer’s Bill of Rights," a statement of principals the company hopes the PC industry will eventually adopt. As an example of the principals, Stardock allowed consumers to return copies of The Political Machine for a full refund if their PC wasn’t suited to play the software.
Sounds insane? It might to most publishers stuck on including DRM software, and Stardock CEO Brad Wardell is fully aware of their unwillingness to release games without any kind of protection. "So the publishers are telling us, ’Put your money where your mouth is," he told Edge Magazine in regards to his approach to copy protection. "Why don’t you guys develop something that you think is suitable that would protect our IP, but would be more acceptable to users?’ We’re investigating what would make users happy to protect their needs, but also provide some security for the publishers. ... We’re actually developing a technology that would do that."
Wardell made a good point, however. Stardock’s theory is that gamers - not the machine - purchase a license to play. Consumers shouldn’t be limited to the number of installs and they shouldn’t be limited to just one PC. If the customer loses the physical copy, they should be able to re-download it as long as there’s a registered e-mail address attached to the license; it is this system that Stardock is exploring although the company doesn’t want to label the final solution as "DRM."
And rightfully so. The acronym has been a hot issue for the last few years. However, EA’s release of Spore re-ignited the huge debate on what is considered obnoxious and what should be suitable to protect publishers and their valuable IPs. With Spore, the game secretly installs SecuROM onto the consumer’s computer without warning and without consent. The anti-piracy software cannot be removed without formatting the entire system. Stardock hopes to offer something more non-intrusive for all publishers that will also benefit the consumer.
According to the company, gamers have the right to return games that don’t work on their computer, that games should be in a finished state when published, and that games don’t install hidden drivers or "other potentially harmful software without their consent." Stardock also believes that software should run without the CD/DVD in the drive, and consumers should not be treated as potential criminals by developers and publishers.
"As an industry, we need to begin setting some basic, common sense standards that reward PC gamers for purchasing our games," stated Wardell. "The console market effectively already has something like this in that its games have to go through the platform maker such as Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony. But on the PC, publishers can release games that are scarcely completed, poorly supported, and full of intrusive copy protection and then be stuck on it."
Having a set, universal standard such as the Gamer’s Bill of Rights - whether it involves a game or Windows Vista - sounds like a good idea, and implementing copy protection that won’t infect the innards of the PC’s operating system sounds even better. But getting Microsoft or Electronic Arts to allow consumers to install software on multiple PCs sounds more far-fetched than anything based in reality.
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I took their survey and looked at the new, revised "bill of rights" and it looks as if they caved a bit upon conference with some other companies.
link
If you scroll down to page 16 you can look at the original bill they intended to have gamers sign. But if you look at page seventeen, you can see the revised list...It seems to me they caved a bit.
If they are serious about some of the claims they make. I would buy every game they make just as a show of support for this type of thinking. On a side note, I don't "BUY" EA games any more.
STEAM... Very good non-intrusive way to make sure the games played are not stolen. I even like not having to fumble with finding the darn disks so that I can play my games. I like the fact that it helps keep my games patched (if I want it to) and that the games that I have registared to it can be re-downloaded if I reformat my computer. Steam rocks.
Why settle for steam if Stardock may come up with something even better?
Currently most DRM solutions have lost their function as they don't protect software from being copied anymore, but gained the ability to prohibit software from being properly used.
Not sure that Stardock is offering anything new. They want to be able to register the software with a specific e-mail so that it follows the customer and not the computer. Um... my steam account does that. Steam offers many publishers. I can get Far Cry 2 (ubisoft) or some fun little game made by a smaller outfit that looks kind of neat. What are they getting at that Steam doesn't offer?
Publishers and developers do have a right to have their work protected...or at least to try and protect it. However the days of 'local' protection like securom and other anti-copy mechanisms are all but over. Anyone trying to stick with that model will go out of business...I'm sure gamers will make sure of that.
I think the no cd/dvd thing is great. If it wasn't for the re-install/re-activate limits I wouldn't even mind the game phoning home every now and then...so long as it isn't acting like a virus like some of these today do.
Steam is pretty close to perfect imo. I agree though that preventing something new and better because what we have works already is very ignorant.
I never said that we should prevent anything new. There can be improvements. I'm just not sure that I see anything new or improved with what Stardock has here. I agree that publishers have the right to protect thier creative work from theft. I just happen to like they way that Steam approaches that goal and puts in some very user friendly aspects. I like getting "special" offers. The use of some game over the weakend to try it out. Re-downloading my games after a fresh OS installation. Easy patching. Easy back-up of saved games. etc. If they want to add something new, they should work within a system that is working well. If they try to re-invent the wheel, they are basically going to split consumers into using different steam-like approaches to the same issue. I like steam, but I wouldn't want 3 steam-like applications to jugle all of my games. I would rather publishers work to consolidate their efforts. At the same time, though, I don't want to have to engage any specific software application if I don't want to. Valve games do that. I wish they wouldn't.
My take on Stardock and their methodolgy/philosphy is 100% positive. I support their goals and their actions (to date). I vote with my wallet. They get my money before companies like EA does. Ultimately a buying decision not rhetoric is what will get the other companies attention.
Two reasons why Steam isn't the right answer.
1) It's a virtual store + a license manager (perhaps Stardock will take away the store-front and add-pushing - unlikely - and just do a good job of the license manager).
2) It's one step further down the road to pay by the hour. Once everyone accepts that their game must check in with the mothership every time they want to play it then pay by the hour is inevitable. Why? Because there are bean counters and because it became possible.
/flash
@hairycat101 Steam used to rock.
Fixed that for you. Steam now has games with the full SecuRom from the retail versions. Otherwise, I would keep using Steam.
DRM added to Steam is just way beyond necessary /sigh
STEAM... Very good non-intrusive way to make sure the games played are not stolen. I even like not having to fumble with finding the darn disks so that I can play my games. I like the fact that it helps keep my games patched (if I want it to) and that the games that I have registared to it can be re-downloaded if I reformat my computer. Steam rocks.
Do you work for Gabe Newell?.. you might recognize him by his new name "Benedict Newell". Steam is not intrusive? Why in the world should I have to be connected to the internet to play my games? Why in the world should I have to be subject to valves constant adds?
I would say the following to Newell and anyone who adopts radical online service: I payed 70$ on the HL2 collectors edition and it took me 3 hours to install my game. I can give a crap less about piracy. That's not my problem that's your problem sir. Do not penalize me for what others do and please do not tout you invasive BS program as some online game market Mecca.
@flash
dude its valve. thats unlikely to happen...
but one thing i don't like about steam is that you can play the game only on one machine at a time... i mean i wished they came out with like a guest pass with limited functionality so at least my brother could play the games i bought on his computer, maybe evn at the same time...something like xbox live maybe?
and steam still supports drm, but they TELL you before you get it... look at the specs of crysis/warhead
and i agree with aenoix... of course they games have to be better than sub-par, but if they weren't good, i wouldn't pirate them anyway
I happen to like steam. Why, valve through its continued support of games have been able to provide for me "value added services" via steam. Lose my CD key to Day of Defeat, no big deal .. Steam already knows who I am. Now while I say this, in general I dislike DRM ... I buy 6 to 15 games a year. The guys whom do not ... well they are not encumbered. If I have to have DRM then at the moment steam works better for me than say SECUROM.
As an aside, I took the Stardock survey as well and enjoyed the feedback. It left me with a strong positive experience with Stardock, which was already positive due to my ownership of SINS and Galatici CIV II. Smart move on their part.
quick note on the adds... I've never found them that big of a deal. They pop up on when the program starts and if you don't want to see the "special" (or not really that special) offers, you just hit the X button. I know that some of us who are on the computers aren't in the best of shape, but I have never been worn out by having to move the mouse to exit out of the special offers window. As far as Steam having or not having DRM goes, Steam is a form of DRM. Digital rights management. What do you think that Stardock is trying to do? They are trying to establish one licence to one individual. I don't think that they are wanting family members to play at that same time and under the same licence as you. They aren't trying to sell family licences. I suppose, you could argue that sharing the same screen and hooked up to the same box, that consoles have a benifit of having multiple users per licence. That is an inherant fault, then, of PC gaming.
Keep in mind:
1) Steam must run, on-line or off-line
2) Many Steam games *have* DRM such as SecuROM, in addition to the DRM requirement of Steam itself.
3) Stardock's Impulse does not need to run, on line or offline.
4) You don't (always) need Impulse to auto/update
Of course Steam does oodles more than Impulse, but fundamentally Stardock's methodology is better for gamers in terms of transparency and ease of use.
bf2gameplaya makes some good points. To clarify, I don't think anyone said that Steam takes the place of all other DRM's that may be in place with a product. I was just arguing that the use of an account does tie the products bought to that account and therefore serves the purpose of reducing piracy… while at the same time, as crockdaddy, pointed out keeps track of serial numbers for you.
As an aside, does anyone know if you get SecuROM rootkits installed if the game is purchaced and downloaded through Steam? I bought Bioshock through Steam because it was at a good price (for a limited time only, of course. Now I am wondering if with Bioshock I got junk.
I am very been very happy with stardock solutions so far. If they can help other companies allso, the better.
There is a list of games with SecuRom at
http://reclaimyourgame.com/index.p [...] &Itemid=11
If the game in question has SecuRom with the retail version, the Steam version also has it, sadly. If Valve would change that, it would be simply great.
Regardless of what people think of Stardock, I have a lot of respect for this small software company. Unlike gargantuan companies like EA, they a very inclusive company and actually listen to their customers and continue to provide updates, even for old games like GalCiv2. Just a few days ago, they released the results of their polls, their thoughts, the future of the company, and their thoughts on DRM. Now that's something you'll never see EA do for their customers: get people involved. Their policy on DRM and them being against SecuROM shows they put in a lot of trust in the customers have in fact made many loyalists (including me). If you read their forums, you'll people raving about them. One of them in fact, downloaded a pirated copy of GalCiv2 but was so impressed by the company's attention on both the customer and making quality games that he ended up deleting his pirated copy and bought the game from a retail store. For a software company to make a person change like that, that's impressive.
If there's a solution to this whole DRM/SecuROM fiasco, I believe the model Stardock uses will be the answer.
I would like to rate lopopo's post above up more than one. Can I do that? Darn.
Keep in mind:1) Steam must run, on-line or off-line2) Many Steam games *have* DRM such as SecuROM, in addition to the DRM requirement of Steam itself.3) Stardock's Impulse does not need to run, on line or offline.4) You don't (always) need Impulse to auto/updateOf course Steam does oodles more than Impulse, but fundamentally Stardock's methodology is better for gamers in terms of transparency and ease of use.
According to what I read this morning, the updating of the software through impulse was their version of "DRM". They do intend to validate, in a less intrusive way, the purchase of the game, but not make it painful to play.
It's funny, to weigh in a bit on the Steam issue, usually the games I play are on steam, primarily because I don't have to stick in a disk, or resort to alcohol and virtual drive applications (I don't pirate, I've tried using alcohol and virtual drives, but didn't feel entirely comfortable with that). I have an always on internet connection, and really steam updating when booted, and throwing a couple of ads at me seems like par for the course. In fact, I buy a good number of games through them. Valve is a business, on some level, and advertising and providing a download client for their and other developers games makes for a reasonable method of creating revenue. I like it. On the rare occasion that I have needed to run steam in offline mode, the offline games have run perfectly.
STEAM... Very good non-intrusive way to make sure the games played are not stolen. I even like not having to fumble with finding the darn disks so that I can play my games. I like the fact that it helps keep my games patched (if I want it to) and that the games that I have registared to it can be re-downloaded if I reformat my computer. Steam rocks.
I haven't used steam in many years, but the last time I did my experience was so bad I decided never to try it again. I missed the teamfortress experience just because I couldn't get it any other way. Steams concept is good, but valve isn't the perfect choice for running anything like it.
Steam works pretty well, it's true that it's not perfect but I honestly don't see why so many people hate the service to much.
On steam I can chat with my friends(text or voice) and invite them to join an online game I'm playing, I don't ever have to use any disks(so I can't loose them or have them get damaged over time), all my games are updated automatically and even the steam service is constantly improved with new features.
I can create a backup archive of all my steam games for quickly restoring my games after formatting my OS drive.
Way back when steam first started up, there was definitely some growing pains, but right now it's a truly top notch service.
As I said, I decided long ago (halflife 2) that I wouldn't ever install steam again. So perhaps you're right, and it works.
But.... I'm playing world of warcraft, just like everyone else really, and I can download the game directly on wow-europe.com if I would need to. Or I could save myself the bandwidth and use my cds. It works without valve's spyware-like "Surveilence & Tapping Enviroment Automated Mashine" that happends to have a user friendly software download system built in.
And when I bought civ4 - colonization earlier this month eurogamer didn't need me to install steam either. Simply downloading two files and using the emailed serial was enough. How hard can it be?
neiroatopelcc, what did Steam do to you that was so bad? I like a few others, here, haven't had any bad issues with them. Yes, Steam needs to run in order to run apps bought through Steam or certain games that require it. But it just adds another icon in my lower right hand task area. It doesn't negatively affect the gemas being played and it does come with some handy features. So what did they do to you? Did they insult your mother? Kick you in a bad place? =)
I don't exactly remember what it did really. I just remember having a really hard time with it for serveral months before I reinstalled windows and sold the game. My memory is conservative, so I just remember it was bad, not exactly how it was. Those details aren't important to me since I'll never experience them again.
So... are you certain that the issue was with Steam and not something else? You re-installed windows... Just seems odd to bash something without specifics.
So... are you certain that the issue was with Steam and not something else? You re-installed windows... Just seems odd to bash something without specifics.
Yes I most definetly am. I'm not saying you have to believe me, but I most definetly am sure steam was the problem. But it's a bit like the time I totalled my opel. I definetly remember I fel asleep some time prior to the corner, but I don't really remember what happened other than the car was toast afterwards.