History of Copy Protection - Action Replay replaced by DLC

[CRTGAMER]

History of Copy Protection
DRM Future of Gaming

A brief history of copy protection, the current state as well as what the future might have in store.

Computer Paper Protection
Game would start with a question at the loading screen, requiring an answer from the manual. More elaborate manuals were created to prevent making a paper copy. Code wheels that have to be spun around to align up the response. Also were the red cards with red transparencies. Xerox copy machines at the time were mostly black ink only, so red was hard to duplicate. As Macs and PCs took over, a serial number entry from the owners manual was required, easily written down. The pain was sometimes serial numbers were a tedious long entry, perhaps to have a miswrite on a backup.





Computer Floppy Disk Protection
Infamous form of physical protection first appeared on floppy disks. A shift of sector adress marks and error tracks, that could not be duplicated at first. Anyone owning the old 8 bit Apple II+ or Commodore 64 have experienced that drive knock rattle before gameplay. The Commodore floppy drive is unique, has its own on board processor. Elaborate programming tricks can be applied directly to the floppy drive. I even have a program that literally makes the 1541 play a song with just the stepper motor moving the head against the stop, turn the volume up.

1541 Floppy Drive Singing Daisy



An endless battle of disk nibbler copy progams vs new protections ensued. Some 8 bit computers such as the Atari 800, Texas Instruments TI99/4A and Commodore 64 had cartridge slots. There were C64 carts like Super Snapshop and Final cartridge that would at a touch of a button capture the current game in memory and create an easy bootable backup.

8 PC Floppy Drives Hall of the Mountain King



The 1541 is still the king, it can produce all the tones compared to the eight PC Floppy drives.

Lenslockx



A letter code on the video screen that needed a special lens to read. This only worked if the correct sized screen is used such as the original computer monitor. If a larger screen such as the TV then the code could not be focused properly.

The Dongle



Looking similar to a USB memory stick. A simple chip that was read thru either the game port or serial port. Chip required to complete the program load. Older console Game Shark and Action Replay utilized a specialized memory card. Action Replay carts and memory cards were unreliable, N64 carts in particular. Backing up the memory card AR file to a 1st party memory card such as the Gamecube is a good preventative measure.

The Game Cart
The cart itself was initially impossible to duplicate. For different region markets, the Nintendo Famicom and NES carts came with a different number of pins. Some Gyromyte game carts have a Japanese PCB with a 60 to 72 pin Import Adaptor inside. Nintendo wanted to prevent a repeat of the over saturated video game crash of the Atari 2600, so a proprietary authentication chip was also part of the cart. 3rd party developers had to get Nintendo approval and licensing to sale a NES game. Tengen eventually cracked the cart with their own chip. The N64 console would prevent import carts through a less expensive simple lock out tab. The console or import carts can easily be modded. There were also the Disk Doctors which would dump the game cart to a floppy disk.



CD DVD Disk Protection
First were physical errors to prevent duplicating. later a movement of boot sectors and map files that could not be duplicated. A round of Copy Programs vs Copy Protection battle again takes place. Game consoles Dreamcast, Gamecube and PSP use proprietary sized discs of GD-Rom, Mini-DVD and UMD. Game consoles as in DVD movies also set region codes to prevent importing games. Mod chips, Action Replay and unique to PS2 HDAdvance/HDLoader and FMCBoot would bypass the boot sectors. There was also a brief phase of music CDs with copy protection multi-session tracks. To the woe of computer users, Sony BGM music CDs would not play in the CDRom though ran fine in an older cd players. In addition the music CD would install a rootkit which opened a security hole in Windows for other malware to enter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_CD_copy_protection_scandal




Its George Orwell 1984 - Control of your merchandise

DRM Phase One
One of the early authentication requirements back to the software company is DVD X Copy. I bought this brand new, it required an EMail or phone call for an install match numbers two step pass code. DVD X Copy made by 321 studios was the very first DVD copier that could defeat CSS protection schemes of movies. Irony is the protection of the DVD Copy program itself. Requires either a Phone call or EMail activation. After the install, the license number is forwarded to the company. A code is issued and manually entered. A new code is randomly generated by detecting current hardware layout and time, which in turn gets forwarded to the software company. The final code is then given to the purchaser which activates the program. 321 Studios is now out of business due to movie studios shutting them down. The purchased disc will no longer install. Better programs have since filled the DVD backup void. The program would even detect hardware changes such as adding memory, requiring another authentication. The company is now out of business so the disc is now useless. Fortunately there are better programs now, but a point of how DLC and DRM is not a permanent archive.



Ever notice how hard it is to purchase a Dual Layer DVD-R DLdisc for backing up DVD dual layer movies?

DRM Phase Two
Half Life 2 by Valve requires online activation thru Steam, even to play the game offline. Steam and current generation game consoles offer purchased downloads of games. To prevent piracy, backing up of console downloads is not allowed. Steam allows backing up downloads, however a login back to the original download account of Steam is required to restore any backup. If console or hard drive fails, the game would have to be downloaded all over again. A new sales tool is additional Downloadable Content Files (DLC) for additional purchase. This can be a plus or negative. Great to gain additional maps, levels and other features of a game. Questionable if those features should have already been included in the purchased disc in the first place. A headache for the consumer when DLC exclusives only available at opening day purchase. Different DLC exclusives at different retailers adds to the frustration as in DVD movie exclusives marked to select retailers. As in DRMs, no way of backing up your DLC purchase in event of a hard drive fail.

DRM Cell Phone
A convenient always available portable gaming device. That is, until the phone wears out and the replacement battery too expensive. New service contract provides a free newer model phone incentive. Unfortunately the games don't transfer to a newer phone whenever you upgrade. If the Cell phone is compatible, TKExplorer is one way, circumventing the Java protection by backing up Java games to the hard drive.

DRM Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle, this happened in 2009.
Ironic the book 1984 by George Orwell got deleted. "Big Brother Watching."

http://www.ddmcd.com/managing-technology/amazon-kindle-orwell-deletion-may-be-legal-but-its-still-dou.html

Amazon Kindle Orwell Deletion May Be Legal -- But It's Still Doubleplusungood
Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 02:58PM
By Dennis D. McDonald, Ph.D.

I know I know — the Orwell titles deleted from customer Kindles by Amazon were unauthorized copies. I’m still concerned. Why? Because it demonstrates how this technology can be applied and managed remotely without the owner’s involvement. Next time it will be a title embroiled in some kind of legal dispute, or a government agency will beg that a title be deleted for national security reasons.

Given what just happened I don’t see how you can say such scenarios are impossible.

Which disappoints me, since I want a Kindle, and I maintain a lot of my own personal data online “in the cloud.” I have to think about this more, now.

Be that as it may, one of the purposes of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology is to allow just such a scenario — post sale control of licensed media. We just saw that DRM does in fact work as advertised.

This reminds me of arguments that swirled around the old “DIVX DVD” technology that Circuit City lost so much money on so many years ago; DIVX DVD playback could be deactivated remotely for non-payment, but Circuit City could never convince folks that mistaken de-activation was impossible.

I’ll still buy stuff from Amazon. The service is good. Hopefully, though, they won’t get their hands on eMusic.

DRM Current State and Things to Come
Ubisoft has recently announced practice of online activation even for offline gaming.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/01/ubisofts-new-drm-solution-you-have-be-online-to-play.ars

Ubisoft does not have the best history when it comes to invasive—if not downright broken—DRM, but the company's upcoming "solution" to game piracy is much worse than anything we've seen in the past. The gist is simple: every time you want to play your game, it has to phone back to Ubisoft before giving you permission to play. No Internet connection? You're simply out of luck.

To survive I think eventually ALL game companies will require DLC activation for any purchased game. There are two sides to what is happening to the industry. Game companies must protect their product. Consumer should be free to own a Permanent copy. As in the DRM Phase One example above, companies do fail and eventually as new systems get developed, older software support drops. So is this an additional profit incentive? Since a game is no longer permanent, sales would increase to replace the now dead unsupported game.

Digital game downloads is always a hot topic around here I have noticed, with arguments for both sides. One of the main concerns is always about being able to purchase games after they are no longer supported, essentially making the future of collecting games obsolete. But I found this story on IGN and it raises a new issue that I had never even thought of when considering downloadable games.

http://wireless.ign.com/articles/122/1224184p1.html

Rock Band will no longer function on iOS devices as of May 31st. The following message pops up upon loading the app:
"Dear Rockers,
On May 31, Rock Band will no longer be playable on your device. Thanks for rocking out with us!"

This message comes despite the fact that the game is still available on the App Store for $4.99 as of this writing, with no warning about the impending expiration date.

This would be a very big issue if it were to spread to other games for whatever reason (I understand this is just a IOS downloadable title, and would not likely happen to others) and could cause quite the uproar, having a game taken away that you paid for, with no valid reason or promise of reimbursement. Basically anyone that purchased this got themselves a nice $5 dollar rental.

Update: EA has released a statement regarding a message users received stating that Rock Band on iOS will no longer function after May 31st.

"Rock Band for iOS will remain live - the in-app message users received yesterday was sent in error. We apologize for the confusion this caused. We're working to clarify the issue that caused the error and will share additional information as soon as possible."

Even though EA recanted and stated that Rockband would remain live this places another reality check. As in Amazon removing George Orwell's 1984 Novel from personal Kindles, games can be deleted or rendered useless as well. The game deletion control will become more common on not only the iPad but the next generation consoles.

Latest Steam update forces you to give up your legal rights
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&p=646292#p646292

I updated Steam today, which brought up a new "Subscriber Agreement" that I have to sign in order to log into Steam now. I clicked that I "Disagree" with the statement and now I can't play my 600+ games on Steam until I say I "Agree".

Behind the spoiler is the portion of the agreement I hate and do not want to sign.

12. DISPUTE RESOLUTION/BINDING ARBITRATION/CLASS ACTION WAIVER.

Most user concerns can be resolved by use of our Steam support site at https://support.steampowered.com/. If we are unable to resolve your concerns and a dispute remains between you and Valve, this Section explains how we agree to resolve it.

YOU AND VALVE AGREE TO RESOLVE ALL DISPUTES AND CLAIMS BETWEEN US IN INDIVIDUAL BINDING ARBITRATION. THAT INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, ANY CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO: (i) ANY ASPECT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US; (ii) THIS AGREEMENT; OR (iii) YOUR USE OF STEAM, YOUR ACCOUNT OR THE SOFTWARE. IT APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH CLAIMS ARE BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTE, FRAUD, UNFAIR COMPETITION, MISREPRESENTATION OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

However, this Section does not apply to the following types of claims or disputes, which you or Valve may bring in any court with jurisdiction: (i) claims of infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights, including such claims seeking injunctive relief; and (ii) claims related to or arising from any alleged unauthorized use, piracy or theft.

This Section does not prevent you from bringing your dispute to the attention of any federal, state, or local government agencies that can, if the law allows, seek relief from us for you.

An arbitration is a proceeding before a neutral arbitrator, instead of before a judge or jury. Arbitration is less formal than a lawsuit in court, and provides more limited discovery. It follows different rules than court proceedings, and is subject to very limited review by courts. The arbitrator will issue a written decision and provide a statement of reasons if requested by either party. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND VALVE ARE GIVING UP THE RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT AND TO HAVE A TRIAL BEFORE A JUDGE OR JURY.

You and Valve agree to make reasonable, good faith efforts to informally resolve any dispute before initiating arbitration. A party who intends to seek arbitration must first send the other a written notice that describes the nature and basis of the claim or dispute and sets forth the relief sought. If you and Valve do not reach an agreement to resolve that claim or dispute within 30 days after the notice is received, you or Valve may commence an arbitration. Written notice to Valve must be sent via postal mail to: ATTN: Arbitration Notice, Valve Corporation, P.O. Box 1688, Bellevue, WA 98004.

The Federal Arbitration Act applies to this Section. The arbitration will be governed by the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) and, where applicable, the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes, as modified by this Agreement, both of which are available at http://www.adr.org. The arbitrator is bound by the terms of this Agreement.

The AAA will administer the arbitration. It may be conducted through the submission of documents, by phone, or in person in the county where you live or at another mutually agreed location.

If you seek $10,000 or less, Valve agrees to reimburse your filing fee and your share of the arbitration costs, including your share of arbitrator compensation, at the conclusion of the proceeding, unless the arbitrator determines your claims are frivolous or costs are unreasonable as determined by the arbitrator. Valve agrees not to seek its attorneys' fees or costs in arbitration unless the arbitrator determines your claims are frivolous or costs are unreasonable as determined by the arbitrator. If you seek more than $10,000, the arbitration costs, including arbitrator compensation, will be split between you and Valve according to the AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules and the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes, if applicable.

YOU AND VALVE AGREE NOT TO BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION OR COLLECTIVE ARBITRATION, EVEN IF AAA’s PROCEDURES OR RULES WOULD OTHERWISE ALLOW ONE. THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD RELIEF ONLY IN FAVOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT OF THAT PARTY’S INDIVIDUAL CLAIM. You and Valve also agree not to seek to combine any action or arbitration with any other action or arbitration without the consent of all parties to this Agreement and all other actions or arbitrations.

If the agreement in this Section not to bring or participate in a class or representative action, private attorney general action or collective arbitration should be found illegal or unenforceable, you and Valve agree that it shall not be severable, that this entire Section shall be unenforceable and any claim or dispute would be resolved in court and not in collective arbitration.

Notwithstanding this Section, you have the right to litigate any dispute in small claims court, if all the requirements of the small claims court, including any limitations on jurisdiction and the amount at issue in the dispute, are satisfied.

This Section 12 shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. If the laws of your jurisdiction prohibit the application of some or all of the provisions of this Section notwithstanding Section 11 (Applicable Law/Jurisdiction), such provisions will not apply to you.

Now I know that I'm not terribly likely to need to file a class action lawsuit against Valve, but I don't really care to sign away my right to do so and it pisses me off that they are holding my games ransom until I will sign off on this.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthr ... ts-Joystiq

If this is the future of gaming I dont want any part of it. I feel people are constantly defending digital download/cloud gaming(not exactly around here, but other boards), steam in particular as some bright future of gaming. All I see is publishers trying to squeeze the consumer base dry and I feel it will leave the big gaming industry crippled.

There was a Thread that mentioned the European Ruling allowing selling of used download games. Gamestop is looking into buying used download licenses. I wonder if this is Valve's reaction to keep this from happening? I have been piling up on older PC games from the Thrift Store with License Agreements that cannot force my hand, even when I disagree with them. This is sooo ironic on the Doom 3 install. Ten years from now it can still be installed offline.






Digital Copy Download Movies
Just the movie, no bonus tracks or special features. Great for saving room on the download. A one time DRM install requires an online authentication code to enable the movie. The download cannot be transfered once the single use code is activated. The irony is some purchased movies have the entire digital download right in the disc. Locked out once the code is used or expires.

Look at BlueRay movies. Right now you can watch additional online streaming information, will DLC activation eventually be required to watch any new movie?



Note line 4 above. Will the registration eventually be required for all BlueRay movies thru a mandated player update?
Remember BlueRay is Sony, look at PS3 mandated updates to continue to play PS3 games.

Take a read of this, posted on April 12, 2011:

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=403989#p403989

I tried to finally watch Starship Troopers on Blu Ray that I received for my birthday this past February and the damn thing goes through a loading status and then nothing. I've googled this issue and people are saying you need to have a blank SD card in the player or a flash drive? I have a Panasonic BDMP60( I think that's the model but I'm at work so I don't know for sure right now) player. Do I need to have my player connected to the internet too for this f'n disc to play too or just the blank SD card or flash drive? I have two SD cards, one from my Wii and another that I use for the Blu Ray player but do they(or the FD) need to be blank for this?

Player Firmware
My Phillips DVD player would not play certain movies, needed a firmware upgrade many years ago. A 3rd generation DVD player, state of the art at the time and should have been able to play all DVDs. It had to be done by shipping to the factory and wait a month to read multiple region coded discs. This was when the feature packed players were going for over three hundred bucks, what one pays to get that Jog Shuttle Dial. To give an idea of the vintage, it will not play DVDRs. But hey, I still love playing with the Jog Shuttle, even if its not as silk smooth scan as Laser Players and not Anamorphic stretch capable.

Current Blue Ray players Firmware Double Edged Sword
Now a player can be easily Firmware updated online right on the shelf as in current game consoles. But as new movie releases come out:
1. Perhaps another future updated firmware might be required?
2. What if your player is no longer supported?
3. A permanent lockup during a required firmware upgrade occurs on movie night.
4. Will online authentication be eventually required for new movies?

Gee where has that happened already? I'm starting to see Yellow and Red and UBI all over again!

@Evildeadman, give that blank memory card and online connection a try.

Okay sorry, had to throw this in. Back to the crappy movie.

Wow, I just asked a question about playback issues w/ this movie and it started a whole other topic! I love this site!

I was able to get it to work with the SD card & hooked up to the net so I was able to enjoy all the boobs & gore in 1080p goodness! Sorry, I love this movie. I have never read the book so I have no basis for comparison but I would like to read it. Once the semester is over next month then I'm going to check it out. The book is always better pretty much all the time so I'm not surprised.

I am curious if the movie would play on another BlueRay player or a PS3 with the Internet disabled. Perhaps just the blank SD Card is needed. Certain BlueRay movies try to access BD-Live online right at the start up. Will movies eventually require online authentication, I mentioned earlier?

The work around solution is insert a memory card and disable BD-Live from the in movie setup menu. Not sure, but I think the disable BD-Live settings will remain in the SD card.

Action Replay
Used for unlocking levels and features, Action Replay, Game Shark, Coder Breakers and other game cheat devices are no longer available for new consoles. This is due to mandated console updates which kills off any 3rd party game or utility disc that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony want to lock out. In a touch of irony, the unlocks once possible by Action Replay are now DLCs to get the hidden features.

Really?! Are you kidding me! This would be an Action Replay code in older consoles!


A control of what hardware you buy

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=313390#p313390

Wow, I thought it was just a joke when people said Sony was going to start disabling the use of USB devices, but I guess I was wrong:
http://www.ps3hax.net/2010/09/sony-blocking-3rd-party-usb-peripherals-with-firmware-3-50/
Here's the funniest part:

It is possible that some counterfeit product may ignite or explode, resulting in injury or damage to your PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the user, or other property.

I have a feeling that one day, the PS3 will only be allowed to be used with official Dualshock 3 controllers, hooked up to a Bravia 3DTV, with the official HDMI cable. And for it to work, you have to show receipts for all these things to the PSEye camera every time you start it up.

Its not just Sony.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=323517#p323517



I have one of these badboys that I might be parting with. Here's the scoop if you don't know what it is: It was basically Datel's version of the Game Boy Player. It plugged into a GCN (or Wii*) memory card port and allowed you to play GBA games on your TV.

So why would anybody want this thing? Simple. If you have a Wii with firmware of 3.00 or below, then you can use this to play GBA games on your Wii.

Sony License Agreement. Already an ignored known, how far can this be pushed?
Other companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo and any 3rd party have License Agreements as well.

http://cy.playstation.com/help/system-software/ps3/download-the-latest-update.html

3. SERVICES AND UPDATES
From time to time, SCE may provide certain updates, upgrades or services to your PS3™ system to ensure it is functioning properly in accordance with SCE guidelines. Some services may be provided automatically without notice when you sign onto SCE's online network, and others may be available to you through SCE's website or authorized channels.

Without limitation, services may include the provision of the latest update or download of new releases that may include security patches, and new or revised settings and features which may prevent access to pirated games, or use of unauthorized hardware or software in connection with the PS3™ system. Some services may change your current settings, cause a loss of data or content, or cause some loss of functionality. It is recommended that you regularly back up any data on the hard disk that is of a type that can be backed up.

A pic of a newer PS3 game below. The part of interest reads:

SCEA reserves the right to retire the online portion of this game at anytime.

Older games had a 90 day window, looks like a recent change to allow an anytime Sony decides cancel. Already known that online support would eventually go away for any game. Wild guess of timeframe for your download DRM-DLC games support. In the future will game companies do an Amazon Kindle remote delete games strategy?

Retro Collector is Now Retro
GOG is the light in the tunnel offering DRM free downloadable games for purchase, but even these will be lost over time. There is no disc copy to be discovered years later by a future Retro collector at the local Goodwill or Swap Meet. If DLC activation becomes required for all new games, what will become of the used game market? Even worse the Retro collector of tomorrow will have a very tough time playing any of those great old 360, PS3 and Wii DLC activation games. Especially the current great unique DRM games which will eventually be no longer available in the future, truly lost vaporware.

False hopes
A company folds so they will graciously patch all their DRM games? Older system backup of purchased downloads account will always be online when a newer console emerges? A purchased download is no longer on Steam, PSN, XBLA or Wii Virtual Console so someone will patch it? I would not rely on any of this.

The PS2 downloads on PSN are a good thing for import games from other regions. But if the disc version which can ALWAYS be reinstalled with a Fat PS2 hard drive is available, I prefer going that route. If an import game is really good, I would still prefer the disc copy over a less expensive download.

The real kick is how many would buy a $9.99 download over a $2.99 disc?
See the Racketboy Poll here: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=33469&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

The shape of things to come
Not the ideology of games being rehashed to a newer console, but now the same exact games for repurchase on a newer console. The problem is the Digital Download format is taking over, there will be no choice of a hard copy.

As far as the PSN PS2 list, most of the games are cheaper on the original disc at $2.99 at Gamesop, yet how many would rather buy the convenient click my charge card download vs leave the hibernation house?

I bought a obscure game for the Wii called Geon Cube on disc, the other consoles are a DRM only purchase. Thankfully the ICO-Shadow Colossus HD set came out as a PS3 disc. But how many other PS2 games will be chopped from the HD Disc option and only be a download? The industry is changing, eventually all the games and maybe even movies will be in a Stream Steam format only. Less upfront expense for the game companies, and an increasing number of buyers that would rather not go to the store.

Sad thing is DRM downloads are part of culture because of ignorant convenience.
Digital Rights Management. Or as I see it, Digital Rental Management.

CNET References: http://news.cnet.com/posts/?keyword=digital+rights+management

History of DRM & Copy Protection in Computer Games

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

You're making some good points but your judgment is more opinion based than fact based.

EDIT!:

Ubisoft has recently announced practice of online activation even for offline gaming. To survive I think eventually ALL game companies will require DLC activation for any purchased game.

Where the hell did you read this? Because I'd think it would have caused some stir I'd have heard of by now.

[GSZX1337]

I quickly skimmed through your post and this point about Steam stuck out:

To prevent piracy, backing up of downloads is not allowed.

Right Click on your game and hit "Backup Game Files".

EDIT: No Mention of the Commodore 64 code cards?

[jfe2]

Great read CRT, I really enjoyed this and I TOTALLY agree with your statement at the end.

You're making some good points but your judgment is more opinion based than fact based.

EDIT!:

Ubisoft has recently announced practice of online activation even for offline gaming. To survive I think eventually ALL game companies will require DLC activation for any purchased game.

Where the hell did you read this? Because I'd think it would have caused some stir I'd have heard of by now.

Didn't they do that with the PC version of Assassin's Creed II already?

[GSZX1337]

Yes, they did:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010 ... ls-drm.ars

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Great read CRT, I really enjoyed this and I TOTALLY agree with your statement at the end.

You're making some good points but your judgment is more opinion based than fact based.

EDIT!:

Ubisoft has recently announced practice of online activation even for offline gaming. To survive I think eventually ALL game companies will require DLC activation for any purchased game.

Where the hell did you read this? Because I'd think it would have caused some stir I'd have heard of by now.

Didn't they do that with the PC version of Assassin's Creed II already?

PC's don't freaking count.

Yes they're great machines for games and all the other PC crap but they aren't a game console. PC's are expected to be online all the time, not game machines. They're two very different yet incredibly similar things but in the public eye of the majority a PC game is expected to have draconian DRM and BS attached to it whereas console gaming is plug and play simplicity.

Plus Ubisoft nixed that DRM thing after it blew up in their faces. The servers for the game itself weren't even online on the day it released and they got HAMMERED over it.

[CRTGAMER]

I quickly skimmed through your post and this point about Steam stuck out:

To prevent piracy, backing up of downloads is not allowed.

Right Click on your game and hit "Backup Game Files".
EDIT: No Mention of the Commodore 64 code cards?

Fixed the Steam information in the OP.

To prevent piracy, backing up of console downloads is not allowed. Steam allows backing up downloads, however a login back to the original download account of Steam is required to restore any backup.

Still a problem, what is the point of a backup?

A little clarity on the C64 coder cards? Are you talking about the 128D Kraker Jax memory?

PC's don't freaking count.

Yes they're great machines for games and all the other PC crap but they aren't a game console. PC's are expected to be online all the time, not game machines. They're two very different yet incredibly similar things but in the public eye of the majority a PC game is expected to have draconian DRM and BS attached to it whereas console gaming is plug and play simplicity.

Plus Ubisoft nixed that DRM thing after it blew up in their faces. The servers for the game itself weren't even online on the day it released and they got HAMMERED over it.

Console online the norm for the current generation crop. DRM also part of regular events to today's console gamer. I think DLC activation will eventually happen on all games consoles and computers. Maybe not extreme as the constant online verification but the initial DLC activation. From a game company's point of view it makes sense as a means to protect the product. Consumer loses. This is not hard data just my own reflection of what is taking place in the industry. Even the BlueRay Player needs an update to go live, where is that going to lead on future updates later? Look at the PS3 update of disabling some 3rd party USB controllers.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

PC's don't freaking count.

Yes they're great machines for games and all the other PC crap but they aren't a game console. PC's are expected to be online all the time, not game machines. They're two very different yet incredibly similar things but in the public eye of the majority a PC game is expected to have draconian DRM and BS attached to it whereas console gaming is plug and play simplicity.

Plus Ubisoft nixed that DRM thing after it blew up in their faces. The servers for the game itself weren't even online on the day it released and they got HAMMERED over it.

I think it will eventually happen on all games. Maybe not extreme as the constant online but the initial DLC activation. From a game company's point of view it makes sense as a means to protect the product. This is not hard data just my own reflection of what is taking place in the industry. Even the BlueRay Player needs an update to go live, where is that going to lead on future updates later? Look at PS3 update of disabling some 3rd party USB controllers.

DLC IS ONLINE CONTENT! NOT A DISC! THINK RETAIL MAN! HARD COPIES BOUGHT FROM A FREAKING STORE! (Sorry about the rage but you need to think about things from the eyes of a consumer and what a retailer would do, NOT the manufacturer. Wal-Mart and iTunes have more influence over the game, movie and music industry than the execs themselves because they're the distribution channel.)

Also BluRay players needed an update because the UPDATED the specification! BD-Live wasn't originally included when the standard was created and thousands of older players needed the update to remain functional with newer discs! This PREVENTS customers from having to buy a newer player simply for the sake of using BD-Live!

As for the PS3 update it doesn't disable shit worth having. Ask anyone if they've had controller problems or flash drive problems. The only people getting shit are the ones who bought $5 CrapCO controllers or the damn modchips. All of my first and third party stuff still works and I'm betting yours does too.

If you don't have hard data then you have an opinion, and while I may not agree I will say that it is valid and important. I just think you're getting too paranoid and carried away. People fight back against DRM with the simplest means possible: complaining, not buying, or just plain old cracking and stealing. It's been this way for decades now. Companies fight back and overextend their reach, get screwed over by customers and loose market share, remove the majority of their DRM and become fan favorites. Then after a few years new management changes, etc... DRM makes it's way back in and the cycle starts anew.

History is your best friend when analyzing market changes and the way most companies work. Sure it isn't 100% but it is a good indicator of the business practices of most major corporations.

[jfe2]

IIRC some new games require a DLC to unlock the multiplayer portions. I love DLC if its created after a game has been put to market, but it seems like the unlockable DLC is just being done to test the water for future digital only releases.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

IIRC some new games require a DLC to unlock the multiplayer portions. I love DLC if its created after a game has been put to market, but it seems like the unlockable DLC is just being done to test the water for future digital only releases.

No, you're wrong.

There are one time only needed access cards you have to buy to access to get online for multiplayer on USED games NOT NEW. This basically encourages people to buy new instead of used.

The only games that actually use this are UFC 2010 and Tiger Woods 2011. It's a move to help get more sales on the new front instead of used. The problem is nobody freaking cares. I work game retail and I've never sold one of these cards EVER.

And the thing is even if someone would want one of the cards GameStop literally priced the Used cost of both games $5 lower than it's supposed to be so that when you buy the $5 online pass you come out exactly the same as before the cards came out.

Also, you're not making any sense in saying it's testing the water for future digital only releases? Do you even know how large and complicated modern games are? Digitally distributing them is NOT and option right now. Internet access in the US and 90% of the world sucks. Not to mention Server and bandwidth costs compounded with how incredibly different everyone's internet connection is and you have a major headache.

Steam has succeeded in this are as they can basically place a minimum list of requirements for all users and have pre-release downloads ect... On the console side this is different. People in the mainstream don't want complicated download instructions or to wait for stuff, not everyone has broadband and not everyone even has the internet believe it or not.

Like I said before, you guys need to think of it like Joe Schmo Everyman. The guy who doesn't know crap about tech and just wants his games now and instantly.