[acemanwise]

'The Truth Is, It Doesn't Work' - CD Projekt On DRM
source:forbes.com

Quote

First of all let me dispel the myth about DRM protecting anything. The truth is it does not work. It’s as simple as that. The technology which is supposed to protect games against illegal copying is cracked within hours of the release of every single game. So, that’s wasted money and development just to implement it. But that’s not the worst part. DRM, in most cases, requires users to enter serial numbers, validate his or her machine, and be connected to the Internet while they authenticate – and possibly even when they play the game they bought. Quite often the DRM slows the game down, as the wrapper around the executable file is constantly checking if the game is being legally used or not. That is a lot the legal users have to put up with, while the illegal users who downloaded the pirated version have a clean–and way more functional!–game. It seems crazy, but that’s how it really works. So if you are asking me how do I see the future of DRM in games, well, I do not see any future for DRM at all.

http://www.forbes.co...artner=yahootix

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 20 May 2012 - 01:39 AM

[coastie65]

acemanwise, on 20 May 2012 - 01:38 AM, said:

'The Truth Is, It Doesn't Work' - CD Projekt On DRM
source:forbes.com

Quote

First of all let me dispel the myth about DRM protecting anything. The truth is it does not work. It’s as simple as that. The technology which is supposed to protect games against illegal copying is cracked within hours of the release of every single game. So, that’s wasted money and development just to implement it. But that’s not the worst part. DRM, in most cases, requires users to enter serial numbers, validate his or her machine, and be connected to the Internet while they authenticate – and possibly even when they play the game they bought. Quite often the DRM slows the game down, as the wrapper around the executable file is constantly checking if the game is being legally used or not. That is a lot the legal users have to put up with, while the illegal users who downloaded the pirated version have a clean–and way more functional!–game. It seems crazy, but that’s how it really works. So if you are asking me how do I see the future of DRM in games, well, I do not see any future for DRM at all.

http://www.forbes.co...artner=yahootix

The article is somewhat erroneous. First, It was released WITH DRM, which was eliminated with the first patch as I recall. Second, the game was published by Atari in the U.S., NOT Ubisoft. I have both The Witcher and The Witcher 2 and have played both multiple times. I do agree with the Quoted stuff and is something I have been saying for a long time.

This post has been edited by coastie65: 21 May 2012 - 05:13 AM

[LiveBrianD]

acemanwise, on 20 May 2012 - 01:38 AM, said:

Quote

First of all let me dispel the myth about DRM protecting anything. The truth is it does not work. It’s as simple as that. The technology which is supposed to protect games against illegal copying is cracked within hours of the release of every single game. So, that’s wasted money and development just to implement it. But that’s not the worst part. DRM, in most cases, requires users to enter serial numbers, validate his or her machine, and be connected to the Internet while they authenticate – and possibly even when they play the game they bought. Quite often the DRM slows the game down, as the wrapper around the executable file is constantly checking if the game is being legally used or not. That is a lot the legal users have to put up with, while the illegal users who downloaded the pirated version have a clean–and way more functional!–game. It seems crazy, but that’s how it really works. So if you are asking me how do I see the future of DRM in games, well, I do not see any future for DRM at all.

http://www.forbes.co...artner=yahootix

You hit the nail on the head. Precisely my thoughts.

[acemanwise]

New Challenger: 3 Reasons Why Gaming Will Destroy Itself Part 1
source:defaultprime.com

Quote

Those really were the days in terms of games being accessible and easy to play. The only console that still does that is Nintendo’s Wii; whenever I put a game in my Wii, old or new, I know for a fact it won’t waste my time in any way, yet I am still pleasantly surprised each time the game just loads and I can play it. Compare this to the, relatively-speaking, angst-ridden experience of trying to play a game on a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 and it is obvious that the whole experience is a slower and more frustrating way to enjoy videogames. How aggravating it is, then, to be shackled to these cumbersome consoles in order to play the latest games in high definition. The Wii is not always a convenient other option for many games because the titles that are Sony and Microsoft’s bread and butter are often nowhere to be found on the Wii.

Let’s think a bit more about those gamers (and parents of gamers) who are not so well informed about the medium and who are confronted with an almost impenetrable wall of jargon, subscriptions and online passes. A well-meaning parent might buy their child a game as a gift, maybe a Need for Speed title, only to discover once they get home thinking their child will be able to join up with his friend, who also has the game, online. Only before being able to play online the game needs an injection of $10 or $15 more, on top of the price of the game, because the parent bought the game second-hand. That’s madness. Publishers are expecting second-hand consumers to pay twice to access the whole game and the well-meaning parent in this example has to either disappoint the child by saying no to buying an online pass, or shell out even more money leaving a sour taste in the back of their mouth when it was a gift meant to bring joy.

http://defaultprime....-itself-part-1/

[acemanwise]

Diablo 3 DRM Shows How Greedy Blizzard Has Become
source:4logpc.com

Quote

Diablo 3 is by no means a bad game. In fact, in my review for Diablo 3, I gave it a high score, but the DRM design choices is really what kept the game from a perfect score. In case you aren’t aware, let me tell you how Blizzard’s Diablo 3 DRM works.

If you want to play Diablo 3 at all, you have to connect to Blizzard’s servers. Even if you wish to enjoy the game by yourself, and have no intention of ever playing with anybody else, you have to connect to their servers. It is a choice that affected and upset many people who purchased the game on launch day. The Diablo 3 servers experienced many hours of down time during its launch, and players that simply wanted to play the game by themselves were forced to sit and wait instead.

Diablo 3’s DRM choice is a peculiar one indeed. Blizzard claims the DRM policy is so piracy will not affect them, and hackers cannot access people’s inventory and steal all of their stuff. The issue with that theory is that both of those outcomes have already been fulfilled. There are various reports about Diablo 3 players getting their inventory stolen, and Blizzard can’t do much except try to roll back players characters. Some players are saying even after the rollback they are missing items. Diablo 3 is also already being pirated, and has been cracked to be played offline. It only took a few days before Diablo 3’s DRM was completely made irrelevant.

One feature of Diablo 3 has never sat right with me, and it consists of players spending real money to purchase in game items. The real money auction house is why Diablo 3 had insane DRM, and it shows that Blizzard has become insanely greedy.

http://4logpc.com/di...ard-has-become/

[acemanwise]

Games For Windows Live Encourages Piracy
source:cinemablend.com

Quote

Games for Windows Live, often shortened to the acronym GFWL, has been a dreaded piece of software for most end-users. The problems are also too many to list, however, one thing has become rather apparent, in order to get some games running right under the GFWL label, you have to pirate them.

First off, the highlight of Games for Windows Live is that it can directly incorporate into your Xbox Live account, and it can carry over all your achievements, gamerscore, friends list and more. It seems really convenient and a great way to share games via your PC and Xbox 360 across one or multiple accounts.

The problem, however, is that Game for Windows Live doesn't have enough support. Updates are just as likely to completely break the service as they are to fix it, and getting the service to work with games correctly can sometimes become a time-consuming brain-storming session.

A lot of people have been having problems with GFWL in a number of games, it doesn't take long to find out what these problems are, and usually it boils down to trying to figure out a workaround just to get the service working properly. The most common solution has been to simply reformat the hard drive or reinstall the OS. Although, that's not a very convenient solution.

Oftentimes the service is known for crashing, and what's worse it's known for crashing while updating, which can cause many gamers to lose save files or profile progress for GFWL games, as indicated in this forum thread here.

http://www.cinemable...racy-42731.html

[acemanwise]

The Antivirus Era Is Over
source:technologyreview.com

Quote

Two weeks ago today, computer security labs in Iran, Russia, and Hungary announced the discovery of Flame, "the most complex malware ever found," according to Hungary's CrySyS Lab.

For at least two years, Flame has been copying documents and recording audio, keystrokes, network traffic, and Skype calls, and taking screenshots from infected computers. That information was passed along to one of several command-and-control servers operated by its creators. In all that time, no security software raised the alarm.

Flame is just the latest in a series of incidents that suggest that conventional antivirus software is an outmoded way of protecting computers against malware. "Flame was a failure for the antivirus industry," Mikko Hypponen, the founder and chief research officer of antivirus firm F-Secure, wrote last week. "We really should have been able to do better. But we didn't. We were out of our league, in our own game."

The programs that are the lynchpin of computer security for businesses, governments, and consumers alike operate like the antivirus software on consumer PCs. Threats are detected by comparing the code of software programs and their activity against a database of "signatures" for known malware. Security companies such as F-Secure and McAfee constantly research reports of new malware and update their lists of signatures accordingly. The result is supposed to be an impenetrable wall that keeps the bad guys out.

http://www.technolog...us-era-is-over/

[acemanwise]

Rockstars New Hacker Solution – Could It Cause More Damage Than Good?
source:mmogamecentral.com

Quote

A recent article on Gamasutra included details on a new method Rockstar have been using to deal with cheaters playing Max Payne 3 online. Instead of smacking them round the face with a well deserved ban hammer, Rockstar have opted to deploy a new technique, hackers against hackers. Players that are discovered using any form of an illegal advantage, such as modded files or exploits, will be thrown to the dogs in a special server group known as “Cheaters Pool”. First time cheaters will be placed here until their case can be reviewed, but if they’re caught doing the dirty again, they’re cast aside like yesterdays paper and banned for good. Although this appears like great news, could it cause more damage than good?

The first thing that came to mine when reading this was Call of Duty Modern Warfare. Through no fault of my own, Punkbuster decided to have issues with me and I was banned from legitimate servers. Having never used a hack in my life, this got on my nerves a bit but I soldiered up and tried the non Punkbuster servers. I was expecting to find at least a few servers that weren’t filled with hackers, but that was naive and stupid as every single server was filled with people using cheats and exploits. I’d already got a few hundred hours tallied up and wasn’t enjoying the game that much anymore but it was still annoying to be playing with blatant cheaters. So what makes Rockstar’s technique any different to the infuriatingly stupid Punkbuster? Well, not much really. The main bulk of the process is automated, and although it could have a 99% success rate in identifying hackers, no automated anti-cheating process is foolproof. So what happens to the innocent gamers that get the shaft? Personally, I’m quite a big fan of Rockstar and any issues I’ve had with games before have been resolved, with the exception of the terrible GTAIV PC port, but that’s a topic for another day. I’m sure they’ll get the innocents back out of the Cheaters Pool at some point, but how long will it take? Hours? Days? Either way, an innocent player that deserves a fair experience has been shafted after paying $60 for a new game. You could argue that a full out ban is just as bad as it stops them playing full stop, but I’m not sure I like this method either.

http://mmogamecentra...mage-than-good/

[acemanwise]

The daring bugs of May: the UK government's plans to track our gaming.
source:pcgamesn.com

Quote

In a move sure to shock racist- and sexist-abuse hurling teenagers everywhere, the UK government has set out plans to monitor internet use in the UK. All UK communication companies, under the proposed legislation, will be obliged to keep records of all sites that users visited for at least a year. Categories that could be retained include information about social network usage, webmail, Skype calls, and gaming.

There's a rule that in any UK government that there's a hardline anti-fun person. Under the Labour party, it was David "iron fist" Blunkett. Ironically, posh shoe-loving Theresa May (not the much better-known porn star) is the current Home Secretary, whose job is basically to see how far he or she can restrict other people's pleasure. Both liberals and conservatives are against this move, given its intrusiveness. For example, the relatively-well-respected Tory MP David Davis has described the bill as "incredibly intrusive" and said it would only "catch the innocent and incompetent."


Apparently, since the police are concerned that criminals use online gaming sites to communicate with each other, they think that keeping data on what connections and websites individuals been access will enable them to somehow establish what these naughty types are up to. Even though they say they won't be able to access any of the content, unless they get a warrant from a Judge.


Steven Coates, Deputy Director of the ominously-acronymed SOCA (Serious and Organised Crime Agency) told the BBC; "We don't have the technology, we don't have the time and frankly we don't have the inclination to go trawling for masses and masses of data on innocent people." So, we have to ask, what's the point of the legislation?

Wannabe thieves, here's our top tip; play Payday: the Heist whilst plotting and if you get caught, claim you were just roleplaying. And if the police have managed to get a search warrant and are reading; we're only joking!

http://www.pcgamesn....rack-our-gaming

[acemanwise]

Video Game Consumer Association is formed
source:examiner.com

Quote

Resulting from disagreements over the direction of Gamers’ Voice, a splinter group of committee members left the group last July to form the VGCA (Video Game Consumer Association).

Their mission statement is as follows.

“The Video Game Consumer Association (VGCA) is committed to protecting the rights of video game consumers throughout the UK. We seek to ensure that all interactions between the video game industry and the customer base it serves are both fair and reasonable. We will also uphold the profile of video games as a valid means of entertainment, alongside the more traditional mediums such as film, literature and music.”

Given the recent failings by the remaining members of Gamers’ Voice to defend media bias against video games and help solve consumer related issues. The VGCA is looking to pick up the slack and help defend consumer rights in the UK. The VGCA is ready and supposedly able to tackle the issues mattering most to gamers. Highly contested issues including draconian DRM measures, on disk DLC, and the recent struggles at GAME are within the VGCA’s sights.

Chris O’Regan, Director of VGCA had the following to say.

“Coupled with the transitional state the video game industry is in, with the life cycles of current consoles drawing to an end, and free to play games becoming increasingly common, it’s imperative that a voice is given to the consumer of video games.

Over the coming months we will be launching campaigns on a variety of issues that we believe impinge on the rights of the video game consumer. During these campaigns we will reach out to both the industry and consumers to resolve the issues we raise.”

The VGCA is a non-profit, independent organization. To visit their site click here.

http://www.examiner....cid=db_articles

[acemanwise]

You Actually Own All Of Those Games You Downloaded
source:thecontrolleronline.com



IN EUROPE, ANYWAY.

Quote

Earlier today the Court of Justice of the European Union made a landmark ruling on an issue that has been the point of much discussion over the last couple of years: used games. We all know that we have the right to sell our used games, despite what software manufacturers may think, but today’s ruling concerns the application of the same principle to digitally distributed software.

I’ve discussed this issue extensively in the past, but it was always in the context of used game discs. I had been resigned to the fact that, as with most computer software, downloadable games were saddled with an End User License Agreement stating that I, in effect, don’t own the software but rather a license to use it. Not according to the EU’s highest court, it seems.

“An author of software cannot oppose the resale of his ‘used’ licences allowing the use of his programs downloaded from the internet.” The court stated in its decision. Sure, publishers can’t block the sale under this law but couldn’t they just refuse access to aquire the software once you have purchased, in effect, the license from your friend?

“Therefore the new acquirer of the user licence, such as a customer of UsedSoft, may, as a lawful acquirer of the corrected and updated copy of the computer program concerned, download that copy from the copyright holder’s website.” Right there, that’s it, that’s the most important sentence in the ruling, if you ask me.

http://thecontroller...uve-downloaded/

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 04 July 2012 - 12:29 PM

[acemanwise]

DNS Changer Malware: What to Do If Your Computer's Hit
source:abcnews.go.com

http://www.dcwg.org/.../03/fix_128.png

Quote

The FBI's temporary Internet servers will go dark Monday, leaving thousands of unsuspecting malware-infected individuals without online access.

What temporary Internet servers, you ask? They might have been connecting you to Facebook, YouTube, and -- ahem! -- ABCNews.com for the last month, and you didn't even know it. Really.

Why is this happening? It all has to do with a piece of computer malware called DNS Changer.

It started in 2007, when a group of hackers -- six Estonians and one Russian -- allegedly started masquerading as Internet advertisers who were paid by the click, according to an 2011 indictment from the U.S. Attorney General's Office in the Southern District of New York. In other words, if an ad got more clicks, they pocketed more cash.

So they figured out a way to beat the system, according to the indictment. They created a piece of malware, called DNS Changer, that tampered with the DNS -- the thing that takes a website address and finds the numerical IP address to connect you to that website -- redirecting millions of Internet users to sites they didn't search for.

For instance, if your computer was infected and you clicked a link to go to Netflix, you would wind up at "BudgetMatch," according to the FBI. The practice is called "click hijacking."

Once the FBI got around to fixing the problem in 2011, it realized it couldn't simply shut down the rogue servers because infected computers would be left without a functioning DNS, leaving them virtually Internet-less. So it set up temporary servers to give malware-infected Internet users time to fix their computers.

And time runs out on Monday, July 9.

How Do I Know if My Computer Is Infected?

You can check to see whether your computer is infected by clicking on this link, which is run by DCWG.

If the page is green, you're in the clear. If it's red, your computer is infected.

http://abcnews.go.co...97#.T_iOq3VHr-s

This post has been edited by acemanwise: 07 July 2012 - 11:32 AM

[acemanwise]

Boy, 12, unwittingly ran up £1,150 bill on father's credit card by racking up 'Microsoft Points' while playing on his Xbox
source:dailymail.co.uk

Quote

Now Sam, from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, wants to warn parents of the hidden costs lurking behind games consoles after he was left with a sky-high credit card bill.

Sam, 48, had allowed Nik register his credit card details to cover the £5.99 monthly subscription fee so he could play X-Box Live with classmates online.

However, unbeknown to Sam, his card details were stored in the machine and his son was able to buy ‘Microsoft Points’ - an online currency which allows players to unlock new features in their favourite games - without having to enter a password.

The youngster thought he had earned the points for scoring goals and killing villains and he used these to add extra weapons for his soldier in hit game Call of Duty and players in football game Fifa.

Between December and June this year Nik spent a wallet-busting £1,150.

In one marathon gaming session Nik spent £100 in a single day on weapons and extra features after playing Call of Duty with his online friends.

Sam only realised what was happening when he tried with use his card to withdraw some cash - and was told he had insufficient funds.

http://www.dailymail...1-150-bill.html

[acemanwise]

SCEE shutting down online servers for old PS3/PSP games
source:gamingeverything.com

Quote

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has shared its plans to close servers for a mix of PlayStation 3 and PSP games.

On August 31, SCEE will be shutting down the server for The Eye of Judgment: Legends (PSP). And on October 1, the online features for MotorStorm Pacific Rift (PS3), MotorStorm Arctic Edge (PSP), and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP) will become inaccessible.

Gamers can still experience each of these titles’ single-player elements once the specified dates have passed.

http://gamingeveryth...d-ps3psp-games/

[acemanwise]

GameStop looking into reselling digital content
source:au.gamespot.com

Quote

GameStop already has a solid footing in the boxed used games business, but as the industry trends toward digital, the chain is considering ways it could resell downloadable games. Speaking to GameSpot from the retailer's refurbishment center in Grapevine, Texas, this week, GameStop CEO Paul Raines said the firm is looking into digital secondhand sales.

Will GameStop find success in a digital secondhand market?


"It’s very interesting," he said. "There are some technologies out there in Europe, and we’ve looked at a couple that are involved. We’re interested; it’s not a meaningful business yet. Right now we’re not seeing that as a huge market, but I think we’re on the leading edge. There are a few companies, a few startups, out there that we’ve talked to that are doing this."

Raines declined to identify those outfits, saying, "No, we wouldn’t want to disclose that and have our competitors rushing in."

http://au.gamespot.c...content-6388559

[acemanwise]

Excessive Video Game Use Can Hinder Childhood Development: Experts
source:thejakartaglobe.com

Quote

Seto Mulyadi, a child psychologist and chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak), blamed traditional games’ falling out of favor on the lack of public spaces and facilities where children can play them.

“The playing room that kids have these days is truly limited,” he said.

“In addition, some children are influenced by their parents to think of traditional games as being rather old-fashioned and not interesting.”

He said that while video games supposedly help children improve their cognitive skills, the benefits were outweighed by a worrying rash of negative points.

Among these, he said, was the propensity for children to become more introverted and selfish. Most video games also have content of questionable moral standards, which can affect an impressionable young mind, he added.

He said that another serious problem was that children who spent too much time playing video games did not get enough exercise and were prone to a range of health risks such as obesity.

http://www.thejakart...-experts/532278

[acemanwise]

Sony deactivating R-Type games from PSOne Classics next week
source:gamingeverything.com

Quote

A quick heads up for R-Type fans out there: once next week’s PlayStation Store update rolls by, two of the series’ games will no longer be available on the service. The latest episode of PlayStation Blogcast confirms that R-Type Delta and R-Types will be deactivated from PSOne Classics.

It isn’t entirely clear why the titles will be removed. Rights issues could be a factor, as could publisher changes.

In any case, if you’re interested in either R-Type title, you should make your purchase now. R-Type Delta and R-Types are both available for $5.99.

http://gamingeveryth...sics-next-week/

[MichaelKraft]

Hello everyone!
New to the site and I was just wanting to get an opinion on what you guys think the best Free MMO is. I've been playing a combination of Dragon Nest and Spiral Knights. Both are interesting enough to keep my attention, but I was wondering what or if anyone is playing any MMO's?

[acemanwise]

Valve: Accept New Steam Subscriber Agreement Or Disable Your Account
source:wegotthiscovered.com

Quote

Earlier this month Valve updated the Steam subscriber agreement to include language that prevents customers with disputes from filing lawsuits against the company, and instead forces them to agree to the decisions of a Valve-paid-for “independent” arbitrator. As bad as that is, we are now getting reports that users are being told that they have to either submit to the new terms or have their accounts permanently deactivated, and in the process lose access to all the content they purchased through Steam.

The news of this anti-consumer tactic comes from a Steam support message to a user who asked what would happen if they “don’t wish to accept” the updated terms. The Steam support tech responded saying:

Thank you for contacting Steam Support.

We can permanently deactivate your account for you, remove any stored payment information and clear your Steam profile.

Disabling your account will not result in a refund, as explained in the Steam Subscriber Agreement.

The games in your account will not be accessible for future use. It is impossible to make your games available once your account has been deactivated and your information deleted or archived. Once we have permanently deactivated the account, we will not be able to reactivate the account upon a future request.

Please let me know if you would like to proceed.

http://wegotthiscove...isable-account/

Steam User Agreement... http://store.steampo...iber_agreement/

[acemanwise]

PlayStation Mobile's DRM Detailed
source:psvitaloca.blogspot.ca

Quote

I did some Googling recently, and was startled to find that no one was talking about PlayStation Mobile's DRM. You would think that since the service launched in October, someone somewhere would've been inconvenienced by Sony's protection. Then again, looking at the sales figures for some of these games, maybe I am the only one ... A few weeks back I found myself in a situation where WiFi was no longer something I could use on my Vita. I hadn't realized that without regular WiFi access my PlayStation Mobile purchases would become useless. I suppose it makes sense, when booting up a PlayStation Mobile game you're usually required to connect via WiFi to Sony's servers to authenticate the game. It appears Sony gives users about a 30 day grace period before needing a WiFi check up. What happens if you don't boot up a PSM game with WiFi running after 30 days? You get the message above, and are unable to play any PlayStation Mobile game until you do connect to Sony's servers. Thankfully, connecting to WiFi while playing one game will set your entire PSM catalog back to a playable status. You don't need to go through each individual title and boot them while connected to the internet.

http://psvitaloca.bl...m-detailed.html