Comments on: Point-of-sale video game activations won't work

The video game industry might soon require an activation just to play a game you bought at the store. But in practice, it makes little sense.

[zeroplane]

This is why I have stopped buying PC games.. (unless it is provided on steam and doesn't include a rootkit "hello EA and Spore"). If games on consoles start doing this crap I am going to be even more pissed and not buy their games either.. besides a user can already buy products on both xbox live and the playstation network.. Both authenticate to the user's profile and track downloads based on the console's UID either via the motherboard or the CPU ID.

I was supper pissed about Soulcalibur IV on the PS3 they locked down user save games by user account and PS3.. So you couldn't bring over a saved game over to a friend's house and play.. you had to bring your whole PS3.. fricking stupid..

[KariDerek]

I totally agree. I sold my ps3 after I noticed that I couldn't transfer my saves for some games, like RE5. I can't understand why Sony would make the console user friendly by being region-free, and then do the opposite and be user-unfriendly in other respects. Bad business strategy.

Worth mentioning, I have owned all 3 current gen consoles at one point, and have sold them all too. The one console I regret selling was my ps3, and I may buy one again in the future.

[john Reagan]

This article is wholly in error. The EMA project that was announced has absolutely nothing to do with piracy.

[Sam Papelbon]

john reagan is correct. reading the link supplied by don in the article, i didn't see any mention of piracy. it only mentioned theft. i think a system like this, if it was possible, could work well to deter shoplifters. i think a simpler method, however, would be to just replace the devices inside the package that set off the alarm, with a device that will spray ink on the disc if it passes through the door without being deactivated.

[QMT]

More than likely, an implementation of this will just be a CD key, generated at point-of-sale, that has has to be entered and verified online.
If they were clever, they would put a keycode sticker on the packaging, and then generate a second unlock key at point of sale, and the keys would have to mesh to 'unlock' the game.

In any case, this will last at most a month before the crackers simply defeat the checks by hacking the console/PC/whatever itself to not even bother verifying, or reverse-engineer the math to generate 'valid' keys at will.

Worse-case: a key generator appears, which then cause the sucker who legitimately purchased a copy to have his console thinks the disc has been stolen, when his legitimate key had already been illegally 'generated' quite some time ago.

[Thranx]

anything that's a generated key will be cracked/decrypted in short order.

[russkeller]

When are these idiots going to get it?! All they're doing is inconveniencing the honest users who want to pay for their products. Go with a freakin subscription model or something. This is why MMO's are the only thing left on PC's. They're subscription based and don't have some form of ridiculous DRM/Rootkit/Tray checker that only gets in the way of the people who PAY them.

[malynj]

I think we will start seeing more of MMO games like Perfect World, where the basic game play and download is free, the in-game extras are pay. So you aren't out anything up front (unless you really want to buy something early in), and the vendor isn't taking a hit on software theft. Everyone benefits for the most part.

[Thranx]

doesn't work in the US. The section of the populace that pays for games (hint, not under 18) doesn't roll with free-to-play MMOs. The model works very well in most Asian markets, but it hasn't worked well stateside.

[lvcsslacker]

Bean counters adding half baked solutions to problems that have been around. Why not run a verification specifically for online games? Oh wait, a lot already do.

Single player games are going to be traded one way or another. There's no stopping that. And it would be asinine to do an online verification for something like Gradius or Megaman.

[txstubby]

This is probably more about the 'used' game market than console piracy. Each 'used' game sold makes no profit for the game developers or distribution companies, one could conjecture that not only would there be Point of Sale activation BUT when first used in a console the CD would be linked to that console and could not be re-sold.

Yet another way of punishing the honest game purchaser.

[kingskippy]

This is lame. What happens to after-market retailers, the places that sell depressed merchandise? There are sellers on eBay specializing in depressed merchandise -- games past their prime. There are sellers that specialize in used games (both PC and console). How will this work?

The music, film, and video game industry needs to get their heads out from their backside. No matter what they do there always will be piracy. PC games have been pirated since the start, even back in the floppy disc days. They were innovative back than. Sierra (and a few others) implemented it quite well. Whatever happened to copy such and such out of the book? To circumvent those that might make a photocopy, the books sometimes were printed in a format that does not read well on copiers. Sometimes you had to use one of those red decrypt things. Some people did hack this protection, but that is going to happen regardless.

My favorite site game seller has it right. GOG.com sells DRM-free versions of classic PC games. Steam, Direct2Drive, and GamersGate do a decent job as well (though some do limit the installs, which is a pain, if you need to reinstall). I am a huge fan of digital distro and thing this is where the future lies. There are many ways to make digital distro work, without making it so restrictive.

[docster87]

what about people that RENT games from say Blockbuster? Would all their games be 'unlocked'? Would they be forced to stop renting games????

[dreamhunk]

Ok pricay on consoles is bigger than pc. nintendo dis and wii hae pircay rate way above a billion dallars worth. Your sorces are trash.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/1-Billion-Dollars-Worth-Pirated-DS-Games-Were-Seized-83135.shtml

[Jive Turkey]

dreamhunk, why don't you check your own sources before making accusations. The article that you posted refers to the DS only. It makes no comparison between console and PC piracy at all.

[cpopken]

What do you expect from someone who can't spell or use spell check?

[Magicland]

These clowns should be taken out and shot for even voicing such a stupid idea. Seriously. They're dragging down the entire gene pool. This will do NOTHING to prevent piracy, as pirated copies will have their stupid "activation" code removed, just like they get around EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DRM EVER CONCIEVED. This will 1) **** off and inconvenience those who legally purchase the software, and 2) **** them off even further when they find the can't re-sell the software.

This would de-value the software so much that MANY who might otherwise legitimately purchase it will go out of their way to get hold of a pirated version. Nobody's taking this crap seriously, are they? If so, they should be taken out an shot as well.

[Zoobie]

Once again, we see entertainment industry people making the legally purchased product an inferior experience to the illegal versions. I don't condone stealing music, games, movies, books, etc., so as a consumer who legally purchases my items, I don't understand why they want it to be a painful experience for me.

[nemetfox]

This is just another case of lawyers acting like morons.

Here's their logic: "We want to stop piracy, so we're going to make things harder for people that actually want to go to a store and legally buy our games!"

What's next? They start draining septic tanks and depositing that inside games cases instead of game discs?

I hope they realize how dangerous it would be to alienate the people who actually want to go out and buy games.

[Jive Turkey]

I'm an avid gamer who supports the industry by actually purchasing legal copies of all my games. Stuff like this makes me want to turn to piracy.

[Dr_Zinj]

I can see that piracy is a problem for stand-alone games.

The massive multiuser on-line games don't really have that problem. Their major revenues come from the monthly connection and access level subscriptions, not the sale of client files. Sure, you pay more than the cost of the disk, but then the buyer gets a manual, and other trinkets witht the game that copied disks don't have.

[roachbrain]

Isn't the gaming industry one of the only ones that actually continued to make profit during these hard economic times? Are people seriously that greedy? This plan will just make things a lot worse especially for game retailers like gamestop were you would sell a used game for $5 credit and then they sell the same game for $40 or $30 bucks. >_<

[umbrae]

DRM killed PC gaming. This kind of DRM will kill consoles. One reason I used to pirate PC games were that many times I could not play a retail copy (due to DRM issues), but could play a cracked one without problems. Once returns were nixed by most retailers, I pirated exclusively because I could not get my money back if I bought the game and it did not work. However, I would many times buy a game I liked after I finished it. In fact, I have many unopened PC games from this time.

Now, I am almost 100% console for gaming. Only DRM free PC games are even considered. The main reason consoles don't get more piracy is that there is a hardware layer to accomplish this; however, if DRM interferes with people playing games or getting their money's worth for a title, it will just spark more people to make the jump. Consoles might have DRM now, but it is mainly silent and does not usually interfere with gamers.

Gaming should be easy. When DRM keeps legitimate owners from playing then piracy takes over.

[Daedalu]

This industry is in trouble! As is the Movie and Music.
I had a chat with a Cable internet company in the mid west about what is going on with the movie download issue and the torrent and game download issue. It was stated now that even if someone hacks or uses your wireless or router and or internet to download something illegal you will be charged! There are so many programs out that will ghost MAC address and IP address that it is unreal. If we do not stop this somehow then we the customer's are going to be charged for just about everything a company say's we did without legal recourse .
And as it stands now as the company rep said there is just about no way you can prove you did not do what they are charging you with! And he stated that they are being allowed to hack to get IP and Mac address where even the Internet company can not do so.

As I read your story on this I can see that there is a grab by company's with the attitude ( Get what you can get!) while you can. I challenge everyone here to call your cable internet provider and check for your self. Talk to the department that handles these issues and see for your self! I did and was shocked by what I learned.
But I say again these company's are in real trouble as people are not going to stand for what is going on forever. The (sell) the game to us at the store,but we have just about no rights after that and as far as they see it they still own the game. I am not renting a game a full sale price! And that is what we are getting to the point of doing. We need more writers at these mags to start coming forward and helping by letting all know what is going on and putting this to an end.
Or even there Mag's and jobs will be at risk as the decline of the game and movie and music industry are going to end as people say NO!

[biffhenerson]

I am fine with locking down the media. Selling a product is about making money. However, I would like to be able to send my scratched disk back to the vendor to get a new copy. This eniminates the need to make "backup copies". Better yet, get rid of all disks. Stream everything. No copies. No media. No lost revenue.

[john Reagan]

It's a shame to waste everyone's time simply because you didn't read the EMA's announcement with a minimum of care. Your piece, and most of the comments, are all about piracy. Project Lazurus, announced by the EMA, doesn't even mention piracy.
And that's because the whole project is about elimination of physical theft of discs, whether DVDs, or CDs, or games on optical discs. It has nothing to do with piracy. Zero.
The technology they are contemplating does not require the cooperation of any console or other hardware manufacturer. You do CNET, the EMA, yourself, the entrepreneurs involved, and even your ranting readers a disservice when you dismiss technology that you don't know a thing about.
You may just be a blogger, but I don't think that relieves you of the obligation to learn at least a smidgen about what you are writing about, and to refrain from misleading your readers.

[roachbrain]

Well if it's like that then it doesn't sound so bad. My question still is what does that mean for buying used games or games off of Ebay and other sites. I'm not going to start paying $60 bucks for 5 to 10 hours games. There are only a few games i would and have paid full price for since the life span makes it worth it.

[Thranx]

I have no beef with online activataion DRM solutions for PC games. If you're PC gaming and you don't have an internet connection... you're lost in time, or playing games old enough that this DRM won't affect you anyhoo. :)

Consoles are a different beast. It's much more a pull out of the package and play world than PC.

The industry sees 180k downloads of Sims 3 two days before it hits retail and views it as 180k x $50. In actuality the bulk of those people wouldn't be buying the game, but it is completely fair for software makers to want to recieve payment for thier work.

DRM is the result of having no means by which to control the flow of data. Books are physical devices, and a book made on a copier just doesn't work well. If books were as easily reproducable as a game DVD, you'd the the publishing industry in much the same uproar.

The answer is one of two things:
1) Digital Distribution. It's 10 years before we see a major cross platform release without any media, but if you distribute it digitally and attach it to an account, you greatly reduce the ability to copy and use said data. Additionally digital distribution opens up the posibility of dynamic digital watermarking that would allow for tracking of people who do try to distribute.

2) Hardware. A new data storage/hardware standard in which the ability to rip or copy doesn't see the light of day. It will eventually be able to be ripped, but if the copier technology never gets out main stream it will take alot of time before anything ripped can be playable.

Security isn't secure. Security is all about levels of deterance. DRM's various forms are just that, deterance. Increase the deterance and you increase the risk that people who legitimately bought your product can't use it. It's that mid-point that I think everyone's looking for.