The discussion of always online DRM and the games that do it right and those who get it wrong.

Piracy has been around since the birth of the internet itself. Now in the digital age there are new more modern ways to combat piracy. Let me introduce you to:

DRM (Digital Restrictions Management)

This has been around for a long time, Methods to prevent people from playing without a purchase. With newer modes of payment and distribution there had been many efforts to cut piracy, but like a hydra it just continued to evolve with 2 new heads to replace the last one. Recently a new form of DRM emerges like Hercules and finds. This hero is an always online method of DRM to authenticate each copy of the game on the games official servers. Following suite to a typical MMORPG’s like the famous World of Warcraft or the original Everquest. A website dedicated to DRM and information about it. It can be found here.

I have discussed in my previous article how making a game online you are also losing ownership like you would in a regular boxed game. Link.

There are some games that are allowed to exist as such, these are either free games or online based multiplayer games, where the business model relies on the players incentivised to purchase addons, boost and skins to help pay for the games services. DOTA2 a great example for the former and War of the Roses for the latter. The debate arises when many major companies start to enforce the same on games that are straight up full priced purchasable titles.

My effort here will be to highlight games that misuse digital restriction and give some details about the other side of the fence. Let us take a look at the facts for an always online DRM before beginning the discussion.

The positive:

1 Reduces piracy very efficiently.
2 In-cooperated social features.
3 Ease to patch and deliver additional digital content like DLC’s
4 Increases the longevity of the game.

The negative:

1 Bad business practices emerging like unnecessary micro-transactions. (War-Z)
2 Server instability renders the game unplayable. (Like error: 37)
3 No internet, No game.

The offenders

There have been many games earlier that have tried to do the same. Ubisoft’s Anno 2070 and Settlers series, to name a few. These games forced online connectivity with uplay and received a bashing from the media for doing so. Ubisoft did later realize the damage that was done and began damage control (like removing the always feature and instead following a one-time login at the start of the game). and much later announced that future games would follow a one-time activation policy as the industry standard. There is a post-interview they did with Rock Paper Shotgun highlighting the changes and their possible move away from always-online DRM. It can be found here.

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room and the reason this article exists. The two biggest offenders for this always-online DRM have been Diablo 3 and simcity. both with horrible launches).  Now, Diablo 3 originally stated that the reason they wanted an always-online game was due to multiplayer components’ immersion in the core gameplay, and they could have been somewhat forgiven until they announced an offline mode for consoles, where piracy is less of a problem. (A companies 90% revenue is from consoles as per the Ubisoft interview. Linked above.) This was a clear indication why they went with always-on DRM. Like Starcraft2:Episold1.

Torchlight 2, another game of the same genre, had already shown us how to do it better. It had offline, online, Lan, and the kitchen sink, and their model was superior to Diablo’s in every way, and was done in a budget much lower than Diablo’s. If only the game had launched before Diablo 3, I am sure it would have sold a lot more. From a business point of view, Diablo 3 became the fastest-selling game on PC with 2 million preorders.  Till date, there has been no pirated version available, and they are making a lot of money from the real-money auction house. They may have lost some face value with the customers, but in return they gained a lot of money.

Same with SimCity; they are going through a rough launch, but have setup their game with a lot of potential for future DLC, cosmetics, and addition purchases. It may now agree well with the majority, but nevertheless they sell well, and make a lot of money.

DRM Done Right

Now, there have been games that have done the whole DRM thing well. Witcher series, for example. CD Project Red has been known to be very consumer-oriented. They even started initiatives like GOG which offers DRM free games, including some AAA titles. When initially launched, the games had a light DRM. Needless to say, it was cracked in a short while, then they released a patch to remove the DRM from the game. They did not stop there and even released a upgraded version of the game free of charge to the original customers and re-released the game on discount (Enhanced Edition”), stating that, if for some reason you could not purchase the game, you can do so now. a clear indication of the audience they wanted to target. Arrrr! ). Then they did the same with Witcher 2. a light DRM, which was later removed. often selling their games at exceptional discounts. I remember when Wither 2 launched, Wither 1 was available for $2.99 (roughly ₹160) with additional digital content (soundtrack, wallpapers). They have been rewarded for their efforts as well. with game copies selling millions and the original novel translated into many languages.

There have also been forms of DRM that people actually like—Steam, for example. Any game purchased through Steam will only work with the Steam Client installed. Regardless, the Steam platform has garnered much appreciation, be it for their superior customer support, great deals and discounts, or providing a great platform with both services from a digital store as well as a game client with built-in chat and social functions.

Sales

The reason I talk about sales is because the 3 most famous examples, Anno 2070, Diablo, and SimCity, all sold exceptionally well despite being PC exclusive and always having DRM.. On the flip side, there have been games that did not do so well despite their best efforts, like Mirror’s Edge, Bulletstorm, and Homefront. The games had a traditional boxed version, and despite receiving critical acclaim and being great titles, they did not manage to make enough money to justify the release, and there have been doubts about the future installments of the series.

Game companies fear piracy. Here is an example: Capcom confirmed that the PC version of Super Street Fighter IV was cancelled due to concerns about piracy. The game’s producer, Yoshinori Ono, said that the original Street Fighter IV sold very well on PC, but it was also “number one in piracy.” SSF-IV, featured new characters, stages, and modes. Ono said that releasing a PC version of the game would essentially involve giving it away for “free” in some cases, which would damage the Street Fighter brand. It was later released as an arcade edition, but the point is the caution it generated among the company. We have seen examples where studios have closed down due to poor sales of their games. Unfortunately, sales do affect developers. Unit 13 developer, Zipper Interactive, was closed due to the poor sale of their great shooter. We have had companies shy away from the PC version of the game, stating that it is not profitable enough.

Devils advocate

Its not that we call call these games evil and be done with. Considering the level of detail and production value that went into both the games, it is no wonder that they went to extreme measures to protect their work. I mean, Diablo 3’s animation and fluidity are the best I have seen in any action RPG, and the level of simulation and detail in SimCity is unmatched. It is clear that a very high budget was allocated to make these games, and ensuring the returns is vital for the company, but is also equally important to protect the scarcity of the series, as the more scarce the item is, the more it is valued. If someone creates something beautiful and state-of-the-art, it is no wonder that they will be willing to take extreme measures to protect their work.

There is an interesting article by Blair Inglis discussing sales and what is influenced by It will help give an idea why the games sell despite so much bad press. Link.

Open Questions..

Do you think this DRM is a bad practice and hurts a lot of customers?
Why despite the flaws and controversies there games continue to sell great numbers ?
Is it only that a very small percent of the highest budget games can pull it off?
Are we looking at a future where microtransactions will force online connectivity?

Please note: This is an editorial piece written to reflect the opinion of the author.