A thread on BioWare's social network attempts to explain how the DRM in Dragon Age II will work. Steam versions of the game will obviously use Steam's DRM solution. Boxed retail and digital versions of the game will require the end user to authenticate the game "after a select period of days."
The game will feature a "Release Control" system as well that will prevent users from playing the game before its official release date (we assume this is for digital distributions that are "pre-loaded" like on Steam). This system will not install additional software on your PC to accomplish this.
The game will not require the disc to be in the drive to play, and can be installed on an unlimited number of PCs. The game can also be played on up to five computers over a "24-hour period." Each install does require logging in to your EA account to verify game ownership.
You can find out more about the game's DRM by visiting the BioWare forums.
Source: Blue's News
Comments
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
The only "deal breaker" I see in all that is the online activation on install (not to play, just install), IF someone didn't have the internet. Which, if you're posting here to bitch about the DRM... you're on the internet.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
"the online activation on install (not to play, just install)"
RTFA. The game can be played on five computers within the span of 24 hours.
While that's an altogether reasonable limit, it means that, contrary to what you're saying, there IS an online check required to play the game, not just to install it.
I have an Internet connection, as you can tell by my complaining about DRM on GP. What you may not be able to tell is that my connection is shit. It's been going out at random since last October. This past Monday, it went out every hour.
So no, I'm not pleased with the notion of paying for a game and being completely at the mercy of my lousy Internet connection...while all pirates have to do is grab a torrent and they can play the game with no strings attached.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Unless you're one of those that doesn't have internet but are outraged enough to use the library's internet to complain.
-Greevar
-Greevar
"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
You seem to be under the impression their opinion on DRM matters to the publishers.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
It's something publishers take under consideration. There's clearly a tug-of-war going on here -- look how EA's gone on DRM, from the myriad hooks in Mass Effect to the serious restrictions on the original Spore release to the relaxation of same to the simple-disc-check for base game/online authentication for DLC in Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age, now on to across-the-board online authentication in Dragon Age 2.
EA's still figuring out how it wants to handle DRM, and is looking to strike a balance that prevents piracy but doesn't piss off game developers or customers. Now, no DRM actually DOES prevent piracy, but there ARE DRM methods that don't piss off users; Valve's pretty much leader of the pack on that score.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
I'm just curious, do the devs actually believe DRM works, or do they know it doesn't and are just in denial?
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
It does work, just not for you. Honestly most drm does stop some piracy, if only casual piracy. The "hardcore" pirates will get around it by messing with code, then the tech-savy will find the code to bypass the drm. But for the average consumer this is too much of a "hassle" and they go on and accept the drm.
I don't personally think circumventing the drm is wrong if you purchased the game, but the sad truth is that doing so often requires giving the whole game away with it and too many abuse it.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Now that's just silly.
Nobody's saying casual pirates go to the hassle of cracking binaries themselves.
They torrent a copy that's already been cracked by somebody else. These torrents almost always crop up within the same week as the game's release.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
In both cases, they know full-well that the software isn't effective. Nevertheless, the publishers demand it so they can make sure every copy in circulation is paid for. The DRM developers do it because the publishers keep paying for it. The game developers do it because the publishers pay their salaries.
-Greevar
-Greevar
"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Which devs are we talking about, the DRM devs or the game devs?
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Both
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Most game devs are gamers themselves, and while I'm sure they don't like seeing their work pirated, I'm sure they've also had negative experiences with DRM and know how ineffective and inconvenient it is. They're not the ones mandating the inclusion of DRM, their publishers are.
As for DRM developers, that's probably a more complex question. I'd say that in most cases they probably know their protection will eventually be circumvented and simply do their best to try and ensure that it's as difficult as possible. But given the downright shoddy job they sometimes do (remember the disc-based installers that could be thwarted by turning off autorun?), that's clearly not always the case; some of them are just cynical snake-oil vendors.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
See, this is a pretty lax DRM, that MIGHT actually work... If not for the fact that DRM is so easy to remove from a game...
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Another game I'm not buying then.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
So what exactly do you not like about this set up? This is pretty reasonable to me.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
I don't think this is that bad. Its a bit intrusive and a bit of an inconvenience but it sure as hell beats out some of the more draconian DRM schemes out there *glares @ Ubisoft*
Personally, I will probably opt for the Steam version because in many ways the Steam-layer that protects the game also adds additional functionality to the game which I don't mind at all.
That being said I am pretty sure this will do nothing to hinder piracy, even of the most casual sort but I guess EA needs to make a token effort if only to appease the investors.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
It's ineffective against those it's intended to thwart and only serves as a hinderance to the person trying to use it legally. That's what's wrong with all DRM. It's not in the least reasonable. The paying customers get saddled with the authentification runaround, while the infringers get to play the game without any of that crap. On top of that, they didn't have to pay either. Often times the DRM itself conflicts with other software and refuses to even start the game if it finds any virtual drive software installed. Fighting copyright infringement in games has caused more problems than it has ever solved. There isn't a DRM that has, or ever will have, effectively stopped it.
-Greevar
-Greevar
"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
You said it, greevar. DRM only causes major inconveniences for legit paying customers. For pirates, it's at worst an extremely minor annoyance but usually not even noticed!
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
It's intrusive and won't do squat to prevent piracy. Same as every other form of DRM.
Don't know if I'd refuse to buy over it, though. The first Dragon Age had a disc check; I bought it and downloaded a nodisc crack. I'm guessing no-authentication cracks for the sequel will be just as effective and just as easy to get ahold of.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
I think this does look pretty reasonable and sounds like they are really trying to strike a (percieved) balance.. but for me this would still be a deal breaker on pragmatic grounds. I do most of my gaming offline while on a train. While they talk about offline periods, if one is only ever runing the game while offline it will probably end up biting me at some point.
I also suspect that in order to implement the 'X machines in 24 hours' will require a bit of check in.
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
You'd not buy the game over this DRM? Why not? This isn't very restrictive. Install it anywhere you want and as much as you want. Play it where ever you want.
Are you worried about needing to log into an EA server to install? Or about only playing on 5 computers during a 24h period? The only thing I don't like here is the need to go online "after a select period of days" for verification. But I really don't think that's so terrible that I'd not buy the game over it.
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Chris Kimberley
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Chris Kimberley
Re: Dragon Age II DRM Explained
Which dose not effect online crippled pirate versions..... so all you have prevented is nothing.....
Now I dislike the online activation bits but ea's online setup is not that bad, better than the junk ubisoft is trying to do.....
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/what-is-cigital-disobedience/