Dvd drm?
I know there was a discussion about people that noticed the change in the type of DRM used for Wallace and Gromit. I would like to hear an official Telltale response on how the DRM on the Tales DVD will work. Will it be essentially the downloaded versions like Wallace and Gromit, or will it be disc based like S+M 1/2 and SBCG4AP? This will affect my priority of ordering the disc, so I'm really interested to know.
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Because that'd be pretty terrible, I don't like relying on that for the physical copies.
Telltale, please count me as one virulently opposed to internet based activation for the physical based copies. I don't mind it for your digital downloads since I can email you for the unlock code, but the disc versions are my archived versions that I keep. If in ten years I want to play it and (god forbid) ttg no longer exists, on an internet based activation I'd no longer be able to play the game I've bought.
I know companies have made promises in the past to release unlocks in that event, but that just adds another thing to have to keep track of.
Please stick to disc based protection in the future.
With the bugfixing that's going on with ToMI it seems less likely to be the case again this time, but confirmation would be nice.
FOR JUSTICE!
No, Wallace and Gromit was the only DVD with online activation.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is seeming to indicate that Season One can be bought in a physical store (which, excluding the Wii version, would be news to me), and that there's a difference between copies sold in stores and copies sold on the web. If that's what you're meaning to say, then I'd say that neither of my Sam and Max DVDs from Telltale's store required online activation. And if that's not what you're indicating, then I'm failing to see what your argument is for why Tales would be online activated.
Neither of mine do, either. Wallace and Gromit, though, did use online activation. I really hope that's not the new trend.
Well, there we are, then. This is all reminding me that I still need to finish the last two episodes of Season Two...
I'm not in favor of draconian DRM. Or any, really. And I'm adamantly against any DRM that makes it more difficult for me to use my legally purchased item. Including games I might want to play 10 or 20 years from now.
But while DVD copy protection won't stop ALL piracy, it can stop some. For some people, it's enough of a deterrent to not be able to simply copy a disk and hand it to their friend. Some people don't download cracked versions from the Internet, or even know that such a thing exists. There is SOME value to it.
The question is - how MUCH piracy it actually stop? It's very difficult to say. I suspect that the number is definitely not zero percent, but it's closer to zero than to 100%.
And while it may not stop pirating, it does stop people sharing the game with their friends and family.
But telltale allows like 20 activation codes. And you can lend the DVD and still play the online version. They obviously don't care much if you share the game with friends and family.
Maybe they just have DRM to please their investors? Or to make it more difficult for the average user to share the game around with a large group of people. Though nowadays most average gamers know how to pirate games, I think...
But yeah, TTG, what does ToMI use. With the discs being pretty much done that should be known by now no?
Yes, S&M has a retail release separate from the TTG store and Wii releases. Though I'm apparently wrong about the DRM for TTG store items. My apologies. I seem to remember a dev saying that but obviously not.
Well, TMI only had a 1st episode demo.
Anyway, my thoughts: They should include the same DRM as with the digital copies. The downloaded versions can be activated both online (via your TTG log-in) or offline (given your serial-number listed under "my games" on the website). Given that the only way to get these DVD's as it stands is through the website, everyone has these codes. Plus they could always come shipped with the DVD.
"Do Telltale's games have copy protection?
Yes, but we try to keep it as low-key and non-annoying as possible. Our downloadable games use a version of SecuROM that requires online activation. Our disc-based games also use SecuROM. Disc games don't require online activation, but the disc must be in the drive while you play."
Actually the serial number is checked online too. If it wasn't a single serial number posted online would enable everyone to unlock the game without TTG being able to revoke it.
Disc based authentication is a really good compromise between rudimentary copy protection for TTG and being able to play the game without depending on anything else for us.
This is a pretty big deal for me.
So I'll pass the time by saying CNET posted a pretty good article today discussing games and DRM. Check it out if you're interested in these things. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000506-248.html
Yes, but the game can only be ordered online. You could always, jot down the codes in the note section of the instruction manual (assuming there is one). Besides, the game might even come with it's own code!
*edit* i really should read the rest of the posts before posting...
I think i get your point now. I didn't realise the codes still required internet connections.
It's important to note with that article that although it may be a good idea to wait (as was the case with The Witcher), it's not always best. Yes, Bioshock has its activation limit removed, yet it still requires online activation. Same can be said over Spore or any EA title. While they may have a revocation tool, you STILL have to be online in order to activate and thus play the game.
I honestly wish more publishers/developers would take the route CD Projekt have set themselves on. Good Old Games is in my mind the best digital distribution service to date. While it may not have friends lists, match-making, achievements etc, it has by far the best advantage over every single distribution service that exists today - once you buy a game, you OWN that licence to play that game. You can download it as many times as you want, install it as many times as you want on as many machines as you want. DRM Free is good for me.
Since CD Projekt are on the stock market from a deal with Optimus S.A., they may have more money to work with to implement either an in-house DRM solution or go completely DRM free while they have the ability to self-publish. It's better than getting tied up with Atari and being forced to use TAGES, which of course has since been removed thanks to the Enhanced Edition patches.
Anyway this is going completely off topic now. Back on topic: a response from Telltale about the DRM implemented on the ToMI DVD would be great. Whenever a publisher goes silent on DRM it's never a good sign (DICE did the same before Mirror's Edge was released).
It seems to be the opposite of common sense if that is the reason why it isn't revealed yet.
But I am a bit worried that this hasn't been addressed already.
I think I already posted in one of the other DVD threads that I would really prefer disc-based protection for the DVD, but I'll take this opportunity to reiterate it.
Disc-based protection is the only way to go here, and I'm shocked about how the big developers are already going with online activation (lately EA and Ubisoft). And now Telltale too? C'mon, this is ridiculous. It's a hassle for the honest customer, while all the potential illegal downloaders just grab a torrent or something, and don't get affected at all.
Maybe the user can even specify which verification method they want to use.
And internet activation can already be done by downloading the games, so the choice is already present to the player.
Internet activation = DL
Disc activation = Disc Install