Relic Entertainment solves the DRM issue (by taking one of Valve's ideas)

Kerensky287 · 01-09-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny Ebbert, Lead Designer "Dawn of War 2"

We have a lot of seriously exciting plans for DLC. We really want to give our players a top-notch online experience and we want to reward our players for playing our game. We want to give out steady doses of free downloadable content because we believe in rewarding people who buy the game and the reason we don�t like DRM solutions is because they punish the innocent and they have to jump through all these hoops. We don�t want to do that so we�re going with the approach that Valve pioneered to just reward the people who actually bought the game with cool stuff. Free downloadable, regularly accessible stuff that enhances the game and then that�s an incentive for the people who didn�t buy the game to buy it. So we�ve got a really bold, robust strategy for that and we�re going to be revealing more details in about a month, but I think players are going to like it. And everybody wins you know? The people who paid for the game don�t have to go through any fuss and they�re constantly getting new stuff, which keeps the game fresh.

Eat it, EA Games.

So yeah, it's something Valve did first with Team Fortress 2 and other games (that is, free downloadable content so people who legally bought the game can get new stuff) but as far as I know it's the first time a single-player game has been made with this concept in mind.

Now, while it's true that someone could pirate the game and still play it with all of its features intact, someone who bought it can get MORE.

They haven't specified what the new stuff is, but from the way they've been talking it seems like a little more than "new teamcolours". I predict new units, new maps and possibly (probably) even new campaigns for the races that were left out (ie, everyone but Space Marines).

Thoughts?

I_Like_Swordchucks · 01-09-2009, 05:30 PM

Its basically what the gaming community has been saying ever since the DRM problem started. Nice to know some companies are listening...

However, the point is that the smaller companies rely much more on have a hardcore following that are willing to pay money for them. EA Games relies on sucking up other companies, copyrights, and mass producing a wide variety of games. They don't need loyalty from their customers, and aren't about to invest the extra manpower in DLC when they can just pop out a new game any time they want.

Its why I prefer smaller companies, and why I nearly cried when Bioware (one of my favorite companies) was taken over.

Pip Boy · 01-09-2009, 07:44 PM

What are they going to do when the pirates start distributing the new content too?

h4x.m4g3 · 01-09-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megaman FTW

What are they going to do when the pirates start distributing the new content too?

Hopefully, just shrug and go "Eh it happens", or something similar, instead of punishing those of us who actually buy the game.

That said I'm glad there is a non-console game I can buy without having to deal with crappy drm schemes (this is looking at you spore).

Eltargrim · 01-09-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h4x.m4g3

That said I'm glad there is a non-console game I can buy without having to deal with crappy drm schemes (this is looking at you spore).

Man.

Fallout 3.

Zero DRM. Seriously. Love them for it.

**McTahr** · 01-09-2009, 08:56 PM

Now if only we can get Microsoft thinking like this.

*obligatory WGA shudder*

h4x.m4g3 · 01-09-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eltargrim

Man.

Fallout 3.

Zero DRM. Seriously. Love them for it.

Aside from the disc check, but yes I love them so much I plan to buy the game a second time. (Got it for the console first because my little laptop is getting too old for this so I thought I'd see what it looks like with all the shinies on before modding it to hell and back on pc later).

Major Blood · 01-09-2009, 09:39 PM

You know what ELSE would end the whole DRM issue? Getting rid of it alltogether.

Seriously, the only people hindered by DRM are the people who bought the game legit. The people who don't have to deal with it are the people who pirated it anyway.

Mirai Gen · 01-10-2009, 03:26 AM

While that's true, try telling it to the people who are producing the game and losing money because pirates are stealing copies.

While I do like that Relic has decided to do this - and hey I'm 100% more likely to buy their games because of it - I do wonder the long-term effects of developing additional content for free for games that have already been sold. Because that's development time and money you're investing to a game that's going to churn out no profit.

Hell even games like Guitar Hero offered pay-for DLC and they stopped producing it after a while.

I dunno, call me skeptic but it sounds like a good idea that might not get off the ground.

Jagos · 01-10-2009, 08:52 AM

True, but also think about the fact that people take games to other's houses, uploads it and still does the exact same thing as "stealing" a copy.

Word of mouth in this day and age still trumps technology.

01-09-2009, 08:56 PM	#6
McTahr For the right price... Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,268	Now if only we can get Microsoft thinking like this. obligatory WGA shudder __________________ Gone.

01-09-2009, 09:39 PM	#8
Major Blood I'm out. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: I'm not giving my location to a computer! Posts: 1,859	You know what ELSE would end the whole DRM issue? Getting rid of it alltogether. Seriously, the only people hindered by DRM are the people who bought the game legit. The people who don't have to deal with it are the people who pirated it anyway. __________________ I'm outers folks. Mac can have my stuff.

01-10-2009, 03:26 AM	#9
Mirai Gen We are Geth. Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 14,032	While that's true, try telling it to the people who are producing the game and losing money because pirates are stealing copies. While I do like that Relic has decided to do this - and hey I'm 100% more likely to buy their games because of it - I do wonder the long-term effects of developing additional content for free for games that have already been sold. Because that's development time and money you're investing to a game that's going to churn out no profit. Hell even games like Guitar Hero offered pay-for DLC and they stopped producing it after a while. I dunno, call me skeptic but it sounds like a good idea that might not get off the ground. __________________

01-10-2009, 08:52 AM	#10
Jagos FRONT KICK OF DOOM! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Howdy pardner... Posts: 6,399	True, but also think about the fact that people take games to other's houses, uploads it and still does the exact same thing as "stealing" a copy. Word of mouth in this day and age still trumps technology. __________________ Copyright musings World ramblings Scifi stories

01-09-2009, 07:44 PM	#3
Pip Boy Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: A right and proper Nerd Cave Posts: 2,460	What are they going to do when the pirates start distributing the new content too?