Games for Windows Beefing Up Anti-Piracy Measures
Microsoft is beefing up its anti-piracy effort in its Games for Windows program, but it’s not what you think.
Microsoft has a new anti-piracy method, but it’s not DRM. It’s being termed “zero-day piracy protection and server-side authentication to help prevent game piracy before street date, and protect publishers and consumers by requiring authentication for online play,” quoted Develop.
Basically, Microsoft’s new method fights piracy from a very specific angle -- the eager hardcore fans. As dedicated and legit a hardcore gamer may be, there is the undeniable desire to play a highly anticipated game as soon as possible.
A gamer may have already plunked down the cash at a local game store for a pre-order, all with intentions to purchase a game, but often times games are leaked onto the internet before street date.
The super hyped Crysis was leaked days before retail release, which lead to otherwise honest gamers downloading the title out of sheer anticipation rather than for any intention of stealing from the developers. While a portion of those gamers who downloaded a copy earlier may still pay for a legit copy upon release, there is little incentive other than from moral grounds to pay for something that one practically has free access to.
This problem is bigger on PC games because almost everyone can download a copy off a BitTorrent network and install without any system modifications, but it also happens on consoles. Highly anticipated Xbox 360 games such as Gears of War 2, Fallout 3 and Resident Evil 5 were available to modded console owners.
Microsoft believes part of the problem is that gamers eager to play the game have little reason to wait any longer than they already have. If it’s available early from any place, free or not, gamers will flock to it. There have been countless incidents on internet forums where gamers have found a store that’s broken the street date of a game and are selling the product early -- and before you know it, gangs of gamers are there with cash ready to get their hands on it ASAP.
To combat this, Microsoft is putting into place an “unlocking” system that will ensure that games won’t be playable until a set date.
"We've heard from publishers that preauthorized release before streetdate can... they can lose half the sales, the revenue of the game. This is specifically aimed at helping reduce that for the publisher," Drew Johnston, the product unit manager for the Windows Gaming Platform, said to Ars Technica. "We have zero-day piracy protection—this helps reduce the leakage of IP before release. The bits are encrypted, and there is a one-time activation that checks to see if the game has been released or not, and we'll send out a decrypt code so the game can be played."
This method may sound familiar to those who have used Valve’s Steam online service. Gamers can pre-purchase a game, download and install before release date, and have the files unlocked and ready for play the moment the “release switch” is flipped. Of course, there are still non-Steam-exclusive games that one can obtain illegally, and before release date.
Microsoft wants to make this a part of all Games for Windows, which means that there would be a requirement for a GFW Live account, and an internet connection. A side effect of this apparent inconvenience is that Microsoft will allow the license holder to make as many installs and copies as he wishes, as long as the game can be authenticated on an account.
Such a system would also destroy the used games market, but that is less of an issue since PC games practically have no resale value.
What do you think of this new model for Games for Windows? Is this something you’d be willing to trade in place of Spore-like DRM? Let us know in the comments below.
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I think this is a step in the right direction, but feel that most of the people who use pirated software would not purchase the software (PC or console) for any price.
This is a major change in the antipiracy. Now they start think on the solution and not only arguing. When we face a problem we can do 2 things:
we can look for a solution
or we can call the problem some names and keep hiting the wall with our heads.
Finally some software company is using their heads (not hitting walls).
A good step for Microsoft since there are some software companies that are starting to flee from pc gaming market.
This is good. While I'd prefer to have all my games managed by 1 program (read: Steam), I've tried out GFWL's interface in Dawn of War 2 and found its' features nice. Being able to message friends that are playing games on Xbox Live is a nice plus, though in my opinion that should be integrated into Windows Live Messenger.
Not an innovative idea, but a practical one. The less junk forced upon us (read: Securom), the better the industry will do.
How can people really be this naive. Just because Microsoft comes up with a new method to prevent software pirace does not mean it will work.
Since the ZX Spectrum came out in the early 80s every single anti piracy measure has been cracked by the pirates. Why is this one going to be different? just because the game is encrypted doesn't mean the pirates can't then simply decrypt it before uploading it so people can then download a working version.
anyone that believes that this will actually make a difference is a deluded fool.
I dont know if more DRM is the solution. Lets not forget that DRM meant to work with the internet will not work in 3rd world countries all that well. It is safe to say that 3rd world countries will already have high pirating rates. I think this will just make people pirate more because even if they buy it legaly they wont be able to activate it. Thus makeing the addition of this type DRM counter productive.
It's just less intrusive than the other failed solutions. Of course I don't like it too. I don't like having to have an internet connection, but it's better this way than having your computer full of crap software. For third world countries there will be piracy anyway. At least in other countries there will be less excuses to pirate software. There are many games I do prefer pirate versions just because there are less problems on my computer aside from some security doubts, but I can live with it. I just monitor my computer's traffic and do some virus scanning.
So we can give it another try before going pirated version again.
Mnnh sadly as always someone will come up with a modified Games live , clientside patch/emulator to circumvent checks,like the steam emus and stuff
but that is a hell of a good idea, for having the program unlocked at a specific date ;D
As long as it's 100% unobtrusive to honest paying costumers (like me
) I say bring it on. Just keep the servers from exploding on release day please!
What about the people out there who dont have the internet? i know most people do but theres still large parts of the devloped world that do not have access to the internet.
also what happens (ok i know not likely) if microsoft goes bust in the future and theres no activation system anymore? millions of gams people have bought now cannot be activated again if they have been uninstalled previously
sounds evill to me
To me i think the real reason is to kill off the second hand game market, althought the idea is being presented to stop pirates you can guarentee within a week the only people going through hassle to register games will be those who will pay for them! The real impact will be on the poor people who like to pick up a cheap second hand game now and then!
Many end users also believe that part of the problem is rip-off prices (and it doesn't just extend to games, either). I'm sure those users would like to know what Microsoft's position on this issue.
Won't exactly matter since the PC doesn't have any games coming out for it....