Topic: Video Game DRM Attempts

[Superman]

I expect this will go over about as well as when they loaded so much DRM on Spore that no one bought it. I'm not sure making your game so undesirable that no one would ever want it, is the same as fighting piracy/resale. Idiots.

Buying used video games is great for gamers who don't want to pay full price for the latest hits. You know who doesn't like used video games? Game publishers. In a very sad twist, Capcom's fighting back against the second-hand game market with a game that can only support one save file — for life.

It's been confirmed that Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D for the Nintendo 3DS is a game that once finished, cannot be reset for complete replay. According to both the U.S. and U.K. game's instruction manual "saved data on this software cannot be reset."

Basically what Capcom has done is make Mercenaries 3D a one-time play affair. Once you've unlocked all the goodies and played the entire game, you will not be able to erase the game's save data and start fresh as if it were a new copy. Consider this: lending Mercenaries 3D to a friend, a little brother or sister will be worthless because they'll only be able to continue playing the game with your saved settings and create their own.

[greensteam]

"Do you hate us yet?  What if we kick you in the shins?" 

If they want to fight this they should make incentives for keeping the game.  Instead of going for spectacular they go for a choke hold. 

If the price doesn't reflect the one save file, then they've lost it.  Because after this fails they'll appear on TV begging and screaming, "Give us money!  We just want your money!  Please!   "

[Poopyhead pianoman ♫]

Wow. How does this pass all the people who have to consider the idea and accept it before moving on to the finished product?

Cisco has the same view with its hardware. They won't support any second-hand gear and refer to it as "grey market" hardware.

[Superman]

If they want to fight this they should make incentives for keeping the game.  Instead of going for spectacular they go for a choke hold. 

100,000 times this.

You have extra cash sitting around. Do you:
a) Spend it to make the game better so no one wants to sell it
b) Spend it to make the game worse so no one can sell it.

This is dead simple to me.

I've never sold a video game because every video game I own is worth more to me sitting on the shelf than the cash I could get for it. If I paid $60 for a pile of shit, I'd resell it in a heartbeat. Make your $60 game worth $60 and this "problem" goes away on its own.

[greensteam]

I guess I didn't post it here, but Mercenaries 3D didn't ship with only one save file, they removed it. I imagine after all the people complaining about how they wouldn't buy their game.

This thread does get me thinking on the online pass. Which is a one-time use code that comes with the game. If you buy it new, it's yours to use to unlock multiplayer. If you buy the game used, you won't have access to multiplayer unless you buy the online pass.

I feel that there's a link between people that buy used games, and people that pirate. Though for used games, it's more on the end of I have less money.

Bugger, this will become a new thread won't it?