• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Determining DRM for Software

Grandcheapskate

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
808
Location
New Jersey, USA
I buy nearly all my game software online in retail packaging (not downloaded). Before purchasing the <b>RETAIL</b> version of a game, how can I determine which type of DRM and/or activation is required especially if I cannot see the back of the box? I am especially interested in any online/internet requirements since I do not engage in online gaming.

Checking the publisher and/or developer website seems to be of no value and trying to scour the internet looking for all the information about a piece of software is usually fruitless. Especially for games which are several years old. Plus it is incredibly time consuming.

I found the following website which has a rather large list of games and the DRM they use:

http://forum.daemon-tools.cc/gamedb.php?letter=A

As you can see, some games are listed multiple times based on the release. I'm also not sure what the "Comments" column is meant to convey.

I have already eliminated some publishers because I have gotten burned by requirements not listed in the "Requirements" section.

But the core question remains...how do you determine the DRM for a game before purchasing?

Thanks...Joe
 
Beating around the bush is exactly that -- it just wastes your time and rarely gets you anywhere.

The only satisfactory solution to this type of problem is to buy these items with a credit card from a bank that respects you as a cardholder. By that I mean one that removes any charge from your account just for telling them that you are not satisfied with your purchase regardless of the reason. Anything short of that is just plain foolhardy.

But if you like wasting time and wild goose chases have it your way. :)
 
The only satisfactory solution to this type of problem is to buy these items with a credit card from a bank that respects you as a cardholder. By that I mean one that removes any charge from your account just for telling them that you are not satisfied with your purchase regardless of the reason. Anything short of that is just plain foolhardy.

That may work a couple times but I doubt you will be able to remove charges on a frequent basis. I can't see a bank or credit card company willing to remove charges more than a handful of times, especially in a short period of time.

Short of the buy and return scenario, is there no way to first easily investigate the DRM applied to a given piece of software, or even the DRM policy of a publisher or developer? Which leads to another question; who applies DRM? The publisher or developer?

Joe
 
That may work a couple times but I doubt you will be able to remove charges on a frequent basis. I can't see a bank or credit card company willing to remove charges more than a handful of times, especially in a short period of time.
How many times do you need to buy something before you realize that it's not what you want?

If a handful of purchases doesn't clue you in that this type of item isn't for you you in then you have other problems that need to be dealt with before you should be allowed to go shopping again! :)
 
Instead buy only from vendors that provide a DRM free experience. GOG seems good for that.

Don't buy games years before you intend to play them. Not only does the DRM tend to vanish on rereleases, the bundle 5 years later will be a lot cheaper.
 
I'm thinking you could research every game you are interested in before purchasing. It seems that activation requirements are discussed. I don't play a lot of games anymore, and when I do they are older. But I have found some of the Windows games that required activation (where servers are now offline, for example) that patches have generally become available.

I did run into a few issues with games based on the old "Games for Windows" stuff, even when distributed via Steam. Microsoft has seen fit to take those activation servers down, effectively cutting off anyone's ability to access/play those games. There are people in various communities that have released patches ("cracks", I guess, but it seems more legit when there is no REAL way to activate anymore) for some games affected by this issue.

You could also research each game via some of the cracking websites. I'd strongly recommend using Linux in a VM to browse those sites. One that I had decent luck with in the past was Game Copy World (Google it, I'm sure the admins don't want me posting links of that nature here). They discuss the protections that games use in the description pages for each game. This site is borderline in my book, they claim it's for backup (which I think we should have the right to do), but you and I both know not everyone is using it for that purpose. At this point, I think there is even more benefit to this site specifically surrounding the preservation and archival use of affected games. I'm sure not everyone agrees, and I totally get that.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
How many times do you need to buy something before you realize that it's not what you want?

If a handful of purchases doesn't clue you in that this type of item isn't for you you in then you have other problems that need to be dealt with before you should be allowed to go shopping again! :)

Come on, be serious. We are not taking about buying the same item multiple times, but different software on each purchase.

Every piece of software is unique so you don't know what you are getting until you either read the requirements or get the box in hand. So unless a publisher/developer has a policy on DRM which is clearly stated on their website (and I have yet to see one) or you have gotten burned by a given publisher/developer in the past, you can't know.

Going back to the same publisher/developer who has burned you in the past would be stupid.

Joe
 
Come on, be serious. We are not taking about buying the same item multiple times, but different software on each purchase.
I was being serious.

When I said the same item I was referring to genre, obviously. But I see that went over your head. :)

If you buy some similar genre items and none is satisfactory for your requirements it should be obvious that you're barking up the wrong tree! Haven't you ever heard... 'Once bitten, twice shy'? C'mon, common sense dictates that you don't need to try every item in a category to get a feel of what that category is like. :)
 
This is one of the reasons I don't mess with games at all. Vendors are currently free to screw over consumers in any way they see fit. They don't even have to warn you how exactly they plan to screw you. Sadly most consumers are perfectly happy to take it in whatever orifice it turns out to be.
 
I was being serious.

When I said the same item I was referring to genre, obviously. But I see that went over your head. :)

If you buy some similar genre items and none is satisfactory for your requirements it should be obvious that you're barking up the wrong tree! Haven't you ever heard... 'Once bitten, twice shy'? C'mon, common sense dictates that you don't need to try every item in a category to get a feel of what that category is like. :)

What does genre have to do with DRM? If I don't like a certain type of game obviously I do not buy them. But that has nothing to do with DRM. I am not addressing the type of game, but rather the protection technique applied to the software.
 
The only satisfactory solution to this type of problem is to buy these items with a credit card from a bank that respects you as a cardholder. By that I mean one that removes any charge from your account just for telling them that you are not satisfied with your purchase regardless of the reason. Anything short of that is just plain foolhardy.

How many banks do that anymore? Any recommendations?
 
Back
Top