But the backlash wouldn't just be from aussies, it would be everyone who paid for the game on PC. Steam would get slaughtered with complaints and requests for refunds. It's mostly that the executives buy the crap spurted by the DRM company salesmen - who walk into the meeting, drop statistics about how they've lost eleventy billion dollars because every pirate copy is 2.3 lost sales (average household size x downloads). DRM product XYZ costs only $1mil and will get you back 90% of those downloads!* *this is complete bullshit but it sounds good to executives.
Though it's pretty crap that you can buy it off Gearbox website (for the retail version) for $3 less. If this is the way Steam is going. I may as well just buy boxed versions of games from overseas...
It's the case in almost any business, sad but true. I've had to help IT managers with the most basic of IT issues. If the people selling the product put a good enough spin on it, the poor saps in charge often just lap it up. In fact I can't think of a job that I have worked in where management hasn't regularly shown how out of touch they are with reality. It's maddening for the plebs but what can you do?
I really do not understand the logic in paying good money for copy protection. It's a waste of time, money and resources implementing DRM. Especially since it is bypassed by numerous cracking groups within hours of being released. The software companies that keep on falling into the hole they dug really need a good clip across the ear over this. All they are doing is creating a wider relations gap between their customers. The thieves just sit back, and happily play the game.... One prime example is a 4x Space Trader that had nothing but a serial (Can't remember the game). The game was selling massive amounts of copies because all they did was get you to use your cd-key to access constant free downloads on their site. Such a simple thing generated tons of sales upon it's release. Anyways. As for Dr Ned, they can bugger off! I have no particular interest atm, and can't afford it.
I bought and downloaded it this morning and played through a couple of missions. I am going through with my first playthrough character and was level 43 when I went there. Turns out it's a nice'ish level for it as most mobs you encounter at the start area is about level 42-43. There are a ton of zombies though! Heaps more target to shoot at than the main game. I'm going to complete the Zombie Land and then go back to the original game to complete my 2nd playthrough.
It's a bad day and the heat is adding to a bad mood while other bad things happen. Went to play on the drums with the GF on Band Hero. One of the cables has been snapped out of the cymbal. I bought Ned. Bugger the rest of the politics. I'm gonna cap some zombies.
Would have grudgingly paid the extra $3 odd after complaining to 2K about blatant price gouging, however throw 5 activation limit on top of it and it's no sale. Now I don't have a problem with reasonable DRM (even some implementations of SecureROM), hey I'm using steam so it would be hypocritical to complain about all DRM. But install limits I will not abide.
Harry, we know it's bullshit, the DRM people know it's bullshit, the game developers know it's bullshit, but the publishers are lapping it up. The DRM people just say something like (numbers made up) "We estimate your last game was pirated 500,000 times - with an average margin of $10 per retail sale, you lost 5,000,000. We can reduce that loss to just 1,000,000 and it will only cost you 1,000,000 - that means you save 3 mil!". About 10 seconds after that they've got signed contracts. Steam DRM is about the only kind of DRM that I find acceptable. And there is a single reason for that; they offer me a service in return. Steam will provide me access to download my games as long as their servers are alive - this means I don't have to worry about finding disks (impossible for me) and can delete/download stuff without worrying if I can still find the box. While I would prefer that Steam operated like GOG and just let me download stuff DRM free, the small layer of encryption and an extra authentication is a price I'm willing to pay since it's not invasive. SecuROM, Starforce etc are far too invasive, and far, far too limiting for me to ever consider a title that uses it.
I feel like a computer noob, but what's so bad about Securom? A few games I own have it and I've never really noticed it. It doesn't pop up with anything, it doesn't slow anything down, it's never stopped me from playing a game, so what does it do that's so bad? Being pissed at the 5 activations I sort of get, but you can revoke them and if you run out you can contact the publisher for more. I can't imagine myself having to reinstall it the other 4 times anyway :S
I've never had any problems tracked back to SecuROM myself, but seen lots of claims that it caused stability issues, damages drives and installs into Ring 0. I don't profess to know the truth of it. SecuROM can mean CD Checks, online activations, verification everytime you run, regular timed re-activation requirements (e.g. every 10 days), limited installs with or without the ability to revoke (at Publisher discretion). Apart from CD Checks (leaving aside loss / damage) the rest all have the potential if not guarantee to limit when and for how long you can use your purchased game (it's reliant upon their whim and continuation of the activation server). Activation limits and the requirement to re-activate your game at regular intervals are the ones I find most invasive and will refuse to accept. I particularly don't like what 2K has done by piling activation limits on top of Steam's DRM. And according to the statement on the DLC tab if you go into Borderlands properties, it means your whole Borderlands game has the activation limits not just the DLC, as you can't install just the core game anymore once you've purchased the DLC.
I had a long reply written, but decided it doesn't really matter as at the end of the day, I've been burnt by SecuROM w/ activation limits before so I'm gun-shy of accepting it again. The short version of my original reply is - SecuROM delivers nothing of value to you, the customer; at least Steam delivers less intrusive DRM along with worthwhile benefits, thus providing a sense of balance. I can understand (sort of) adding SecuROM to the retail version of Borderlands+DLC, but to the Steam version? Sorry, but that dog won't hunt, Monsignor. After everything else 2K/Gearbox have deliberately stuffed up (yup, I'm beyond believing any of it was an "accident"), this was just too much. Isn't it interesting how the whole debate (here or elsewhere) is about the DLC's inclusion of SecuROM with activation limits, not how AU/NZ customers have once again been screwed-over when it comes to the price of the DLC?
Gearbox are really proving they have nothing but contempt for their customers... Securom, price hikes, game breaking bugs (that are still not fixed) and the bloody port forwarding. Honestly, it's very doubtful that I'll buy another game of theirs after Borderlands. Plus I kind of doubt I'll bother buying Bioshock 2 because of 2K's crap as well.
I really think Borderlands was a great game that was just a lot more popular than the developer and/or publisher realised, so they cheaped out a bit; especially on the post-launch support. Its a real shame because this is an innovative system that I know a whole bunch of other games are going to come out based on a similar gaming premise.
Just thought I would see exactly what it was up to (SecuROM) that is... hah! And turns out that it is the old evil empire itself JK!.... Sony! Not sure if this is the best info but it seems like a decent explanation that I found: How SecuROM Damages Your PC
Me also to be honest. Seems no one is straight-up these days, least of all software companies. Much like GameGuard using stuff that Antivirus's see as a Virus - because it uses the same processes! Its a virus in all but name. Sounds similar to SecuROM also now
i lolled when i saw that the DLC and 1.1 patch have been cracked and released.. lolled epiclly.. so the pirates have got it.. and your paying customers are refusing to buy it cause of securerom.. FAIL! el
