DRM increases piracy

[shadowmanwkp]

According to research by Rice University and Duke University not using DRM on software will actually cause a decrease of piracy. Analytical modeling was used to see the impact of enforcing DRM or not on digital media. The increase in piracy while DRM is enforced is caused by the negative impact on legit users who have no intention to actually do something illegal. They have to pay the price, like not being able to legitimately making copies of music cd's or not being able to play games offline, while pirates will crack the software anyways being able to do the aforementioned things. Thus, legit users will opt for the illegal route, because they can do more with their product.

The research also revealed that copyright owners don't always benefit from less piracy.

Decreased piracy doesn't guarantee increased profits. In fact, our analysis demonstrates that under some conditions, one can observe lower levels of piracy and lower profits

Source

 

[haflore]

No way? You mean restricting the usefulness of legitimate purchases actually drives would-be consumers to piracy!?

 

[prowler]

Steam DRM is the only way to go.

 

[Rayder]

Fixed the title for you.

Funny how a group has to do "research" (and at what expense) to determine something most people knew all along.

 

[Deleted_171835]

Don't see why companies are incorporating such restrictive DRM when they should already know that it's counter-intuitive.

Steam DRM is the only way to go.

Only problem with it is the whole offline mode thing.

 

[prowler]

Steam DRM is the only way to go.

Only problem with it is the whole offline mode thing.

What's wrong with it?
You only need to log in once (which you would have to do anyway to get your game) for offline mode to be enabled...

 

[Deleted_171835]

Steam DRM is the only way to go.

Only problem with it is the whole offline mode thing.

What's wrong with it?
You only need to log in once (which you would have to do anyway to get your game) for offline mode to be enabled...

It stopped working properly for me even though I did log in prior to that (couldn't enter offline mode). It still has some quirks that need fixing although it is better than most other DRM, anyways.

 

[shadowmanwkp]

Fixed the title for you.

Thanks ^.^

It's not really to be called news IMO, but more of an acknowledgment that the whole thing is stupid (and that in itself IS news). Heck, I once even read that the DRM in assasin's creed 2 was so stupid that ubisoft used an unaltered cracked executable as a patch. If that says anything about how moronic DRM can be...

 

[Veho]

I know the warning screens in twenty different languages and all the other unskippable crap at the start of a DVD makes me never want to buy another movie DVD, ever. I bought the stupid thing, why do I have to sit through twenty minutes of warnings, you assholes?

 

[Izzy011]

I think people would stop pirating once game companies stop DRM, and lower the prices for new games a bit. (60$ for a PS3/Xbox 360 game is highway robbery)

 

[Bladexdsl]

Steam DRM is the only way to go.

and they crack that too

 

[Gahars]

I'm glad that they needed an intensive study to tell them what common sense already dictates.

 

[shakirmoledina]

thts absolutely true, look at ubi's AC2 DRM.
check gamefaqs for its rating. it was an awesome game never witnessed before but u will see it got 8 point something because of the many "1" ratings. the forum guys said it was because of drm that it got those ones.

it really pisses some people off to see them being held back by something that others did and even worse that eventually everything will get cracked (even 3.6+ firmware)

 

[coolness]

its time for the NDS pirating people to get interested in music files xD

 

[Berthenk]

Captain Obvious?

It's called logic.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

thts absolutely true, look at ubi's AC2 DRM.
check gamefaqs for its rating. it was an awesome game never witnessed before but u will see it got 8 point something because of the many "1" ratings. the forum guys said it was because of drm that it got those ones.

it really pisses some people off to see them being held back by something that others did and even worse that eventually everything will get cracked (even 3.6+ firmware)

Lol Gamfaqs =/= legitimate rating source. All people do is troll and bitch there.

Obvious news is obvious, at least an "official" study has been done on it. Perhaps now developers will listen and stop with all the crappy DRMs. I don't remember what game it was for, i think Starcraft 2 or something...but didn't one game require you to be connected to the internet AT ALL TIMES?

 

[HaniKazmi]

There were several ubisoft games which required that, and Diablo 3 will when it releases.

 

[Kioku]

Well.. What do I have to say to this? Not a damn thing. Why? Well... Uh... Nah.

DRM doesn't increase piracy.. You all are nuts. DRM increases frustration and decreases sales a little bit. However, I seriously doubt it effects piracy. With or without DRM... Free is a better price tag than $60...

 

[Osaka]

Has anyone ever thought that maybe... just maybe.. only the games worth pirating are the ones with DRM, and no one even cares to pirate the ones without it?

 

[Hyro-Sama]

Someone send this to Sony.