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Originally Posted by GlobalExplorer
Intriguing .. Now if there wasn't this DRM thing. I heard for many people Distant Guns just stopped working after some time, and that support is nil.
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Totally untrue in my case (might be for some, I don't know). I once had a problem with a game glitch, and both of the main devs (Jim and Norm) responded, took my savegame and fixed it, and incorporated the fix into the next patch. I've also had to reinstall the game the game on different computers twice after said computers died (so I couldn't release the license key from inside the game), and had to email support to release my license key for re-registration. Had it released within 24 hours on both occasions. I'd give SES very high marks for support, myself.
The DRM isn't as bad as many people say, I don't know why there's such a fuss over it. It IS very restricting (in the sense of 1 license - 1 computer), but it's not invasive (i.e. doesn't install crap on your system like Starforce or Securom - it's all internal to the game exe). However as long as you don't try to install it on more than one machine, it works pretty smoothly. Had it on my HD (or 3 different HDs, more accurately) for over 2 years now. There is also the auto-patching system, and literally dozens of patches were released for DG, all of them seamlessly installing on game start when connected to the net.
And I mean, there should be at least a bit of sympathy for the SES position. The game comes with a demo that is basically the unlockable full version - which lets you see exactly how the full game will look and play on your system. DG is delivered as a .zip file that's just over 200mb in size. Imagine how easily that would go around if there wasn't a solid lock on it. The devs want to maintain a high price level on the game, which is understandable because the game is very niche and wouldn't make any money otherwise.
I was hoping they'd relax the activation restrictions on it a little and come down to something closer to a basic CD-key protection, but as far as I can tell it'll remain the way it is - 1 activation per game, but the activation can be either released manually from the game, or reset by support if needed. You don't have to be online to play the game, it only asks for activation during install. So, the game is basically activationware, but it hasn't affected me much. I consider it (and the $60 pricetag) a small price to pay for 2 years of good gaming so far. It's been worth it to me, but I wouldn't run around saying it'd be worth it for absolutely everyone. So, if not sure: read reviews, and try the demo. If you like what you see, by all means get it, don't be afraid of the big bad DRM. It's not big, and it's only very slightly bad.