EA to implement Ubi style DRM system

[NefariousKoel]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Walk into your local games or electronics shop lately? especially Gamestop or EB Games? I don't even bother anymore. Its all console, and a few token PC gams now.

Most brick and mortar stores are 80% console games now. The PC games are always on some back rack. It's feels like your walking into the XXX section in a video store.

If whats on the self is any indicator, PC games are indeed on their way out, and have been for some time.

No, it's not an indicator. A vast majority of PC game purchases are done via digital download or ordered via web and shipped directly. From the article someone posted not long ago, it's gone up some since last year.

As an indicator of that, my brother-in-law related a story to me of asking a clerk at a Gamestop a couple months ago where all their PC games were. The clerk looked at him, with wonder and shock, and told him 'everyone buys those online now'.

[Zachstar]

This crap of always on is going to kill the PC game industry. No console has that requirement and neither does steam. Yet they are both relatively effective DRM systems.

Microsoft must be loving this. Their next system already is going to have Natal built in and have some sort of ATI graphics that puts even a 5870 to shame. Who is going to want to spend 700+ on a gaming computer to compete?

[BN77]

EA have virtually pulled out of the PC gaming industry so I am not sure what the point of this is.

[WOD]

Well, if EA will implement a DRM similar to that what UBI did, then it´s the next publisher on my personal list...from which I won´t buy a game anymore. Maybe EA missed the problem, which UBI has with steam now. So I think they have to learn the hard way too. On the other hand, I think, the PC-Game market will die slowly. I don´t hope so but the signs are the fact of reality.

[DeadlyWolf]

Regarding the last "PC gaming in diyng!11!!" rants I'd like to remind you:

1) As you can see here, saying PC games are console-ports only is a plain bs: http://adrianwerner.wordpress.com/games-of-2010/
2) DD is huge and if I'm not wrong platforms like Steam do not disclose the numeber of sales. And as Nefarious wrote most of the purchases come through online-shops.
3) Recently Battlefield Bad Company 2 (on its release) had more people playing the PC version of the game than the 360 or PS3 editions. (see news about it)

[Ragtag]

Well, EA's DRM didn't last long either. Command & Conquer has been...well, you know the banned word

[UnSalted]

Originally Posted by msxyz

Ok, it looks like I won't buy the next Dragon Age game, after all...

Good thing that, between The Witcher 2 and Drakensang, I won't lack my yearly RPG fix

If a really good English speaking modding community ever develops for the Drakensang games it will do wonders for the genre.

It's either that or I have to learn German to read their Boards.

[Galanti]

Originally Posted by Zachstar

This crap of always on is going to kill the PC game industry. No console has that requirement and neither does steam. Yet they are both relatively effective DRM systems.

Microsoft must be loving this. Their next system already is going to have Natal built in and have some sort of ATI graphics that puts even a 5870 to shame. Who is going to want to spend 700+ on a gaming computer to compete?

Consoles are never going to appeal to the harcore sim crowd until they start to offer support for hundreds of keystroke commands and mods. Unless they ship flawless out of the box.

Personally, there aren't too many console games out there I'd be interested in. That's not to say there aren't some incredible ones.

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by Galanti

Consoles are never going to appeal to the harcore sim crowd until they start to offer support for hundreds of keystroke commands and mods. Unless they ship flawless out of the box.

Personally, there aren't too many console games out there I'd be interested in. That's not to say there aren't some incredible ones.

Not to mention the limited abilities of these consoles, which are years behind PCs hardware wise. Just look at any side by side comparison of a PC and a console game, the console game looks outdated.

Imagine a sim like SH5 on a console, it barely runs on some people's computers!

[msxyz]

Big companies pulling out the PC space is not bad news.

Most of the great games of these last years have come from second tier european publishers (ie Jowood) or indie developers.

It's incredible how these games, despite much less resources available and a looser development process, ends up with fewer bugs and better support!

[vanjast]

Further emphasising this...
EA and it also looks like UBI.. seem to be driven by economic forces (accountants and shareholders) which/who avariably want the best bang for their buck. This is typical of the technonolgy industry, where the 'financials' will scre.w it up completely.. opening a market for another generation of decent developers. These developers will hold their own for a while until succoming to the 'accountants' again.

Thankfully so far, Oleg and 1C are a break from this norm (so far) with the IL2 series and upcoming BoB - But there is still a opening in the sea warfare game market for someone like Oleg/1C, to bring out a 'working' game.


I think the ideal time to buy is in the early stages, for example SH3, and any follow on's sh4, sh5 are just degrades of the original.

[janh]

BoB? Please tell me that there is going to be a new Battle of Britain/Aces/Air War over Europe type title with the realism and detail of IL2 coming? That would be awesome news.

[Catfish]

Let's think the unthinkable.

A company is not dedicated to pure greed and making money, but to just pay their employees, maybe better next year, and NOT sell shares !
Just keep being a vital and healthy small company, with good ideas, and a concept of improving a special kind of software.

Just go on, build slowly up from a vital and healthy basis substance, maybe hire one or two more new idealistic employees with fresh ideas a year, if at all.
Make a million or two in your whole life, rather than go for 4 millions a year for me as the manager.

OK, now i'm a 65-year-old chief of such a company, i have two houses , several cars, one yacht, a few kids, and a nice dedicated company. What the hell do i need some 20 millions more ? Do i think i can take the money into my grave ? Reputation ?!
Selling shares to grow BIG and become dependent on *******ing share holders or THEIR interests ? Why. THE. *******. ??!

Ah, i hear the people shout "communism", "socialism" blah burp bloop.
But it isnt't. It just is good old capitalism remaining reasonable, not gone wild, not locust cap., and to hell with share holders.

Only an idea,
Catfish

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by msxyz

Big companies pulling out the PC space is not bad news.

Most of the great games of these last years have come from second tier european publishers (ie Jowood) or indie developers.

It's incredible how these games, despite much less resources available and a looser development process, ends up with fewer bugs and better support!

Agreed. Some of the best games I own are not made by mainstream developers/publishers. Who cares if 'Big Moneybags Ltd' moves out of the PC market? At least they won't be buying the small development teams, who actually make decent games, instead of the same old carbon copy rubbish!

In any case, PC gaming is not dead, nowhere close. People have been making such claims for the past 10 years, and I have yet to see it happen. Yes, perhaps there are not as many good games as there used to be, but then again, that greatly depends on your idea of 'good'.

Consoles have no where near the same versatility, nor can they provide the same power; console games are generally for the casual gamer, and the design shows this to be the case. I should know, I used to be a console owner (NES, SNES, N-64, PS, PS2), and I would go through a game a week. That is one of the reasons I made the switch to PC games, not only do they look and play better, they have a lot more longevity.

I don't believe PC gaming will die, perhaps it will change, perhaps it will become more focused, but there's plenty of room for other companies to move in, if the current market leaders move out.

[Arclight]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Let's think the unthinkable.

A company is not dedicated to pure greed and making money, but to just pay their employees, maybe better next year, and NOT sell shares !
Just keep being a vital and healthy small company, with good ideas, and a concept of improving a special kind of software.

Just go on, build slowly up from a vital and healthy basis substance, maybe hire one or two more new idealistic employees with fresh ideas a year, if at all.
Make a million or two in your whole life, rather than go for 4 millions a year for me as the manager.

OK, now i'm a 65-year-old chief of such a company, i have two houses , several cars, one yacht, a few kids, and a nice dedicated company. What the hell do i need some 20 millions more ? Do i think i can take the money into my grave ? Reputation ?!
Selling shares to grow BIG and become dependent on *******ing share holders or THEIR interests ? Why. THE. *******. ??!

Ah, i hear the people shout "communism", "socialism" blah burp bloop.
But it isnt't. It just is good old capitalism remaining reasonable, not gone wild, not locust cap., and to hell with share holders.

Only an idea,
Catfish

I like what you're saying... is there room for one more on that soapbox? No wait, I'll just follow you around.