Will You Buy a SecuRomed Empire?

[Megas Methuselah]

Patience is a virtue.

[Ed TW]

No, No way. I downloaded Star Force with Silent Hunter. What a nightmare that was.

[Akka]

The point of a protection is to make it harder on the pirate and softer on the legitimate customer, and as such make it a hassle to pirate the game, and as such make so that people tends to buy it.

Intrusive, irritating, limiting protection makes it harder on the legitimate customer (who has to fight the protection everytime, bother with annoying "keep your CD in the drive at all time, have some software tools be hampered, suffer to have hidden malware in your computer"), and they make it softer on the pirate, who usually get an "install and forget" version.
Guess what happens then ?

You got it. People tends to go for the less-annoying pirated versions.
That's simple facts : if you make it hard for people who buy the game, and easy for people who pirate it... well, you got yourself a lot of new pirates. Seems Captain Obvious logic to me, and still idiotic publishers still try to push down our throat stupid "protections" which only effect is pushing to people to pirate MORE.

I was not very interested in E:TW because I don't like gunpowder warfare, I was even less thrilled by it because they seem to follow the moronic path of MTW2 gameplay's butchery (namely : slaughtering the units' mechanisms to have fancy animations), but any hint of annoying copy protection will make it a 100 % "no deal".

Remember, publishers : the ONLY thing that make people buy rather than pirate software, is their sense of duty and loyalty. Because anyone can download a pirated game with even less efforts than bothering to go to the next game store and buy. Try to mess with your customer, by annoying them with stupid copy protection, and you'll only ends up with irritated people not keen to endure the hassle, and keeping their money to themselves.

Don't be stupid, publisher, be respectful. That's probably a much more profitable way for everyone.

[Alerion]

Just a few thoughts:

I agree, that a game distributor should tell you about everything the game installs on your computer. It's not ok that SecuROM installs hidden and it's not even mentioned. But as we see with Empire, IF it contains SecuROM it seems they're telling us this time.

As for the rights of a customer:

YES, the owner of a PC should be allowed to install on it, whatever he likes and ONLY that.

NO, a person who purchases a CD does not automatically have the right to make personal backup copies (or any copies) of it. Only the owner of the program has the right to give or refuse the customer this right. If they choose not to give us this right... that's their right and we'll have to live with it, after all, no one forces us to buy their games.

If Sega/CA announce that there is SecuROM on Empire... well that's perfectly fine... We'll know it's there and it's their right to put whatever they want on there.. we're not forced to buy it!

that said I'd still prefer it not being there but I don't understand people calling them criminals or unfair or whatever... it's their right, just as we have the right to buy or not buy a game.

[hellenes]

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55354

A kick in the teeth by Blizzard....the most successful developer=publisher on the planet...should CA/SEGA take some lessons?

[Theory]

No Securom here: the game will use Steam at retail.

[hellenes]

No Securom here: the game will use Steam at retail.

Im happy!!!! But Im also sad for people without internet access and the fact that even steam wont do nothing on copy protection front....NBA2k9 proved that beyond doubt....

[Intrepid Sidekick]

I've been have been burning to tell you about this for ages! But I had to keep my lips sealed until now.
So now you know.
We hope this is the kind of news you wanted to hear/read

As you will have seen in Kieran's interview recently we are looking to create a happy multiplayer community and we understand that some haven't felt that we have done as well as we should. We feel that with Steam's support we can deliver the experience you have been asking for in a number of ways that you will find interesting.

[SpencerH]

So how does Steam effect me as a (potential) single player of ETW?

[Theory]

So how does Steam effect me as a (potential) single player of ETW?

You'll need to be online when you install it, and Steam will start before the game runs.

[rajpoot]

This works for me. Good choice CA.
So, Empire is in the have to buy, no matter what list for me, now.

You'll need to be online when you install it, and Steam will start before the game runs.

You need to be online only the first time you start it, for single player that is, thereafter you can play single player offline too.

[Intrepid Sidekick]

As a Single Player you just need to go online once for authentication and activation.
Also any time you do go online with Steam, it will automatically inform you of any updates and patches that have been made available. You will be informed of any other Empire related news too.

[gardibolt]

I've been have been burning to tell you about this for ages! But I had to keep my lips sealed until now.
So now you know.
We hope this is the kind of news you wanted to hear/read

Yes, indeedy! This is now on my To Purchase Definitely list instead of my Uh, No Thanks list. Thank you VERY much.

Any chance of a version of Kingdoms via Steam without Securom? I'd buy that too.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I've never used Steam, but it sounds similar to the way Company of Heroes works. Welcome news indeed.

[SpencerH]

As a Single Player you just need to go online once for authentication and activation.
Also any time you do go online with Steam, it will automatically inform you of any updates and patches that have been made available. You will be informed of any other Empire related news too.

It seems like a good decision.

[PBI]

So can we confirm then; no install limit, no need for subsequent online verification after the initial activation for a given installation, and no hard-to-delete files left behind after uninstalling? Just a single simple online activation each time I reinstall the game?

If so, this is very good news indeed. Steam is definitely something I can live with.

I guess I can now finally cast my vote in the poll in this thread; "will I buy a SecuRomed Empire?" No, because I won't be able to.

One question though: Does this have any implications for modding? Is there any danger that me mucking about with the game files in the carefree way I tend to may cause problems with Steam? Conversely, will Steam be used to provide resources for modders?

In fact, more information generally on moddability would be much appreciated here.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Now can I buy a boxed version without dealing with Steam without DRM? Or has the series moved solidly onto Steam as a distribution model?

[BananaBob]

excellent!

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Now can I buy a boxed version without dealing with Steam without DRM?

You can buy a boxed version, but I think you still have to use Steam.

[TB666]

You can buy a boxed version, but I think you still have to use Steam.

Yes that is correct atleast judging from CA's response.

[ULC]

Wait, hang on, I LOVE the idea of online activation, far and away better then SecuRom, but at the same time, I have to ask - what about the people who don't have internet but want to play ETW? OR, what happens if someone loses internet access and has to reinstall ETW? He has a useless hunk of a game?

[rajpoot]

Better than it becoming useless despite the internet after 5 install attempts......

[SpencerH]

I'm interested in how (and if) this will work for a desktop and laptop installation. Only one version will be in use at any time.

[Martok]

As a Single Player you just need to go online once for authentication and activation.
Also any time you do go online with Steam, it will automatically inform you of any updates and patches that have been made available. You will be informed of any other Empire related news too.

This is exceedingly good news. Thanks IS.

[Discoman]

Using Steam sounds really cool, and its nice to know I can play the game without the disk. The only thing I don't like is Steam running in the backround, which always lags my computer.

[seireikhaan]

This makes me a happy man. I am, as of now, actually very much considering buying this game.

[TB666]

Wait, hang on, I LOVE the idea of online activation, far and away better then SecuRom, but at the same time, I have to ask - what about the people who don't have internet but want to play ETW? OR, what happens if someone loses internet access and has to reinstall ETW? He has a useless hunk of a game?

That is really the same problem with the latest Securom which also requires a internet connection.
So in the end we come out on top since as mentioned, there isn't an install limit atleast.
But people with no internet is like the people without a DVD-rom drive, the minority.
An loss in income for CA but small enough to make it not noticable.

[PBI]

TBF it's not exactly as though you need a fancy broadband connection in order to use Steam; you can always use a free trial dial-up connection to activate using Steam, so it mostly requires you to have a phone line.

It's inconvenient for those who don't normally have an internet connection, but it's not as bad as requiring it to phone home every few days; that would make the game pretty much impossible to play without a regular internet connection.

[hellenes]

TBF it's not exactly as though you need a fancy broadband connection in order to use Steam; you can always use a free trial dial-up connection to activate using Steam, so it mostly requires you to have a phone line.

It's inconvenient for those who don't normally have an internet connection, but it's not as bad as requiring it to phone home every few days; that would make the game pretty much impossible to play without a regular internet connection.

The funny thing is that people without an internet connection cannot pirate because they have no access...so these people are mostly legally paying customers....by making an online only game SEGA alienates the very people that were buying their games regularly...

[TB666]

Again, if the game had Securom, it will still make people with no internet unable to play the game.
So CA really only wins from this.