Speculation: Anti Piracy

[Furiosity]

I was reading this thread: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=973943 and got to thinking...

What would be an efficient and fair way to prevent piracy. I'm sure it seems like an impossible thing to do, seeing as how powerful computers are, but the PC is losing it's business appeal.

Single Player Games

In my mind I have thought of a Gamer's Optical Drive. A disc in-capable of being copied or virtually mounted.

In addition (Or maybe without the optical drive at all), maybe Micro$oft can get off their piles of cash and offer some support to developers on the PC. Some sort of built-in mechanism that prevents ALL access to game folders and any folders the developer actually wants you to have access to (such as mod folders) may be visible but only those.

When registering a game, activation of the game does not happen until you launch the game. The activation feature will be built INTO the game edition, therefore making it impossible (I think?) or a cracker(no pun intended) to modify the activation process. Validation of the key requires an internet connection. The key will be bound to that specific copy of windows. A specific windows Game Key that is tied to your windows. Un-installation of the game allows you to install it on another version of windows. I think that is similar to Secu-Rom when it comes to the un-installation, but combined with the others things I said it makes it really hard to install it on multiple PC's.

By the way... I'm mostly just thinking of ideas...and any of the ones I think of can be combined together, these aren't just separate unique thoughts.

Activation Keys aren't necessarily effect right now, maybe no more keys? Maybe, along with some help from Micro$oft, within every game disc, is it's own unique activator. I don't know exactly how it'd be applied, but you would have to have the disc within your drive (not the Gamer one), to play the game. One you first install the game and check to make sure it's legit (through some process, most likely one already mentioned), you have a credited amount of time, 30 days, to play the game before needing to re-check it for legitimacy. That MAY be a hassle, but I'm positive nearly everyone with a PC has internet, it can't be that much of a hassle, in fact, that brings me to my next idea.

Requiring an internet connection that to play it. You launch the game, it checks for legitimacy, it allows you 12 hours of play time (you may disconnect your internet after the verification). When a developer gives you a piece of software, they license it to you, that does not mean it belongs to you, they are giving you permission to use what they created. If they want to only loan it to you for 12 hours, even though you paid $50, they can, but being nice they say "Hey, I won't charge you again, but you have to request permission to sue it for another 12 hours." It's single player, there's no way you should be spending 12+ hours on it straight anyway. It may be tough requiring internet to play a Single Player game, but nearly everyone with a PC has internet access, and the majority wins, sorry minority. This should not be a big con like I'm sure lots of people would treat it as if this was to happen. This would involve the Legitimacy Check being WITHIN the game. Micro$oft should support games, do something to prevent any access to files the DEVELOPERS choose. In every idea that anyone suggests, M$ needs to be involved.

Anyways...that's all I can think of, sorry if some repeat, the last one is the one I would like best.

This post is also for anyone's ideas.

 

[AdmiralVonBentebent]

The last one is not fair, for people without internet connection.

 

[Furiosity]

The last one is not fair, for people without internet connection.

Yes, I know, but because of certain people in the world, others have to suffer.

Edit: The benefits a successful and efficient distribution system would be substantially large that most people without internet access, would still have to agree that it makes sense. You can't make everyone happy. The PC Community (assuming very view pirates exist) would be a LOT more attractive than the console to community to developers. Players can create their own content to keep themselves happy, along with some developer assistance every now and then (look at TF2). Consumers will be contributing more the the longevity of the game, and I'm sure developers love that more then "Hey, we need new maps!!!! NOW!".

People just have to give up somethings for the betterment of their community. (Such as giving up certain natural rights to have government protection. I think that makes sense...lol)

 

[OSVG]

In my mind I have thought of a Gamer's Optical Drive. A disc in-capable of being copied or virtually mounted.

Pirates will Find a way around this. It may be harder that making iso's but there are other ways

In addition (Or maybe without the optical drive at all), maybe Micro can get off their piles of cash and offer some support to developers on the PC. Some sort of built-in mechanism that prevents ALL access to game folders and any folders the developer actually wants you to have access to (such as mod folders) may be visible but only those.

Once again this may stop some pirates, but any file on a computers- hidden or not- is retrievable by someone with proper skill level.

I do like the idea behind it, though

Instead of just hiding the files make some sort of encryption the corrupts any files being coppied or moved that you shouldn't have access to

When registering a game, activation of the game does not happen until you launch the game. The activation feature will be built INTO the game edition, therefore making it impossible (I think?) or a cracker(no pun intended) to modify the activation process. Validation of the key requires an internet connection. The key will be bound to that specific copy of windows. A specific windows Game Key that is tied to your windows. Un-installation of the game allows you to install it on another version of windows. I think that is similar to Secu-Rom when it comes to the un-installation, but combined with the others things I said it makes it really hard to install it on multiple PC's.

This makes you lose your copy of a game should your hard drive crash and you have to install a new OS w/ a new cd key

By the way... I'm mostly just thinking of ideas...and any of the ones I think of can be combined together, these aren't just separate unique thoughts.

Activation Keys aren't necessarily effect right now, maybe no more keys? Maybe, along with some help from Micro, within every game disc, is it's own unique activator. I don't know exactly how it'd be applied, but you would have to have the disc within your drive (not the Gamer one), to play the game. One you first install the game and check to make sure it's legit (through some process, most likely one already mentioned), you have a credited amount of time, 30 days, to play the game before needing to re-check it for legitimacy. That MAY be a hassle, but I'm positive nearly everyone with a PC has internet, it can't be that much of a hassle, in fact, that brings me to my next idea.

Like the Idea, but having to change the coding on every disc would cause the game to cost more.

Requiring an internet connection that to play it. You launch the game, it checks for legitimacy, it allows you 12 hours of play time (you may disconnect your internet after the verification). When a developer gives you a piece of software, they license it to you, that does not mean it belongs to you, they are giving you permission to use what they created. If they want to only loan it to you for 12 hours, even though you paid $50, they can, but being nice they say "Hey, I won't charge you again, but you have to request permission to sue it for another 12 hours." It's single player, there's no way you should be spending 12+ hours on it straight anyway. It may be tough requiring internet to play a Single Player game, but nearly everyone with a PC has internet access, and the majority wins, sorry minority. This should not be a big con like I'm sure lots of people would treat it as if this was to happen. This would involve the Legitimacy Check being WITHIN the game. Micro should support games, do something to prevent any access to files the DEVELOPERS choose. In every idea that anyone suggests, M$ needs to be involved.

Anyways...that's all I can think of, sorry if some repeat, the last one is the one I would like best.

This post is also for anyone's ideas.

I want to own a game and be able to play it whenever. I'd prefer not to lease the game every time, but this does sound the most secure.

Also Microsoft doesn't need / have to get involved.
People will, unfortunately, find ways to pirate. Regardless of the protection it has.

 

[WaterSnake]

More $5 midweek madness like Steam just did with Assassin's Creed might help. Like many companies (including Valve) are saying, it's not really a matter of stopping pirates from pirating, because like OSVG said, they're just going to find a way around it. The real answer lies in having a good reason to buy and own the software. Pirates are just undiscovered customers.

 

[Spitfire'd]

This is not piracy.

For the last time, I have a letter of marquee from my sovereign government that legally allows me to wage a personal war against the enemies of my nation. Some of those enemies may refer to this as piracy, but I sail with the full permission of my sovereign nation.

Now I appreciate a discussion about ways a company could stop the petty theft of their products, but please don't lump that in with my work. The two are completely different.

Sincerely,
-Spitfire'd
-Professional Part-Time Pirate

 

[Jubei]

I stopped reading when you wrote "Micro$oft."

I understand you may not like the company, but come on. Try to be less transparent.

 

[Cut Chem!st]

Just doing full integration into steam helps a lot, IE. Empire Total War. Even the retail copys you have to register the key on steam.

 

[Sharpe]

Keep games updated. Look at TF2. It's almost impossible to play an updated version of TF2 through piracy. Now, the past few weeks have been different because of L4D2, But they keep it updated more than other games I see.

Some might even get 4-5, then they work on the second game. That's why things get pirated. TF2 is still pirated, It's just more annoying for them because of the updates.

 

[dopey288]

i liked it all the way to the last part
i wouldnt wana rent something i already bought, and some where out in the world someone plays 12 + hours a day

that is true about pirates, undiscovered customers, but they will find a way to get what they want, just takes a dedicated pirate

and spitfire, what are u talking about?

 

[Haggus McGee]

Don't fuss about pirates doing single player, it's just like with music/video industry - the game publishers can't win either. However for multiplayer, the measures Valve and other 'account' based companies take should just become the norm. So the situation is fine, apart from single player, which is just like music/movies, no measure is going to be cost effective at stopping people, as seen with AC2 - people are furious.

I would like to share my view of piracy and its soloution, made clear by Eckersley (below). I would also like to say that I do not condone piracy, nor have I stolen for myself any song, game or movie, but have these views because I am aware that 90% of songs aquired on the internet are not paid for. Also, it would save me money and I like the idea of unlimited entertainment. I also mostly agree with capitalism.

Taken from Peter Eckersley's article, Finding a fair price for free knowledge

Napster taught us that scarcity is no longer a law of nature.
This is a question about the future of capitalism, the economic system that arose from scarcity.
This fragile scarcity has a purpose: to make things expensive. Water is plentiful and essential; diamonds are rare and comparatively useless. But diamonds are much more expensive than water because they're much rarer.
The irony of the battle between advocates of abundance and advocates [Pirates] of scarcity is that both sides are right. It makes no sense to limit and control access now we have technologies to give information [or games as applied here] to everyone. But it is also foolish to pretend we do not need incentives to help produce and publish that information.

His soloution is this:

The music industry, for example, is slowly realising it cannot win the war on copying. People are pirates, and there are still 10 songs copied for every one bought on iTunes. Soon, the record labels will start to experiment with alternatives to copyright, such as licences that allow unlimited, restriction-free file sharing in exchange for flat fees, maybe a $5 or $10 voluntary payment with your monthly internet provider bill. This kind of system will not be perfect, but it will allow us to have wonderful libraries of legal MP3s, and it may help more independent professional musicians to flourish.

The music industry, for example, is slowly realising it cannot win the war on copying. People are pirates, and there are still 10 songs copied for every one bought on iTunes. Soon, the record labels will start to experiment with alternatives to copyright, such as licences that allow unlimited, restriction-free file sharing in exchange for flat fees, maybe a $5 or $10 voluntary payment with your monthly internet provider bill. This kind of system will not be perfect, but it will allow us to have wonderful libraries of legal MP3s, and it may help more independent professional musicians to flourish.

If you want the full article, pm me, i'm sure he won't mind his message getting around . Btw it is really good.