🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:06:38 -0400, Rin Stowleigh
<rstow...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:13:55 -0400, "Jim" <gtfo@stfu.invalid> wrote:
>
>>"John Lewis" <john...@frontier.com> wrote in message 
>>news:514ca15c.9732859@news.giganews.com...
>>> Valve, being chronic $$control-freaks$$, will probably now
>>> contractually insist that any games achieving "greenlit" status either
>>> be sold exclusively using Steam-DRM,. or have a limited Steam initial
>>> exclusivity....
>>>
>>> BTW, you can indeed now preorder the game on GOG.... DRM-free, of
>>> course....
>>
>>There are DRM free games on Steam so I don't think its required.
>>http://www.gog.com/forum/general/list_of_drmfree_games_on_steam/page1
>>Skyrim was DRM free until the first patch so if it is required its not 
>>enforced very well. 
>
>You might have better luck with this argument here than me, but I
>tried a long time ago to explain that Steam's authentication and DRM
>are not the same thing.  Yes some games do have DRM in addition to a
>Steam account requirement, but there are also free games that don't
>care how many copies you have or how many accounts you've tied it to,
>as long as you tie it to an account.
>
>Simple authentication and not DRM.
>

Simple authentication used to mean a CD-Key, locking the game to its
purchased CD or DVD. The key also had the dual-purpose of validating
on-line play in a game with a MP component.  The EULA's of such games
permitted the transfer to a third-party provided the original CD/DVD
and documentation accompanied the transfer. 

Another variant on simple authentication is the Microsoft
authentication mechanisms on WinXP Retail thru Win7 Retail, where
there is one-time on-line authentication by MS on a particular machine
(instead of a CD-Key-lock) The software can  be sold or donated at any
time and re-authenticated  with MS on another machine. Such
re-authentication invalidates the authentication on the previous
installation. The transfer can be repeated to another party if
desired. Such chain-transfers are not restricted by the MS EULA.

Then people like Valve and others came up with the bright idea of
requiring the activation of a game by mandatorily linking it to an
on-line account, with the DELIBERATE intent of making it difficult,
inconvenient, or practically impossible to pass the game to a
third-party.. without giving away or selling the account as well.
Valve and others then actively encourage the purchase of more games
and linking then to the same (Steam) account making it less likely
that the account woulld be transferred. Also the Steam EULA
specifically prohibits the transfer of a Steam account anyway. This
collection of account-hook, activation decryption and legalities
designed by Valve and deliberately interfering with the transfer of
used games is Steam-DRM. Origin, Games for Windows and others have
their own variants on the Steam-DRM theme. 

DRM-FREE games (as sold by GOG.com, for example)  come with NONE  of
the activation restrictions described in the last three paragraphs.
In the case of games with a MP component, GOG provides a CD-Key for
on-line play, but the SP component of the game is totally free of
installation/play  restrictions. Install the SP game on as many
machines as you like and play all installs at the same time with hands
and feet should you so choose  :-) :-) . No authentication of any form
required. And the MP CD-key is freely transferable to a third-party
should the original owner want to gift or sell the game.

John Lewis