Serious Sam 3: BFE Features Creative DRM that Only Pirates will Experience

[Rob Williams]

Like most gamers, no one here at Techgage is a fan of DRM - at least, DRM that worsens the experience for those who actually purchase the software, game and et cetera. We've talked in great deal about DRM in the past, as a simple search on our site will prove, and to date, there hasn't been much DRM that we've felt solved a problem without causing another. However, there have been some amazing attempts in recent memory.

Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here!

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

THAT IS FREAKING GENIUS

 

[marfig]

Not (entirely) sold.

I can imagine how a game can detect if it has been tampered with by simply reading the hashes of its own file structure, for instance. But a cunning use of assembly can alter the code that does the checking. This is after all, the basis of software cracking; detecting the instructions that perform security checks and alter them to either report a false negative, or -- if allowed by other parts of the code -- simply disable them.

The good news is that it will delay proper releases. I just hope no one comes up with the "bright" idea of selling a security package that facilitates game developers' work in mounting these anti-piracy mechanisms. That's when a good idea turns into just another cannon fodder for crackers. Also, that studios don't start implementing the same code routines in subsequent games. Because crackers... reuse code.