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Digital rights management (DRM)

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Revision as of 21:00, 24 July 2014 by Garrett (talk | contribs) (→‎StarForce: added link for driver removal)

Key points

Digital rights management, or DRM, is a general term used to describe any type of technology that aims to stop, or at least ease, the practice of piracy.[1]
With relation to PC gaming, DRM is technology employed by companies in an attempt to limit the manipulation and copying of game data by end-users.[2]
There is little evidence to suggest that the use of DRM has a significant impact on game piracy, yet it heavily restricts legitimate users.[3]

More information

The Big List of 3rd Party DRM on Steam
Digital rights management (Wikipedia)
Digital rights management (GiantBomb)

Types of DRM

DRM Disc Check icon.svg

Disc check

Games which use a disc check include The Sims 3 and Age of Empires III.
Also known as CD/DVD check, it is an older form of DRM becoming less common as PC gaming moves to digital distribution.
The game will not run without the appropriate CD/DVD being present in the disc drive.
This system will operate regardless of whether or not the entire game content is installed on the hard drive.
Disc checks can often be removed by the user legally and relatively easily (see DRM removal).
DRM CD-Key icon.svg

CD-key

Games which use a CD-key include The Sims 3, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X and Mass Effect.

Also known as a serial or product key, the game comes with a unique code (often printed on the manual), which the user must input to complete installation.
In this way, the installer is able to verify whether or not a game has been illegally copied.[4]
If activation is completed offline, then a single key has unlimited uses.
If key activation is completed online, then a single key may be limited to a specific number of installations (see activation limit).
DRM Online Activation icon.svg

Online activation

Games which require online activation include Company of Heroes.[5]

Requires an internet connection in order to notify the rights holder each time the game is installed.[6]
This is often paired with identifying information about your computer.
The publisher can therefore track when the game was first installed, and how many times it has been installed since.
It may be used in conjunction with a CD-key and activation limit in order to restrict access to the product.
DRM-installationlimit.png

Activation limit

Games that set an activation limit include Mirror's Edge, Crysis and Spore.[7][8]

Always used in conjunction with online activation, a limit is placed on the number of times a game can be installed simultaneously, or independently.[9]
The most common limits are three or five activations.
After this limit is reached, the user has to contact customer support in order to extend their limit and install their game again.
Uninstalling the game may not free up an activation unless a specific 'de-authorizing tool' is provided (e.g. EA Games Authorization Management).
DRM Account-Based icon.svg

Account-based

Services such as Steam and Origin are examples of account-based DRM.

Once a game is purchased or redeemed, the copy is tied to a specific email address or account, and therefore requires online activation.
These services often allow unlimited product activations.
An account can only be used on one computer at a time, meaning a single copy cannot be active on more than one PC simultaneously.
Games can never be unbound from a user's account, meaning they cannot be traded or sold on.
DRM Always Online icon.svg

Always online

Games that require a constant internet connection include SimCity and Diablo III.[10]

In order to play the game, the user must remain connected to the internet for the entirety of the session.[11]
Any loss of connection will boot the player out of the game after a pre-determined length of downtime.
Game files may be consistently downloaded from the publisher's server in an attempt to reduce piracy (e.g. Silent Hunter 5).
If the entire game is stored server-side, it is known as cloud gaming.
DRM Cloud icon.svg

Cloud gaming

OnLive is an example of cloud-based gaming.

No game files are stored on the user's computer itself.
Instead the game is run on a rig set-up by the service provider and video and audio are streamed to the player over the internet.[12]
Any loss of connection will boot the player out of the game after a pre-determined length of downtime.
No game files are accessible to the player.

DRM-free

DRM-free icon.svg

GOG.com is a popular website which only sells DRM-free games.[13] GamersGate also offers a substantial DRM-free catalogue.

DRM-free means a game is shipped without any formal restrictions on how it is installed, copied, or activated.
Once a DRM-free game has been bought, it can be installed on any computer, and then re-downloaded whenever the user desires, with no activation limits.[14]
DRM-free releases have become more popular in recent years due to consumer backlash against oppressive DRM policies.
A more complete listing of DRM-free titles is available from drmdatabase.net (Note: page may require refreshing before listings can be seen).

Software and removal

A number of software platforms exist (often bundled with certain games) designed to monitor the number of product activations and restrict the user's fair use rights.[15]
These platforms are often installed without the user's knowledge.
This section details the most common platforms, their purpose, and how to remove them legally.

SecuROM

One of the most common

One of the most common and longest enduring forms of DRM, SecuROM uses a variety of methods to verify the integrity of a game, as well as preventing disc burning of protected material. It is used on both physical media and digital downloads. SecuROM installs silently on a computer, and monitors certain system behavior, preventing the game from running if it finds anything suspicious. It must be manually removed from the computer, there is no uninstall option (there is a removal tool on the SecuROM website) if you decide to stop using the game and no longer want the DRM.

StarForce

Another older DRM, StarForce has changed several times over the years. StarForce provides many of the functions of other DRM software, but installs itself as a driver on your computer. This along with a number of purported hardware and software issues made StarForce very controversial, and lead to a decline in its use due to user complaints.

See Update/Remove driver for removal details. If the game uses online activation remember to deactivate the license prior to removing the driver.

Games for Windows - LIVE

Designed by Microsoft as a way to provide multiplayer gaming for both Xbox 360 and Windows, GfWL is an online platform where the game is linked to an account (online or offline), and multiplayer (and in many cases single player) games require you to log in to a server. The service is only available in Xbox LIVE Countries and Regions; players outside these regions cannot log in but can play games that support local profiles.

Tages

Tages, like StarForce, installs itself as a driver on your computer. Tages uses multiple methods to prevent copying. Like SecuROM, Tages provides a removal tool.

Ubisoft Uplay

Ubisoft's DRM software was in July 2012 found to have a severe security vulnerability. A browser plugin that is installed silently and without consent allows websites to open programs and modify the contents of the user's hard drive. It has since been patched. Some Ubisoft games also require a constant internet connection, even for single player games.

DRM removal

DRM is required by many games, which will not run if the DRM is removed. Removing DRM while these games are installed is not recommended; in some cases, running the game will reinstall the DRM. Circumventing DRM is illegal in some countries (unless you have the developer/publisher's consent). However, there are circumstances where it is possible, legal, and advisable to remove DRM.

If you uninstall all software related to the DRM, the DRM can typically be removed safely. Many DRM companies provide a removal tool, other programs can be uninstalled directly.

Occasionally a developer will remove DRM from a game with a patch after a long period of time. Patching the game in these cases is a legitimate way of running the game without DRM. For example, Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword was eventually patched to remove DRM and CD checks from the game, and the Civilization IV series was re-released as a DRM-Free game soon after.

DRM and Second-Hand Software

Used software is very susceptible to anti-piracy measures. A number of problems can occur when buying used games, due to DRM or copy protection.

  • Lost Code Wheels/Manuals/physical DRM. Older games, such as Pool of Radiance, require a physical tool to progress in the game. Used copies do not always include these materials, and online replacements may be difficult to find, rendering the game useless.
  • Missing, Registered, or Banned Keys. Games that require an installation key may not always have the key with them when used. The game cannot be installed without the key. In other cases, games such as World of Warcraft (prior to the free version) could not be effectively bought used, because they had one-time key usage. Another potential problem is buying a used game, and finding the multiplayer or online features of the game disabled due to actions of the previous owner.
  • Activation. Related to the registered keys problem, some software requires online activation, and used copies may fail activation because of this if they have already been played. Activation effectively makes games unsuitable for resale or transfer.

Controversy

DRM presents an issue for long term games collectors as it can lead to games becoming completely locked out as CD-keys are lost, studios close or withdraw support, or online services discontinued. This can be resolved by studios issuing a patch that removes the DRM, though not all studios do this.

Another historic problem with DRM software is unexpected hardware and software problems. For example, early versions of StarForce sometimes caused strange behavior in optical drives, occasionally making Windows unable to detect and access CD-ROMs.

Online activated DRM, present in games such as Spore means that the game becomes useless when support for the servers is withdrawn. Existing installations may continue to function, but new installations will no longer function.

DRM is rarely disclosed on packaging, and is installed silently on computers, sometimes without user consent. Many people as an effect do not know they have DRM software installed on the computer. Some DRM installs in critical system areas (such as "Ring-0 DRM"), a behavior typically used by malicious software due to the control it allows over a system.

DRM also has potential to malfunction, flagging a legitimate game as pirated. For instance, The Battle For Middle Earth had a copy protection system that looked for signs of pirating that was known to trigger on legitimate installs, causing all the characters to die randomly. The only fix was to uninstall and reinstall the game.

The nature of DRM also makes resale of computer software difficult, in some cases impossible, which conflicts with the First Sale Doctrine many nations follow.

Purposefully deactivating or disabling DRM without permission of the rights holder may be illegal in some countries.

DRM tends to stay on a computer after the related software is removed, sometimes requiring a special tool to remove. Most people are unaware that the DRM remains on their computer. Removing DRM while a game is installed typically breaks the game.

Online-based DRM can be revoked by any reason. Also, online-based DRM has potential for errors and is susceptible to abuse from piracy. For instance, pirated/keygen produced install keys can be registered, meaning the legitimate keys are flagged as invalid. Some games have a history of key banning for trivial reasons. The problem of falsely revoked keys is particularly noticeable on Spore.

DRM may contain security vulnerabilities, as revealed in the Uplay DRM backdoor.


References