DRM Shuts Down PC Version of Gears of War [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

carlmenezes writes "It seems that the DRM on the PC version of Gears of War came with a built-in shut-off date; the digital certificate for the game was only good until January 28, 2009. Now, the game fails to work unless you adjust your system's clock. What is Epic's response? 'We're working on it.'"
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[Nebagram]

This is the single most retarded gaming-related thing I have heard all frickin' decade. 'How to cripple sales of GoW2 PC before it's even released.'

[heybtbm]

This is the single most retarded gaming-related thing I have heard all frickin' decade. 'How to cripple sales of GoW2 PC before it's even released.'

GoW2 isn't coming out on PC, but your point still stands. This is why media-based PC gaming will be extinct in the very near future.

[demen999]

Well that went well for GoW. I still think PC gaming has some time left, but they keep shortening its time with more crap like this.

[exit]

It's reasons like this that people decide to pirate in the first place.

[TonyTheTiger]

This isn't going to kill PC gaming. But I do think this is the beginning of the end for DRM. DRM has gone from just an ordinary bad idea to completely batshit insane. At this point, nobody anywhere can sanely conclude that DRM prevents piracy. It outright encourages it.

[Sabz5150]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!!! !!!

...breathe...

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAH AAAA!!!!!

Okay, okay, I'm do-- HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

So, DRM supporters... developers... publishers... is THIS what you expect us to pay for?

[Fuyukaze]

This is the reason to pirate. For years people have tried using every single crappy excuse and finaly, one has been provided. Thanks Epic, your failure to appreciate your customer has finaly given justice to those who never would have supported you in the first place. Screwed over everyone who did but that didnt matter aparently.

[GM80]

Best comment read on the web:

"Of course, the pirated copies are still working."

[skaar]

hahahahaha

BRILLIANT!

[Sabz5150]

[Oobgarm]

That picture is fail, we're not getting a reacharound.

[Sabz5150]

That picture is fail, we're not getting a reacharound.

The pirates are


EDIT: Fine, how's this

[Ze_ro]

It's crap like this that makes me stick with console games. Playing games on computers is just a giant mess these days.

The sad thing is, consoles aren't much respite these days... crap like this should never have been necessary in the first place

--Zero

[Push Upstairs]

Like I needed another reason to hate DRM.

I won't pirate games with DRM, but I won't buy them either.

[MarioMania]

What's DRM??

[Sabz5150]

What's DRM??

A way for developers to squeeze more money from the consumer by controlling when, where and for how long you play your video games under the guise of stopping piracy.

It's similar to buying a car and finding out that it comes with a person that drives it for you and has the ability to refuse to take you somewhere because the manufacturer thinks you'll commit a crime with the car since so many other crimes involved cars.

[The 1 2 P]

It's similar to buying a car and finding out that it comes with a person that drives it for you and has the ability to refuse to take you somewhere because the manufacturer thinks you'll commit a crime with the car since so many other crimes involved cars.

You mean like a chauffer?

Although this sucks for pc gamers, they seem to be getting less and less titles these days anyway. I suppose people say that every year, but Gears of War 2 and Halo Wars are definitely not coming to the pc. Oh, neither is Mortal Kombat Vs DC(not that anyone cares about that last one). But from an outsider who doesn't game on his pc, I think that the developers need to treat their pc customers better with the games they actually "do" release.

[Sabz5150]

You mean like a chauffer?

A chauffer takes me where I tell him to or I fire his ass. DRM Driver just laughs at me and floors it into oncoming traffic.

I can choose to have a chauffer. DRM Driver is there regardless if I want a chauffer or want to take the wheel myself.

[TonyTheTiger]

Good thing the protection is unsophisticated enough that changing the system clock works. This still obviously sucks for people with the PC version of Gears of War but there is a silver lining here. Before this event, it was relatively easy (though still a stretch) for people to brush off the criticisms of DRM and defend the measure by saying "Well, piracy is still a problem and who needs to install the game on so many computers anyway?" But now there is rock solid proof that while anti-piracy measures can be legitimate, DRM is the most ass backwards way to do it.

DRM is on its way out. This will be the last straw for even the most tolerant consumers. While it's conceivable that a person could deal with installing the game on just one computer and fumbling with online confirmations and the like, once you tell them that at X point in time their game will actually stop working, the world will look very different.