The creators of Solar Empire and Galactic Civilization II are touting on the IGN blog that the lack of DRM on their games’ installation media as prime examples of how DRM is unnecessary in the digital media market. They’re right too, and have proven it with millions of dollars in sales. However, I don’t believe even they understand why.
The author of that entry portrays the game is a loss leader for sales of the download updates and extra content. It is, by concession, freeware. The incentive to purchase a copy supposedly comes from the desire for a “unique serial #” that will allow updates and extra content.
“With Galactic Civilizations II, we put no copy protection on the CD. But to get updates, users had to use their unique serial # in the box. That’s because our system is backed by TotalGaming.net’s unique SSD service (secure software delivery) which forgoes DRM and copy protection as we know it to take a more common sense (I think so anyway as a gamer) approach of just making sure you are delivering your game to the actual customer.
Any system out there will get cracked and distributed. But if you provide reasonable after-release support in the form of free updates that add new content and features that are painless for customers to get, you create a real incentive to be a customer.”
Err, not exactly.
The game, as they concede, will be made freely available by crackers whatever they do. Attempting to secure it is a waste of time and money, and a hassle for the legit user. But the same must then be said of any material not available initially as well. Attempting to sell something that’s freely available is chicanery, even if you are the producer. We’ve moved beyond believing in the entanglement of possessing media and the legal “right” to use it; it is great that the producers acknowledge the inability to glue these concepts together… but then why do they proceed to try to anyway?
The illusion that people paying them for this product are purchasing the game, is wholly illusory. Their customers are simply buying licenses to play the game legally, and the convenience of on-demand delivery (digital download or game-in-hand from a store, plus extra downloads later) is just an incentive. Digital Media Rule #1: All there is to sell is convenience and conscience. Here’s the pickle: the updates and extras can ALSO be distributed without inhibition once it is downloaded unless it relies on some form of DRM. Since they make a point of picking on DRM, I assume it doesn’t. They fold their argument into two halves by talking about “the CD” and “updates” I think they fail to see that the two are cut from the same cloth.
Why not divorce the content from the license completely? Clear the downloader’s conscience and give away (as in freedom) the game AND the updates. However, you can continue to sell instant downloads of the game and updates, for people who can’t or won’t go find a copy in the wild. You forgo the “license” since you’re beyond absolving the downloaders, you’re actually encouraging them. You make a game people want to support, and get them to love it. You also give them the chance to support it by funding it directly, taking what would have been a license payment and turning it into an investment. People hate to lose investments, even more than they desire to make gains. Let them buy in.
