IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

Sega Addresses DRM Situation

Posted May 6, 2010 by Ben Strauss

Digital Rights Management, or DRM as it is often called, is a constant struggle between publishers and consumers. One side wishes to protect assets, while the other wishes to game in relative peace and freedom. There is balance to keep the consumer happy while working to eliminate piracy as much as possible. DRM, as touchy a subject as it is, does provide publishers with a means to combat rampant piracy, but the problems and limitations that are oft imposed have caused problems in the past. 

Sega though, has come up with a solution that inherently offers a reasonable compromise, and they are implementing it on the espionage style RPG, Alpha Protocol. 

Here’s the breakdown of what to expect [thanks Game Politics]:

• Alpha Protocol uses Uniloc: SoftAnchor.

• Uniloc: SoftAnchor requires an internet connection to activate, though you don't need to always be connected to play the game, and the web site offers a work-around if you don't have an internet connection on the PC you install it on. 

• The PC version of Alpha Protocol uses an internet based licensing system, where, after installation, the user is required to enter a product registration code (license key) in order to begin playing the game. 

• You do not have to have the disc in your drive to play the game. 

• The game does not use SteamWorks, and the Steam version of the game will use Uniloc DRM. 

• The game can be installed on up to 5 different computers at any one time using the license key the game comes with. 

• There is a limit to the number of computers you can use Alpha Protocol on at any one time, but Sega says that the company is not restricting the number of computers you can install the game on over the life of the product. 

• Sega will provide a version of the game without DRM using a future patch that it expects to make available 18-24 months after the game's release.

That's not a bad start, and a compromise that some would have thought improbable from many developers. Flexible, reasonable, and even timed, this DRM solution might just be a winner. For more information, hit up Sega’s blog post on the subject.

Ben is a recent graduate of Xavier University.  You can see him ramble on about gaming, gamification, military-related gaming and manly things on his Twitter @Sinner101GR.