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RA3 DRM Copy Protection Update

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Red Alert 3 Executive Producer, Chris Corry, has posted a second update about the DRM Copy Protection system that will be used in the PC version of Red Alert 3. Its a considerably heated topic this, and if you read through Chris Corry's post you will notice that EALA are listening you all, changes are coming later this year.

 

Hi, guys. Chris here.

 

It feels like there's still some uncertainty swirling around our plans for Red Alert 3's PC copy protection. I want to clear the air and explain what you can expect when the game ships on Oct 28th. I know there's a lot of detail here, but I think that's what many of you are looking for, so please stick with me.

 

DRM and why we need it

Software piracy is a really big deal for the developers of PC games. We work for years, putting our soul into making software and it breaks our hearts to see it pirated. Imagine going to work every day for two years to create something special, only to see it stolen. Copy protection may not be a perfect solution, but we can't sit back and do nothing. The copy protection in Red Alert 3 helps strike a delicate balance between protecting ourselves from casual piracy and allowing players the flexibility to enjoy the game on multiple machines.

 

No disk required

Here's one thing that is unambiguously cool about Red Alert 3: you do not need the DVD in your drive to play the game. Install the game on your machine and then put the disc away in a safe place - you won't need it again unless you want to install it on another machine. All of the game content is placed on your hard disk, which helps make loading times fast and video playback smooth.

 

Authorization limits

Red Alert 3 comes with no installation limits whatsoever. You can install and uninstall the game on as many machines as you want, as many times as you want. But you are limited to five authorizations. So what's an authorization? The first time you actually run the game on a machine, we will authorize that machine. If you reach the authorization limit, the game will not run on a new machine. If you make major changes to the computer (switching out multiple pieces of hardware, install a new OS, etc.) you might need to reauthorize the machine. This is quite similar to what other commercial applications do.

 

Just give us a call...

Most importantly, and I really cannot stress this enough, we are not going to leave you hanging. If you had a run of bad luck, some hardware failures, a botched OS install, your notebook was stolen, you spilled a coke on your keyboard – you get the idea – and all five of your authorizations have been used up, just give us a call. We'll work with you and provide as many additional authorizations as are appropriate.

 

... Or do it yourself

It's not going to be ready in time for the game's release, but we are working on giving you the ability to deauthorize machines yourself. In a future Red Alert 3 patch, we plan to provide you with an easy way to remove the authorization on a given machine, freeing it up for use on a different computer. Now we don't know how long it will take to prepare this feature. We are shooting for the end of the year but we believe that it's much more important to implement it correctly than to rush it out the door. And while it's true that being able to deauthorize your machines doesn't address those rare “act of God” scenarios that wipe out five authorizations all at once, it will be very easy to move an authorization from one machine to another under more typical circumstances.

 

Looking Ahead

A few weeks ago I installed an original copy of Red Alert 2, released in 2000, on my work machine. I don' t know if the authentication servers will still be up and running 8 years from now, but if the previous C&C games are any indication, we're going to be playing Red Alert 3 for a long, long time to come. Knowing this, once the game has lived its natural life and the risk for piracy has died down, we plan to patch the copy protection out of the game. We don't have any preconceived ideas about when this will occur, but when we decide to decommission the authentication servers we will first make a patch available that will disable copy protection from the game. I think this will come as a relief to many of you; it does me.

 

I know that some of you will disagree with this approach, and again, I understand where you're coming from and really do respect your position. The development team is extremely proud of Red Alert 3 and I want all of you to have the chance to experience it for yourself. I hope you'll give us the chance.

 

- Chris Corry (EASmudge)

Executive Producer, Red Alert 3

Click here for the original post.

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I still stand firm with my belief that DRM primarily hurts legitimate users.

The "No disk required" is about time, the age of CDs have been over for a few years. I think more publishers should embrace digital distribution.

I'm really glad that EA is considering patching the game to remove the copy protection when RA3 is ending its life, so I guess that answers my question in the fan roundtable. They better god damn keep this promise, because that's all it is, a promise.

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It seems like a very solid compromise that strikes a balance between all parties involved. While not everything people wanted, I believe it works well enough to keep the legitimate user happy enough without going too crazy.

 

Afterall, it's better than EA holding their stance and not moving. Hopefully this will clear up the confusion and such. But like recover said, they better stick to it.

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So they are saying if I use up all my 5 things if I reformated 5 times (virus ect) I can ring them up and they will give me more? I dobt they would do that.. but im welcome to be proved wrong.

 

Why go to these extreme measures anyway? Didn't they say that HL2 was never going to be hackable? Yet that must be the most hacked game out there today. :\

Basicly what im trying to say is if someone wants a way around it, they will find it.

 

But its good to know that the dvd won't be needed, game will run faster. :)

 

(I dont condone hacking either, thats just my views on the extreme that companys go to)

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well atleast they are planning to put in a proper de-auth patch later

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DRM and why we need it

Software piracy is a really big deal for the developers of PC games. We work for years, putting our soul into making software and it breaks our hearts to see it pirated. Imagine going to work every day for two years to create something special, only to see it stolen. Copy protection may not be a perfect solution, but we can't sit back and do nothing. The copy protection in Red Alert 3 helps strike a delicate balance between protecting ourselves from casual piracy and allowing players the flexibility to enjoy the game on multiple machines.

LOL. Show 'em EA, Spore DRM worked like a charm and.... Wait, it was cracked the day it was out, scratch that!

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Abit confusing about the authorization limits... It's required to activate the game or only for online play? 5 times is abit too little... Even Windows XP is 8 times...

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Abit confusing about the authorization limits... It's required to activate the game or only for online play? 5 times is abit too little... Even Windows XP is 8 times...

To activate the game, right when you install it I believe.

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Its the same system as Windows activation. I activated my Windows XP heaps of times on different PCs via the Internet, worked every time.

 

I can guarantee that I will never come close using the 5 authorisations.

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Its the same system as Windows activation. I activated my Windows XP heaps of times on different PCs via the Internet, worked every time.

 

I can guarantee that I will never come close using the 5 authorisations.

I have and Microsoft wanted me to pay 20 bucks for a new key. Screw that.

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I think you are asked to activate the game the first time you launch it on your computer, so that it will give you the chance to apply the no-drm patch that EA will eventually release.

Unrelated but I've heard stories about people calling to Microsoft support and tricked support to give them free keys heh.

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whichever way, RA3 looks like a worthy purchase

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Let's face it, the only reason for the DRM is to kill the used games market. Noting beats the pirates (sadly)...

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Let's face it, the only reason for the DRM is to kill the used games market. Noting beats the pirates (sadly)...

 

This is actually the real reason. The amount of revenue lost by games companies due to the pre-owned market even eclipses the loss made by the number of Pirate downloads. Konami made this ultimately clear a few years back, and EA stuck up for them. Before the courts told them to shove the idea of killing the system where the sun don't shine, since the pre-owned system helps the economies of the towns the game's retailers reside in. But the fact remains, most games retailers wouldn't have a business if it wasn't for this market.

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... Or do it yourself

It's not going to be ready in time for the game's release, but we are working on giving you the ability to deauthorize machines yourself. In a future Red Alert 3 patch, we plan to provide you with an easy way to remove the authorization on a given machine, freeing it up for use on a different computer. Now we don't know how long it will take to prepare this feature. We are shooting for the end of the year but we believe that it's much more important to implement it correctly than to rush it out the door. And while it's true that being able to deauthorize your machines doesn't address those rare “act of God” scenarios that wipe out five authorizations all at once, it will be very easy to move an authorization from one machine to another under more typical circumstances.

 

Looking Ahead

A few weeks ago I installed an original copy of Red Alert 2, released in 2000, on my work machine. I don' t know if the authentication servers will still be up and running 8 years from now, but if the previous C&C games are any indication, we're going to be playing Red Alert 3 for a long, long time to come. Knowing this, once the game has lived its natural life and the risk for piracy has died down, we plan to patch the copy protection out of the game. We don't have any preconceived ideas about when this will occur, but when we decide to decommission the authentication servers we will first make a patch available that will disable copy protection from the game. I think this will come as a relief to many of you; it does me.

 

 

the 1st Should Be ALLREADY be imlemented in the GAME! at least thats what i was thinking it would be and i didnt scream about DRM, but know i have to worry untill the end of the year...i really hop they can support us with an e-mail to, cause i am unable to pay for a long distance call from Greece to USA its ambilivable.

 

at least they are going to do it in the end :)

 

 

the second one should be done after few years as all game do and its nice they are clearing this out.

 

Glad they are listening

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Although I am still completely against the use of DRM, this is a better solution than what was previously offered. After the DRM debacles of Bioshock, Spore, and RA3, hopefully EA will have learned and in the future all of EA's games with authentication limits should have a de-authentication tool on the shipping disc.

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Doesn't the no DVD thing mean that it sucks up more of my computer's memory? :mad:

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Not really, it may be a slight increase, but it's barely noticeable. Most games these days just require the CD's to authorise the installation. Such a method is really a built in "No-CD" patch of sorts. But if you have a PC that's capable enough to run Red Alert 3, you should have the resources to cope with the extra memory load these games require anyway.

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Honestly, I have no problem with DRM. I don't think I will use up all those 5 authorizations. But the way the authorization process works will probably be confusing to first comers, like for people who are first coming into the PC world and computer gaming. They will have no idea of DRM or how it works. When they find out it's No-CD, they will probably install it on many computers thinking they can get more computers to have the game. Now these are the kind of people who are not big C&C fans or visit fan websites to read daily news, I guess you can call them "newbies". But what I'm trying to say is that the instruction booklet that comes with the game should briefly explain everything on DRM and how it works.

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Doesn't the no DVD thing mean that it sucks up more of my computer's memory? :mad:

 

 

NO WAY! the reading from DVD and Hard Disk has nothing to do with Memmory! on the contrary by trying reading from a Slow DVD drive will make your system run videos-sound and game slagy, when on the other hand reading from Hard Drive will be extreamly faster and smooth!

 

this is the 2008 we dont read data from otical drivers anymore! hard disk are very very cheap!

 

c one dont expect to run a game like that with a 2-4 years old PC smooth. and by reading such big datafiles from and optical drive...there is no way!, we are looking farword to the future not the past ;)

Edited by Johnnyxp64

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Honestly, I have no problem with DRM. I don't think I will use up all those 5 authorizations. But the way the authorization process works will probably be confusing to first comers, like for people who are first coming into the PC world and computer gaming. They will have no idea of DRM or how it works. When they find out it's No-CD, they will probably install it on many computers thinking they can get more computers to have the game. Now these are the kind of people who are not big C&C fans or visit fan websites to read daily news, I guess you can call them "newbies". But what I'm trying to say is that the instruction booklet that comes with the game should briefly explain everything on DRM and how it works.

This is an extremely good point.

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Bravo for the deinstallation options. I think it's a sensible, reasonable and obvious solution for the majority of gamers.

My reservations about DRM have been mollified... if and when EA come through with all of Chris Corry's points.

 

Thanks EA for listening, and the compromises made.

 

(Now they just have to make sure the DRM it's not buggy and causes the comp to crash... he he he.)

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This is an extremely good point.

Have the changes to DRM for RA3 changed your mind about getting the game now TheBlackOut?

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Have the changes to DRM for RA3 changed your mind about getting the game now TheBlackOut?

I am still honestly torn. I really want to play the game and support my beloved gaming series from my childhood, but I hate DRM and don't see the point. I do want the extras too. EA is ignorant (or arrogant) to think DRM works. Spore basically spitted in their face saying "No it doesn't work!" and yet they put their fingers in their eyes singing "Lalalala can't hear you! Laalala SecuROM works! Lalala!". See no evil, hear no evil I guess.

 

Right now, it is still a "no". I honestly don't see what good I will do if I pay, I would be a supporter of DRM and I'd always have an icky feeling. If I do end up buying it, I will not buy no EA title from that point unless it's DRM free.

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