[RYG] - Reclaim Your Game

Does Piracy really have an impact?

Written by Mary Hilton

Wolfire programmer: poor PC ports, not piracy, hurt business

Most game developers will trot out all the “statistics” of  piracy when defending their need to have DRM in their games.

However, one programmer disagrees, and in this article, he states why:

Another view of game piracy

His points should be taken seriously when game developers talk about DRM, because he worked on the “Humble bundle” which is a set of 5 games that the players can download free of DRM and pay whatever they like for the games.

The proceeds go to a charity you choose, or a developer of one of the bundles. You choose whatever payment method you want.

Now, if he gets it, why can’t other game publishers?

As of this date, the Humble Bundle has sold $896,206 in sales, with 100, 848 contributions across all the platforms supported. Impressive, for a few days being out.

Doing good and allowing the players to decide what to pay appears to be paying off for this company.

Beowulf | World - ReclaimYourGame

Beowulf | World - ReclaimYourGame - Community group on Playfire. You will need to join at Playfire to be a part of the Beowulf | World - ReclaimYourGame community. We’re also as two individual clans/groups on Playfire, the Reclaim Your Game (Group) and Beowulf | World (Clan). 

What’s new in the gaming community??

Beowulf | World - The Gamers Community
* For example * Any way you want * Do you want to try it - fine * Do you want to rent it for 2 weeks - fine * Do you want to buy it - fine *

Beowulf | Gamer - The Community Beowulf | Powered - download - games|stores Beowulf | Shield - DRM that gamers like!!!!

Beowulf | Games - Any way you want … Opening soon for all PC gamers to have the best game purchasing experience in history. All things Beowulf|World WILL be tested and approved via RYG’s very own Project-RYG’s testing, prior to final use at all times, so gamers will know their needs are being met and listened to. What better/more can a gamer ask for!

Show your support for a great TEAM who’re looking out for the best interests of Gamers, Publishers, Developers, Distributors and DRM vendors alike.

There is a way to get/keep a balance and we’re going to prove it!!!!!

We’ll keep you updated on the final opening date!

Beowulf | World - The Gamers Community

beowulfworld:

Beowulf | World - The Gamers Community

Please join The gamers Community at http://www.beowulfworld.com/

Thank you,

Lambert van Bodegom
lambert@beowulfworld.com

M +31(0) 622 747 757
S  lambert.van.bodegom

An Interview with Daniel Kaplan, Developer of Bob Came in Pieces!

Interview Conducted by Michelou

RYG was honored to be able to interview Daniel Kaplan, CEO of Ludosity Interactive and one of the developers of Indie hit Bob Came in Pieces. Daniel is a down-to-earth guy who generously gave his time to answer our questions. English is not Daniel’s first language and I have not edited his responses so that the charm and authenticity of his answers comes through. Ludosity specializes in creating games with lasting appeal. Bob Came in Pieces is available for PC and Mac, and you can get the digital download from either their site, ludosity.com, Steam, Gamersgate, Impulse and Direct to Drive.

To read the whole interview - Visit Reclaim Your Game

Sega Re-Examines Uniloc’s Potential For Alpha Protocol

It’s somewhat of an interesting tale: There was once a company called Sega who used a DRM called Uniloc on a game called Football Manager 2009. It was a marriage made in Heaven…then all of a sudden their honeymoon was drastically cut short. A mob of irate gamers bearing issues of their online activation system rocked up on their doorstep. A distribution of justice was imminent. Not Sega or Uniloc had expected such complications. Nor did they expect the angry gamers. Still, neither complained, as newlyweds normally do. And so they worked and toiled through a solution with immediate haste. They staved off chaos. And they urged calm and patience from all sides. The problem seemed defused. Gamers went back with happy smiles. And no one ever heard from Uniloc or Sega again. It’s somewhat of a happily-ever-after story.

And then it becomes official – Alpha Protocol will utilise Uniloc’s DRM system.

Links:

Joystiq
VG247
Game Daily
EuroGamer
Ve3D
Neoseeker

With all the snafu surrounding the latest news on Ubisoft’s DRM, not to mention the legacy SecuROM left behind with its so-called “non-invasive” DRM, people would think publishers would get the hint with DRM as a whole. Still it’s somewhat early days for Uniloc as the game developed by Obsidian and released by Sega will be released at the end of May / early June. More updates from RYG to follow.

You can read/discuss more HERE at Reclaim Your Game

Ubisoft Continues The Silent Treatment As BlueByte Fights Off Furious Settlers 7 Customers

Nothing seems to be working for Ubisoft and their notoriously-hated DRM. From preparation, marketing, testing, implementation, right up to its execution – nothing is going right at the moment. Their most recent response and intentions to make drastic revisions upon their DRM has been marred by their unvoiced concerns over Settlers 7 customers who are still waiting for a DRM solution into their third week.

To think that their patience in the debacle is saintly, but it’s completely understandable if they are nothing short of furious at having to deal with one Ubisoft employee who just happened to be on vacation. (Source: Internode, BlueByte struggling with Settlers 7 DRM problem; Ubisoft remain silent). And, to plainly put it, they are furious.

To make matters worse, the developers of Settlers 7, BlueByte – the same group who developed the Tages-protected Anno 1404 – are in the same boat with Ubisoft as they, too, are unable to sort out any of the Ubisoft DRM-related issues. There is a clear certainty in all of this – both the developers and the publishers are not invested in what is now a clear example of poor customer service and relations. Their (in)actions are nothing short of objectionable, intolerable and, most of all, abhorrent.

If Ubisoft’s clearest intentions five days ago was to improve upon their DRM, then it’s clear they must do something about this mess they themselves have shamelessly created. It’s bad enough to see their DRM in the industry; it’s far worse to see their level of commitment to all consumers because of their in-house DRM.

You can read/discuss more about Ubisoft’s DRM HERE at Reclaim Your Game

Real Value Of Piracy Unquantifiable, Says US Government

It’s what most gamers already know and with the US Government on their side it’s now confirmed: the economic effects of Piracy, as a whole, are “difficult, if not impossible, to quantify.” (Source: Neoseeker, US Government Admits Piracy Estimates Are Phony )

While Piracy itself is the cause of finding real and precise numbers, the US Government, along with their wide range of sources, experts and consultants, believe much of the inaccurate data is attributed to reports penned by the Business Software Alliance and the Motion Picture Association of America.

Until there is a way to accurately assess the economic impacts of piracy we can only be sure of two key points:

- A pirated item does not equate to a lost sale, and
- With respect to the consumer’s “disposable income”, piracy does have its positive points.

Gaming Publishers take note: Implementing invasive forms of DRM is not the solution to ‘stopping’ piracy.

You can read/discuss the article HERE at Reclaim Your Game.