DRM No thank you

rmjohnson114 is correct, it is COH. Your missing my point, *I dont want to log into anything*. product serial numbers are not DRM as per se. serial numbers for many games was the standard practice since at least Windows millenuim. What I would like to know is why my username and password from Relic was deleted? The new COH, as I understand it is another DRM tragic case, and i know of several of my old players, who have no intention of using COH unless its a standalone product, but with the OPTION to use it in multiplayer mode if one so wishes. The problem most people dont see here, is YOUR choices are being dictated to you by a company, instead of the other way round. The choices to buy a none DRM product are being slowly taken away, until there will be liitle left of the PC games, that we just bunged into the CD tray and played straightaway. I make it pefectly clear, That I dont use any DRM software, Especially Steam, which, for all the hype of FSX on it, still is the same FSX, but has hardly any new content, all the thousands of freeware aircraft, like a British Airways Airbus 320, I still have, will not add on to the steam edition, because its directory is an entirely differant one, from the Discs programs path. it also suffers from standard planes instruments not working at all, yet, people say its better than FSX gold, yet scenery content and add ons simply arent supported by steam or, in 3 cases, two companies who make add on created aircraft have stated, they wont be altering them just to suit "Steam". If my COH disc, was detected as being out of date, and I was redirected to the new site to add a patch to it to allow my username and password to be used , i would be quite happy, how ever, this is not the case. i can not simply update my COH, without first making another account on top of 50 already for banking, paypal,Ebay, SWTOR, DWP. Visa verify, vatsim,face book, twitter, DVLA, Ambrise Wilson. PC world, maplin, My mobile bill, my vigin media,Ebay, Amazon.co.uk amazon.co. Ebay.de and uncle tom cobbly and all, after 20 years of computing i now have two whole books of passwords and usernames, from almost anything from booking a holiday, to ordering groceries from Tescos. I am literally fed up to the back teeth with places that wont let you buy anything unless you make a damn account. its even worse for my wife, as shes not computer litterate, like many other people, she doesnt read very well, so, shes unable to make any account, because shes unable to fill in the forms being dyslexic (sorry spelling) so I have to it all. But these are sites that are needed to pay for essencial services and items, and we need banking access online because Im disabled with Arthritis, so for me, some accounts are nessassery, But accounts for games, NO, games should play straight out of the box, as purchased, you paid to use the software, but morally these companies are adding a contract like a mobile phone, which i do not agree with in any shape or form. only Subscription based MMORGS like WoW, EVE, SWTOR, should be the only software that needs by its nature an account. All other games like standard simulators should use the tried and tested and used effectivley the 12 digit code printed on in the inside cover. A product serial number key, is not DRM?? The sort of DRM im talking about, is the also about the expansion of DRM into the likes of your vehicle, its a new DRM platform, with even more powers than the present one. This feature is an exellent example of how vehicle manufacturers will stop you fitting a battery that is no there own make. But this isnt confined to batterys, (which wont charge unless the batteries code is entered into a new DRM password feature. if its not a renault battery, or its not the OEM CD radio player, and a differant make, bang, car wont start, and neither will your new audio centre play, because you havent put in the DRM code for a renault Cd radio. maybe now you will take how serious DRM is to all of us. it wont be long before any new electronic part put into your car or replaced will be DRM, so you can only fit the expensive manufacturers part. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/drm-cars-will-drive-consumers-crazy edit: As an after thought, think about the beginning of DRM software put into your Printer?? There is very few cloned printer cartridges now, that will be allowed to work in your printer, unless they are digitally coded on the brass strip that tells the machine that it is a genuine Epsom or HP printer. I have fooled one Epsom printer to allow me to put compatable ones in, by fitting just one genuine Epsom cartridge, before adding the others. BUT, if you allow the manufacturer to update the software, instead of not allowing it, it will install new software, which will make it impossible to fit any other cartidge other than the manufacturers own.

To Validate a game. All that is needed is the 12 digit password validation number, thats inserted into the games cover , or the Booklet. The premise , that you can run most Steam based games offline is misleading, because, You HAVE to, or rather you are forced against your will, to make an account, BEFORE you can then go offline and use it. But as far as I know, if you end the session of the offline game, Once you done that, you just cant carry on playing it, because your forced once again to Start the program from an online installer. its just one big rip off, and its only going to get worse. If "Skyline" took a lead here and looked at all the negaive comments about there game being on Steam, and was brave enough to kick it and help the huge number of people with hardly any internet access to be able to BUY and play "Skyline", then the companys profits would rise considerably, including my £25 from Amazon.co.uk, who dont tell you that a connection is needed to activate game. A serial number linked to the disc is all that is needed. Updates, can be officially applied, by the players CHOICE, not by the company, the fact a company may own the software does not give it the right to force you to update a game, if you dont want to. The physical DVD copies on Amazon.co.uk, which Im looking at right now, is misleading, NO where in the product details does it say, "you need an internet connection to play "Skyline"" in the uk... however reviewers have found out otherwise, which gives me no confidence in Paradox or in fact Amazon's tactics, who lately lost a court battle , on hiding the real cost of continuing there Amazon Prime service after, the trial period. its all been altered now, but glad the courts found in favour of the plaintiff and not Amazon. Your decision is costing you Thousands of $ or £ in revenue every 24 hours, because like me, people are taking your product out of there baskets, simply because its just a big brother tactic, that wearing a bit thin in the community now. Whats more important? to sell more copies to satisfied customers who have no access to a connection, or cater for the few that have and lose a share of the market? I think your being a little niave my friend, You only have access to your games, as long as Steam dont go under, dont get taken over by another company or, even worse The mainframes get damaged by fire or heaven forbid an earthquake depending where Steam's headquarters are. A rather good example of this, is, I found an original COD (ww2 game) recently in my cupboards, I thought I would play it, its made By "Relic". I managed to get the game installed using the 12 digit ID code from the booklet, and all was well until I tried to sign in for the multiplayer window, as used to play this with teamspeak. Although I already had an account username password, to access my account, it wouldnt accept it , even trying it several times a day. I got really frustrated, and tried to contact "Relic", to find out why My username and password wasnt working, to my astonishment, I was told,by some other media, my user name and password no longer excists, !!because "Relic" is no longer, and been taken over by some other company, so my COD was quite useless for multiplayer, so, thought,ok this time I make new account, and new user name, Nope, that wouldnt work either, the reason? I would have to buy another COD, because the Relic version is no longer supported, so in essence, my original purchase of COD, is now out of date, no update is possible because its "Relic" which is no longer, and the company who told me my user name and password does not exist any longer want me to pay for another COD!!!.... So dont think you are 100% protected, if the same thing happened and Steam was taken over or merged with a new company, all your games, updates, your hard earned cash would be lost at the click of a button. That is the true Weakest link in this DRM dream, one day , the dream willl end as will all your collections!!

I joined this community purely to make statements about DRM, of which I am an active apponent against, not just in the UK, but in several anti DRM groups , such as the one In Germany, that has taken steps, to limit the net amount of games sold with DRM to a certain minimum, Thus protecting players, who do not have an internet connection, cant afford or even are able to receive a Broadband signal. I Have been computing since Windows 95, I went to build a few computers, and later in Nineties became a volunteer teacher at local community centres teaching silver surfers like myself, how to spot spams, fake webpages, and lots of emphasis on being aware of what you dont give to unsolicitad pages, making out , to be either your bank, Paypal, or Ebay. I Continued to purchase many games in that period, being Airport.inc. Theme Hosptial, and Transport Tycoon. I played most of the Sim city series up to the Gold edition, with the "Rush hour" expansion which went into the bin, purely because the supplied Serial code was rejected time after time. I also have a Flight sim X cockpit, with £250 of add on intstruments, which now lies unused, because Microsoft in the wisdom tossed there best sellling title away, like a tissue paper, leaving Windowns 7 64bit users, with a program made for XP, now fatal crashing, and not even starting, or freezing in flight. Now we come to Why has Dovetail decided to put the new updated Flight Sim on the hated platform called "Steam". I also want to use the new Skyline software, but, that remains in my Amazon.co.uk basket, and Paradox will lose £25 i would have paid for it, because its yet another attempt To FORCE people to install an Internet connection, when , still, 40% of the UK does not have access, or can not afford the expense of an installation costing at least £100, especially people out of work. A well respected orginisation produced a wiki a year ago about DRM, and it concluded, that DRM does not stop pirating copies, in fact it makes it easier for skilled pirates to hack into the servers, and get there hands on thousands of people personal details, including passwords, payment methods and so on. When I buy a game from my local Morrisons, I expect that game to be sold, with a licence to use the software, I dont own the software, and I know its not mine to own at any time. But the licence I bought to use the software should not have a tied contract to it, that you are discrimated against using it, just because you dont have an internet connection. The only two Games or Company I have decided to entertain, is Star wars The Old republic, because thats a Subscription based MMORG, which needs, obviously the banking details, to debit my account once a Month. I also have an EA games account, for battlefieldP4free, but thats mainly because I used to financially support an ID3 server battle map in my group, and was an admin and a moderator. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem is, that not so well off people, are in effect being disriminated against from buying there said software and License in a DVD copy, Just because they do not have a connection, OR, as is my case, I DO not wish to share my perosnal details with a third party just to play , what in effect is "Just a game". I am also a small investor in the Kickstarter program, for the MMORG being released next year called "Crowfall" jointly developed by some of the SWTOR team, and a Second Life team member. Again, this is lickely to become a subscription based program, Which i will support, because the small amount each person pays gives you every aspect of the game, and a quality looking game, and with even your own homes to purchase ingame, this is the future of MMORGS and trhe new Linden labs Second life 2, to be released in 2016. In closing, Although I admire the work and rendering, and forethought that gone into producing "Skyline", as long as it remains, as being a Forced to connect game, I will never buy it. The same goes for Trainsim 2015. I used to create huge railways, based on the Westcoastmainline, used by Northen rail and Virgin. From carslile to Euston or Kings cross, and a seperate link to manchester Airpiort, where you could also purchase 737' created by the community to fly on invisible rails. Thats was Trainz, but needs a high end computer to run it. I nearly bought trainsim 2015, until i realized yet again, you need a Steam account, and an laways connected connecton. Dont know about you, but theres NO such thing, my internet, goes offline a few times each week, sometimes for 30 minutes, sometimes for 10 hours, so in essence, Im denied playing certain games, because even if there is no internet connection , which is no fault of your own, you just cant play it from your own H/D. many of these companies site, updates being an excuse for having to be online, thats rubbish, in 2015, Any company owrth its salt, should NOT put out software until its been thoroughly tested on Beta with a thousand or so paticipants. GTA5 was a disaster as was Simcity, which lead to Amazon.com pulling the tittle from there online store, because over 1000 negative comments and returns on a wholesale manner. I do hope I havent bored you to much, and of course anybody is welcome to comment in an appropiate mannner, but Im only here for a few weeks, to put my case against DRM and the damage its doing to PC gaming as a whole. Thanks so much for reading. Mike North West England Former trading standards and distance selling advisor & volunteer community PC security instructor for Silver Sufers. Supporter of : Day Against DRM is Wednesday, May 6th 2015 https://www.defectivebydesign.org/dayagainstdrm During the last year, we've seen Digital Restrictions Management creep farther into the world of technology (including coffee makers and cars), even as we build a stronger and stronger community to fight it. A growing number of people are living within a box constrained by DRM without even knowing it. The future is DRM in everything, if we don't do something.