Make 3rd Party DRM Notices more prominent

[D3xter]

Simple request, for the increasing amount of titles sporting 3rd Party DRM, could we have a more prominent notice than hidden somewhere at the bottom of the page and a clearer explanation as to what the DRM entails? Maybe something similar to the "Low Violence" Notice in countries with censored games?

Something like:

Notice: This game requires Games for Windows Live
or
Notice: This game employs SecuROM with Limited Activations

or similar?

There's a thread with over 100 pages dedicated to documenting the choices of 3rd Party DRM on Steam games: http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=1537801
As well as a web page listing all of them and the many different kinds: http://steamdrm.flibitijibibo.com/index.php

It would be great as a lot of people are interested in such information and would help make more informed buying decisions.

[stevethepocket]

They kind of do; the problem is that they never bothered to make it consistent across all games. Which is even worse, really, because people who expect to find it in the same place it was on other games and don't are likely to assume there isn't any.

[D3xter]

I recently fell for the Borderlands GotY because it didn't display any DRM: http://store.steampowered.com/app/901566/

Turns out Mad Moxxi and Zombie Island both have 5-Day Activation Limit SecuRom

From Dust didn't display it required UPlay till a few days ago, now it just says "UPlay": http://store.steampowered.com/app/33460/

Generally there should be better and more prominent Info as to how the DRM is displayed, aswell as what the DRM does.

For instance Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, The Settlers 7, Silent Hunter 5 and Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 require a constant Internet Connection while other "UPlay" games do just require an Activation.
For Silent Hunter V for instance there seems to be no notice: http://store.steampowered.com/app/48110/
Although there have been articles around release etc. criticizing the games DRM heavily: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9022891

And the Info is often not being updated, the Risen DRM has apparently been removed (according to forums and even that Webpage in the OP), yet it still displays 3 Activation Limits: http://store.steampowered.com/app/40300/
So it goes both ways, I'd have bought that last sale if I had known and didn't still see the "3 machine activation limit" displayed.

Crysis and Crysis: Warhead have been changed to reflect 50 Activation Limits: http://www.mycrysis.com/forums/viewt...p?f=21&t=46212
Yet the Info hasn't been updated...

Crysis 2 requires a "MyCrysis Account" for playing Online, again no Info anywhere: http://store.steampowered.com/app/108800/

These are just a few cases and instances, I could go through more but you just need to compare that Website with the Store pages. In the end it boils down to Valve apparently not much caring about this kind of information, while the impact and dissatisfaction with consumers some of these DRM methods have can be great.

I would love if they could highlight this DRM information more prominently, since it is becoming increasingly important and if they could make it consistently and update informations accordingly after changes to reflect them.



There's things like Browser-Plugins for GreaseMonkey to highlight DRM prominently, but it ain't exactly the Steam store and it still relies on Steams (faulty/old/incomplete) data: https://userscripts.org/scripts/show/123500

Btw. there was a longer Interview in "TruePCGaming" with the guy that apparently made that Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0mW0EPF3LM

[sky21net]

good information! Rep+

[Roxor]

For a more prominent DRM notification, how about "This game uses third-party DRM" in big red 72-point font at the top of the store page?

[D3xter]

Originally Posted by Roxor

For a more prominent DRM notification, how about "This game uses third-party DRM" in big red 72-point font at the top of the store page?

That would be great, but something that people will actually LOOK at and is consistent and updated instead of small print somewhere at the bottom of the page would also be a great start xD

[dark lord]

I like the idea actually, would be really useful

[Mr. Lardass]

Agreed, this would be very useful. Third party DRM while on steam is really annoying.

[Slyke]

I refuse to purcahse games with 3rd party DRM on them any more. I saw some great games on sale, but many had DRM on them, so I never bought them. I have some games that use DRM now and they are the bane of existence. All 3rd party DRM should be banned when being sold on Steam IMO. It's anti competitive to force DRM onto a machine.

[seebs]

Originally Posted by Roxor

For a more prominent DRM notification, how about "This game uses third-party DRM" in big red 72-point font at the top of the store page?

I would like this. Either that or a short transition period after which any games which require additional DRM either have it removed, or get taken off Steam and buyers refunded. Because really, it is pretty nasty behavior to load stuff like SecuROM on someone's system without a prominent warning. I would rather games simply not be included than end up with stuff like that.

[D3xter]

In regards to recent events regarding uPlay I'd like to bring this up again, since I still think it's an important matter...

Anno 2070 doesn't say anything about requiring it, only TAGES with Activations (which is bad enough of itself, but still): http://store.steampowered.com/app/48240/

Assassin's Creed II doesn't have a "DRM" section at all, just a disclaimer at the bottom of the page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/33230/

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood doesn't even have that (no indication on the Store page at all): http://store.steampowered.com/app/48190/

The Settlers 7 has a Disclaimer somewhere in the middle of the game features: http://store.steampowered.com/app/901436/

Silent Hunter 5 again only at the bottom of the page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/48110/

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier doesn't have any indication of DRM at all: http://store.steampowered.com/app/212630/

Splinter Cell: Conviction again at the bottom of the page, but it doesn't say that it requires a permanent connection: http://store.steampowered.com/app/33220/

PLEASE FIX THIS.

[DarthPsymon]

I'm in strong support of making it clearer.
For example, I just bought driver san fran, barely days before the uplay fiasco.
If you look at the store page, the only mention of uplay is a small dark font on a black background at the absolute lowest point of the page.

Someone compiled this.

[yuuzan]

Absolutely in favour of making DRM notifications:

1. Consistent, i.e. always in the same location on every page
2. Specific, i.e. clear about what type and form of DRM is used (e.g. UPlay - Online internet connection required at all times)
3. Up to date, so that potential buyers can make informed decisions.

[seebs]

Originally Posted by yuuzan

Absolutely in favour of making DRM notifications:

1. Consistent, i.e. always in the same location on every page
2. Specific, i.e. clear about what type and form of DRM is used (e.g. UPlay - Online internet connection required at all times)
3. Up to date, so that potential buyers can make informed decisions.

I would much agree. The consistency is the big problem -- you can't find the DRM info by looking at a specific place on the page, or by reading a given block of it.

And really, I think Steam should have a pretty short window after which the answer is "there is no third party DRM, ever, for games on Steam", because screwing your customers over is bad business.

[Zefar]

Originally Posted by DarthPsymon

I'm in strong support of making it clearer.
For example, I just bought driver san fran, barely days before the uplay fiasco.
If you look at the store page, the only mention of uplay is a small dark font on a black background at the absolute lowest point of the page.

Someone compiled this.

3rd-party DRM: Ubisoft Online Service Platform

On the right side in that little list of various things.

As for the further up who complained about Borderlands DLC that contained DRM and wasn't warned about it.

Do note that you where just on the Borderland page. The DLC page for Mad Moxxi http://store.steampowered.com/app/40940/ has the DRM listed.
3rd-party DRM: SecuROM™ 5 machine activation limit


So this is more about you guys reading a bit more when you're gonna buy a game. It can be two places. At the list on the right or at the far bottom.

Valve might be able to get more Developers add it to the list on the right but they won't make it stand out.
That would be a bad move by Valve because they are making it out like it's a really really bad thing. Which it isn't.