CD Projekt RED - DRM Policy

Following comments by their publisher supporting Ubisoft's DRM practices, CDPR has decided to post their policy on the Witcher forums:

According to former rumor, we've decided to publish our internal policy regarding patches, DRM and games in general:

1. We believe that the chief way to achieve favorable sales of legal game copies is to establish the right relation between game price and product quality. In our opinion, it is more important to encourage acquisition of original game copies than to punish those who play pirated copies.

2. Copyright protection cannot impede or hamper the use of legally acquired game copies. In particular:
- Games that do not require an Internet connection for gameplay reasons should not require an active Internet connection for normal use.
- Game installation should in no way be limited, neither as regards the number of repeated installations on a given system, nor in terms of the number of systems on which a game can be installed.
- Internet-based registration of game copies is advisable only where the developer makes available, free of charge and via the Internet, additional game content or other services requiring an Internet connection.
d. Traditional forms of copy protection like CD-check and serial numbers are acceptable provided they are highly stable and reliable.

3. All patches and updates should be made available free of charge as additional services provided to consumers who acquired original game copies. Charges can be applied only to completely new material providing additional gameplay time.

Our chief aim is to provide our customers with a positive and satisfying game experience. We strive always to remain true to our principles and find solutions that enable CD Projekt to operate effectively in the games industry while allowing us to pursue our stated aim.

More information.

Wow, a developer with a sane attitude. I was going to buy a copy of TW2 anyhow, but I might have to buy two just for this.

I don't want to suggest that CDPR won't be true to this but it's worth noting this is an internal policy and Namco may disagree.

I'll be buying TW2 regardless of DRM type, but it's still nice to know that CD Projekt has such a policy.

I know that's their policy but its my opinion that a CD-check should not be considered acceptable in this day and age. I hate having to hunt down CDs or swap stuff just to start a game. If I'm not running the game off the CD I dont want to see it again. I'd rather be required to have a one-time internet connection check + activation than be required to keep my cd around. Then again I'm heavily using digital download services now like Steam just because of this.

If you don't want to use a crack and the game doesn't use cd protection that blacklists cd emulation software you could use Alcohol 120% (or the free version) and make an image and mount that with Daemon Tools to play the game without the CD/DVD in the drive.

Any game that requires me to use crapware like Steam just to play SP offline game is a day-1 skip for me. Unless of course it's a particular game I can't live without, which I haven't seen happening so far (maybe Witcher).

"Games that do not require an Internet connection for gameplay reasons should not require an active Internet connection for normal use."

GOOD! I am ok with CD checks. I have never had any issue with CD protections. id Software used CD key checks for all their games and they worked just fine as well. So use CD key and CD checks, just don't bundle crapware like Steam (Fallout Vegas).

Originally Posted by figment
I know that's their policy but its my opinion that a CD-check should not be considered acceptable in this day and age. I hate having to hunt down CDs or swap stuff just to start a game. If I'm not running the game off the CD I dont want to see it again

CD Projekt removed even the CD check from The Witcher with the 1.5 patch. Their hearts are definitely in the right place. The thing that really gripes me about DRM is the feeling that the game's publisher views me as a criminal rather than a customer; they want to extract money from me instead of offering me a product good enough to make me want to give it to them. CD Projekt seems to understand that if they make a quality game and price it right, people will be happy to pay them for it. By my lights that puts them on the side of the angels on this issue.

That's why I bought two copies of The Witcher (one of them is the Enhanced Edition) and bought many RPGs from the gog. Companies with this policy must be supported by gamers.

Wish every company had this sensible policy!!

Indeed

Its great to be treated as a customer instead of as a possible criminal. Which is why I'm boycotting games like Assasin's creed 2 that go overboard with their copy protection methods.

Originally Posted by Dez
Indeed

Its great to be treated as a customer instead of as a possible criminal. Which is why I'm boycotting games like Assasin's creed 2 that go overboard with their copy protection methods.

I'm with you on that one - I (and several friends) have refused to buy AC2 - I'd be really upset if TW2 went that way as well If only there was some estimate for the number of sales that Ubi had lost because of their "always online" system… But they would never admit that they were wrong. What really irritates me are the people who bought AC2 - knowing it had this DRM - and then moaned later when they had issues: those sales have given extra incentive to Ubi and others to use this DRM! The only way we can object is with our wallets, so people really need to use that power.

This a very, very good policy, I agree.

If they just decide to publish a no-CD patch after let's say 7 years (my favourite number ) or so, then they'd just put the cherry on the cake.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
I don't want to suggest that CDPR won't be true to this but it's worth noting this is an internal policy and Namco may disagree.

That's what I'm thinking. This is all well and good for CD Projekt but they aren't the ones selling the game.

Originally Posted by figment
I know that's their policy but its my opinion that a CD-check should not be considered acceptable in this day and age. I hate having to hunt down CDs or swap stuff just to start a game. If I'm not running the game off the CD I dont want to see it again. I'd rather be required to have a one-time internet connection check + activation than be required to keep my cd around. Then again I'm heavily using digital download services now like Steam just because of this.

I agree with you, many people complain about newer protections, but in practice they are much better for players because they don't have to put (or worse, to find!) the cd like old games was used to. That said I understand there's a problem when the connection is totally required, there's a problem.

For Steam it's ambiguous because when you buy the game you need have the connection up. If you buy a game box in shop then come home, try install the game and see you can't because your connection is down, that's another problem.

Originally Posted by booboo
The only way we can object is with our wallets, so people really need to use that power.

There is one other thing we can do: write letters. If you've decided not to buy a game specifically because of DRM, write the publisher and tell them so. Don't threaten to pirate a copy; that will just reinforce their attitude. But a simple statement to the effect of "I buy games regularly, I was looking forward to Game X until I found out about the draconian DRM you are imposing on it, I resent being treated like a potential criminal, I have many options for spending my gaming budget and because of this I have decided to spend them elsewhere" might have a helpful impact.

DRM is always broken, and once it is a company has no way to distinguish between a sale lost to piracy and a sale lost to a DRM-objector — unless we tell them.

I have the feeling that CD project consistently shows surprising respect towards their 'customers' - from making the enhanced version of the Witcher free for those who already bought the game to emailing cards at Christmas. They are a very likable company.

Originally Posted by khaight
There is one other thing we can do: write letters.

[…]

DRM is always broken, and once it is a company has no way to distinguish between a sale lost to piracy and a sale lost to a DRM-objector — unless we tell them.

People complain on forums, such as this one, about that consistently. If those companies don't keep track of what people say about them then they don't do themselves any favors.

Originally Posted by holeraw
People complain on forums, such as this one, about that consistently. If those companies don't keep track of what people say about them then they don't do themselves any favors.

They watch forums, just as they watch the torrent figures. Usually the numbers on the torrent far outweigh the people who deign to comment on a forum unfortunately. Not that that's the only metric they would use.

I will buy the witcher 2 no matter what .
If it has a bad DRM i will use a crack to erase it .
I don't get why all this fuzz with stupid protections , long live skidrow and realoaded.
DRM is NOT a reason to pirate a game .

I'm contemplating buying Witcher 2, just to support reasonable people.