Dragon Age - Copy Protection Revealed & More

Chris Priestly has announced a minimal protection scheme for Dragon Age, with only a basic disc check:

Hi Everyone,

I have some good news to pass on to you today that answers one of the most frequently asked Dragon Age: Origins PC questions.

We’re happy to announce that the boxed/retail PC version of Dragon Age: Origins will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication. In other words, the retail PC version of the game won’t require you to go online to authenticate the game for offline play. We have chosen not to use SecuROM in any version of Dragon Age that is distributed by EA or BioWare.

Some other cool stuff that we hope you’ll like - we have already launched the Dragon Age toolset beta, which offers developer-grade tools, and we’re looking forward to what fans will create with it. We’ll also be supporting the game with a ton of great downloadable content that will be available for purchase after the game’s release. Together these features will provide some very cool reasons to go online with Dragon Age: Origins.

We’re really excited as we head towards the release of Dragon Age: Origins this fall on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, so keep an eye out for more news as we’ll be providing you with more details shortly.

Stay tuned for more coolness to come…

Thanks, Minotic!
In other DA news, there's an update on Ostagar, "the site of the famed battle between King Cailan's forces and the oncoming darkspawn horde" and analyst Mike Hickey from Janco Partners thinks the game will move 1.3M units.
More information.

We’re happy to announce that the boxed/retail PC version of Dragon Age: Origins will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication. In other words, the retail PC version of the game won’t require you to go online to authenticate the game for offline play. We have chosen not to use SecuROM in any version of Dragon Age that is distributed by EA or BioWare.

Good news. Like most gamers, I make my purchases based entirely on how invasive people tell me the copy protection is. Based on this report, I guess I'll buy two copies of Dragon Age. If they made it available without any copy protection at all, I'd have bought five copies. If they'd used SecuROM, I'd have lit myself on fire in front of a Gamestop. AND bought no copies.

Also, from now on could reviews just cover the copy protection so I don't have to waste all that time reading about irrelevant aspects of the game like gameplay, story, controls, etc? Cut to the chase: DRM. I won't buy a game unless I feel the copy protection respects me, and really likes me for ME, you know?

you amuse…

Great news indeed.

Good news, not great. Great news would be that they found a way to make copy protection really work.

Very good news!

DA just moved to the top of my MUST buy list!!

Originally Posted by Yeesh
Like most gamers, I make my purchases based entirely on how invasive people tell me the copy protection is.

Okaaaaaaay … I usually buy games based on whether or not it is a game I want to play. Then again, I'm buying and playing games for the pleasure of it, not to make a political point or a statement of principles … but to each their own I guess.

P.S. Even though you might be in the majority here at RPGWatch I highly doubt that "most gamers" base their purchases on the DRM scheme. I suspect it is more a case of the usual small yet very very VERY loud crowd making a spectacle of themselves. (this is not an attempt to start a pro vs. con debate about DRM, merely a statement that the whole DRM hysteria has been blown way out of proportion in my opinion).

*Edit*
Epic Fail on my part. Read top of next page for explanation.

We’re happy to announce that the boxed/retail PC version of Dragon Age: Origins will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication. In other words, the retail PC version of the game won’t require you to go online to authenticate the game for offline play. We have chosen not to use SecuROM in any version of Dragon Age that is distributed by EA or BioWare.

Woohoo!

Not that my comp isn't already infested with SecuRom from several other games, but no online authentication is a good thing.

We’ll also be supporting the game with a ton of great downloadable content that will be available for purchase after the game’s release.

Meh, really.

I dont know, i like the "new" kind of copy protection scheme, where i have to activate my game online one time, but can leave the disc out of the drive. (loud noises, disc swapping, etc.)

Originally Posted by fatBastard()
Okaaaaaaay … I usually buy games based on whether or not it is a game I want to play. Then again, I'm buying and playing games for the pleasure of it, not to make a political point or a statement of principles … but to each their own I guess.

P.S. Even though you might be in the majority here at RPGWatch I highly doubt that "most gamers" base their purchases on the DRM scheme. I suspect it is more a case of the usual small yet very very VERY loud crowd making a spectacle of themselves. (this is not an attempt to start a pro vs. con debate about DRM, merely a statement that the whole DRM hysteria has been blown way out of proportion in my opinion).

Irony check: fail

We’ll also be supporting the game with a ton of great downloadable content that will be available for purchase after the game’s release.

Notice how phrase "supporting the game" seems to have changed its meaning from "patching the game" to "letting you buy some goodies".

Originally Posted by Corwin
DA just moved to the top of my MUST buy list!!

I agree.
I'll buy the game asap.

I know I'm massively out of step with everyone else but I'd swap an online authentication for the disc check any day.

Originally Posted by GhanBuriGhan
Irony check: fail

Proof yet again how context is very difficult to transfer in discussion forums

Originally Posted by Corwin
DA just moved to the top of my MUST buy list!!

After the resent stuff about Risen's DRM I absolutely concur.

Originally Posted by fatBastard()
P.S. Even though you might be in the majority here at RPGWatch I highly doubt that "most gamers" base their purchases on the DRM scheme. I suspect it is more a case of the usual small yet very very VERY loud crowd making a spectacle of themselves.

I tend to agree.

The casual gamers don't copy games that much, except when they get a copy from a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend …

Plus, casual gamers aren't - imho - the main audience in role playing games. The only exceptions would be imho classics ("you've got to play this !") and - of course - Puzzle quest.


My own complaint is a rather minor one, and has nothing to do with the DRM :

the Dragon Age toolset beta, which offers developer-grade tools,

Well, I once wrote somewhere that developers are rather technically oriented, not creativity oriented. So, in my thesis, the higher developer-oriented the grade of a tool set is, the fewer creativity it might evoke. So to say.

Because in theory, creativity is rather seen with non-techie people, not vice versa.

Therefore I personally doubt we'll see very creative new mods there, only rather mods that are interesting from a technological perspective ("techie playground").

But, as I already said, that's a completely different topic …

Originally Posted by Dhruin
I know I'm massively out of step with everyone else but I'd swap an online authentication for the disc check any day.

Downloading a NOCD crack to remove the disc check is a matter of 30 seconds effort. Why would I wait for a disc check or swap out the CD to play a game I already paid for? Because God is looking over my shoulder?

This makes me happy I will likely buy it.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
My own complaint is a rather minor one, and has nothing to do with the DRM :

Well, I once wrote somewhere that developers are rather technically oriented, not creativity oriented. So, in my thesis, the higher developer-oriented the grade of a tool set is, the fewer creativity it might evoke. So to say.

Because in theory, creativity is rather seen with non-techie people, not vice versa.

Therefore I personally doubt we'll see very creative new mods there, only rather mods that are interesting from a technological perspective ("techie playground").

But, as I already said, that's a completely different topic …

I think that's only true in the first few months, where the most tech-savy content creators understand the toolset. But give it a couple of months and usually there are tutorials online that bridge the gap so more 'artistic oriented' content creators understand how to use it.

Originally Posted by Elwro
Notice how phrase "supporting the game" seems to have changed its meaning from "patching the game" to "letting you buy some goodies".

I totally agree. I don't like the new 'DRM' mentality that's replacing the add-ons of the past. I prefer 20 hours of new content after a year than 4 hours every 2 months.