Bringing 4K Netflix streaming to PC has been quite the ordeal, with Windows systems only just getting wide support in the last couple of years thanks to new CPUs and GPUs. On the Mac side of things, gaining access to Netflix's highest streaming quality is even more of a chore, …
Read More »Latest Metro Exodus PC patch removes Denuvo DRM
At this point in time, Metro Exodus is essentially complete, with the base game now available across consoles and PC, in addition to two DLC expansions being released. With that in mind, there is not much sense in keeping Denuvo in the game for much longer, so 4A Games is …
Read More »Bethesda accidentally released a Denuvo-free version of Doom Eternal
Denuvo has been the number one choice of DRM for major publishers for quite some time now. Occasionally though, a studio will screw up its implementation and pave the way for swift piracy despite intentions to protect at least the first week of sale. We saw this happen with Mass Effect …
Read More »Developers raise concerns over GOG’s new refund policy
Earlier this week, GOG announced a change to its refund policy, giving customers of the DRM-free games store a 30-day refund window. Refunds can be obtained at any point within those 30 days, whether the game has been downloaded and played or not. It is the most generous refund policy …
Read More »Epic Games Store DRM policy makes headlines and subscription service rumours begin to appear
The Epic Games Store is often in the news, primarily due to various store-exclusive deals for big games. This time around, EGS is making headlines for two reasons, the first is criticism over a perceived flaw with the launcher, allowing users to play games they don't own. The other is …
Read More »Bethesda removes Denuvo from Rage 2
Last week, immediately following the launch of Rage 2, it came to light that Denuvo DRM was included on the Steam version of the game but was left absent on the version sold through Bethesda.net. This ultimately made having the DRM on either version pointless, as pirates had already began …
Read More »Bethesda managed to make Rage 2’s Denuvo DRM pointless
Denuvo has been the number one choice of DRM for major publishers for quite some time now. Occasionally though, a studio will screw up its implementation and pave the way for swift piracy despite intentions to protect at least the first week of sale. We saw this happen with Mass …
Read More »Square Enix reverts Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster update after bug causes always-online requirement
Square Enix found itself at the mercy of players after an update to the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster gave it an online-only requirement. While some suspected that this was the doing of an intrusive always-online digital rights management (DRM) system, Square Enix has assured that it is just a …
Read More »Discord Store’s opt-in DRM currently requires internet connection
Discord expanded into video game sales earlier this month, launching its Store’s global beta test. Currently, Discord offers developers the ability to opt-in to its digital rights management (DRM), however enabled games will currently require players to be connected to the internet in order to boot. Currently, very few of …
Read More »Denuvo readies itself for 2018 titles with extra layers of DRM protection
With controversial DRM like Denuvo constantly slipping throughout the latter half of 2017, many thought this spelled the end of current anti-piracy measures as we knew it. It seems that news of its death has been greatly exaggerated, however, as Denuvo the added layer of VMProtect has made life much …
Read More »Denuvo slips again with Shadow of War getting cracked in just 24 hours
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War launched earlier this week and while Warner Bros attempted to keep it locked down with Denuvo's DRM system, it seems crackers have managed to figure out a way around it. Over the last year, game cracking groups have gotten a lot quicker at removing Denuvo, with …
Read More »Sonic Mania’s PC DRM seems to have caught the devs by surprise
Sonic Mania got off to a great start on consoles earlier this month, with fans and critics alike praising the game as a love letter to classic Sonic with some unique twists. Unfortunately, the game isn’t getting quite as warm a reception on PC, as it appears always online DRM …
Read More »Kodi wants to attract more legal content, may implement DRM to help
Kodi is widely considered to be an excellent media streaming platform but over the years, it has also been used as a convenient tool for piracy. Plenty of add-on packs have been made for Kodi over the years which grant access to pirated streaming services and the popularity of ‘fully …
Read More »4K Netflix is finally available on PC but only for Kaby Lake
Netflix has been streaming Ultra-HD/4K content since way back in 2013 but over the years, this higher quality level has been limited to newer Smart TVs and some other specific devices, like the Nvidia Shield TV and now PS4 Pro/Xbox One S. It has been a long time coming but …
Read More »Denuvo may have lost the battle, but it wants to win the war
Anti-tamper digital management system, Denuvo, may have faced a couple of set backs as of late, but the executives at the developer aren't concerned. In fact they still see the company at the forefront of protecting games and suggested that no DRM system was fullproof, but that its was still the …
Read More »Russian hackers may have found a crack in Denuvo’s defences
Denuvo is a name that sends shudders down the spines of pirates the world over, as it has meant that some games, no matter how hard people tried, have remained uncracked and unplayable for those not willing to pay for them. But there are whispers that that mightiest of foes …
Read More »Oculus has removed hardware DRM checks
Oculus might be changing its often criticised approach to keeping Rift games on the Rift as the latest Oculus Home update removed hardware DRM checks, meaning the software is no longer checking you actually have a Rift headset plugged in before launching any software. This is good news specifically for those …
Read More »Quantum Break’s PC version gives pirates an eye patch
Over the years, developers have come up with plenty of clever ways to mess with gamers playing pirated copies of titles and Quantum Break is just the latest example as the PC version of the game will give the main character an eye-patch if you did not buy it. The eye-patch …
Read More »3DM might be able to crack Denuvo protection after all
Earlier this week we learned that cracking group 3DM would be taking a year off to see if there would be any effect on game sales. However, many took this to mean that the group just couldn't break Denuvo protection, which is found on many new games including Just Cause …
Read More »Denuvo’s anti-tamper success stems from its lack of bravado
If you haven't heard of Denuvo, you're probably a law abiding game purchaser and deserve to pat yourself on the back – as long as you aren't pre-ordering too many titles. If you have though, you'll no doubt be aware of how frustrating it's proved for various piracy groups as …
Read More »Single player games with dead DRM servers ruled DMCA exempt
Earlier this year, a Harvard Law School student launched a petition to the US Copyright Office to allow for abandoned online games to become exempt to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This would mean that games abandoned by publishers with dead DRM servers could legally be cracked and played again. …
Read More »It looks like UltraHD Blu-rays may ditch region locks
Disc-based DRM has been huge in the entertainment industry, with most DVD's and Blu-rays coming region locked to specific devices. However, we are moving in to a new realm of 4K/UHD content at the moment, which means new Blu-ray disc technology, which just had region coding removed from its specification sheet. …
Read More »Windows update disables SafeDisc DRM in Windows Vista/7/8
Earlier this year, it was discovered that Windows 10 doesn't support SafeDisc or SecuROM DRM software, which also means that games or software using those forms of DRM won't run without some tinkering. Microsoft did this for security purposes as these forms of DRM aren't entirely secure. Now, a similar …
Read More »Windows 10 can seek out pirated software
Microsoft recently updated its EULA for Windows 10, noting that the operating system can seek out and potentially disable any pirated software, like games, running on your PC. The new clause in question is found under section 7b of the EULA, which says that Microsoft may check your software at …
Read More »Latest version of Firefox comes with DRM
Mozilla has launched Firefox version 38, bring digital rights management to the web browser for the first time. This change currently only affects Windows Vista or later users and has not yet been brought over to the Linux or Mac OS X versions of the browser. Mozilla has managed to …
Read More »EA explains why one person got locked out of Battlefield Hardline
Earlier this week, a games blogger was locked out of Battlefield Hardline on Origin after benchmarking a number of graphics cards. At the time, people pointed the finger at some form of ‘ghastly DRM’. People were convinced that Battlefield Hardline contained some form of DRM, that would lock you out …
Read More »Paradox on piracy: service over security
Every game developer and publisher knows that at least a portion of their player base is going to be composed of people that didn't pay. In the past, they've tried to stop this with CD keys, code wheels and invincible scorpions that chase you around the map, but Paradox does …
Read More »Microsoft reassures customers on Xbox One DRM Policy
Earlier this week, Far Cry 4 mysteriously vanished from the Xbox store, locking out those who bought the game digitally. The issue has since been fixed and Far Cry 4 is back on the Xbox store but this did raise questions on Microsoft's DRM policy. Since many Far Cry 4 …
Read More »Jury rules in Apple’s favor during iPod DRM anti-trust case
An eight person jury has let Apple off the hook in the iPod DRM class action lawsuit trial. The lawsuit aimed to force Apple to compensate those who bought specific iPods between 2006 and March 2009 after it was found that Apple was anti-competitively blocking and removing songs that were paid …
Read More »Ex-iTunes engineer admits Apple tried to block rivals on iPods
Apple is facing a pretty massive class action lawsuit at the moment over accusations that the company removed songs from customer iPods if they weren't bought from iTunes. Now an ex-iTunes engineer has testified, admitting that Apple did attempt to block music bought from competing services. Former iTunes engineer, Rod …
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