10 réponses à ce sujet

[Chris Priestly]

Hi everyone

Recently there has been some concern over the DRM (Digital Rights Management) included with Dragon Age 2. Hopefully this post will help clarify what the DRM is for all versions of Dragon Age 2.

Steam versions use Steam DRM, no other DRM is added.

Non-Steam versions (digital or retail disc) are as follows:
- No disc check, you do not need the disc in drive to play.
- No limit on the total number of PCs you can install and play the game on.
- There is a limit to the number of unique/different PCs that can start/play the game within a time window [5 PCs in 24hrs].
- Each install requires logging in to your EA account to verify game ownership and if you are a member of these forums, you have an EA account.
- You can play offline but the game will require a login check after a select period of days.

Release Control (does not use securom)
      . It does not install anything to the PC.
      . Sole purpose is to check with a server to validate whether the game release date has passed or not. 
      . It completely removes itself after the game release date has passed. 
      . You will not be able to play until that date has passed.
      . Dates & times are set to the retail street date per country.

Hopefully this explains the DRM included in Dragon Age 2.

If you still have questions, please ask them here. However, this thread is NOT for the general discussion of DRM, the pros and cons of other DRM systems or any talk about circumventing DRM (which is against the rules of conduct and will be diciplined as such). Thanks.

Modifié par Chris Priestly, 31 janvier 2011 - 08:34 .

[Fernando Melo]

A couple quick points:

Is this for consoles as well?
No, this is PC only DRM and only related to non-steam versions.  Consoles & Steam editions have their own native DRM systems and we do not add anything extra to those.

How many days can you be offline?
We'll have more info on this closer to release.  Not trying to avoid the question, we honestly have not settled on this yet - but also did not want to further delay getting the rest of the information out to you.  

What about dial-up/minimal connections?
The login checks are light - it would not be a problem on dial-up, and should not hog up bandwidth or create a noticeable impact on an connection that has a limit imposed by your ISP.  You are likely using more bandwidth currently just by surfing on this site.  Note: There are other online features in DA2, including uploading your character portrait and stats to this site, etc like in DAO - and those will add to your online usage.  But the login checks themselves are minimal.

Hope that helps.

[Fernando Melo]

Some more points...

What about sunset/EA gone/20years from now?
There are sunset plans in place for all our titles.  Each one can be different, but most common solution is that the online requirement would be patched out.

Will DLC validation require a check every time?
We can talk about DLC DRM closer to launch, but no this isn't required.  Once validated (one time) you should not need to go online for this.

MarchWaltz wrote...
So if I want to install the game on my main machine and my laptop, just in case I have to play it on the lap top for some reason, I have to do within 24 hours?

There is no limit to the total number of PCs you can install on.  What this means is that within a rolling time window (in this case within any given 24h period) there is a max number of unique PCs that can run off that same account/CDkey.  In our example, a 6th PC trying to start within that same 24hr period from when the 1st PC started would not be allowed, for example.

If i get the game early from a store, I can't play?
Correct.  While it is becoming more common that e-retailers will try to ship games ahead of the launch dates so it arrives with you for launch day, and some retailers will break street dates and sell early, we are still obligated to observe the official launch dates across the various regions. 

Do I have to be online all the time?
No.  The only time this will be needed is when you first install, and if the game asks to connect again at some point in the future - we'll confirm closer to launch what that time gap is.

aries1001 wrote...
And this info on DRM does apply to EA store as well; I'd guess.

I'm not completely clear on the question.  If you mean, does this apply to a PC version downloaded via the EA Store, then yes - as mentioned before, this is for any PC version except Steam which uses its own similar system.

aries1001 wrote...
Will the server be able to acknowledge that we have installed original dlc or will it go haywire, thinking we've done something we shouldn't.

As the other DLC question above, the first time you get DLC you will need to go online but then this is no longer required to play DLC.  Whether the game itself asks in the future to go online again or not is independent of the DLC system.

[Fernando Melo]

Delerius_Jedi wrote...

Only thing I have a really big problem with here are the recurring online checks. I don't care if you don't use SecuROM, this is a bad idea, period. People do travel with their laptops, afterall. I'm really disappointed with you. An EA.account based system akin to Steam with a fully functional offline mode after authentication would have been far more tolerable. Or, failing that - just use Steamworks, since you're already using online authentication. You're creating a reason for people to go look for ways to bypass your systems if they are facing an extended period of time offline. I hope you realize that.

Edit: Before anyone says anything - that's not a threat or encouragement of any kind of illicit activity, just a simple prediction based on previous examples of human behaviour. We did this dance a few years ago with ME1 PC and Spore. Can't believe we're here again.

Apologies if I'm not making it clear enough- this system operates essentially just like steam, but with offline mode ON by default.  If you have a trip coming up, just login again before you travel - the clock will reset again, just like steam.

[Stanley Woo]

Let's keep this discussion on topic, please. Fernando is providing the clarifying information that community members have been asking for, so I don't want to have to shut this thread down.

[Stanley Woo]

slimgrin wrote...

- "You can play offline but the game will require a login check after a select period of days."

So basically this works like SC2? DA2 will in fact have a form of online drm, and will require a steady connection to play?

What is a select number of days? 10? 20?

Your answer:

Fernando Melo said on page 3
How many days can you be offline?
We'll
have more info on this closer to release.  Not trying to avoid the
question, we honestly have not settled on this yet - but also did not
want to further delay getting the rest of the information out to you.

[Stanley Woo]

Torhagen wrote...
- You can play offline but the game will require a login check after a select period of days.

if you could me more specific with the fine print because a stitch in time saves nine

Here's your answer, which I am posting again:

Fernando Melo said on page 3...
How many days can you be offline?
We'll
have more info on this closer to release.  Not trying to avoid the
question, we honestly have not settled on this yet - but also did not
want to further delay getting the rest of the information out to you.

[Fernando Melo]

First, a reminder to keep it civil and within the rules laid out - this includes comments on pirating please.

I'll try to respond to specific questions I came across that cover the majority of posts...

----9----- wrote...
You note that Release Control does not use Securom, but do not state if SecuRom is being used as DA2's DRM.
Does DA2 install SecuRom or Solidshield or some other brand of DRM? You don't state the specific DRM.

No, none of those.  DA2 essentially uses the same system we used with DAO for non-steam digital versions, an internal EA light drm app.

z3razerviper wrote...
Is it basically the same drm the ea store version of dragon age 1 used? I know that one had the 5 machine in 24 hours thing as well.

Correct. 

----9----- wrote...

If so, will uninstalling DA2 also uninstall ALL the DRM? (Uninstalling ME1 did not uninstall SecuRom; Sony's SecuRom uninstall tool did not uninstall it either.)

Yes, everything is uninstalled.

prsquared wrote...
Can someone explain to me how Digital download works? I've bought the game from EA store.
Does this mean I'll be able to download the game a few days before it's released?

Not completely related to this thread, but yes - most digital providers will allow you to 'preload' a game you purchase, meaning you can start to download it ahead of the release date (usually 2-3days before release) and you have to connect again on release day to unlock.  But saves you the day 1 download rush.

This is exactly like ME1's DRM:

Well, actually in DRM terms under the hood this is light years away from that.

Amongst other DRM related issues, ME1 (and other titles with similar DRM setups) had a massive outcry largely because:
- It used Securom, or other 3rd party commercial drm, which players had several complaints about including not fully uninstalling itself
- It had a hard limit on the number of machines you could install to, and although rare this could occasionally not add up correctly
- It had no method of de-authorizing itself from a machine (at launch time, this was made available later), which further aggravated the errors in the previous point if those occured
- It had to phone home every 10days (or in some titles, always)


This system, apart from being much more user and system friendly in a lot more subtle ways than most commercial drm software, has none of the first 3 items/restrictions.  And the jury is still out on the last item on the list (including whether to even have this).

So for those already tearing hair out in frustration - this is entirely your prerogative of course - if your concern really is only that final item I'd suggest waiting until that is actually decided on.

F.

Modifié par Fernando Melo, 02 février 2011 - 04:40 .

[Stanley Woo]

Let's keep the talk of software piracy and the organizational structure of our companies out of this discussion of Dragon Age II DRM, please. thank you.

[Stanley Woo]

Maybe, but the darkspawn are not, in and of themselves, a controversial or disallowed topic of conversation in our community according to the Site rules.

[Stanley Woo]

since this thread is no longer about Dragon Age II, I'm shutting it down. If you wish to continue discussing Dargon Age II DRM, please start a new thread and keep it on-topic. Thank you.



End of line.