DRM on PC games

[House]

Without wanting to derail the Spore thread any more than it is already I was wondering what peoples ideal DRM system would be?

People dont want Discs in their drives.
People dont want Limited installs.
People dont want Drivers installed (like Starforce)
People dont like Online activation
People dont like old school manual/code wheel type protection.

I think its fair to admit in this day and age anyone releasing a game with no protection at all would be foolish. High speed net access just makes it too easy to pirate and even non tech savy people can use a P2P program or torrents so piracy is very much mainstream like it or not these days.

Even size of files in no protection because games can be Ripped to remove the bulk and make then downloadable.

Whats a good line between them protecting themselfs but not causeing users too many problems?

If you published a game what would you use?

 

[House]

I quite like Steam as a system but there pricing is not excatly competitive.

Quite often games that are in the bargin bin in high street stores are more expensive on steam.

When an online delivery system is more expensive than buying the physical media something is wrong.

 

[House]

Why are limited installs a problem?
How many people seriously install there legally owned game on more than 3 machines?
In every case ive seen you can free up installs and in most cases after the first couple of patches the restriction is removed anyway.

 

[House]

Judging by the state of the Spore thread treating everyone like pirate is a fair starting point.

I cant beleive some people honestly think that games should to totaly unprotected. Would you leave your house unlocked?

What we need is a system that is the equivalant of a nicely secure house (alarms, locked doors and windows) but not over the top (minefield outside, guard towers and razorwire).

Like anything in life if its worth something and someone wants it enough they will steal it but if you can keep away the chancers and only have to worry about the real theives then your in the right area.

Probelm is with all media now is once someones stolen it anyone with a net connection can have it a a couple of hours. MAybe the probelm is best handled more by cutting off the distrubution.