Monday, October 31st 2022

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Disc Version Doesn't Actually Have the Game on it, Serves as Hardware DRM

by
btarunr
 Discuss (58 Comments)
So you live in Randomville in the middle of nowhere, with a slow ADSL that's barely a few Mbps fast, and thought you could enjoy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II on PlayStation 5 with its disc version? Think again. It turns out that the disc version of this game doesn't actually have the game on the disc. That's right, those unlucky enough to buy the disc version found that it only contained 72 MB of data, which when autorun, gets the console to fetch the up to 151 GB of the game's payload over the Internet. The disc only acts like a hardware DRM, in the same way as certain expensive software ship with USB flash drives that need to be plugged in for you to use the software.

After enduring the massive download, you're required to keep the disc inserted to play the game. It is possible to ship the entire game in two 50 GB Blu-ray discs with the best available compression tech. The problem with CoD off-late has been that the developers either forgot how to distribute game patches, or are using the sheer file-size of patches as an anti-piracy measure; with most of them spanning several dozen gigabytes, and major updates even fetching the entire game's triple-figure GB payload all over again. This 72 MB disc-based distribution is below the belt.
Sources: Lance McDonald (Twitter), Tweaktown

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58 Comments on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Disc Version Doesn't Actually Have the Game on it, Serves as Hardware DRM

#51
Chomiq
Musselsthe disc is just used for DRM and pre-launch data, but with day 1 patches it's basically impossible to install the disk and play anyway - you still need online access and working services to play


When the PS6 is out and they shut off the PS4, what will happen to those games then? You'll need to hack the console to manually update to play offline singleplayer games, since the disc wont just work outright once the online services are shut down
That's why I'll sell off my ps4 games long before they even announce they're shutting off.
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#52
big_glasses
ChomiqHard drive? Now you're just showing how ignorant you are.
should be obvious he meant the SSD, does it load from SSD or the BD?
Musselsthe disc is just used for DRM and pre-launch data, but with day 1 patches it's basically impossible to install the disk and play anyway - you still need online access and working services to play


When the PS6 is out and they shut off the PS4, what will happen to those games then? You'll need to hack the console to manually update to play offline singleplayer games, since the disc wont just work outright once the online services are shut down
isn't the new MW2 disc only DRM data, and not even "day0"-game?
If it was "day0" at least you could've played it offline
Posted on Reply
#53
Chomiq
big_glassesshould be obvious he meant the SSD, does it load from SSD or the BD?

isn't the new MW2 disc only DRM data, and not even "day0"-game?
If it was "day0" at least you could've played it offline
You install from the disc, then disc is only used as DRM to verify that you still own physical copy. MW2 is DRM only so you have to download entire game anyway. Some games can be played right after installation from the disc without day 0 patches. There's no such thing as "play from the disc" anymore. However, some games have 2 stage installation process where the game loads the data required for the first hour or so of gameplay so you can start playing while the installation continues in the background (something I have yet to see on PC).
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#54
kapone32
The red spiritAnd they will go bust eventually. Their own business models hurts them a lot, because it makes piracy easier than it ever was. You can literally just start installer without cracking and it works every single bit the same as legit and legal copy of game. Say what you want to me, but it makes their own main advantage into their biggest disadvantage. I love GOG nonetheless, but I can't see how their business model is sustainable at all. The only thing that you lose is updates, because you gotta have GOG account to get updates, but that still don't make matters much better for GOG, because most of their library is old and strictly single player games, where updates don't matter or barely matter. So at best they are forced to keep prices low and at worst it means that no matter what they will do to their prices people will just pirate all their shit and if you wonder, yep there already exist GOG website clones that offer torrents of every single game on GOG for free. And those clones copied legit website with very good accuracy too, UI and download menus are nearly identical. The last time I heard, CDPR (they own GOG) wasn't making a lot of money or more accurately said margins, meanwhile the likes like EA do.
You should see what they do in Cuba to video Game. People will do whatever it takes to have fun. Those torrent (that seems so 10 years ago) sites are for people that can't afford to buy the Game in at least some cases and want to play it in all cases. What I know is that CP2077 was the number 5 top seller on Steam when it was on sale last week.
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#55
big_glasses
ChomiqYou install from the disc, then disc is only used as DRM to verify that you still own physical copy. MW2 is DRM only so you have to download entire game anyway. Some games can be played right after installation from the disc without day 0 patches. There's no such thing as "play from the disc" anymore.
Thanks
However, some games have 2 stage installation process where the game loads the data required for the first hour or so of gameplay so you can start playing while the installation continues in the background (something I have yet to see on PC).
StarCraft 2 have had it for 9 years or so (and I think other Blizz games)
World of Tanks have had it for multiple years. And I think I've seen the same on some EA games.
Posted on Reply
#56
Ravenas
zlobbyAren't that Ajit's doings?
Trump appointed and I would say (without proof) strongly advised to get rid of Net Neutrality by business lobbyists from Comcast, ATT, Spectrum, and etc. Shortly thereafter, data caps came into play and providers are charging more.

There right thing to do is put Net Neutrality back into place, Republican, Democrat, or Independent make it happen.

I'm fortunate where I live to have fiber internet from a city owned utility that continues to promise Net Neutrality, and they live up to it. There are no data caps. In this same area, Comcast competes and has data caps.
Posted on Reply
#57
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
big_glassesThanks


StarCraft 2 have had it for 9 years or so (and I think other Blizz games)
World of Tanks have had it for multiple years. And I think I've seen the same on some EA games.
battle.net and SC2 had it first, or damn near to it


They'd install the game on low graphics first, and let you play while hi res textures, cinematics etc were still downloading/install
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