Where Art Thou, Denuvo? Shadow of War DRM Cracked in Two Days

[Raevenlord]

Denuvo has been one of the foremost DRM technologies in recent times. There have been a number of issues around this particular RM technology: unclear terms of service that didn't explain the use of this third party DRM, or reports of inconsistent and even degraded performance on Denuvo-protected games. While some of those points have since been corrected - there's no clear evidence of degraded performance with Denuvo anti-tamper on or off - and games' terms of service have been updated to include references to Denuvo anti-tamper being used, this is one of those technologies that has been more ill-received - kind of like SecuROM, back in the days.

Denuvo, however, has enjoyed some measure of success in the past, in that it has allowed games developers to see their products remain uncracked for longer periods of time that they would with other DRM technologies that are currently employed (like Steam, for instance). Developers and publishers say this allows them to see more fruits from their labor in that at least during that DRM-protected window, would-be pirates will likely make the jump towards a legitimate version of the game, instead of waiting for the DRM protection to be bypassed. Lately, though, its protections are being bypassed almost as fast as Steam's, which has been the case with Middle-Earth: Shadow of War - cracked two days after release. This is a prickly subject that usually neatly divides proponents of either DRM-free games, or those that really don't care, so long as it doesn't tamper with end-user experience. There are success cases for both fields - GOG on the DRM-free side of the fence and Steam on the other, for example - but this is clearly a debate that won't be settled any time soon.




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[RejZoR]

DRM is garbage. What I'd prefer as anti-piracy measure if there has to be one is making game unbearably hard if it's a pirated copy. Something like that invincible scorpion in Serious Sam 3. But not that obvious. I'm talking about difficulty level so hard it's not directly obvious, but impossible to complete the game. No matter what difficulty you select when starting the game. This way you can spot idiots bitching around how impossibly hard it is and you can laugh at them knowing they have a pirated game for sure.

 

[P4-630]

This way you can spot idiots bitching around how impossibly hard it is and you can laugh at them knowing they have a pirated game for sure.

Lol! Now that would be something wouldn't it! Ha!

 

[dj-electric]

Respect your audience, and they will give you their heart.

For more information, talk to CDPR.

 

[HimymCZe]

Why you still support developers that prefer wasting 30% of revenue and 30% of CPU power on DRM instead of having larger and better playerbase? When they will learn that piracy is NOT the problem, but just a most widespread solution to greediness.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Respect your audience, and they will give you their heart.

For more information, talk to CDPR.

Yes! It's amazing the number of companies that don't understand this. No DRM will STILL mean awesome profits and less stealing if you actually put out a good product.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I guess they should ask their money back

 

[BorgOvermind]

DRM is garbage.

Totally agreed.

There has been plenty of proof in the past that a good game will be brought in mass even if it has no protection whatsoever with the condition of it being of good quality. Here's a practical example: https://www.wired.com/2008/03/sins-of-a-solar-3/

While that, many games are of very poor quality and actually, by using DRMs, trick people into buying them just to notice how junk they are.

The success and earning of a game are dictated by its quality, not its anti-piracy measures.

If companies would invest the $ in better game content rather than better DRMs they would win a lot more earnings.

 

[StrayKAT]

Why you still support developers that prefer wasting 30% of revenue and 30% of CPU power on DRM instead of having larger and better playerbase? When they will learn that piracy is NOT the problem, but just a most widespread solution to greediness.

Even less of a problem now considering the size of games (and the ever continual increase).. and the shitty means of delivering it.

You almost have to applaud a pirate for torrenting something that large.

 

[neatfeatguy]

I miss the days you pop the CD/DVD into the computer, install the game (maybe find a patch online if anything truly gamebreaking had to be fixed from the vanilla version) and then play the game. Minus the SecuRom DRM type issues, of course.

Then again, perhaps I'm one of the few that didn't copy games or look for keycode cracks and actually bought games I wanted to play.

 

[StrayKAT]

I miss the days you pop the CD/DVD into the computer, install the game (maybe find a patch online if anything truly gamebreaking had to be fixed from the vanilla version) and then play the game. Minus the SecuRom DRM type issues, of course.

Then again, perhaps I'm one of the few that didn't copy games or look for keycode cracks and actually bought games I wanted to play.

I did when I was young. The perfect time to be desperate and cheap (although I don't want to excuse stealing exactly... I'm just saying there's less excuse as an adult).

I either did that or waited for those game bundles they used to sell with like 5 games. Like a "LucasArt" pack. Anyone remember those?

 

[Readlight]

If there wont be pirated games nobody do not knowed if there even exists such game. You try out game if you haw powerful pc, time, money if you like game then after some long time you buy when price is right.
anyways half of them are unfinished games. 5 new games in a day these days, i start dislike almost all off them they are slow i dont haw time and money for them.

 

[rtwjunkie]

If there wont be pirated games nobody do not knowed if there even exists such game. You try out game if you haw powerful pc, time, money if you like game then after some long time you buy when price is right.
anyways half of them are unfinished games. 5 new games in a day these days, i start dislike almost all off them they are slow i dont haw time and money for them.

You realize admitting such is against the rules of the forum? There is never a justification for it.

 

[kinjx11]

I guess they should ask their money back

they will get their money back because the agreement is if the game got cracked within2 or 3 months after release they will get the money they paid for the DRM

also the 4.6 ver. is still not cracked yet , this game seems to use 4.5 ver. though

 

[bug]

DRM, as Denuvo understands it, is only there to promote hit-and-run tactics: release, grab as much cash as possible before user feedback is actually heard, then forget the title ever existed. As a gamer, I can't think of many things I hate more than that.

 

[bug]

I guess they should ask their money back

I know you meant that as a joke, but Denuvo's licensing terms actually stipulate that if it can't protect a title for a number of days, the developer gets the money back.

 

[P4-630]

I know you meant that as a joke, but Denuvo's licensing terms actually stipulate that if it can't protect a title for a number of days, the developer gets the money back.

You are on TPU since 2015, thought you should know how to use the "Multi-Quote" button by now....

 

[bug]

You are on TPU since 2015, thought you should know how to use the "Multi-Quote" button by now....

And I do, I just had the impression there was another post in between. Sorry about that.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I know you meant that as a joke, but Denuvo's licensing terms actually stipulate that if it can't protect a title for a number of days, the developer gets the money back.

I know that too and pretty hefty money.

 

[Papahyooie]

I think Arma 2's "Fade" tech was the best DRM ever. It would play just fine, but as you played longer, it would just slowly introduce bugs. Like it would flip your controls around backwards for a few seconds at a time, make your weapons inaccurate, etc. Nothing is funnier than playing DayZ mod, and some poor pirate sap who has been looting for hours, even found a vehicle, and it randomly decides to push the "get out of car" button at 60mph. Then they rage against the game in side chat, until everybody says "buy the game, dummy."

 

[Prince Valiant]

DRM is garbage. What I'd prefer as anti-piracy measure if there has to be one is making game unbearably hard if it's a pirated copy. Something like that invincible scorpion in Serious Sam 3. But not that obvious. I'm talking about difficulty level so hard it's not directly obvious, but impossible to complete the game. No matter what difficulty you select when starting the game. This way you can spot idiots bitching around how impossibly hard it is and you can laugh at them knowing they have a pirated game for sure.

I don't see Steam going away anytime soon .

With Denuvo getting cracked so easily these days I wonder if there's going to be a resurgence in publishers/developers blaming piracy if their games fail or don't meet expectations. The blame could never fall on them after all.

 

[Bansaku]

The WItcher 3 sold more than 10 million copies, and it is DRM free. If you make a good game worth spending one's hard earned money on, people will gladly fork over the cash! Make rehashed garbage year after year (CoD) and expect the game to be torrented! When will the industry learn...

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

The WItcher 3 sold more than 10 million copies, and it is DRM free. If you make a good game worth spending one's hard earned money on, people will gladly fork over the cash! Make rehashed garbage year after year (CoD) and expect the game to be torrented! When will the industry learn...

They never will. Its been north of a decade, and they still complain about internet pirates because they want a scapegoat for their inability to manage money properly.

 

[megamanxtreme]

Well, thanks for giving readers, that weren't aware, a reason to go pirate the game.

 

[Eroticus]

The WItcher 3 sold more than 10 million copies, and it is DRM free. If you make a good game worth spending one's hard earned money on, people will gladly fork over the cash! Make rehashed garbage year after year (CoD) and expect the game to be torrented! When will the industry learn...

and could sale even more with right protection.

btw 10 million copies is include consoles, where cracks not exist and most income come from them (AAA titles).

Total War: Warhammer had Denuvo and had record sales in the franchisee.

The only thing goes very well on PC, is shittly half priced / free online games.