The painful sting of Serious Sam 3's anti-piracy protection

by JC Fletcher on Dec 7th 2011 3:25PM

Software piracy is illegal and unfair to the people who make and sell games. That's enough of a deterrent for most people. The rest may find the giant, invincible, super-fast, assault-rifle-wielding scorpion monster more convincing.

That's the new DRM measure enacted by Serious Sam 3: BFE developer Croteam. We see the potential for this to become an industry-standard method of preventing unauthorized game copying. Or, in simpler terms, if that scary-ass monster wants to go into other games, we are powerless to stop it.

Source: Boing Boing

Tags: croteam, devolver-digital, drm, pc, piracy, serious-sam-3, serious-sam-3-bfe

Reader Comments (79)

I fail to see how this would deter piracy. In fact, it seems like more people would pirate it now just to play with the additional enemy you get in the pirated version, similar to how far people go to hunt down easter eggs.

@jsx92
They'll just sell it as DLC. Only $4.99 to act like a pirate!

@jsx92

Nothing new, this is only ANOTHER version of a very famous protection from the AMIGA times called copylock, removing platforms, important items or making enemies immortal was something that copylock was very known for, i remember a game called Hook that disappeared one cup from the game, the funny thing was that many guys wrote to Amiga Format asking why they couldn´t find the famous cup in their game, in those times was more or less useful, now with internet this kind of things are fixed in a mater of minutes.

@Mmmmz

Hell, I'd pay for this scorpion as a DLC, instead of pirating it. I would damn well enjoy it, too.

@Hunter141072

There was a Lawyer sim game that would only do a Software Pirate scenario with capital punishment if the attempt to copy it failed.

@SmokemeaKipper
Obligatory Earthbound mention: http://starmen.net/mother2/gameinfo/antipiracy/

@BlueRajasmyk And yet it doesn't stop anyone from playing and completing Earthbound on emulators. The cracked ROM is far more ubiquitous than the uncracked version.

Notes: My point exactly; I love Serious Sam and Croteam; I disapprove of piracy.

@Hunter141072 I recall Sid Meier's Pirates! did something similar. It asked you to find some information from the manual; if you answered wrong, you could still play the game, but you'd start with a tiny ship, a mutinous crew, and a reputation as a coward.

@jsx92
especially since no matter the enemy that is all there is to do in serious sam games anyway ...

this is just a quick way to experience every level in 20 seconds

Starts crying =(

People already made a crackfix to remove that. So this DRM DOESNT WORK

@(Unverified) I think its more of a deterrent for the lesser adept pirates. Every game developer knows that no matter what they do to thwart piracy, there are ways around it for those willing to look. DRMs and even things like this are just to scare a few more people who were on the edge of pirating, into buying.

@(Unverified)
Which is obviously the important thing! I mean, of course the only reason anyone would do something this convoluted instead of just stopping the game from starting is because they thought it would actually stop pirates.

@Author X
The developers are aware that, with the exception of online-only games (because of user account systems and dedicated servers), any DRM scheme they attempt will be cracked. They still have to do some DRM:
1. To make it so it's impossible to simply copy the disk and give it to a pal (which would it make it all too tempting for the budding buccaneer).
2. To make it hard enough to crack to present at least a small window between the retail release and the inevitable pirated version.

These are guesses obviously.

@mezzb The problem with 2 being that most games are pirated BEFORE official release due to supply-chain issues. It's really easy for a store manager at [GAME RETAILER] to slit a case, copy an ISO of a disk and then shrinkwrap it all back up for 'new' sale in the week between the shipment coming in and the actual street date. How many CDs leak before official release? Or movies that sometimes aren't even in theaters?

The simpler solution is to realize that people are always going to pirate things and as long as they're not stealing your physical retail copies they're not cutting into our profits.

The huge fallacy that publishers of all sorts of media try to push on the public is that piracy cuts into actual sales numbers. Most of the people who pirate games either don't want to risk the $50-60 it costs to just try it and therefore wont, or they don't have the money in the first place. Schemes like this won't generate substantial sales increases because most people who pirated the game likely were never going to spend $2 on it much less $30, $40 or $50.

I think this is awesome but I hope lesser skilled developers don't try something like this and horribly botch the game for paying customers.

@HighFive5 You just figured out Skyrim!

That is the best/funniest anti piracy measure I've ever seen.

@Startbuttonnews
Agreed. I love Croteam's sense of humor.

@Startbuttonnews
Really? Because the Michael Jackson: The Experience anti-piracy measures were way better.
It will be remembered as the great vuvuzela ear-massacre.

@Startbuttonnews
I preferred Mirror's edge's method, but this is certainly entertaining, where as ME was frustrating for the users, and when they came to the forums whinging about what they thought was a bug, everyone knew they were pirates.

This way can still affect legitimate buyers, though. GTAIV had it where you couldn't access the internet cafe computers and thus go further in the story if you had a "pirated" copy. That was all well and good until it was happening to legitimate users. Then, when you try to get help all you get thrown at you is PIRATE!!!!

I still think this is cool but it's fraught with the same possible issues. Though, I will take this over Ubisoft's crap any day.

@Mmmmz
PIRATE!!!

When this becomes industry standard, I look forward to the next Cooking Mama game where this guy shows up and splatters your guts all over the kitchen, you filthy, filthy pirates......

GENIUS. Lol, Imagine this in Street Fighter?? xD

I wonder if you could utilize God Mode to counteract it?

@TheBatman4141
or use a kill all enemies on the screen console cheat

Serious Sam was already casting many doubts in me, but now it takes place in the exact same war-torn city setting of every other shooter released in the last few years? Snore.

@Ovy

Yeah, and did you see those enemies? Same enemies you see in every modern FPS.

No.. Wait a second here...

Make people stay connected to the internet.

Sry but I don't want to see PC gaming die. And it will if aholes keep stealing games.

If you can't stay connected to the internet at all times then too bad.

@Traptz

I'm sorry, you're an idiot. I'm not even going to argue against you, I'm just going to come out and say - You're an idiot.

@Traptz

Are you an Ubisoft employee?

@Traptz That won't stop them they'll find ways around it. Would suck for paying custom such as myself though.

I have my PC upstairs and like to hook up to my HD and surrond sound downstairs I don't want to worry about maintaining a stable connection to play a game I paid 60 bucks for also what if money gets tight and someone has to shut off the internet for awhile or has outages that would make a person turn to cracks and such most likely.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies Actually, you're the idiot.

@30yearGamer Because people never want to play games when they're traveling or when the cable goes out due to weather or construction or . . . oh wait.

@Faceless Troll

I'm sorry but people traveling are a minority.

Power Outages? If your power is out how are you going to play on your PC? If you say "Laptop" you should just kill yourself for thinking you're a PC gamer when you play on a Laptop.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

You can't argue because YOU'RE the idiot.

I've been PC gaming since the mid 90's. I would rather be restricted to only playing online than see my favorite type of gaming be removed from the developers to-do list.

If you think honestly think that having to be constantly connected to the internet is worse than not having anymore PC game made due to piracy then I sure hope that you buy a ufcking console soon because you're not helping the cause at all.

@Traptz

The year is 2011, soon to be 2012.

If you can't find a away to be connected to the internet while you're not at home then you should seriously think of finding a new hobby.

@Traptz

Ah, yeah, I'm sorry, I forgot Ubisoft makes good games that are optimized for PC and aren't console ports anyways.

Wait, that's not right... That's not right at all!

@Traptz "Power" outages? That's not what I said. Learn how to read before you hyperventilate like a spastic moron.

Perhaps you're not aware but we have things called "gaming laptops" these days. Lots of people have them.

@Faceless Troll

Riding on the buuus, Riding on the buuus
No internet for me, no games from Ubi'

Oh god! I wish I had no DRM!

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies
When did I EVER mention Ubisoft? You're the idiot that said Ubisoft and now you're trying to make it sound like I did. No, really, go read above..YOU said Ubisoft..I said nothing about them.

So basically you're whining about one developer and trying to pass it off as if I mentioned them. Good lord how do you put your pants on without help? Are you one of those people that believe their own lies?

Go rant about Ubisoft somewhere else.

@Faceless Troll

Do you know how much a REAL Gaming Laptop costs? About twice as much as a PC that is just as powerful. They're rarely used in PC gaming. Again..a minority.

You morons are taking one thing and blowing it out of proportion.

PC gaming WILL die because of piracy and one way to eliminate a vast majority of the pirates is to require the gamers to be connected to the internet.

I don't like it..but I like the future of PC gaming a lot more than I like listening to a bunch of idiots crying about DRM's. And no, I'm not an Ubisoft fanboy..I haven't bought a game from them in years.

The fact is we either let piracy take over and ruin PC gaming fully or we do something about it.

You children can keep complaining about DRM's and internet connections, I'll keep supporting my developers and buying the games I like.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies More like "flying on the plane".

I have to travel for work related stuff next week and plan on taking my laptop with me. I suspect lots of people do this.

@Traptz "You morons are taking one thing and blowing it out of proportion. "

I could say the same thing about people like you that whine about piracy.

PS - A gaming capable laptop costs less than $1,000. Not everyone needs to have maxed out specs.

@Traptz

Stop talking to yourself.

@Faceless Troll

Stop making sense, you are going to confuse him.

@Faceless Troll

LOL..

A gaming laptop under $1000.

You and I have a very different concept on what the word "Gaming" means.

You seem to think that if a laptop can play MW3 that makes it a gaming laptop..

Good luck finding a gaming laptop that can play Metro: Last Light maxed out under $1000.

I take it from your lack of worry about what piracy is doing to PC gaming that you're just a worthless game pirate yourself? Peg leg and all..

Sorry but I find it hard to believe anyone that call's them self a PC gamer that doesn't care about what piracy is doing to the genre actually goes out and buys their games.

Hell you probably think because you play WoW that makes you a PC gamer..amirite?

@MisterEFQ

I wasn't posting that comment to anyone but it was meant for my topic...stop being a moron?

And you think that Faceless troll makes sense? That we shouldn't worry about PC piracy? Because that's basically what he's saying.

Please go back to your Xbox and finish your hotpocket.

@Traptz People like you are what's wrong with the gaming industry.

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Serious Sam 3: BFE

The painful sting of Serious Sam 3's anti-piracy protection

Reader Comments (79)

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:33PM jsx92 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:40PM Mmmmz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:55PM Hunter141072 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:57PM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:04PM SmokemeaKipper said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:13PM BlueRajasmyk said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:31PM jsx92 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 7:26PM maxwell97 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 7:28PM marinirvana said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:34PM B0b said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:37PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:41PM Joshua Przygocki said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:55PM Author X said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:26PM mezzb said

Posted: Dec 8th 2011 1:01AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:37PM HighFive5 said

Posted: Dec 8th 2011 4:55AM mistwolf said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:37PM Startbuttonnews said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:59PM Ebok007 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:14PM Mach2 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:40PM Hivetyrant said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:39PM Mmmmz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 6:25PM Measlesopolis said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:40PM freelancer91 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:44PM TheBatman4141 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:52PM Mykell said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:48PM Ovy said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:54PM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:48PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:52PM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:53PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 3:57PM HighFive5 said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:25PM 30yearGamer said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:33PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:47PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:50PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:52PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 4:55PM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:04PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:17PM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:25PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:30PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:36PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:38PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:49PM MisterEFQ said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 5:51PM MisterEFQ said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 6:23PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 6:26PM Traptz said

Posted: Dec 7th 2011 6:29PM Faceless Troll said

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