DRM-Free?
DRM-Free?
I tried GOG for the first time yesterday and purchased Shadow Warrior 2. They claim it's DRM-free, allowing me to play without any background client. The company markets this as "You buy it, it's yours." I wondered if I could copy the game onto a USB drive and share it with friends. What prevents people from distributing it freely? If you can't even lend the game via USB, then the DRM-free aspect loses its purpose. Imagine GOG shutting down—would I lose my game since I rely on their client for downloads? Please help clarify this.
The benefit of being DRM free is that the game doesn’t actively stop piracy. It doesn’t imply you’re permitted to share the game without restrictions. Most users expect that. The share of people who pirate simply because they’re unwilling to pay is very small. Edit: In another way, DRM free doesn’t mean the software is completely free.
Well, essentially, if you didn’t put in any real effort to support it, just keep your installer files safe and the game stays yours as long as your storage works. The worry with a DRM platform like Steam shutting down is that you need to reach their servers to play. If those servers stop, your game becomes unusable regardless of the files you saved. Steam offers an offline mode, but it still blocks your games after around 30 days without logging into Valve’s servers.
Games are never yours. You just pay for the privilege to play. That’s how it’s been since Orange Box.