14 DAY TRIAL // These are really hard times for game developers and publishers because a lot of people are now very selective with the titles they buy and don't want to spend their hard earned money on something which only looks good but has a lot of flaws or annoying programs bundled, like the much blamed DRM (Digital Rights Management) systems.
These DRM programs, like SecuROM, prevent gamers from installing a title on multiple PCs or restrain users from having multiple accounts for online games if they own a single copy. These very troublesome features earned a lot of negative publicity for companies which employ them, like Electronic Arts, which even got some class action trials because of these features.
Ascaron, the developer of the eagerly anticipated Sacred 2: Fallen Angel RPG (Role Playing Game) title, has just announced the very innovative features that the DRM system for this game would have. Through the voice of Heiko tom Felde, managing director, Ascaron said that users who purchase a copy of this game could install it on as many systems as they like, each installment receiving one calendar day, meaning 24 hours of unrestricted access to any feature of the game.
“We feel that consumers should have a right to choose, and this innovative system offers the perfect purchasing option for gamers,” said Felde. “It's a great system for family and friends, allowing everyone the opportunity to try out the game and play together, then making a purchase decision.” This “Try before you buy” feature has been implemented in all of the retail copies shipped to stores, as the game has already been launched in Europe, with North American customers getting their hands on it on November 11.
That is quite an interesting feature and is bound to make a lot of gamers really happy. It will surely get other developers rethink their own DRM strategies, and possibly implement similar ones. Let's just hope that we won't see restrictive DRM systems anymore.