Batman: Arkham Asylum PC DRM Debacle

*Sir_Brizz* · 17th Sep 2009, 11:02 AM

If you've been on the fence about whether or not to buy Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PC, here is fair warning. The digital download versions of the game have SecuROM with limited activations while the retail game discs do not. What?

Nobody has been able to give me a reasonable explanation as to why they would have done this. If you want to avoid draconian DRM, pick up the game from the store. Can you explain this to me?

The activation limits are somewhat kinder than previous SecuROM titles, with the servers giving you 4 activations per month and a revoke tool, but, really? The Steam version of the game has DOUBLE DRM while the disc version has ZERO DRM...

raziel31 · 17th Sep 2009, 11:10 AM

no words.....

Capt.Toilet · 17th Sep 2009, 11:34 AM

That is kinda bass ackwards.

JaFO · 17th Sep 2009, 11:54 AM

DRM sucks ... simple as that.

SirTahngarth · 17th Sep 2009, 12:14 PM

agreed, but it befuddles the mind why one would put more on the online delivery vs the box in the store... usually, as all the above have noted, it's the other way around.

zynthetic · 17th Sep 2009, 12:33 PM

Maybe someone got the golds mixed up?..

Sk.7 · 17th Sep 2009, 12:49 PM

If they want the pirates to check for a hidden trap then they got it now

Rohit · 17th Sep 2009, 01:08 PM

Just got retail. I still don't see the point of buying digital, especially after this.

elmuerte · 17th Sep 2009, 01:56 PM

of course I'm going to buy a physical copy, I want to buy this game, not rent it for the same price

17th Sep 2009, 02:16 PM

I've more or less stopped buying PC games because of the DRM. That and my PC's a piece of **** and I dont want to bother upgrading it.

FuLLBLeeD · 17th Sep 2009, 02:20 PM

This is pretty stupid. Good thing I got the game for the PS3.

SPIDEYUT2K7 · 17th Sep 2009, 02:28 PM

This is only a challenge for the pirates...

[NBK]Rattman · 17th Sep 2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPIDEYUT2K7

This is only a challenge for the pirates...

Minor challenge at best!

WildFlower · 17th Sep 2009, 04:53 PM

And that's not the only thing that's messed up in respect to at least the Steam version:

They not only force the 'localized' version on you (apparently it's at least uncut), you also have to pay more than if you imported the physical game from overseas (including shipping!).

"Buy this awesome game today! You will get not zero DRM, not one DRM, no... you'll get two DRM on top of it. But that's not all, we'll also automatically ship you the version that you do not want. And all this for the low price of 'even more than you'd payed in a regular store'!"

The "digital download" business model seems to be quite successful if they can pull of something like this.

elmuerte · 17th Sep 2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [NBK]Rattman

Minor challenge at best!

Indeed, considering the D2D version was already available 2 weeks before the release.

{Ogre}Spin · 17th Sep 2009, 06:03 PM

I'm a fan of digital delivery, but the d2d model is nasty, if it's the case that the steam version is also using securom then that's just plain retarded, clearly. The fact that disc copies exist without it is even more insane, I just totally fail to see the logic.

I have high hopes for digital delivery in the future, but at the moment it seems that none of the supply chain benefits are being passed on to the consumer (for top titles at least). B:AA seems like a great game, that uses available tech really well and scales nicely across many systems, however you have to ask yourself how many more copies would sell if it was $10/€10 a time cheaper to download than to buy your nicely packaged copy off amazon.

Phopojijo · 17th Sep 2009, 06:54 PM

Retail Disks apparently contain SecuRom for Disk Check...

... Now -- and this is serious: Does SecuROM get installed into your PC (For Retail Disks)?

It screws up my Camcorder Software (Crash to Desktop and/or failed burns of the end authored Mpeg2 DVD)... so I kinda need to know.

It also tends to bone MagicISO/MagicDisc... but now I burn my ISOs with Windows 7 natively so that shouldn't be a problem... and my camcorder videos are more important anyway.

xMurphyx · 18th Sep 2009, 01:52 AM

Why does the steam version need activations? Shouldn't this be covered with steam?

Grobut · 18th Sep 2009, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xMurphyx

Why does the steam version need activations? Shouldn't this be covered with steam?

I belive that is exactly why we're all going "lol wut!?"

Sometimes you really have to wonder what's going on in their heads, and if they even want us to buy their games, sometimes it just plain looks like they are doing everything in their power to discourage us from buying it, or in this case, from buying it online, the mind does boggle..

*Sir_Brizz* · 18th Sep 2009, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phopojijo

Retail Disks apparently contain SecuRom for Disk Check...

... Now -- and this is serious: Does SecuROM get installed into your PC (For Retail Disks)?

It screws up my Camcorder Software (Crash to Desktop and/or failed burns of the end authored Mpeg2 DVD)... so I kinda need to know.

It also tends to bone MagicISO/MagicDisc... but now I burn my ISOs with Windows 7 natively so that shouldn't be a problem... and my camcorder videos are more important anyway.

It uses SecuROM 7 for the disc check, so probably.

17th Sep 2009, 11:02 AM	#1
Sir_Brizz More Than Just Mad Skill Join Date: Feb. 3rd, 2000 Location: >:3 Posts: 20,514	Batman: Arkham Asylum PC DRM Debacle If you've been on the fence about whether or not to buy Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PC, here is fair warning. The digital download versions of the game have SecuROM with limited activations while the retail game discs do not. What? Nobody has been able to give me a reasonable explanation as to why they would have done this. If you want to avoid draconian DRM, pick up the game from the store. Can you explain this to me? The activation limits are somewhat kinder than previous SecuROM titles, with the servers giving you 4 activations per month and a revoke tool, but, really? The Steam version of the game has DOUBLE DRM while the disc version has ZERO DRM... __________________ U-Engine Games \| Liandri Archives \| FragBU FragBU TeamSpeak: beyondunreal.com Pw: bubu

17th Sep 2009, 11:10 AM	#2
raziel31 Inhuman Join Date: Nov. 25th, 2003 Location: South F. Posts: 837	no words..... __________________ ---------------------------------------------------- Oliver 'Raz' LinkeDin ---------------------------------------------------- --- They spun a web for me ---I've been warned

17th Sep 2009, 11:54 AM	#4
JaFO bugs are features too ... Join Date: Nov. 5th, 2000 Location: Ehv,NB,NL Posts: 5,222	DRM sucks ... simple as that. __________________ Q : Why ask Epic, when we can mutate the hell out of this game ? A : Because we need their help for the low-level stuff like a way to change the voicepacks for characters ... And to everything else "Less Whining, more Fragging and Mutating"

17th Sep 2009, 12:14 PM	#5
SirTahngarth Teammember on UT3JB Bangaa Bishop Join Date: Feb. 21st, 2002 Location: Ivalice Posts: 2,031	agreed, but it befuddles the mind why one would put more on the online delivery vs the box in the store... usually, as all the above have noted, it's the other way around. __________________ ^click here to visit my dragons^ Canya put some bonus points in me drinkin' skill? http://savage2.s2games.com ^ This is a really unique game, get it. avatar (c)square enix

17th Sep 2009, 12:33 PM	#6
zynthetic robot! Join Date: Aug. 12th, 2001 Posts: 2,689	Maybe someone got the golds mixed up?.. __________________

17th Sep 2009, 12:49 PM	#7
Sk.7 Registered User Join Date: Jan. 31st, 2008 Posts: 370	If they want the pirates to check for a hidden trap then they got it now

17th Sep 2009, 01:08 PM	#8
Rohit Registered User Join Date: May. 29th, 2008 Posts: 51	Just got retail. I still don't see the point of buying digital, especially after this.

17th Sep 2009, 01:56 PM	#9
elmuerte Master of Science Join Date: Jan. 25th, 2000 Location: Enschede, the Netherlands Posts: 1,652	of course I'm going to buy a physical copy, I want to buy this game, not rent it for the same price __________________ elmuerte.com - Magicball Network - UnrealWiki - The Unreal Admin page - UT3 WebAdmin Explode Mode! - Idle Ballad - Year of the PS3 - Church of Killzone 2 - Inverse Star - Save Alice & Kev - igndotcom

17th Sep 2009, 02:16 PM	#10
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	I've more or less stopped buying PC games because of the DRM. That and my PC's a piece of **** and I dont want to bother upgrading it.

17th Sep 2009, 02:20 PM	#11
FuLLBLeeD See you space cowboy Join Date: Jan. 23rd, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,426	This is pretty stupid. Good thing I got the game for the PS3. __________________

17th Sep 2009, 02:28 PM	#12
SPIDEYUT2K7 I see a blue screen Join Date: Feb. 22nd, 2008 Location: City of the Polution Posts: 159	This is only a challenge for the pirates... __________________

17th Sep 2009, 04:53 PM	#14
WildFlower Registered User Join Date: Feb. 26th, 2008 Posts: 33	And that's not the only thing that's messed up in respect to at least the Steam version: They not only force the 'localized' version on you (apparently it's at least uncut), you also have to pay more than if you imported the physical game from overseas (including shipping!). "Buy this awesome game today! You will get not zero DRM, not one DRM, no... you'll get two DRM on top of it. But that's not all, we'll also automatically ship you the version that you do not want. And all this for the low price of 'even more than you'd payed in a regular store'!" The "digital download" business model seems to be quite successful if they can pull of something like this. Last edited by WildFlower; 17th Sep 2009 at 04:56 PM.

17th Sep 2009, 06:03 PM	#16
{Ogre}Spin Registered User Join Date: Apr. 24th, 2002 Posts: 80	I'm a fan of digital delivery, but the d2d model is nasty, if it's the case that the steam version is also using securom then that's just plain retarded, clearly. The fact that disc copies exist without it is even more insane, I just totally fail to see the logic. I have high hopes for digital delivery in the future, but at the moment it seems that none of the supply chain benefits are being passed on to the consumer (for top titles at least). B:AA seems like a great game, that uses available tech really well and scales nicely across many systems, however you have to ask yourself how many more copies would sell if it was $10/€10 a time cheaper to download than to buy your nicely packaged copy off amazon. __________________

17th Sep 2009, 06:54 PM	#17
Phopojijo The Green Disease Join Date: Nov. 13th, 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,293	Retail Disks apparently contain SecuRom for Disk Check... ... Now -- and this is serious: Does SecuROM get installed into your PC (For Retail Disks)? It screws up my Camcorder Software (Crash to Desktop and/or failed burns of the end authored Mpeg2 DVD)... so I kinda need to know. It also tends to bone MagicISO/MagicDisc... but now I burn my ISOs with Windows 7 natively so that shouldn't be a problem... and my camcorder videos are more important anyway. __________________ Core i7 920, Foxconn Renaissance mobo, 6GB DDR3, nVidia GTX 260 + GeForce 8800GT on PhysX X-Fi Platinum, Bose QC15 Headphones, Windows 7 Professional Logitech G15, Adesso Cybertablet 12000, LG Wide 20" LCD + LG Wide 22" Glossy Last edited by Phopojijo; 17th Sep 2009 at 06:58 PM.

18th Sep 2009, 01:52 AM	#18
xMurphyx Registered User Join Date: Jun. 2nd, 2008 Posts: 691	Why does the steam version need activations? Shouldn't this be covered with steam? __________________

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