Petition: John Tiller - Remove DRM Kharkov 43

Assault · (This post was last modified: 12-04-2010, 04:25 AM by Assault.)

Dear Mr. Tiller,

I have been a fan of your games since the Talonsoft days and own more than 30 games you have authored. I wouldn't know how to begin mentioning the countless hours I have spent playing these games and the joy they bring. I know that there are many others who like me, enjoy the work you produce. We check the HPS website, The Blitz and other sites on a daily basis for information on new releases, patches, discussions. We play against opponents who challenge us and test our skills. We read up on the historical accounts of the military struggles.

As a software engineer, I know that one of the greatest threats to our livelihood is piracy. But many, if not most of us, are legitimate customers who value the work that goes into producing these games and would not ever think about distributing these games illegally or illegitimately.

It is my belief though that unlike many of today's games, military games like the ones you create fall into a very exclusive niche that only individuals with specific interest in military history delve into. Most people in the population are just not up to putting the effort into learning the 100+ pages found in the Panzer Campaigns manuals, much less go through the trouble of copying such a game. Which means that the threat of piracy is really not that great: It takes a certain type of intelligent individual to appreciate and carry out the amount of mental activity that goes into developing a military strategy to play these games, which is totally unlike a "fast-shooter" where shooting is all that is required.

Please reconsider the inclusion of Digital Rights Management in your games. Don't push honest and loyal customers away because of the threat of piracy.

cmurphy625 · 12-04-2010, 04:39 AM,

good post +1

<sniff sniff> it's such a sad day :-(

Philippe · 12-04-2010, 04:56 AM,

The sales that are being lost to piracy never would have happened anyway, but the sales that will be lost to controversy over the new delivery method will come directly from the core customer base.

Even if there's back-pedalling on this issue, the damage to customer confidence has been done.

Never let your brother-in-law write the business plan on the cheap.

bwv · (This post was last modified: 12-04-2010, 11:50 PM by bwv.)

I appreciate the quick response to the multiple install issue and am OK with the DRM now

Jazman · (This post was last modified: 12-04-2010, 06:26 AM by Jazman.)

Consider me signed on to this petition.

-72- · (This post was last modified: 12-04-2010, 06:31 AM by -72-.)

Leave me off your "petition".

As I understand it - it involves activation, deactivation -the exact same thing that Adobe uses -as well as other companies -not exactly new stuff.... you want to travel -deactivate it on your desktop, install it and activate it on your laptop. Without seeing it, maybe it is possible to have it installed on more than one machine -but only able to play the activated copy. Big deal.

Peer to Peer file sharing pretty much invented the concept of DRM.

Dirk Gross · (This post was last modified: 12-04-2010, 02:41 PM by Dirk Gross.)

Yeah, it can be a big deal. I currently have about 50 HPS titles installed on my computer, and probably a dozen or so on my laptop for when I'm away on business. Deleting one game and patching it up may only take ten minutes or so. After more titles are released, it would take hours to move a dozen games over and patch them. And it's needless. I also have more than a dozen downloaded Matrix games that use a key that allows installs on both my desktop and laptop. Somehow Matrix Games survive with a key without the "phone home" DRM.

Sign me up for the petition. I own all the titles of all the series (except the naval ones), but it ends here until the key system is made similar to the Matrix Games system.

The SNAFU · 12-05-2010, 12:15 AM,

I'd like to see a CD purchase option for a reasonable additional cost or short of that the ability to simply install the games on as many pc's as I want without deleting them first.

Havoc · 12-05-2010, 12:17 AM,

NWS online gameshop at yahoo stores has HPS CD games (while they last) at reasonable prices.

http://yhst-12000246778232.stores.yahoo....games.html

They sale for around $30. Last night I purchased four games that I've been hesitating over when I heard about the DRM hoopla. Shipping was $12.00.

Havoc

Assault · (This post was last modified: 12-05-2010, 01:31 AM by Assault.)

(12-05-2010, 12:17 AM)Havoc Wrote: NWS online gameshop at yahoo stores has HPS CD games (while they last) at reasonable prices.

http://yhst-12000246778232.stores.yahoo....games.html

They sale for around $30. Last night I purchased four games that I've been hesitating over when I heard about the DRM hoopla. Shipping was $12.00.

Havoc

That's what Im doing too. Im buying all the games I can from NWS. I will never have to worry about Tiller calling it quits, him killing the DRM server and me being stuck with some game I cant even install.