Need Help (PC Gamers and Gamers in General)

[Calis]

Coming to FOFC to help me out here. I'm mere weeks away from finishing up my degree and am in the process of writing a research paper to finish up. I am detailing the current state of piracy in gaming today, and the use of DRM to combat it, and possible alternative revenue such as in-game advertising.

Anyway, I need all gamers(Specifically PC gamers but all will help out) to take this survey I threw together for my primary research.

Survey (http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228K9L6GXA8)

It's less than 20 questions and should only take 5 minutes or so to finish and I'd greatly appreciate it. If you know anyone else you could send it to as well that'd be awesome. It's pretty standard questions, but hey I'm burnt out on school and busy at work so I'm just trying to finish. :)

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time. (I know we have some people here that have some DRM-rage! Now is the time to vent!)

[DaddyTorgo]

done

[Honolulu_Blue]

done

[Draft Dodger]

this DRM-rager filled it out

[Tasan]

done

[Big Fo]

I took the survey. Although I don't think DRM really helps prevent piracy (even with more infamous DRM schemes like the one with the PC version of Bioshock I think it only delayed things a week or so) it doesn't prevent me from buying games either.

[Greyroofoo]

dun

[Antmeister]

Interesting survey. Done.

[sabotai]

done

[JetsIn06]

done

[cubboyroy1826]

Done

[Eaglesfan27]

Done.

[Drake]

I liked the question about the No-CD crack. I've downloaded No-CD cracks for every game I've ever owned (whether purchased or otherwise). I shouldn't have to carry a crate full of CD's around just to play a game already installed on my laptop.

[Scoobz0202]

done.

[NoSkillz]

snet

[cartman]

Right after I finished the survey, there was a knock at my door and black helicopters circling overhead. Coincidence? I think not! :D

[Izulde]

I tried checking the boxes for systems played on and it gave me page not found errors.

[JonInMiddleGA]

done

[Draft Dodger]

I liked the question about the No-CD crack. I've downloaded No-CD cracks for every game I've ever owned (whether purchased or otherwise). I shouldn't have to carry a crate full of CD's around just to play a game already installed on my laptop.

me too. I won't play a game if there isn't a no-CD patch. I bought NWN2 and it immediately went on my shelf when I found out there wasn't a no-CD patch available.

I don't really mind having to activate a game - I have BioShock, I have some Steam titles. As long as it allows me to play without a CD, I'm cool with it.

[FBPro]

Done

[Icy]

done

[Drake]

me too. I won't play a game if there isn't a no-CD patch. I bought NWN2 and it immediately went on my shelf when I found out there wasn't a no-CD patch available.

I don't really mind having to activate a game - I have BioShock, I have some Steam titles. As long as it allows me to play without a CD, I'm cool with it.

Agreed. And the only reason I tolerate Steam is because I can run it in offline mode. If they'd left that feature out and I had to reconnect every time I wanted to play a game I'd purchased, that would have been a non-starter.

[Calis]

Izulde, not sure what the deal was there, you might try it again later. I think that Zoomerang site is usually pretty stable, but if anyone else has problems let me know and I'll send them a question about.

I will try and post up the results I get from this survey on here when I'm done so people can take a look at it.

I'm pretty big on DRM being more annoying than helpful in a lot of instances so I'm a bit biased in this poll, but I think the data is agreeing with me so far. :)

Thanks for taking it everyone, and keep 'em coming. I'll have it up through the weekend at least.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm pretty big on DRM being more annoying than helpful in a lot of instances so I'm a bit biased in this poll, but I think the data is agreeing with me so far. :)

Danger Will Robinson Danger

Be wary of broad interpretation of data from a limited subset of respondents, doubly so when the respondents are from a group that you're a member of.

[chesapeake]

Done. Billboard is misspelled in question 17.

Jon's point is very important. Since you have an opinion on the issue you are writing about -- and you acknowledge that you do -- be severely critical of your own viewpoint. Poke into every hole you can find. A good professor will crush you like a grape if you are not very careful.

[Calis]

Danger Will Robinson Danger

Be wary of broad interpretation of data from a limited subset of respondents, doubly so when the respondents are from a group that you're a member of.

Definitely. I should add my comment was tongue in cheek, I'm actually steering the paper now to be more of two opposing options to combating piracy rather than an attack on DRM and validation of advertising and other revenue streams.

I am extensively listing the weaknesses of my surveying in my paper, for various reason, the height of which is the places I posted looking for respondents are here and a couple other sites dedicated to PC Gaming of one sort or another, and this attracts pretty "hardcore" gamers. I think more casual gamers are less inclined to even notice DRM let alone have an opinion on it.

The paper is definitely shifting focus based on the results, and after receiving some more info I'm now not sure what shape it is in at all. Unfortunately I'm in an accelerated course so this is moving quickly. I need to have my first draft ready to go quickly, so I don't have a lot of wiggle room in adjusting my topic.

[path12]

done

[Sgran]

I finished the survey.

Can someone now tell me what DRM is?

[Cork]

Done.

-Cork

[Dutch]

Done.

[cartman]

Can someone now tell me what DRM is?

Here ya go:

Digital rights management - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management)

[Sweed]

Quick and painless.

[nilodor]

You should take a look at what stardock has done as far as DRM is concerned, i'm pretty sure they don't have any, other than entering a product code into their download manager, but once you have the program downloaded you could install it on any machine you want.

[Buccaneer]

Completed. I'm the one that put the main reason for piracy as "entitlement".

[Calis]

Completed. I'm the one that put the main reason for piracy as "entitlement".

That's actually been a response a few times. That question so far has a little over 25% responding other and inputting a reason, so that's unexpected. Ease of Piracy tops the other lists, but there's a few entitlements as well(variations of entitlement as well that are bit a bit more crude). Think I probably should have added a few more options to that question.



nilodor- Thanks. Stardock is definitely a company I will be using as an example in my paper. They are the leading company I can think of that are anti-DRM and seem to be doing very well, and the whole Gamer Bill of Rights is interesting. They're really pushing being the company that is looking out for the gamer rather than pirates, and I think they get a large amount of loyalty that way. They're an interesting case.

Another guy that is on the more indie-side but had some interesting thoughts is Cliff Harris of Positech games. HERE (http://www.positech.co.uk/talkingtopirates.html) is a post he put up after asking why people pirated his game.