UPDATE: DLC Validation will not require logging into Bioware Social Network every time. Just the first time you use them.
You may or may not appreciate this but in a forum post, Bioware confirmed they will be dropping disc checks for Dragon Age II. The bad news is that you’ll need to connect to the internet after a certain number of days. So you can’t play it offline forever after installing it. This certainly wasn’t the case for Dragon Age which you could play offline with disc checks(if you ignored all the DLC stuff which required logging into the Bioware Social Network). The Steam version will not have any of these DRM shenanigans and will only use Steam as a DRM solution. Detailed info below:
Steam versions use Steam DRM, no other DRM is added.
Non-Steam versions (digital or retail disc) are as follows:
- No disc check, you do not need the disc in drive to play.
- No limit on the total number of PCs you can install and play the game on.
- There is a limit to the number of unique/different PCs that can start/play the game within a time window [5 PCs in 24hrs].
- Each install requires logging in to your EA account to verify game ownership and if you are a member of these forums, you have an EA account.
- You can play offline but the game will require a login check after a select period of days.
Release Control (does not use securom)
. It does not install anything to the PC.
. Sole purpose is to check with a server to validate whether the game release date has passed or not.
. It completely removes itself after the game release date has passed.
. You will not be able to play until that date has passed.
. Dates & times are set to the retail street date per country.
Also a note on DLC's, Fernando Melo(designer) had this to say:
Will DLC validation require a check every time?
We can talk about DLC DRM closer to launch, but no this isn't required. Once validated (one time) you should not need to go online for this.
Source : Bioware forum
Still far tamer than Ubisoft's epic DRM, I am okie with this.
ReplyDeleteYeah, although Bioware were pretty shady about DA's DRM when it was released. Remember the whole disc check thing/offline play. Sure, if you weren't playing any of the DLC content. Problem was, when you started a game with some DLC content in them, you can never play them offline ever again as you CANT load that save game. :s I was kinda pissed off about that.
ReplyDeleteAnd notice how they didn't bring up DLC content for DA2. Will using DA2 DLC content require online login. I think I'll shoot Bioware an email on this.