No Funky DRM For Fallout 3

Unlike recent blockbusters from Electronic Arts and Take Two, Bethesda's upcoming Fallout 3 will have no install limits and will use a simple Oblivion-style disc check for copy protection.

Bethesda's Pete Hines told Shacknews that piracy is a "huge problem," but that the company also considers it a priority to ensure it doesn't ruin the experience for people who buy legitimate copies. "We're pretty mild about how we do it, and we try to do it in a way that prevents folks from exploiting and distributing our games that we worked very hard on, and that we feel we have a right to try and sell and not have distributed for free without our okay," he said. "It's very important for us not to ruin the experience for the person who did buy a copy, so we try to be very careful."

That means no SecuROM, and no limit on the number of times the game can be installed. "We do the mildest form possible. I actually don't know if I even want to get into what it is that we exactly do, but we try to be really non-invasive when it comes to that stuff," he said. "And it is a pain in the ass - it is a pain in the ass that we have to do it at all in the first place. But when you spend tens of millions of dollars, we don't think it's right to just put something out there and let everybody do whatever they want and pass it around."

Hines pointed to Steam as a possible "good solution" for combating piracy, saying that while the system was flawed when it first came out, it has since developed into a smooth-running and widely accepted method of copy protection. Bethesda is considering multiple digital distribution options, he said, but maintained that the company is committed to not hassling its customers. "We always talk about it in our games, about wanting to avoid the negative," he said. "We want to remove anything that is a hindrance or an annoyance to the player, we're trying to just get to the game and have fun. The interface, or whatever it is... Or the DRM, and making sure that we're trying to protect something that we spent a lot of money developing, but not prohibiting somebody who bought a legitimate copy from getting into the game and having fun right away."

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Good news with a DRM subject, it exists!

Well then, Bethesda have just got themselves an extra fan.

Pretty good news I say!
I did hate those install limits!

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo full of win.

I like the idea of a 'Steam' release. We can all get pissed about these darn protections and how they piss us off with limited number of installs and the like, but if people actually BOUGHT the darn games then we wouldn't have these issues.

On topic: Good for you Bethesda! I like the cut of your jib.

I'm a Fallout fan Through and Through, so this is great news, i wonder if there will be many mods for the PC version.

It's a sad day when "We won't rape you financially!" is news.

If this is avaiable on steam I will definately download it. I loved the old fallout and have no issues with steam what-so-ever.

Yes it sucks when your internet is down, and you can't play anything. But thats what you have a consul for surely...

I wonder how much less piracy there is on console-only releases vs. PC. I have to imagine it's a much bigger pain to try and pirate something on a console. My only complaint about Steam is that it feels sluggish. However, I get a good portion of my PC titles thru there now.

I love this company. Their decent treatment of their fans, for me, is another reason to buy their games.

Their games are good too, of course.

Epic win.

sirdanrhodes:
Epic win.

Epic Win is correct. Not that this will affect me in any way as my computer is better used as a footrest than a gaming machine. But it's nice to see a company thinking about their fans, not just their wallets for once.

Ah, good, i needed something to put on my "to buy" list for next year after several major titles were infected by securom rootkits.

You've had no idea how many times I've had to re-install Oblivion - I was so happy that Bethsoft didn't have DRM on it.

I was also scared they would let me down this time, after hearing about no construction set and ignoring the fanbase - I thought they may kick me in the nuts even harder.

Good job, Take Two.

Its great to see a company with so much love for their games taking care of probably the best game world I've seen in a computer game.

I still crank up Fallout 1 & 2.
When I'm old and wrinkly I'll probably be going back to Fallout 3, too :)

Bravo, Bethesda, Bravo.

*Does a dance on his desk*

If I could afford to, I'd buy ten legitimate copies, just to say "thanks for not being douches"

It's good go see that Bethesda is getting the idea of what we, as gamers, want. It's one thing for Stardock to go with no or little DRM, that's kind of their thing. But Bethesda is a larger, more mainstream game publisher. Seeing that they get the idea gives me some hope for the industry in the long term.

I'm just glad there is at least one game coming out that I can buy, because EA games are currently off my list.

Reading the headline for the article, "No Funky DRM..." left me imagining the possibilities if DRM was made "funky". I'd imagine that it would take the form of enforcement presented on my screen by a very stern "Disco Stu" from The Simpsons.

"Disco Stu says: 3 installs for you"

mrakk:
Reading the headline for the article, "No Funky DRM..." left me imagining the possibilities if DRM was made "funky". I'd imagine that it would take the form of enforcement presented on my screen by a very stern "Disco Stu" from The Simpsons.

"Disco Stu says: 3 installs for you"

Welcome to the Escapist! Good to see someone debut with a bang, that post cracked me up.

On-topic: I have never had a problem with very basic copy protection (disc-check, authentication for a multiplayer online game, that sort of thing.) It's when companies go gung-ho with it *cough*EA*cough* that they lose my business.

Even SecuROM gets a worse rap than it deserves because it's designed as a cafeteria-plan DRM system. But for every company that only uses SecuROM's basic features like disc-checking (Bethsoft on Shivering Isles, 2K on Civ4Col), there's a company like EA that tops its games with restrictions like toppings on a Chicago-style hot dog.

fix-the-spade:
Well then, Bethesda have just got themselves an extra fan.

Likewise.

heh, I'm buying Fallout 3.

Simply not using invasive DRM schemes deserves a purchase. Plus I think the game itself deserves a purchase.

I'm probably going to buy Oblivion just because of this.

snowplow:
heh, I'm buying Fallout 3.

Simply not using invasive DRM schemes deserves a purchase. Plus I think the game itself deserves a purchase.

Here here. It was kind of a mandatory purchase for me anyway since I pray daily at the alter of Fallout, but god damn, they just got a gold star in my book for this.

Who'd of thought that being anti-DRM would be the greatest marketing strategy possible?

I was going to wait for the price to go down before even thought about getting this. But now that I've heard this I think I'll grab it early, just as a show of support. Maybe I'll buy it twice.

Bethesda, you have won at the internet.

I sincerly hope all the pirates out there decied to buy the game as a show of their appreciation.

Bethesda, consider this another copy sold.

ooooh exploding head