5 ms·

If DRM lasts a week then it will have done it's job. The people willing to wait longer than that are probably never going to pay for the game regardless, so it

If DRM lasts a week then it will have done it's job. The people willing to wait longer than that are probably never going to pay for the game regardless, so it doesn’t matter if they pirate it.

loeg 6y ago
I don't know your social circle, but I have a lot of friends that will wait a year or two for titles to go on Steam sales for 40%+ off launch day pricing. You're oversimplifying the revenue model of AAA games.
- recursive 6y ago
  Is the behavior of those friends at all affected by DRM? If not, then they're not the targets.
- nemothekid 6y ago
  The people who wait a year to buy a game with 40% off launch day pricing make no where near the majority of revenue for publishers. Most of the revenue for a single player game, like RDR, is made in the first couple weeks and tapers off. By the next year the sister studio is releasing the sequel to the game.
  - crtasm 6y ago
    RDR2 has an online mode with micro transactions. They'll be aiming to milk it for years like they have with GTA5.
- s1artibartfast 6y ago
  Red Dead Redemption has sold 32 Million Copies to date.[1] 10 Million of these were in the first three days of release.[2] 17 Million were in the first 12 days of release. [1] https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-08-03-take-two-ceo-its-a-matter-of-time-before-the-business-is-entirely-digital https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-08-03-take-two-c... [2] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/putting-red-dead-redemption-2s-23-million-shipments-in-context/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/putting-red-dead-rede...
  - AnthonyMouse 6y ago
    You're assuming the people who buy it in the first two weeks are the same people as the people who pirate it. When the people who pirate it are mostly the people who can't afford to pay for it, they weren't going to buy it under any circumstances and how long it takes to break the DRM only determines how long they have to wait before they pirate it.
    - s1artibartfast 6y ago
      Im not making any assumptions about that. The parent implied that that AAA revenue models didn’t have most sales up front (or at least that’s how I read it). I have no clue if most pirates could afford it or not
      - AnthonyMouse 6y ago
        The point is that we're not talking about the up front sales, because those are the people who can afford it, not the people who pirate it because they can't. They eventually mark the games down by 40+% because they know there are people who don't buy them because they can't afford them. They're after the people who would be pirates (or just not have the game at all) at the original price, and they do it because those people exist. But the DRM can't do anything about those sales when it's broken by the time the price is reduced, and it can't do anything about the people who pirate the game because they can't afford even that price.
        s1artibartfast 6y ago
        I guess I'm not sure if we in disagreement or not, or which part of what I said you are objecting to. If you are only saying that some pirates would never buy the game, or that DRM also saves money later in the game lifecycle, I totally agree. If you are claiming that all or most pirates cant afford the game, or that people who afford it wouldn't download a crack instead, I disagree. My position is that DRM save companies a tremendous amount of money, mostly in the post release period, but also later. I think that many, people who bought the game would pirate instead if the crack existed and was easily accessible. I am saying that most sales occur early in the lifestyle when DRM is generally more effective. Do you agree? >DRM can't do anything about those sales when it's broken by the time the price is reduced, and it can't do anything about the people who pirate the game because they can't afford even that price. I agree that DRM cant make a broke person buy the game or stop a dedicated pirate after it is cracked.

If DRM lasts a week then it will have done it's job. The people willing to wait longer than that are probably never going to pay for the game regardless, so it doesn’t matter if they pirate it.

loeg 6y ago

I don't know your social circle, but I have a lot of friends that will wait a year or two for titles to go on Steam sales for 40%+ off launch day pricing. You're oversimplifying the revenue model of AAA games.

recursive 6y ago
Is the behavior of those friends at all affected by DRM? If not, then they're not the targets.
nemothekid 6y ago
The people who wait a year to buy a game with 40% off launch day pricing make no where near the majority of revenue for publishers. Most of the revenue for a single player game, like RDR, is made in the first couple weeks and tapers off. By the next year the sister studio is releasing the sequel to the game.
- crtasm 6y ago
  RDR2 has an online mode with micro transactions. They'll be aiming to milk it for years like they have with GTA5.
s1artibartfast 6y ago
Red Dead Redemption has sold 32 Million Copies to date.[1] 10 Million of these were in the first three days of release.[2] 17 Million were in the first 12 days of release. [1] https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-08-03-take-two-ceo-its-a-matter-of-time-before-the-business-is-entirely-digital https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-08-03-take-two-c... [2] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/putting-red-dead-redemption-2s-23-million-shipments-in-context/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/putting-red-dead-rede...
- AnthonyMouse 6y ago
  You're assuming the people who buy it in the first two weeks are the same people as the people who pirate it. When the people who pirate it are mostly the people who can't afford to pay for it, they weren't going to buy it under any circumstances and how long it takes to break the DRM only determines how long they have to wait before they pirate it.
  - s1artibartfast 6y ago
    Im not making any assumptions about that. The parent implied that that AAA revenue models didn’t have most sales up front (or at least that’s how I read it). I have no clue if most pirates could afford it or not
    - AnthonyMouse 6y ago
      The point is that we're not talking about the up front sales, because those are the people who can afford it, not the people who pirate it because they can't. They eventually mark the games down by 40+% because they know there are people who don't buy them because they can't afford them. They're after the people who would be pirates (or just not have the game at all) at the original price, and they do it because those people exist. But the DRM can't do anything about those sales when it's broken by the time the price is reduced, and it can't do anything about the people who pirate the game because they can't afford even that price.
      - s1artibartfast 6y ago
        I guess I'm not sure if we in disagreement or not, or which part of what I said you are objecting to. If you are only saying that some pirates would never buy the game, or that DRM also saves money later in the game lifecycle, I totally agree. If you are claiming that all or most pirates cant afford the game, or that people who afford it wouldn't download a crack instead, I disagree. My position is that DRM save companies a tremendous amount of money, mostly in the post release period, but also later. I think that many, people who bought the game would pirate instead if the crack existed and was easily accessible. I am saying that most sales occur early in the lifestyle when DRM is generally more effective. Do you agree? >DRM can't do anything about those sales when it's broken by the time the price is reduced, and it can't do anything about the people who pirate the game because they can't afford even that price. I agree that DRM cant make a broke person buy the game or stop a dedicated pirate after it is cracked.