4 ms·

> DRM isn't a stupid idea Let's add DRM to our product. It will stop the pirates and our customers will love it. - Said no one ever.

derefr 14y ago
Here's a more realistic thing some game publisher (or movie publisher, or music publisher) might have actually said at some point, though: > Our market is composed 90% of selfish, penniless teenagers who will pirate everything they possibly can if there is any option of it, but who are also extremely impatient, and must be the first to own everything so they can talk about consuming it with their friends who are also consuming it. > If we add DRM, we will create a ~2 week window where the only way to get our product is legitimately. With the social pressure from their friends to consume our product mounting, the selfish, penniless teenagers will be forced to either get part-time jobs, or coerce their parents into buying the [product] for them, because the primary option is temporarily unavailable. > So, let's add DRM to our product. It will stop the pirates [for just long enough for us to turn a profit, which we can then use to do things that] our customers will love [us for]. Of course, this block of selfish-but-penniless-fad-following-teenagers just define the power-law "fat head" of most media companies' profitability, not the entirety of the curve. After that block has settled out (the fad has passed; everyone who was going to either purchase or pirate to join in on the fad has already made their choice), every additional day where DRM is kept on the product is just money-grubbing corporate self-interest. :)
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- rayiner 14y ago
  Spot on, though these days the teenage years extend past 25 for many...
- TheAnimus 14y ago
  People do appear to completely forget why companies are atracted to DRM. But yet smaller companies can sometimes find themselves in the situation of having the vast, vast majority of their user base as pirates. http://smellslikedonkey.com/wordpress/?page_id=274 http://smellslikedonkey.com/wordpress/?page_id=274 What I found most interesting about their situation was the conversion rate, we hear the cry all the time of I'm just traiing it, if I like it, I'll buy it well they had a 0% conversion rate, despite good reviews and the pirates playing the game for many hours, to get the high scores. One would assume they enjoyed it right?
Torn 14y ago
I take it you've not been following EA's business decisions?

derefr 14y ago

Here's a more realistic thing some game publisher (or movie publisher, or music publisher) might have actually said at some point, though: > Our market is composed 90% of selfish, penniless teenagers who will pirate everything they possibly can if there is any option of it, but who are also extremely impatient, and must be the first to own everything so they can talk about consuming it with their friends who are also consuming it. > If we add DRM, we will create a ~2 week window where the only way to get our product is legitimately. With the social pressure from their friends to consume our product mounting, the selfish, penniless teenagers will be forced to either get part-time jobs, or coerce their parents into buying the [product] for them, because the primary option is temporarily unavailable. > So, let's add DRM to our product. It will stop the pirates [for just long enough for us to turn a profit, which we can then use to do things that] our customers will love [us for]. Of course, this block of selfish-but-penniless-fad-following-teenagers just define the power-law "fat head" of most media companies' profitability, not the entirety of the curve. After that block has settled out (the fad has passed; everyone who was going to either purchase or pirate to join in on the fad has already made their choice), every additional day where DRM is kept on the product is just money-grubbing corporate self-interest. :)

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
rayiner 14y ago
Spot on, though these days the teenage years extend past 25 for many...
TheAnimus 14y ago
People do appear to completely forget why companies are atracted to DRM. But yet smaller companies can sometimes find themselves in the situation of having the vast, vast majority of their user base as pirates. http://smellslikedonkey.com/wordpress/?page_id=274 http://smellslikedonkey.com/wordpress/?page_id=274 What I found most interesting about their situation was the conversion rate, we hear the cry all the time of I'm just traiing it, if I like it, I'll buy it well they had a 0% conversion rate, despite good reviews and the pirates playing the game for many hours, to get the high scores. One would assume they enjoyed it right?

Torn 14y ago

I take it you've not been following EA's business decisions?