Capcom has stepped forward and apologized to customers who purchased the downloadable game, Final Fight: Double Impact, on the Sony PlayStation 3. The game studio stated that they should have been up front regarding the game's always-on DRM.
Capcom had to respond to several reported issues related to the game DRM. The game won't play if an Internet connection isn't found and a specific instance of the game can only be played by one PSN account every 24 hours. For households that use more than one PSN account, this results in a big problem.
The game requires PS3 gamers to always be logged into the PlayStation Network under the account that purchased the title, which Capcom believes will prevent gamers from abusing the "PSN Sharing" feature. If you've got more than one PS3 in your household that you want to share the game with, you'll have to purchase a new copy for each system.
The company issued a public apology over the inadequate communication and stated that the notification is normally found when gamers first connect to PSN. "The DRM requirements for Final Fight: Double Impact are not unique to this release," Capcom noted in a statement. "This protection mechanism has been implemented in numerous games offered on the PlayStation before."
Essentially, Capcom is sorry that it didn't clearly warn gamers that DRM was used, not that it used the DRM. There is no indication that they plan to stop using this DRM.
The latest Capcom game title is available via the PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service.
Gamers have been hesitant to embrace DRM, as it usually provides legitimate customers with problems while pirates find a way to circumvent it. Take for example, Ubisoft's always on DRM, which rendered gaming impossible for legitimate customers one weekend. Later on, the DRM was supposedly permanently cracked by SkidRow hackers.
Video game studios view DRM as a method to curb piracy, especially when it comes to multiplayer gaming, but it is ineffective the majority of the time, as hackers find methods to crack the protections. Gamers can expect to see the use of DRM continue to expand in the future, though some game studios are trying to ensure their copyright protection isn't overly intrusive.
