Following is a statement from Sony regarding the DRM on Warhawk…
Statement
In order to protect our investment in this ground-breaking game and maintain our ability to offer a 24-hour free online gameplay experience, SCE will be utilizing an alternative Digital Rights Management (DRM) policy for the downloadable version of Warhawk. The downloadable version of Warhawk, which will be available from the PLAYSTATION Store on Thursday 30th August, will be directly tied to the registered PLAYSTATION Network (PSN) account that purchased the game. Only that registered PSN account will be authenticated for gameplay. You will still be able to download the game to up to five PS3 systems. However, if a user downloads Warhawk onto a different machine, he / she will only be able to play via the original PSN user account on that machine and could not play on a different machine for 24 hours. This does not affect the Blu-ray Disc version of the game which will be available at retail later in September.
Understandable, considering the ease of being able to transfer and play with the PS3’s HD’s copying and exchanging a DEMO or Full game.
Although undoubtedly many will complain - to that i say ” buy the damned retail version “
Comment by JohnSketch — Aug 29, 2007 @ 10:38 am
well it makes sense
Comment by Syphon — Aug 29, 2007 @ 10:40 am
Get ready to bend over and take it hard.
Comment by sarge mat — Aug 29, 2007 @ 10:41 am
As long as this doesn’t affect my ability to buy and play the game on the 30th on my machine with my PSN account then I’m not bothered.
Comment by DPR — Aug 29, 2007 @ 10:42 am
I do think you lost a sale there.
I have several ‘main’ accounts on my PS3 and not being able to play a game that I’ve bought seems quite silly.
Comment by Joakim Hagdahl — Aug 29, 2007 @ 10:55 am
It should be a double thing, it’s tied to a single PSN account but can be played by anyone on the original PS3 it was downloaded onto. That would be much better.
Comment by Benny — Aug 29, 2007 @ 11:15 am
I think it would make more sense if the download was tied to a single machine rather than one PSN ID. However if you don’t like it you can always buy the Blu-ray version, so I don’t see it as a problem really.
Comment by uberleet — Aug 29, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Makes sense to me.
People who disagree should buy the blu ray version.
Comment by Wotta — Aug 29, 2007 @ 11:27 am
It’s perfectly understandable and reasonable that Sony want to protect their investment in this way. If you’re not going to buy it simply because of this, you’re mad. You could always buy the BD version instead.
Comment by Paranoimia — Aug 29, 2007 @ 11:35 am
I sympathise with the developers and Sony for having to come up with some way to handle this kind of issue. you can’t please everybody.
I’m getting the BluRay version anyway, so my gripe is that the UK BluRay release isn’t until mid-late September. Why isn’t it coming out this week?
Comment by Chappers — Aug 29, 2007 @ 11:51 am
its a fair shout really,otherwise one person would buy th DL and then ’share’ it with his friends…if thats the case sony and icognito would make bugger all…then there would be no warhawk 2!!!
Comment by seedaripper1973 — Aug 29, 2007 @ 11:57 am
I would imagine the bluray version won’t be ready for 2 weeks to allow for production and distribution
The PSN version can obviously just be uploaded as soon as the game has passed testing and so is available almost instantly
They could always delay the release of the PSN version till the bluray version is ready, but then people would be moaning about the delay of the game
damned if you do, damned if you don’t!
Comment by Fid — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
THIS is why people don’t want to pay for downloading TV or games or whatever to their machines. The media companies cripple what you bought to make it less of a value than what you could get in the store for the same price.
Comment by Brian — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
And to most of you who say, “well, you should buy the retail version instead”, you don’t know how many people are ALREADY screwed because they downloaded it. If I was still living with my parents, that would mean only one of my four brothers would get to play, and the rest would have to use his account. BAD MOVE!!! I HATE DRM!!!
Comment by Brian — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
It makes sense that sony would want to protect their investement pluswhen they originally made the deal to finance warhawk i bet they thought that it would be a whole game with single player and multi-player and sold on Blu-Ray. But now its just multi-player and a download they want to make sure they at least get there moneys worth out of it. This is slightly of topic but does any1 know what time Warhawk will be released as i would love for a midnight launch but can’t see it happening to be fair.
Comment by Wraxend — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
Dont see a problem really, can understand why they’ve done it.
Comment by Tom — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:26 pm
If I buy the game, I’ll download it. Starting games from the HD is just way more comfortable than getting your butt off the sofa and to switch discs every now and then.
Buying the BD version is not as simple as a mere alternative, as it’s a different experience compared to the HD version — and therefore almost a different product.
So keep your arrogant comments like “buy the damn retail version if you have a problem” to yourselves, please.
DRM is always a balance of security vs. usability, ie. how to ensure the game is not copied illegally while not spoiling the experience to players. What’s important, is that the user, who bought the game is able to play it as he or she pleases. And ideally the limitations of the HD version should be identical to the BD version.
So what are their differences? What is it I can do with the BD version, but cannot do with the HD version?
A) I can purchase and download it on my PS3 and play it at home. Same thing with a BD version.
B) I can download a copy to my friend’s box, should I spend the weekend at his place. I just need to create my account on his PS3, download the game, and we can play it together. We can NOT, however, play the game simultaneously on both his and my PS3, but that’s the same thing with a BD version.
And if we’re lucky, and the DRM allows sub accounts to play the game, purchased (and maybe also downloaded) by a master account:
C) I can play my game with any of my accounts. If I had any kids, and they had separate account, they would be able to play it on our common PS3. Just like we would with a BD version.
So use case B has a limitation in that I can only download it to myself a 4 other friends. And use-case C I’m not sure about, but could be a big problem to some.
Maybe Sony could clarify on this. (Or maybe I’ve just not understood the concept of sub and master accounts.)
Hopefully they’ll supply patches if they think of something better.
Comment by Zta — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
DRM sucks… if i pay for a game i expect everyone in my household to be able to play it.
It just needs a better copy protection system, why doesn’t it tie itself to the serial no of the PS3 it’s been downloaded on? Too hard? Lazy coders more like it.
Comment by phonicpod — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
“make it less of a value than what you could get in the store for the same price”
Er, but you can’t get it in a store for the same price.
Comment by blip — Aug 29, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Tie the damm game to the hardware, not the PSN handle, i buy a game and expect every profile on my PS3 to play it, just like all other games, downloadable and on Bluray.
Surely this is some sort of contradiction to Exhaustion of Rights.
Comment by Nero3000 — Aug 29, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
I think thats fair. I have no problems with that.
Comment by mark — Aug 29, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Here’s a question for Sony.
a) Why was the network release for Warhawk in Europe delayed 2 days (and the whole thats the day the store gets updated doesn’t wash)
b) Why is it that the game is in stores in the US yet if we want to buy the game in Europe we have to wait till the middle of September that already has HS, Laid and Stranglehold due.
Comment by Alisdair Comb — Aug 29, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
Sony, JUST FIX IT!
I don’t want the ability to have it on more than one PS3, I just want to let any user on my PS3 play the game that I purchased. I’m not sure what is so hard to understand about that.
Forcing every person in a household to buy their own copy of Warhawk is not “protecting your investment,” it’s completely changing the rules that users are use to with hard-copy versions of games, and not even giving them a price cut.
I’m shocked at all the people who are saying this makes sense. I wonder if people are understanding that only a single account can play the game on your own PS3. That is incredibly stupid for an online multiplayer game.
Additionally, I’m incredibly confused why the old DRM wouldn’t have worked perfectly. From what I’ve read, even with the old DRM you wouldn’t be able to play the same copy of a game online in more than one location at a time. If that’s true, there really wouldn’t be a way to give the game to a friend who didn’t want to pay for it, because then I wouldn’t be able to play with him/her online.
And no, I won’t be buying the Blu-Ray version, it’s not worth that amount of money (I already have a BT headset).
Comment by Travis — Aug 29, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
This stupid limitation is another example how retarded the DRM scheme is. It is really shocking how people here just seem to happily accept arrogant limiting of player’s rights by utilizing an overkill DRM solution.
I want to be able to play the game I purchase with any account on my PS3. What’s the problem with that? I want my kids, and anyone who has account on my PS3 to be able play the game using their own account.
This is a huge problem specially as I don’t have an option to buy the BD version as it is not in the stores until mid September.
Comment by Hai — Aug 29, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Stop whinging… wait for the BD if you have a problem….
Comment by MrGilder — Aug 29, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
@Travis:
if you even had two brain cells, you could circumvent your problem easily.
how about making a profile/psnid named “free4all”, make no password and have it free for the entire house. On this profile you could download and play this type of games
you fucking retard
Comment by Whazpoppin? — Aug 29, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
My primary PSN account is a Japanese one since I travel between UK, Japan and Australia quite regularly. I’m presently residing in UK, so I guess my best bet is to hope it’s out in the Japan PSN site this week or just wait for the retail version. My Japanese user is in all my friend’s lists and I don’t want to mess around having them add my otherwise-never-used UK account since with every other game I play I won’t be logged into that user. Note that this is a legitimate necessity for multiple regional accounts since I travel for business. I have valid credit cards associated with each regional account, all issued in the countries in question (just in case Sony is watching).
Comment by zetsurin — Aug 29, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
OH man thats major rubbish!
Why cant you tie it to the CONSOLE not ID.
Now none of my family can play it without coming on my user.. which is pretty gay as they will have my freind list etc :/ and i dont want to buy it 3x
Pretty stupid solution guys. Dissapointed.
I will still buy it… as per usual.. allways dissapointed.
Im fed up of waiting for eveything to do with the ps3 so i wont get the BD version and i dont need anymore headsets.
Please change it.
Comment by Ricky — Aug 29, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
@Whazpoppin: And have your high scores and trophies shared and/or overwritten by someone else? You’re suggesting a lame way to circumvent a half-brained DRM. Doesn’t seem very next-gen to me.
And even if your suggestion would make you happy, don’t expect everyone else to feel the same.
Sony should fix it. Simple as that.
Comment by Zta — Aug 29, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
@Ricky
Totally agree there. In a world where the failure rate of the PS3 is less than one percent, I think it’s indeed perfectly safe and logical to be tieing purchases to specific machines. And in addition to that if someone sells their PS3 they can include the purchased titles as part of the sale since they are linked to the unit. Sony razzed this one up I am afraid, but admittedly I don’t know the big picture and all of the issued they must face with the legal dept that we don’t see.
Of course this solution wouldn’t work with the 360 as each time it overheats and gets replaced you’d need to repurchase everything
Comment by zetsurin — Aug 29, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
In addtion to my comments above, I would suggest that people rather than simply blaiming Sony, have a look at your peers on the internet gamesharing and leaking links to the closed demos via ps3proxy. If they weren’t doing that, then in all likelihood this countermeasure wouldn’t have been necessary. And before you say anything, I saw a lot of requests for gamesharing warhawk just before it came out. If you didn’t see the same, you have either had your heads in sand or you don’t get around much.
In summary: Sony razzed up and so did PS3 owners. You have yourselves to blame in equal measure to how much blame you have for Sony.
Comment by zetsurin — Aug 29, 2007 @ 3:11 pm
I would like the option of a non-bundled headset-less retail version - like the Socom series as I already own a prefectly good headset. Why isn’t that being offered? £25 quid would be a fair price…
As for DRM. That’s not good enough for multiple users on the same system. A fairer method would be to allow up to 5 users on the same system and a demo for those who have yet to download the full product.
Comment by Mick — Aug 29, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
Erm…why was our version delayed then?
Comment by Youlikeyams — Aug 29, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
Understandable My Ass….
If i purchase a game,and my wife wants to play it on the same system it is not possible….
mallware
Comment by Darkie — Aug 29, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
“If i purchase a game,and my wife wants to play it on the same system it is not possible….”
You too should be making whoopee instead you know.
Comment by zetsurin — Aug 29, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
It’s official, SCEA put on a midnight Warhawk launch, amid a fanfare of press interest.
SCEE put on, square root of F-All.
I thought Sony was a global corporation? Why is disparity of service between regions? After 6 months, we STILL have a crappy PSN.
Comment by Mark Gillespie — Aug 30, 2007 @ 12:14 am
So any idea what time we will see this on the PSN?
Comment by MrGilder — Aug 30, 2007 @ 7:56 am
where the hell is warhawk? :’(
Comment by 5lab — Aug 30, 2007 @ 8:32 am
Oh, God knows. I got up early to play it as well. Nevermind, eh?
Comment by James Smythe — Aug 30, 2007 @ 8:56 am
As has been said, Sony needed to do this, because there was widespread discussion of game-sharing before the launch; people were all going to chip in towards the £20, and download it to up to 5 systems. So Sony get one fifth of the revenue, in what amounts to little more than piracy. Then when they don’t make any money, they don’t make any more games. What the hell did you expect? Maybe they could have tied it to the machine and not the ID; maybe they couldn’t. But they’ve decided on the ID method, so deal with it. Either buy the download and stop whining, or wait for the BD version.
And on the subject of the BD version being delayed here - use your heads! There’s a finite number of discs that can be produced, and they’re currently being made available to the US market. In order for us to get it at the same time as the US, they’d have delayed that launch too. We wouldn’t be getting it any earlier.
If you want it NOW, get the download. If you want all users on your machine to be able to play, you’ll need to wait. Simple logistics means you can’t have it both ways. I don’t like it any more than you do, but at least I’m not acting like a spoilt brat about it.
Comment by Paranoimia — Aug 30, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
All i want to know is, if my bro buys it on his PSN account, can i buy it too on my account (same ps3) and be allowed to play under my name?
its a good idea, bit awkward like but life is such heheh
Comment by M.Knowles — Aug 30, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Paranoimia, you seem to have completely missed the point.
If we don’t complain about it, Sony will think everything is okay and use this DRM strategy for future game.
Apparently the consumers did NOT think everything is okay, they’ve spoken up, and now Sony need to stick their heads together and think of a better DRM solution for their next big downloadable game.
At least, that’s what I hope will happen, and why I complain.
Of course Sony should prevent the game from being copied illegally. But *I* don’t copy, and yet *I* can’t share the downloaded game with the other account on my PS3. That’s just poor and unintelligent DRM.
And before start with “..,,wait for teh BD version!!11″, please … just don’t. Read my previous comment above.
Comment by Zta — Aug 31, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Its quality. Two seperate profiles can both buy it! this game rockzorz! Jeez are all of you poor or suttin? its only £20 ffs!
Comment by M.Knowles — Aug 31, 2007 @ 11:49 am
This is a nightmare, I thought my brothers would be able to play it on their (sub) accounts…. no such luck.
I go to work, come back and now when I play I’m in way to advance groups and get killed every 3 seconds. This is rubbish, I understand the thinking, but the original machine it is downloaded to should be able to share between users.
Trying to limit the number of people using it doesn’t make sense on the same machine - We use the same copy of resistance to play on all the accounts, why should this be different?
My brothers chipped in for the PS3 - now we all feel like we have been had. Stuck by Sony, and for what!?
I hope they sort a patch out soon.
Comment by King — Aug 31, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
All Sony DRM Nightmares started with the hiring of Sir Ignuts Howard Stringer and his mongoloid Brother running BMG (complete w/DRM). Kutaragi understood that DRM, Howie wanted was stupid and led to DRM Rootkit fiasco. Stringer being from a spoiled rich environment knows nothing of the hardware Sony makes. He can’t run it without a maid doing it for him. Even putting bread in a toaster is mind boggling for him!
So what does he do? Cancels the worldwide launch of PS3 for DRM. Postpones USA/Japan launch for DRM in BluRay (which still isn’t here in BD+). Puts in Virtualization Layer DRM (IBM says PS3 didn’t need it w/the Cell Security DOD and NSA approved). Next Sir H-bomb totally screws up manufacturing and adds more delays. Patents a DRM technique to lock games to One Console. Halts Kutaragi’s plan to include HOME BREW on pre-installed Linux (due to needless Virtualization Layer Lame Ducking the PS3 Power). So that now we’re paying more for more machine, that simply can never be utilized by it’s owners!
Now the numbnuts in Sony brass are wondering why the PS3 is in last place and will never ever be a PS3-Peat!
When you top all the blunders Sir Numbnuts Stringer is responsible for including the Battery Bomb, killing all the features of PS3, DRM’ing PS3 B3yond it’s Future and his latest push for even more DRM, when the world at large is realizing just how lame DRM is for actually increasing sales and making money. Maybe then you start to realize that Sir Stringer’s DRM is Dreamcasting the PS3!
Comment by MoNaRky — Sep 1, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
How on earth can you boast 24 hour game play when its imposoble to sighn in im sick v seeing network timeouttttttttttt
Comment by rick — Sep 6, 2007 @ 11:36 am
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