Audio Damage removed their DRM

[electro]

For me, Steam's DRM is the worst kind of DRM. I buy games from them too, but only at their extremely discounted price. Steam can take your account and your games anytime they deem it appropriate.

DRM for plugins, so long as they are serial number based, I feel okay with. I understand that they're not the most secure, but they're the least intrusive to the customer... the paying customer, and will work even if a company closes it's doors (even if those are virtual, digital domain based doors).

I remember a particular guy got his account closed just because he was criticizing Steam on their forum. Steam closed his account with several thousand dollars worth of games. Of course they backpedaled and made up some bullshit excuse when this caused a public outrage and got out in the gaming media.

Now there's fortunately also GOG that has great service and offers everything DRM-free and in easily back-upable format. I have so long backlog there now that I will never be buying another game on Steam probably ever as I do not have so much time for gaming anyway these days.

Unbelievable. What's even more unbelievable is how many end users will blindly capitulate to DRM and cannot see the potential for this kind of totalitarian despotism. I do not see anything wrong with Serial number copy protection and don't consider it to be a form of DRM.

[osiris]

I got Dr. Device on the sale. It's like getting Dubstation crossed with a filter. A really, GOOD filter.
Thanks, AD..

[Frantz]

Now, which one of their plugins should I buy next, just to reward them for their wisdom...

My top 3 picks:

1. Dr. Device - Delay with resonant filter in the feedback path including distortion and bit crusher effects. Instead of LFOs, bouncing pucks do the modulation. It has a unique lo-fi sound that I like.

2. Filter Station - It's like a simplified version of The Drop. Why would anyone want this when The Drop is so accurately modeled? It uses almost no CPU, it's very easy to use, and it sounds pretty good.

Thanks for the tips!
But I think I've got those things covered already. (I have: Timeless 2, RP Delay, Permut8, Ohmboyz, Volcano 2, Etch, Quad Frohmage)

I have Timeless2. I like it. It has a lot of useful presets but I don't see it as a replacement for Dr. Device. I think Timeless2 has a clean, digital sound.

Dr. Device with its bit crusher, distortion and multiple filter models (especially one of the Band Pass filters) can sound more like a lo-fi guitar distortion pedal. Plus it has delay. I am not sure if any of the other plugins you listed could replace it.

[Jace-BeOS]

...I remember a particular guy got his account closed just because he was criticizing Steam on their forum. Steam closed his account with several thousand dollars worth of games. Of course they backpedaled and made up some bullshit excuse when this caused a public outrage and got out in the gaming media.

Can you share any specific links on that story? i'm curious to read about it. i know companies can be brutally selfishly evil, but i also know that things can be misconstrued and forum people can do stupid shit to users, even if the company doesn't actually instruct them to. It could be all manner of things, but i don't know this story specifically.

[robotmonkey]

...I remember a particular guy got his account closed just because he was criticizing Steam on their forum. Steam closed his account with several thousand dollars worth of games. Of course they backpedaled and made up some bullshit excuse when this caused a public outrage and got out in the gaming media.

Can you share any specific links on that story? i'm curious to read about it. i know companies can be brutally selfishly evil, but i also know that things can be misconstrued and forum people can do stupid shit to users, even if the company doesn't actually instruct them to. It could be all manner of things, but i don't know this story specifically.

Well, I'm too lazy to do a thorough search so could not find the particular story I was thinking of but there are plenty of others I have seen.
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/03/s ... -in-games/

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/ ... eam+banned

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/ ... xplanation

The simple fact remains that any DRM that does this is fundamentally hostile to customers and should be banned. Basically that kind of DRM should be prohibited by law. It's quite despicable that they can just close your account on some bs reason and take away all the stuff you have paid for.

Unfortunately PACE has been doing the similar thing with iLok recently.

This is the reason I will never buy a piece of software that allows this. Or even if I do, I always make sure there are countermeasures available.

[Jace-BeOS]

Fully agreed on laws against that kind of behavior! Government isn't doing its job. It's just doing what corporations tell it to do. But that's another topic entirely.

[codec_spurt]

What kind of bug was being caused by serial # protection? I never had a problem with it, but appreciate protection free products anyway.

Examples of draconian DRM are those Steam Powered Videogames and what IK Multimedia is doing with Customshop. That kind of harassment has no place is a professional DAW environment.

I take it you are not trolling. But what the hey, if you are, have a bit of this too:

There was no bug, it was just causing shit on numerous systems. It was more trouble than it was worth. Better be done with it. People will use cracks if they can anyway. Funnily enough, not all the AD stuff has been cracked, so that goes a long way to understanding the logic of their decision.


It's just easier this way. You still need a valid download link. I'm sure they have other metrics for finding out who is a naughty boy or not. Or maybe not.

Think of the future, every time they create a new plugin they have to do copyright protection for it.

I didn't explain this very well. In fact, I just realised, I don't know why they are doing it. Or what the f**k I am talking about.

Don't listen to me..

[mcnelson]

The simple fact remains that any DRM that does this is fundamentally hostile to customers and should be banned. Basically that kind of DRM should be prohibited by law. It's quite despicable that they can just close your account on some bs reason and take away all the stuff you have paid for.

Yet we all agree to it when we accept the EULA.

Not trollin, just sayin. We can't complain if we don't read the small print.

[Jace-BeOS]

Sure we can because it's not offered up front before sale.

[Gamma-UT]

Sure we can because it's not offered up front before sale.

I've not used Steam but I'd be surprised if the small print wasn't offered up at the point you sign up for an account. You have to agree to the iTunes T&Cs when signing up there, for example.

In any case, if the terms are unfair – and blocking an entire account for unstipulated reasons or for something minor, such as the $5 chargeback that wasn't really a chargeback in one of those RPS threads - then it's probably going to get challenged as EULAs don't trump national laws.

I noticed that several of these problems were for users in Russia – I'm going to take a guess that consumer protection laws are weaker there than, say, the US. However, that chargeback one was for a guy in Australia. I think he had a clear case of overreach by Valve there.

[Jace-BeOS]

Law challenging EULAs? Surely you jest. In the USA, laws have been made to strengthen the standing of EULAs. We are owned by capitalist interest (the big guys, not the little guys). While the USA once may have had a great reputation for consumer rights, the EU and other places have far surpassed the USA and the USA has severely faltered and fallen.

Yes, there is a sign up "contract" you agree to on Steam (it's not a contract; they owe you nothing). It's another reason I only buy deeply discounted stuff there. Over time, I might find I've spent $100 there, but that'll take a while still. But everything else... When is the last time you saw an EULA prior to purchase? Demos maybe. But no one reads them, otherwise surely more people wouldn't "sign" away their basic rights in the seller-buyer relationship. Right?

Sadly, I think most people would. They assume no harm will come to them and that there's nothing they can do. They're right about the second, but the first is an eventuality (keep being a repeat customer and they'll screw you somehow eventually).

[J.Hartmann]

Bought their total bundle in the last sale so this is great news. Really like their plugins, very light, CPU friendly and functional!

[mcnelson]

Agree, it's very rare that a developer publishes their EULA, which is a shame as you're never exposed to it until you've spent your cash, and getting a refund because you don't agree with a EULA might be problematic.

Services, like Steam, are different though aren't they? In these instances, don't you agree with the T&C's before you pay?

I had a EULA issue last year which made me pay a lot more attention to them. I was quite happy with the Audio Damage one though, it seemed concise and fair. I own 20 AD plugins and have never had any problem with them, nor needed support; the serial number copy protection never got in my way, although it was a pain in the ass to reinstall them all.

I dig what they're doing though, and will quite happily go on buying their plugins and supporting them.

[T-CM11]

Law challenging EULAs? Surely you jest. In the USA, laws have been made to strengthen the standing of EULAs. We are owned by capitalist interest (the big guys, not the little guys). While the USA once may have had a great reputation for consumer rights, the EU and other places have far surpassed the USA and the USA has severely faltered and fallen.

Yes, there is a sign up "contract" you agree to on Steam (it's not a contract; they owe you nothing). It's another reason I only buy deeply discounted stuff there. Over time, I might find I've spent $100 there, but that'll take a while still. But everything else... When is the last time you saw an EULA prior to purchase? Demos maybe. But no one reads them, otherwise surely more people wouldn't "sign" away their basic rights in the seller-buyer relationship. Right?

Sadly, I think most people would. They assume no harm will come to them and that there's nothing they can do. They're right about the second, but the first is an eventuality (keep being a repeat customer and they'll screw you somehow eventually).

I have a few boxed games that have to run on Steam. So I downloaded the cracked versions, as archive, in case something happens. I don't like using cracked software, but sometimes it's the only/last defence against these fascist practices.
I only buy music software that doesn't have C/R or iLok/Pace, and there's still plenty of choice out there... Games however... most of the time I'll just play older games and only buy a new one if there's no C/R or always online or Steam.
There's not much out there for me anymore (adventure/RPG, story driven strategy, anything with a nicely integrated story actually - and no stupid real people (NO mmorpg)). The big publishers just cater to the big masses these days. And the Indie labels/developers are often only good at puzzle or platform games.
At least I have these to look forward to:
http://eternity.obsidian.net/
https://torment.inxile-entertainment.com/

[ezelkow1]

there are also lots of games on steam that use absolutely no drm, including steam's drm, you just have to look