Enter GOO. The point of GOO is not to be "not DRM". As has been said, if you're absolutely against it in any way, shape, or form, then you're going to be unhappy for quite a long time. The goal of GOO is to provide publishers with enough of a sense of security that they won't use worse DRM schemes, while NOT doing all of the really bad things that other DRMs have done as above.
Would it be possible to have some more details "how" is the system going to work, especially...
- Has one-time activation, no subsequent phone homes.
This is a little vague: one time activation... when? when you first install the game? everytime you install or update the game ? everytime you modify you hardware or change of computer? or is it up to the publisher to decide ?
- No fixed number of activations that you have to beg to be extended.
- Does not include or require any hidden "cruft" on your machine.
Well not really different than the other existing DRM but, does it means that it will enforced or is it up to the publisher to decide, for example Steam don't have any activation limit.. unless the publisher wants to add some. Also will something prevent the publisher from using Goo AND Securom or Goo and Steam?
- Is vendor neutral, so DD platforms going out of business is much less worrysome.
Yes... it's kind a safer but at one condition that there are actually multiple distributor using Goo and that they will continue to use it in the future.
If Goo doesn't catch up or if DD move to something else in one or two year we will be back at square one; it might be vendor neutral but you still need at least one server to activate your game.
Also how is it going to work, if a DD use Goo for one or two games it sell will you be able to use it to activate all Goo games or only the one that are on it's catalogue ? The diagram mentioned that "...allow publishers to let customer redownload from any partner.", what if the publisher don't want to, or if it's the publisher itself that goes under ?
And how is it going to work with regional restriction that publishers loves soo much, if you buy a goo game in country X will you be able with Goo to reactivate it using a DD located in country Y ?
- Facilitates the exercise of first-sale rights.
Well that's good for customer, but like I said in another thread, if there is something publishers hate and want to kill even more than piracy its second hand sales, so I wonder if they are realy going to like a DRM scheme that make it possible again.
Honestly I have to admit that I am not really convinced yet by Goo, yes the resale thing thing is a good thing (even though I never sold any games I bought until now), but the unlimited activation is not something new (Steam did it since the begining and also if publisher really wants to have activation limitation they wont use Goo anyway and those who don't care... well they don't have to use limitation with already existing DRM if they don't want to) and they are still, in my opinion, too many unknown variables about the "reactivate anywhere" part to make it really "safer".
