What The New Linux Game Publishing Will Look Like

[Hamish Wilson]

If LGP remove DRM from Shadowgrounds and Survivor, LGP buyers lose these options:

"Allow people to see your license is valid - for if you sell your game.

Check to see if you are buying a game with a valid license.

Transfer your license to someone else.

Download a replacement disc image for your licensed game.

All of which can be handled, or is made redundant, with a decent digital distribution platform. Which does not need DRM.

They still rental Shadowgrounds and Survivor and they are able to verify an owner.

I am sorry, the only reason why anyone would consider buying a rental copy of anything from LGP is that their regular prices are so high. If any other company in their position offered such a service, they would be laughed out of the room.

Most people are just content with a demo to see if something is worth buying, sometimes even less than that. Since LGP already offers those, the rental option is actually of very little use.

[Hamish Wilson]

What options?

I do not know, maybe like all of those Indie games I have been playing? Such as Shadowgrounds and Survivor, which I purchased legally alongside Trine with no DRM?

Or Postal 2 which I can buy, with its expansion, for under ten dollars on Desura? Or anything else on Desura for that matter? I am loving Dungeons of Dredmor at the moment, another great game you can get for significantly under ten bucks.

Now, I am not one to usually bring up the price problem when it comes to LGP, but when there are better offers (containing no DRM and having significant updates) elsewhere that are still native and grow Linux gaming, how could you possibly not put your support behind them instead?

LGP can not bury their heads in the sand either. They are going to have to make themselves competitive again.

[gbudny]

LOL!!! what a bullshit! you don't need this shit if your game do not have DRM!

Seriously? I have Balistics (without DRM) and I don 't have registered password and cd key.

How I can download a replacement disc image for Balistics (without DRM = without registered password and cd key)?:

http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/download_image.php?

How I can transfer my license on Balistics to someone else (without DRM = without registered password and cd key)?

http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/license_transfer.php?

How I can allow people to see my game key for Balistics can be verified online by other people (without DRM = without registered password and cd key)?

http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/allow_check.php?

How I can check to see if I 'm buying a other games with a valid license (without DRM = without registered password and cd key)?

How LGP can rent games without DRM (without registered password and cd key)?

[gbudny]

you make jokes on me i already do have shadowground+survivor without drm in a HIB

so i can not unterstand why LGP still use DRM for games selled without DRM???

this is just stupid!

If LGP remove DRM from Shadowgrounds and Survivor, LGP buyers lose these options:

"Allow people to see your license is valid - for if you sell your game.

Check to see if you are buying a game with a valid license.

Transfer your license to someone else.

Download a replacement disc image for your licensed game.

If you lost your key, retrieve it here.

If you forgot your password, retrieve it here."

http://keyserver.linuxgamepublishing.com/?

They still rental Shadowgrounds and Survivor and they are able to verify an owner.

[gbudny]

Well, I am afraid that is not enough for me to support them. Not when I have other better options on Linux.

What options?

Though I will admit I was wrong about DRM being applied through updates. It still means I can not buy a new version of Majesty without DRM however.

Probably someone still sell old version of Majesty for Linux (without DRM):

http://www.linuxgamepublishing.com/resellers.php?

http://www.amazon.com/

[gbudny]

So how to detect with DRM version from no DRM version since I only want non-DRM versions?

like http://www.fun4tux.ch/en/games/12-ballistics.html
is it:

Ballistics (r2) (with DRM)
or
Ballistics (no DRM)

I see updates for Balistics (no DRM) and I think this is Balistics (no DRM), but you can ask them for sure:

Address

http://www.fun4tux.ch/en/content/4-about-fun4tux

http://www.fun4tux.ch/en/games/12-ballistics.html

http://updates.fun4tux.ch/ballistics/

[killertux]

DRM or not?

So how to detect with DRM version from no DRM version since I only want non-DRM versions?

like http://www.fun4tux.ch/en/games/12-ballistics.html
is it:

Ballistics (r2) (with DRM)
or
Ballistics (no DRM)

and please remove all DRM or else... I not going to bought any LGP games.

[Hamish Wilson]

I defending them, because They ported to Linux many great games.

Well, I am afraid that is not enough for me to support them. Not when I have other better options on Linux.

Though I will admit I was wrong about DRM being applied through updates. It still means I can not buy a new version of Majesty without DRM however.

[gbudny]

What's your point? Just because they still have some titles that are still available without DRM, it does not justify purchasing them knowing that the money will go to a company that supports it.

I don 't have problem with DRM in LGP games and most LGP games are DRM-free.

Plus, since Majesty had DRM applied to it retroactively in an update, what is to stop LGP trying to do that for my games?

This is not true, because I asked LGP about DRM and old versions of games:

Me: Did you made patches with DRM for old version of Majesty (first box version)? I'm curious, because I 'have Balistics for Linux (box version), so I can 't download a replacement disc image, transfer license to someone else etc., which is not good solution. I have other LGP games (without DRM) for example Cold war, Sould Ride, Candy Cruncher, Creatures internet edition, Knights and Merchants etc. and I don 't know what patches you plan to make for these games: patches with DRM or without DRM?

LGP "All patches are available for both DRMd and non-DRMd versions of the games"

LGP " the games are essentially the same, except for the DRM/cd-key. Other than that they're both supported just the same, and compatible with each other"

Me: if I want have Balistics with DRM, I have to buy new version of this game?

LGP "Yes"

LGP " it doesn't really add anything to the game though
it enables redownload and license transfers because we are able to verify an owner - other than that, the games are the same"

LGP "We don't differentiate between the DRM and non-DRM versions. Both versions will get all updates and patches."

gbudny, I know why you are here defending them, I know your history and all about your efforts to support Linux gaming. I support that, I am big Linux gaming proponent too. B

I defending them, because They ported to Linux many great games.

[Kano]

@gbudny

I have got the Prey PC version, was very cheap. The game itself is not that hard, especially when you look at a video walkthru when you dont know where to go next I played it completely with Linux as i did not buy it before the Linux port was done.