Angry Internet Men Strike Back at DRM... Again

I was initially going to do a run-down of the significant games being released this weekend, but having checked Amazon to see what they actually were I was struck by a familiar sight.

It seems the people are biting back again. Following on from the Spore fiasco, two of this week's major releases have been tarnished by DRM-bashing reviews. Both Far Cry 2 and Dead Space are sporting their stars of shame, 2 for the former and 1 for the latter and equally unhappy 'reviews'. They're worth a read, not for the quality of their argument, but because a lot of them are very funny. Let's take this debate down to the people on the frontlines:

'Lol,' argues one man armed only with the ability to say stuff. 'They all thought Piracy was going to kill the PC games industry, but in the final analysis it will be securom.' 1 STAR

'If all this is true about the lockout,' says one impressionable software pirate. 'Then DO NOT BUY this game wait and it will be cracked soon' 1 STAR

'The video looks very brown,' says an idiot. 'much browner than Far Cry which was IIRC a more relaxing blue and lush green. I am not persuaded that gamers particularly like brown.' 1 STAR

'In 2 days I finish School and I am going to Venice,' cries one child excitedly. 'It should be fun, I can't wait. I like Italian Food. Do you?' 5 STARS

'STOP moaning and get on with your lives!' screams someone clearly disturbed by the quality of writing present.

So, we can safely say that the topic has been argued and resolved in part. DRM is clearly bad news for morons. The question is, how does this translate for the rest of us?

FYI, I am a Sci-Fi Horror game...

Dead Space is a real uncertainty to me. The awful title doesn't do it any favours, but then some of the game footage that I've seen does show real promise in terms of sci-fi, shit-your-trousers horror. The developers have clearly tried to implement a sense of immersion aboard the obligatory creepy space vessel that your character resides. In fact, it's so hideously terrifying that even the HUD has scarpered, leaving you with nothing but a few blinking lights, an array of special powers and weapons to aid your pursuit in rescuing your predictably lost love.

The one thing that does worry me about this game has something to do with what PC Gamer editor, Ross Atherton, wrote in the mag a few months back:

"Derek Chan, Global Project Manager of EA's Redwood Shores Studios, described it as EA's first survival horrer game. 'What about the System Shock series?' was our response. Derek hadn't played it, but instead saw BioShock as Dead Space's direct antecedent."

Now, this is important because the obvious question is how do you progress the genre or medium at all without learning from what has occurred previously? As Atherton later points out:

"You simply wouldn't believe that the director or producer of a new monster-horror film wouldn't have seen John Carpenter's The Thing, be aware of its style and know how to avoid blundering across its legacy. Even with its far longer history, creators in the film industry are expected to possess encyclopaedic knowledge of other films. Game makers aren't."

It's a decent point and one worth taking the time to pontificate on. Still, no such time exists when the developers have released such a ludicrous, self-titled 'Grindhouse' preview video. That's right, blood, screaming, death, beasties and a stupid, stupid voice.