Gather ’round, children, and let me tell you a story about the old bugaboo we used to call DRM. Digital Rights Management was the beast under every gamer’s bed in the mid-2000s, an invisible bit of software baked into game discs that dictated and tracked player behavior under the guise of preventing piracy. DRM software, like SecuROM, limited the times a game could be downloaded and forced players to regularly connect to the internet for authentication checks, at a time when less than half of American adults had reliable broadband connections. DRM features soured the releases of BioShock, Mass Effect and Spore, and by 2010, anti-piracy software had rendered Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter-Cell: Conviction unplayable. When Microsoft attempted to release the Xbox One with always-on DRM features in 2013, intense vitriol from fans forced the company to reverse its plans at the 11th hour. There were lawsuits. DRM was a curse word. Meanwhile, Valve was building out Steam. When it landed in 2003, the digital PC storefront was designed to streamline the patch process for games like Counter-Strike and make it easier for Valve to implement anti-piracy and anti-cheat measures. Steam was made to be a DRM machine. In 2004, with the release of Half-Life 2, Valve made Steam a requirement for every player, and even those who’d purchased new, physical copies of the game had to boot up the launcher first. There was some low-level grumbling, but PC players were used to being lab rats, and... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-04 16:30:21 UTC ]
While digital distribution has roiled the newspaper, book publishing and music industries, a different story may be playing out in the world of comic books. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton
[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Courier's publishing brands, including Dover Publications, Research & Education Association, and Creative Homeowner will use Firebrand's platforms for digital distribution. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a conference call B&N executives cited the importance of device production to content providers, pointed to the advantages of its physical stores in conjunction with digital distribution and outlined new strategies to address mounting Nook Media losses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Welcome to our special supplement dedicated to printing in Hong Kong, a transformed and varied landscape where bold ventures, aggressive moves, and thinking differently rule. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority,” Mark Twain once said, “it is time to pause and reflect.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic will refresh the Horrible Histories series to mark the books' 20th anniversary in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book charity Booktrust is marking the 20th anniversary of its free books for babies scheme,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012, marking the milestone by re-releasing 20... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 14/07/2011 - 09:00 Oxford Professor of Poetry Geoffrey Hill will compete against former winners David Harsent and Sean OBrien to win The Forward poetry prize for Best Collection on its 20th anniversary. Hill took the coveted Oxford poetry role... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 01/07/2011 - 09:00 Walker Books has launched an award for new illustration to help mark the 20th anniversary of the death of the company's founder, Sebastian Walker. The Sebastian Walker Award will be run in collaboration with the MA course in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 16/06/2011 - 15:44 Publishers are vying to be the champions as they bring out titles to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the death of Queen star Freddie Mercury in November 2011. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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