Gamers have always loathed DRM (digital rights management) but resistance to it has never been as strong as it is now. While DRM started off as a way to combat piracy, it has been proven in many arenas that pirates are willing to pay for computer games if they feel that the price is equivalent to the game’s value. It’s gotten so bad that games can use being DRM-free as a major selling point.
Digital games distribution site GOG (Good Old Games) has spent the last five years offering classic videogame titles DRM-free to its customers. Earlier in 2013 the site launched an indie publishing platform which allowed independent developers to submit their games for sale through GOG—an alternative to Steam’s contentious Greenlight initiative. Wired.co.uk spoke to Guillaume Rambourg, Managing Director of GOG.com, to discuss DRM, anti-sales, and why exactly the site was offering the original Fallout games free of charge.
