Notes from the DRM Wars: Atari Drops NWN2: MoW Activation Limits

Posted on 22 June 2009, at 8:55 pm, by Michael Anderson

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NeverwinterNights2MysteriesOfWestgate_b

OK, I just inundated you with TLA’s, I know! (TLA stands for Three Letter Acronym, by the way) DRM is ‘digital rights management’, or the software encryption used to restrict use of files. NWN2 is Neverwinter Nights 2, the popular role-playing game sequel for the PC. And MoW is Mysteries of Westgate, a $9.99 ‘Adventure Pack’ recently released from Ossian Studios. I reviewed the module for RPGWatch after it was released recently, and a decent chunk of my introduction was focused on how the game’s release was delayed more than 18 months due solely to Atari coming up with a specialized DRM protection scheme for this sort of module. The DRM scheme they adopted was that the module would require online activation (despite being a single-player only campaign), and could only be activated three times with no de-authorization tool to revoke and free up an activation.

So what is the news here? There are a few things: first off, the module is selling well and being well received in the gaming media and on enthusiast sites. Second, even the most die-hard fans have been very critical of the activation system, which forced you to activate online with a 3-activation limit and no resets or revocations. Third and most important, it shows that companies like Atari are listening to customers and reacting in a pro-consumer way that protects their intellectual property while allowing customers more freedom. That is great news!

Here is the post from the official Ossian forums:

Mysteries of Westgate’s DRM activation limit is removed!
Ossian Studios is pleased to announce that there is no longer a 3-activation limit on NWN2: Mysteries of Westgate. The activation limit has been removed by Atari after Ossian highlighted to them how many fans were not happy with it. You can now install MoW as many times as you like on your computer. Here are some quick facts about this change:

* Q: Do I still need to activate MoW to play?
A: Yes. The DRM activation limit has been removed but you still need to activate MoW online for each new installation on your computer. After the one-time activation for each installation, you don’t need an Internet connection to play. Activation is necessary to prevent serial numbers from being posted to the web where hundreds or thousands of people can access it.

* Q: So, I don’t have to worry about changing my hardware and not being able to re-activate MoW?
A: No. You can change the hardware configuration or operating system on your computer as often as you like and can re-activate MoW as many times as you like.

* Q: Is it okay if I install the game on more than one of my computers?
A: Yes, that’s fine.

* Q: Are the MoW resources still encrypted?
A: Yes, the MoW resource files are still encrypted. However, we have provided most of this content for free from the Mysteries of Westgate page on the
NWVault

If you are a fan of role-playing games and have a reasonably up-to-date PC, I would recommend checking out Neverwinter Nights 2, and also getting both of the official expansions – Mask of the Betrayer and Storm of Zehir, as well as Mysteries of Westgate. If you have a Mac, skip NWN2 unless you can play it in Bootcamp, as it is a poorly optimized Cider port that will (likely) never see the release of either expansion or any adventure packs.

Source: Ossian Studios