Video Games Valve Aims To Make DRM Obsolete

keg in kc · 03-25-2009, 01:55 PM

Valve Aims To Make DRM Obsolete

Steam to add new set of anti-piracy measures and tools for developers.

By Allen Rausch | March 24, 2009

Valve's Steamworks, a set of tools that game publishers use to put games out on Steam, is apparently getting a big upgrade, and the Half-Life 2 developer believes it's putting Digital Rights Management providers out of business in the process. According to the press release issued by Valve, the centerpiece of the upgraded system is "Customer Executable Generation." This technology creates a unique copy of the game for the purchasers, allowing them to install their copy of the game on multiple computers without install limits and without using the dreaded "root kit."

The release also details a number of other features in the upgraded kit, including in-system support for downloadable content and matchmaking. The DLC system will allow players to purchase and download content from inside a game without quitting. The new Steamworks multiplayer matching system is built off the lobby system that shipped with Left4Dead, the company's zombie-based first-person shooter. The system has already been used in games such as Dawn of War II and

03-25-2009, 01:55 PM	Topic Starter
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	Valve Aims To Make DRM Obsolete Valve Aims To Make DRM Obsolete Steam to add new set of anti-piracy measures and tools for developers. By Allen Rausch \| March 24, 2009 Valve's Steamworks, a set of tools that game publishers use to put games out on Steam, is apparently getting a big upgrade, and the Half-Life 2 developer believes it's putting Digital Rights Management providers out of business in the process. According to the press release issued by Valve, the centerpiece of the upgraded system is "Customer Executable Generation." This technology creates a unique copy of the game for the purchasers, allowing them to install their copy of the game on multiple computers without install limits and without using the dreaded "root kit." The release also details a number of other features in the upgraded kit, including in-system support for downloadable content and matchmaking. The DLC system will allow players to purchase and download content from inside a game without quitting. The new Steamworks multiplayer matching system is built off the lobby system that shipped with Left4Dead, the company's zombie-based first-person shooter. The system has already been used in games such as Dawn of War II and
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