Welcome to eroge DRM month of JUNE!

[Tentacle Bandit]

Seems a lot of new releases today have some serious DRM issues which is preventing their release...

It appears the "bigger" eroge companies are trying to make a DRM stand this summer...for however long that lasts....

How annoying...

Although interesting enough from the numbers I've seen via google stats, most of the visitors TO this website and other release websites despite being in english or chinese are Japanese IPs. So it makes some sense I suppose.

Actually...

That kind makes me sad, I live in Canada and there is no real way for me to support Japanese eroge companies (thx Canada customs and Japanese only credit cards for digital delivery) but if I lived in Japan I totally would!

It's sad because it appears a lot of japanese eroge gamers don't...and their the ones that really need to!

 

[FlowerTradeWinds]

Those "stronger" DRM are still relatively "harmless" to consumers purchasing legit version, with minor annoyance of needing to install some software.
The weak one like Alpharom probably added since they already licensed it.

If your meaning of "preventing their release" means no one sharing them, the protection has little relevance.
Unless the source comes encrypted with no username/password, there is no content that can't be cracked one way or another.

There are now more members here actively sharing games (in DL version) than say 6 months ago.
It is then down to their preference to purchasing particular type of content.
Then it is the matter of if your taste aligns with those of the uploaders.

You can use deputy service such as Tenso to ship to Canada.

My view is that, sharing later makes that people in Japan are more inclined to purchase legit, such that they can still play on release day.
Buying an extra copy, but encouraging early release, hence making several people to not buy a copy, is already a loss to the creator.
If you can play the game early, so can any other people that read the same thread, regardless of the person is Japanese or not.

 

[Tentacle Bandit]

You can use deputy service such as Tenso to ship to Canada.

Some time ago I ordered a light hearted anime series (no hentai) and it was stuck in customs for 3 months, when I finally received it, I found they had unpackaged all the discs (via scratches) having watched EACH disc. They are crazy paranoid/out to stop hentai from entering Canada lol.

As for DRM, yes ALL DRM can be cracked. I know, I've been playing PC games since 1992! Back when copy protection involved looking up answers in manuals! Those were the days....

I'm just surprised to see so many developers this month using DRM. I think Empress/"Closed Game" WILL be the most difficult to crack and Triangle games tend to be overly complicated to install around the copy protection even after you crack it.

Still lots of good releases this month and coming this summer! Can't wait!

 

[FlowerTradeWinds]

Some time ago I ordered a light hearted anime series (no hentai) and it was stuck in customs for 3 months, when I finally received it, I found they had unpackaged all the discs (via scratches) having watched EACH disc. They are crazy paranoid/out to stop hentai from entering Canada lol.

As for DRM, yes ALL DRM can be cracked. I know, I've been playing PC games since 1992! Back when copy protection involved looking up answers in manuals! Those were the days....

I'm just surprised to see so many developers this month using DRM. I think Empress/"Closed Game" WILL be the most difficult to crack and Triangle games tend to be overly complicated to install around the copy protection even after you crack it.

Still lots of good releases this month and coming this summer! Can't wait!

Empress/Guilty = Starforce as usual
Triangle/バグシステム = Serial number before install

I think it convey the idea to the mass that, the stronger the protection, the more the creator expressing that they don't want their games to be shared.
There are many that doesn't care about piracy (doesn't even bother to send DMCA), some that do care (that send DMCA within 10 minute of being posted)

I'm in the position of having access to cracker to crack games, but not necessary I want to use that ability to harm the creators.
Anyway, no crack so far, the staff is quite busy in real life.

 

[Veshurik]

Seriously, with every month there are more eroge with DRM...
For example, this month:
- Otomelo Shirabe (Ensemble)
- Mahoroba (AkabeiSoft3)

I know that it's for more sales, but... AkabeiSoft3 usually messing up with legit download and playing (players can't play game in first days because some DMM issues), and I don't even know is it for good or not.
And Ensemble last time gives ton of presents with serial code inputting. Hah...
Okay, I can buy those games physically, but not for full price (8800 yen), too expensive...
But what the quarantee if I will buy for less money on auctions or something, I can get bonuses from that?

For example, I have Koikake from Us:track. On their site there is need to input serial code for downloading backgrounds. I entered the serial from box, and it was wrong... I was so disappointed...

So, yeah...