Maybe I can put it like this. DRM is worse, but even without any technical limitation one can have ToS that are bad. The absence of DRM would make things better, since with additional technical parts always something could go wrong and privacy is always an issue. However even without DRM one has to check the ToS if they are consumer friendly.

And finally GOG is DRM because they restrict you from moving games from one account to another and GamersGate is DRM because they do the same and additionally do not provide a straightforward way to backup installables. Of course DRM is not just binary, if comes in different flavors and those are by far very mild ones compared to Steam or Origin or whatever ...

Wishful thinking, but GOG should implement moving games between accounts.

First of all, I typed this up before I saw Lerker's awesome distillation of the issue. I tip my hat to Lerker.

Below is the criteria, or "smell test" if you will, of what constitutes DRM free software/games for me. I'm sure there are probably some holes in it, but I welcome challenges, so I can tweak my rules to cover something I may have missed.

I got sucked into this thread after I too purchased a game from GamersGate that was listed as DRM free, only to find out that it requires a phone home routine every time I install it. Bah!

Definitions:
The term "software" is used to refer to software titles, the content of those titles, and the essence of the software's purpose for existing. In this context, it refers to video games, defined by how the games are advertised to intice purchase, and their content solely created for entertainment value. It also includes any additional software or mechanisms which are meant only to facilitate the use of the software, such as installers.

The term "company" is used to refer to any entity which is involved in the creation, distribution, sale, or as a rights holder of the "software", or is in any other way involved in bringing the "software" to market.

Rule #1:
Once the "software" is in my possession, whether in digital only form or physical media, I should be able to walk away from the "company", without having any further dealings with them, if I so choose, in perpetuity, without this choice impacting my ability to use the "software" in any way, shape or form (without violating the law), at any point in the future. A notable exception to this rule is listed below with **.

Rule #2:
The "software" should not include, as part of its required installation, any additional software or mechanism that has a purpose other than that for which I originally purchased the "software", or for which the "software" could conceivably operate for its primary intended purpose without such additional software or mechanism. And the "software" should make no modifications to my computer system(s) outside that which is required to deliver said primary intended purpose.

Rule #3:
The "software" should be designed to comply with rules 1 and 2, in such that I do not have to intervene in any non-intutitive manner, such as delving into temp folders to make copies of transient files, or obtain any 3rd party components that are not packaged and sold with the "software" at the time of purchase, such as patches, No-CD executables or other so called "cracks".

** Games or game modes that are online only, such as pretty much any MMO, seem to violate rule #1, however, this experience is integral to the operation and essence of the game. For these types of games I would say the argument of DRM is "not applicable".


- Software phoning home every time I install it violates rule #1 for sure, and probably #2 as well. It forces my contact with the "company", without which the game won't install. And it facilitates this contact with a mechanism that is clearly not designed for the intended primary purpose of the game. Verdict: NOT DRM free!

- CD check at runtime violates rule #2. Clearly, software intended to make sure the disc is inserted, even when the game is fully installed to the hard drive, isn't part of the reason I purchased the game in the first place. Verdict: NOT DRM free!

- Steam, Impulse, etc. violate rules 1 and 2. I'm required to have contact with the "company" every time I start, play, download, or install a game, that is, for games that require the client. I'm unable to do any of these tasks without the respective software client platforms, none of which are part of the essence of the game. Verdict: NOT DRM free!

- GOG games do not violate any of the above rules. 'Nuff said. Verdict: DRM free!

I want to add that I am not trying express any opinion about whether DRM is good or bad, or which DRM is acceptable or unacceptable. I'm only attempting to distinguish what I think does and doesn't qualify as DRM. It's pretty clear to me.

Life has DRM, I can’t experience it without, and it is limited to, my body. You know, taking the thought to a stupid area and ignoring what the letters mean :P

But I wouldn’t be the only one to do it, but I hope I'm the one who's taken it the furthest.

Can't be DRM. Life isn't digital, its entirely analog!

Wouldn't that make it ARM instead (Analog Rights Management)?

Depends if you beleave there is someone that could own the rights. If there is a god, they are the creator of the most insidious ARM.

The solution to the DRM argument: Deus Ex Human Revolution.

/thread

That means The Witcher 2 on GOG is not DRM Free, right?

Now I get it! That's what your second amendment's talking about: the right to bear ARM's.

It did mean exactly that before the mandatory use of the launcher for patching purposes was dropped entirely (i actually said the very same thing in a couple of threads that popped up on that subject at the time).

But before the patcher was dropped (i'm not sure if before or after the game was released) the staff had already confirmed that fully patched builds would be uploaded to gog's servers at some point - which basically made the whole launcher/patcher thing a non issue for me from that point on.

What do you mean by "advertised" one?

Just checked some of my archived installers from GamersGate's "DRM-free" games (Elven Legacy) and it seemed to be the original one, for Bastion however it just looked like a generic one and for the X-COM games there is also a generic windows installer, which cannot be the original one because there wasn't one for Windows. So it probably depends on the game.

The "advertisement" in the GOG installers is not really annoying. Shouldn't be a major factor?

As in "this is the GOG version".

It's not. After all, I'm a GOG customer too. But I prefer a clean one if given the choice. Not that I don't understand why GOG does that. In the end, they take their time to make their version compatible with new OSs.

this just in: so-called DRM-free games from GOG require PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION to download!!! not really DRM-free!!11!!!1

jesus christ, there's a point where the tiring discussion about DRM reaches the point of insanity, and some of you here have clearly passed that point...