In their latest salvo against PC gaming naysayers and those who believe DRM is the answer to the format’s piracy woes, publisher Stardock has today released a PC-centric “Gamer’s Bill of Rights,” a set of ten rules by which they believe all PC game publishers should abide. While some might argue that the document is merely a collection of existing Stardock corporate policies, we’ve been in awe of said policies for quite some time, and would be absolutely thrilled if this latest “lead by example” approach pays off.
For many months now, the decline of PC gaming has been a hot-button issue in the community, but until recently there was mass confusion about whether or not it had actually gone into decline. That’s no longer the case, since the PC Gaming Alliance’s Horizons report has definitively proven (insomuch as statistics can prove) that the format is still alive and kicking, to the tune of an annual $10.7 billion worldwide.
But even if PC gaming has maintained a good head of steam, the demographics of those on board have changed. You don’t need to walk farther than your corner GameStop to see that PC gaming has fallen flat at retail (though retail counts for a global 30%) and worldwide digital distribution is only picking up $2 billion of the slack. The other half of of that $10.7 billion comes from the growth of online revenue which, as PC World’s Matt Peckham points out, comes predominantly from Asia, and includes dollars sunk into social experiences like Habbo Hotel alongside figures for World of Warcraft.
And while PC gaming has stayed the course, the console market hasn’t exactly been sitting pretty. $10.7 billion is a nice round worldwide figure, but console gaming accrued nearly $18 billion last year in the U.S. alone.
So what’s the PC gaming industry to do? Figure out why gamers have turned away from the PC — but quick — and propose a method to lure them back.Crytek believes the problem is piracy, and the answer is console-based DRM: they’re more or less ditching the format with a promise that Crysis: Warhead will be their last PC exclusive. The PC Gaming Alliance believes the problem is awareness — seriously, how many people know that an four-year old 6800GT graphics card is faster than an brand-new 8400GS? — and propose that with proper research, marketing and collaboration at a manufacturer level, they can reduce confusion for users and convince software companies that there’s still money to be made on PC.
Stardock is taking a different tack. Awareness? Piracy? CEO Brad Wardell believes the reason that PC gaming has declined today is the same reason he espoused this April, this March, and for that matter, over four years ago: an unwillingness of PC software manufacturers to treat their customers with respect. Today, Stardock has simply codified his ideals onto a single sheet of paper… and dubbed it the Gamer’s Bill of Rights.
We the Gamers of the world, in order to ensure a more enjoyable experience, establish equality between players and publishers, and promote the general welfare of our industry hereby call for the following:
- Gamers shall have the right to return games that don’t work with their computers for a full refund.
- Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state.
- Gamers shall have the right to expect meaningful updates after a game’s release.
- Gamers shall have the right to demand that download managers and updaters not force themselves to run or be forced to load in order to play a game.
- Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will adequately play on that computer.
- Gamers shall have the right to expect that games won’t install hidden drivers or other potentially harmful software without their express consent.
- Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time.
- Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers.
- Gamers shall have the right to demand that a single-player game not force them to be connected to the Internet every time they wish to play.
- Gamers shall have the right that games which are installed to the hard drive shall not require a CD/DVD to remain in the drive to play.
I still think the PC Gaming Alliance is onto something, but for lining up in sequential order practically every reason I’ve ever regretted purchasing a PC game, you, sir, Mr. Wardell — you have my signature, and my admiration.
And should you get your ultimate plan out the door — Wardell revealed to Gamasutra that he would like to create an independent organization responsible for labeling titles that comply with the Gamer’s Bill of Rights to allow store-shelf recognition — you will also have my full support.
That’s my take on things, but I certainly don’t speak for you GameCyte readers. What do you think? Has Stardock gone too far? Stopped short of the mark? Will it matter either way? Voice your opinion in the comments.
August 30th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
All of this sounds good, but I wonder how Stardock can stand by this when many of their games - Galactic Civilizations 2 on PC for instance - use SecuROM copy protection.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:58 am
Solarian Knight:
It’s easy, from their point of view, SecuROM does not violate these rules. Unless I am mistaken, SecuROM is designed to prevent the illegal copy of DVD/CD media. Nowhere in the proposed bill of rights does Stardock claim that they think gamers have a right to back up their original copy of the game. Although one can argue that it violates the “Shall not be required to have the cd in the drive” clause, it can just as easily be argued that software should be programmed to not require it, rather than using a workaround that emulates the drive, like deamontools, and so on.
Unless i’m missing something.
They are also probably ignoring the reports of malware junk installed by securom.
…
They could use some more variety in how those rights are written. “Gamer Shall” is .. meh, kind of bland.