Summer Flame Day 2013 – DRM vs. Convenience

Another year, another annual Summer Flame Day. I hope you’re enjoying the longest day of the year because the staff at Damage Control has plenty of controversy to dish out!

Microsoft has backed away from its staunch DRM policies for the Xbox One and entirely new conversations have been started thanks to the decision. There are the many consumers who are thankful for the company’s about face. Others are furious over the loss of convenient features for the system, mainly the ability to play games without dics and share digital content. I simply have to ask the question, is DRM worth the price of admission to a largely digital world? A simple “no” wouldn’t be much fun, so let’s examine the topic. The main arguments are all digital and always online are ultimately more convenient for everyone. Yep, it’s pro and con time!

All Digital

Haven’t you heard, physical media is deader than the trees used to make paper. In an all digital world a consumer’s catalogue is quite literally at his or her fingertips. If you want to watch a movie, play a video game, listen to music or read books you simply call up the said media on your device of choice. You never have to swap a disc or reach for an item on the shelf again. Hell, you’ll never even have to leave your house to buy these said items. Another positive would be never having to worry about losing media discs or books to theft (though I don’t know anyone who steals books) or in a fire ever again. If your devices are stolen they can be simply replaced and everything can be re-downloaded from a company’s servers. As a bonus your game saves would also be in the cloud, getting rid of the agony of having to start a 20+ hour game all over again. The cruel reality of an item going out-of-print would simply cease to exist, as it could always be found online. In short, digital life easily trumps the hassle of physical media and a little DRM is a small price to pay.

Except reality doesn’t quite work that way. (How I wish it did though!) It is true digital items can be called up quite easily on any device but the process isn’t without flaws. Let’s start with the first drawbacks, sharing and renting. This one is kind of a mixed bag. You can certainly loan and rent digital books on some platforms, such as Kindle. Amazon’s platform allows for another user to share their book with a friend for 14 days. This system (minus the time limit) is like handing an actual book to a friend, once they have it you can’t access it. Not a bad deal. As for movies, there are services that allow for the temporary use of a movie file. I.e., download a file and it no longer works after a few days or a number of views. Streaming services such as Netflix also work because you have access to the library as long as you pay your monthly fees. As for games, there is no current renting or sharing system in place with DRM-enabled titles. Even if one can install a single Steam account on multiple computers the account can’t be used simultaneously. There’s also no system in place to allow for temporary rentals of a game or even lending it to another friend. Once you buy that DRM-laden game it’s yours and yours alone. The Xbox One might have changed this equation but no one knows what the final result would have ultimately been.

The availability of a digital file isn’t always a sure thing. Sometimes licenses for digital content expire and the holder is unable to or has no interest in renewing it. So that particular title is pulled and can no longer be accessed again. If a publisher is fair exceptions are made for people who already bought the content. That person would be able to access a title even after it’s pulled from the storefront. Still, expiring digital licenses are the dark counterpart to out-of-print physical titles and unlike that disc or book, buying it secondhand isn’t an option. Of course anyone interested in a digital title could buy that item before the license expires but the point is null if said consumer found out about a title late in its life. Even if licenses aren’t an issue unending access to digital content servers aren’t guaranteed either. Some day those servers will no longer be profitable and they will be shut down. Once the device the content is stored on ceases to work and is no longer available for purchase that content is truly gone. Still skeptical? Ask any manga fan about the fiasco with JManga. It’s fine if you live in the now with an eye toward the future, it’s a disaster if you care about preserving content for future generations to come.

Always Online

In the last two decades the internet has come to be an integral part of life in first world countries. It’s hard to think of not having your smartphone, computer or current generation console always connected to the internet. Operating system updates, new content and generally keeping in touch with friends and family are instantly enabled. Given how we’ve come to depend on the internet, devices that require a constant connection shouldn’t be considered a problem. If you can afford that device you can certainly afford to keep it connected.

Once again this argument has flaws. Constant connections for everyone, everywhere is still problematic. Honestly, as it stands today I can’t really justify a draconian always-on policy. The internet isn’t equally distributed everywhere in first world countries. Rural areas are a big problem for a variety of reasons, including lack of ISP interest. Having a device (especially a gaming console) that requires a constant connection is literally a deal-breaker for these areas. It’s true the Xbox One will no longer have these requirements but that day one patch still requires an internet connection. Ironically, those who would have benefited from Microsoft’s policy reversal will still have to deal with DRM-laden consoles unless the company patches the console before it leaves the factory. As for games and devices that currently require an internet connection, a large chunk of the population is still left behind. That said, I am of two minds on the issue. What comes first in the proverbial chicken and egg question?

Do people suddenly find themselves with a better internet connection and begin to demand services? Or do the services come first and do consumers demand a better internet connection? Perhaps it’s a little bit of both. Forward thinking companies will continue to innovate and in some cases drag consumers kicking and screaming into the future. In turn customers will demand more reliable internet connections and someone will fill the niche. Satellite and wireless services are imperfect for rural areas but are still viable options. The first company to figure how to fully serve the neglected market will be rewarded. After all, it is human nature to see the promise of something better and then strive to obtain it. When internet connections for everyone are as reliable as electricity no one wi
ll give the issue of constant connectivity a second thought.

Is the Digital Convenience Worth it?

In the end, the answer isn’t a black or white one but is flexible like a flowchart.

If you’re the type of consumer who lives in an ideal situation and only looks out for his or her needs, the convenience offered is amazing. Almost everything in your entertainment library is literally at the tip of your fingers. The clutter of physical goods are a problem of the past and your vast collection is held on a small number of devices. The DRM is never an issue because you don’t worry about sharing, trading or reselling anything. You have a reliable ISP and you rarely wander off the information grid. If you do, it’s no big deal, the world will still be there when you return. Your concerns about preserving content for future generations is minimal. You know people find ways to hack DRM in order to preserve digital goods via piracy. On the flipside, if a movie, book, video game or music is popular enough, it will be repackaged and brought back on new formats for future ages.

If you’re the type of consumer who balks at DRM and who won’t or can’t be always connected the future isn’t so bright. Maybe you find digital goods to be incredibly intangible and ultimately evanescent. Devices breakdown, servers are shut down and licenses expire and will take these digital goods with it. By contrast, physical goods can be held in one’s hands, set on a shelf and with a certain amount of reassurance they’ll be yours for many years to come. As a bonus no publisher or license holder can tell you what to do with the item you’ve just purchased. If you want to lend it to a friend, sell it, trade it in or pick up dog poop with it, the choice is yours. Provided you didn’t abuse your physical goods, they’ll also be around for your children to enjoy.

The choice ultimately comes down to what consumers, i.e., you want. If no one cares about consumer rights and DRM, companies will continue to roll back those rights as they see fit. In the gaming landscape the choice was made clear in terms of physical media by Microsoft’s turn around. Gamers and consumers literally voted with their wallets for maintaining a slightly less convenient way of life for more freedom. The experience is still a fleeting once as entertainment media continues to march toward the digital space. By the time we ultimately do go all, or mostly digital, we can only hope people have decided they want a convenience that does not erode away at their rights as consumers. If not, we can only hope the trade-offs are worth the DRM.