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Oculus dropped the Hardware DRM (for now)

C

Chairmanchuck

Member
Seems according to the creator CrossVR, that released the Revive patch Oculus dropped the Hardware DRM.

Please let me know that this release indeed works and that I'm not still asleep. If it is true then I'd like to thank Oculus for this decision, now the efforts aimed towards compatibility do not help the efforts towards piracy.
Note that the dashboard application still has some problems for some people, so if the dashboard is empty you can follow the instructions for "Standalone games" instead.
UPDATE: I'm getting reports from multiple users that the headset check is indeed removed. I don't think they changed their stance on exclusivity, but they're at least willing to meet us halfway by letting us mod our games.
I'm delighted to see this change and I hope it can generate a lot of goodwill for Oculus.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/4pm2uc/revive_062_released_oculus_removes_headset_check/
Click to expand...

No official word from Oculus yet. Also its not quite evident whether it was intentional or not.
 
Chairmanchuck said:
No official word from Oculus yet. Also its not quite evident whether it was intentional or not.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how the DRM got implemented in the first place though. I'm remaining vaguely optimistic, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to start trusting Oculus quite yet. It would take a pretty bold statement endorsing 3rd party headsets for me to do so I think.
 
Would be nice if this change could be taken at face value. I can't help but think it's only temporary or they'll come up with some other way of blocking non-rift headsets.
 
It was an asinine and short sighted move anyway. Oculus only stands to benefit from more headsets being able to buy software through their store. Hopefully they've come to their senses then
 
I'm just hoping it's permanent and an actual change in policy. An official statement would be nice, but I get a feeling there won't be one.
 
I'd find it hard to have any faith in a company willing to make the step of hardware drm, even following a removal. There is no telling that it will not spring up again at a later date when they have more people invested within their ecosystem.
 
Durante said:
It's just a baby step without an actual commitment to keeping it that way.

But at least it's a baby step.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I won't consider buying anything from the Oculus store unless they come out publicly and pledge not to re-add hardware checks.
 
Durante said:
It's just a baby step without an actual commitment to keeping it that way.

But at least it's a baby step.
Click to expand...

hardware check is gone for good

http://kotaku.com/oculus-wont-stop-people-from-hacking-vive-support-into-1782563035
“We continually revise our entitlement and anti-piracy systems,” the company said in a statement, “and in the June update we’ve removed the check for Rift hardware from the entitlement check. We won’t use hardware checks as part of DRM on PC in the future.”
Click to expand...
 
HvySky said:
I need Palmer Luckey's take on this.
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No thanks. Palmer has lost any good will that he had earned. We now know that Palmer =! Oculus and anything he says has to be taken with Molyneux sized salt.

An official statement from Oculus would great though.

This is a small step in the right direction.

Edit: thereitis.gif
 
Nzyme32 said:
I'd find it hard to have any faith in a company willing to make the step of hardware drm, even following a removal. There is no telling that it will not spring up again at a later date when they have more people invested within their ecosystem.
Click to expand...

So no console gaming for you, right?

And no PC games that are store exclusives, right?
 
I think Palmer is a cool guy and knows what's good for VR, but the problem is that he doesn't have any power in the company so he can't help it if the suits want to do shitty stuff.
 
This is positive news but i'm still cautious around Oculus store purchases for the time being.


jimmypop said:
So no console gaming for you, right?

And no PC games that are store exclusives, right?
Click to expand...

What console gaming and pc store exclusives have to do with hardware DRM locking out vive users? And how does this have anything to do with his post?
 
jimmypop said:
So no console gaming for you, right?

And no PC games that are store exclusives, right?
Click to expand...

Not the same thing at all. Huge difference between longstanding traditions and practices where it's too late to make a statement and do anything about it, vs. a brand new tech space where one of the major players supports an open standard for all games moving forward, and another wants to capture all of the money in a walled garden app store.

This isn't a space where it's already a series of app stores - things could go one way or another. Open is best for everyone in this case since it's hardware.

If Nvidia suddenly cut deals with Bethesda and Ubisoft and you could only play their PC games on Nvidia cards? I wouldn't support that either. Because traditionally PC hardware is an open platform and it's working fine as it is. Or for another example, if Sony suddenly cut a deal with Take Two Interactive and you could only play the next GTA on PC if you owned a Sony monitor.
 
Blam said:
Please no he's dug himself a huge hole already let's not make it any deeper.
Click to expand...

Gattsu25 said:
Why? I don't find his word particularly trustworthy.
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AwesomeMeat said:
No thanks. Palmer has lost any good will that he had earned. We now know that Palmer =! Oculus and anything he says has to be taken with Molyneux sized salt.

An official statement from Oculus would great though.

This is a small step in the right direction.

Edit: thereitis.gif
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I was getting at. Lol
 
jimmypop said:
So no console gaming for you, right?

And no PC games that are store exclusives, right?
Click to expand...

Absurd line of questioning.

I don't console game anymore because of the lack of perpetuity or certainty therein.

PC store exclusives are not an issue - there is no hardware exclusivity in what I purchase. All hardware configurations are valid to the largest possible extent. Of course with that open system of configurations and transformation over decades, game compatibility becomes challenging after that point, but the possibilities are open to the users and their ability to modify their products & utilises all manner of software / future hardware to their advantage
 
Makes me feel better about getting a vive. I was about ready to get one the day Palmer did that stupid interview saying that it's the same as the PS4 and it put me right off.
 
With the official confirmation, it's perfect validation that the widespread condemnation of their practices was/is worth it. Being complacent helps nobody. I still have bones to pick with other aspects of their strategy, but the most onerous policy is gone at least. I might even buy something from them in their sale now. Might... Already have too many games I want to play vs the amount of time I have allotted for it.
 
NoblesseOblige said:
That's good (for now)
Click to expand...

cable-intro.gif
 
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/06/oculus-reverses-course-dumps-its-vr-headset-checking-drm/

Shortly after publication, Oculus representatives confirmed to Ars Technica that the company had indeed removed any Rift hardware check from its runtimes in the latest update. The company further insisted that it "will not use hardware checks as part of DRM on PC in the future," even though Ars hadn't asked about whether this was a short-term change. "We believe protecting developer content is critical to the long-term success of the VR industry, and we’ll continue taking steps in the future to ensure that VR developers can keep investing in ground-breaking new VR content," the company told Ars.
Click to expand...
 
Store exclusivity isn't a big deal. Plenty of precedent for it, and imminently sensible from a business perspective for Oculus.

For users, it amounts to having another storefront application - hardly an onerous burden, if the boon is access to a wider variety of content.

And much like open advocates are saying... VR isn't served by having all its content locked behind single storefronts - having competition in that space is actually a good thing. Just the way that Oculus went about it with the hardware DRM was batshit insane and a terrifying precedent for the PC platform.
 
Durante said:
Absolutely.

That's a false equivalence. Store exclusives are not hardware exclusives, and have no prospect of ever being turned into hardware exclusives.
Click to expand...

But I thought VR devices were platforms and not peripherals?

But the GAF hivemind agrees, and with based Durante having shut me down, I'll put a sock in it.
 
Zaptruder said:
Store exclusivity isn't a big deal. Plenty of precedent for it, and imminently sensible from a business perspective for Oculus.

For users, it amounts to having another storefront application - hardly an onerous burden, if the boon is access to a wider variety of content.

And much like open advocates are saying... VR isn't served by having all its content locked behind single storefronts - having competition in that space is actually a good thing. Just the way that Oculus went about it with the hardware DRM was batshit insane and a terrifying precedent for the PC platform.
Click to expand...

Everyone but the worst apologists agree.
 
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