News Denuvo DRM maker cracks down on game leakers with new tech — TraceMark for Gaming puts a watermark on games to unmask the source

[Admin]

Irdeto, makers of Denuvo, continue to draw ire as they announce TraceMark for Gaming to eliminate modern game leaks as we know them.

Denuvo DRM maker cracks down on game leakers with new tech — TraceMark for Gaming puts a watermark on games to unmask the source : Read more

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

Train an AI to discover the "visible and invisible watermarks" so they can be removed, problem solved.

 

[derekullo]

Train an AI to discover the "visible and invisible watermarks" so they can be removed, problem solved.

You might as well tell the AI to find "stuff" and remove "stuff".
Without a clear understanding if what the watermark is ... assuming it isn't the person's name in 1 point font in the top right of each image ... you wouldn't be sure if the AI worked or not.

And seeing how leaking pre-release game data got the Starfield leaker charged with theft

Starfield leaker arrested for felony theft after attempting to sell early copies

Mercari listings for Xbox Starfield discs sold for $200 and up.

arstechnica.com

The threat of criminal prosecution is quite real, especially if they don't have to do an investigation to find the leaker.

 

[TerryLaze]

And seeing how leaking pre-release game data got the Starfield leaker charged with theft

He got charged for selling the games that were stolen, not for the leaked footage.

If cracker groups find certain patterns in these watermarked videos then it might be able for them to program an AI ,or just an app I guess, to look for these patterns and possible change them enough to be useless.
If denuvo uses a very different pattern for every source then it's gonna be tough.

 

[CelicaGT]

Idiots probably spend more on DRM than they'd lose to piracy. Power to em though, gotta respect their dedication to the impossible task. I liken it to the entire ad industry. I doubt the billions spent/received in ad revenue result in an equal or greater uptick in sales. Again, power to em though..

 

[TerryLaze]

Idiots probably spend more on DRM than they'd lose to piracy. Power to em though, gotta respect their dedication to the impossible task. I liken it to the entire ad industry. I doubt the billions spent/received in ad revenue result in an equal or greater uptick in sales. Again, power to em though..

It's a numbers game, they are not trying to completely stop piracy, they are just trying to reduce it enough for them to make more money.
Adds work on the same principle that social bonds work, the more often you see someone the more familiar you feel towards them, doesn't matter if it's a person or a can of soda, you are going to choose the more familiar one over the less familiar one.

 

[CelicaGT]

It's a numbers game, they are not trying to completely stop piracy, they are just trying to reduce it enough for them to make more money.
Adds work on the same principle that social bonds work, the more often you see someone the more familiar you feel towards them, doesn't matter if it's a person or a can of soda, you are going to choose the more familiar one over the less familiar one.

Oh I'm well aware of the numbers game. As for ads, they've built such a negative image these days, even with the average consumer. I'd be curious if that principle still plays through or if the ad industry is just a huge juggernaut that continues to churn out of sheer momentum. I know I've begun to associate certain brands with a negative sentiment, because of overdone, or poorly done ads. At this point almost everyone I know runs adblock plugins, and pays upfront for services. The rest just walk out of the room when ads are playing on streamed content. That said, even a percentage of a percentage could be millions in increased sales.

Back onto DRM. I will not and have not purchased anything with Denuvo. I got a Star Wars game free with a promotion but will never use it because of Denuvo. I have no objection to corporations/individuals protecting their IP but there's something about Denuvo that just feels slimy. I can't describe it in a single word, but the fact they would put that software on my machine, to monitor for -possible- infringement is just....no.