Death Stranding, the action title developed by Kojima Productions that came out last year on the PS4, will be released for PC on June 2. The PC edition will come with a number of exclusive goodies but, according to the game’s Steam page, it will also have a feature that many gamers might not be too happy about.
The PC version of Death Stranding will incorporate Denuvo digital rights management, or DRM, a third-party anti-tamper technology used by game publishers to prevent software from being pirated or used without a license.
DRM has long been a bone of contention between gamers, who want hassle-free access to the games they purchase, and publishers, who want the security of knowing that games like Death Stranding can only be played if legally purchased.
Opponents of the practice claim that only those who purchase software legally suffer the consequences of DRM being added to a title. Games protected by Denuvo require activation online before the software will launch. For those with poor internet connections or data caps, this can present a frustrating problem. In the past, gamers have also complained that Denuvo causes performance issues due to excessive CPU usage and constantly accessing hard drives in the background.
Furthermore, say gamers, DRM fails to stop piracy. Numerous games using Denuvo technology, such as Devil May Cry 5, Metro Exodus, and Middle-earth: Shadow of War, were cracked within days of release and quickly found their way onto piracy websites. Though the reasons aren’t entirely known, Electronic Arts ultimately removed the DRM from Mass Effect: Andromeda, whose Denuvo protection had been cracked soon after launch, and now depends instead on the security provided by its proprietary Origin launcher.
The argument for Denuvo and other DRM technologies is that it protects games during the initial launch period when sales are most crucial and likely at their highest. Some games might be cracked quickly, but the majority remain secure long enough for publishers and developers to see peak profit. Some publishers even opt to remove DRM after a few months, when the sales rush has died down. Also, Denuvo charges a monthly licensing fee to maintain its technology on games, so some publishers choose to forego DRM once it is deemed to be no longer necessary.
Death Stranding is available on PS4 and will be released for PC on June 2.