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[Draugoth]

Report via Rock Paper Shotgun:

Denuvo recently changed its strategy on how to deal with accusations that it damages performance. Instead of keeping quiet, the company will start responding to such comments in order to defend itself.

Andreas Ullmann, Denuvo's product manager, has in recent days responded to a lot of criticism the company has received. Regarding the impact on performance, the manager doesn't deny that it exists, but claims that only “a minority” of games are affected, claiming that it's always the same titles cited by users:

Secondly, I think it's super hard for a gamer. I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about. I think it's super hard to see, as a gamer, what is the immediate benefit for me that a certain game developer, game publisher, is using our anti-piracy services. For anti-cheat, for example. It’s super easy. You as a player have an immediate benefit if a game uses an anti-cheat solution, because it's a fair environment in the game, and you don't need to face cheaters. It's different, though. There was a recent study about the financial impact of our protection. That study said our solution saves our customers around 20% of - or an additional 20% of revenue - if they're using our solution.

 

[RoboFu]

its pretty dumb to refute it now that we have years of data showing it tanks performance. They know it does and the publishers know it does but they still want to get as much out the magic launch week as possible.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Meanwhile, in reality:

 

[Complistic]

Get thee behind me, Satan

 

[Guilty_AI]

I approve of this approach, whatever makes them look more like clowns

 

[Larivel]

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

The sheer amount of spin is making me dizzy.

Makes sense that a delusional moron would be a PM over there, though.

 

[jshackles]

 

[proandrad]

Meanwhile, in reality:

 

[BennyBlanco]

I honestly don’t give a shit about DRM because I don’t pirate games. Buying them is way easier.

But the performance hits are completely unacceptable, and Denuvo is retarded for trying to paint themselves as anything but the enemy of PC games.

 

[Fake]

"I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about"

'I'm not a racist, I have black friends' vibes.

 

[Kacho]

Love when someone tells me their shit don't stank

 

[BlackTron]

We already know the benefits of anti-cheat. We aren't challenged to understand that. Any benefit to a single player game? Something tells me we will never get around to that topic.

 

[ap_puff]

I mean if people stopped stealing the games, companies would stop using denuvo. Don't see that happening any time soon though.

 

[Denton]

If Denuvo wants to dispel myths about how it destroys performance (because it really doesn't outside of few bad implementations), they should just invite gamersnexus, DF, HWUnboxed to their central and let them do tests on few dozen games with unprotected/protected exes, in both CPU and GPU limited scenarios as well as loading times. I expect there might be some 2-5% perf hit, but for 99% of people it will not be noticeable (again, as long as implementation is not botched).

Denuvo should always be removed from games after sales slow down (for game preservation purpose and GOG release), but personally, I do not mind presence of Denuvo. In 10 years since it exists I bought probably over 100 games with it and had zero issues (huge difference compared to old DRMs like Starforce or Safedisc). And it is nice knowing that when a game launches, I can look at steamdb and see real numbers of people playing and buying without distortion from piracy.

 

[SHA]

Meanwhile, in reality:

She's speaking to Denuvo

 

[Astray]

I don't understand why they're trying so hard to be likeable.

You're the guy preventing thousands to millions of people from getting a free lunch with ease, you won't ever be liked even if your DRM solution somehow makes games run better.

 

[Loomy]

You as a player have an immediate benefit if a game uses an anti-cheat solution, because it's a fair environment in the game, and you don't need to face cheaters.

What cheaters a I facing in single player games running this crap.

It's different, though. There was a recent study about the financial impact of our protection. That study said our solution saves our customers around 20% of - or an additional 20% of revenue - if they're using our solution.

Because companies always pass their savings to their customer.

They may have good business reasons, but don't "as a fellow gamer, myself" an entire community to justify the existence your shitty product.

 

[proandrad]

you won't ever be liked even if your DRM solution somehow makes games run better.

Hold up there, they fix shader compilation stutter and I would pay extra to have Denuvo.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I mean if people stopped stealing the games, companies would stop using denuvo. Don't see that happening any time soon though.

Nah they wouldn't, they'd double down on copyright protection measures and would start adding even more obnoxious stuff like unskipable in-game ads

 

[ZehDon]

They went from arguing their software doesn't impact performance on their Discord - which is now closed - to now agreeing it exists, but claiming it's only minimal. Looks like we're in the standard corporate disaster spiral now.

1. The problem doesn't exist.
2. The problem exists, but its an anomaly. (<- We are here)
3. The problem exists, it's systemic, but we're not going to fix it.
4. Ok, we're going to fix it, please stop boycotting us.

 

[ap_puff]

Nah they wouldn't, they'd double down on copyright protection measures and would start adding even more obnoxious stuff like unskipable in-game ads

I guess i can't argue a counterfactual, they already are adding unskippable ingame ads

 

[MagusMajul]

"I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about."

 

[Kasane89]

Ofc they change their approach. They bank on company shills and toxic positivity to change their lie into truth for the general public

 

[lmimmfn]

A loser "gamer"

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

Well, Lars Ulrich is a drummer so...

 

[ReBurn]

I don't know how much the rest of you know about video games (I'm an expert), but Denuvo tanking games is a huge part of it.

 

[Hoddi]

Meanwhile, in reality:

FWIW, this wasn't caused by Denuvo but Capcom's own in-house copy protection.

Certain games have removed Denuvo after a few years and I've run a few of them through Intel VTune which is a proper performance profiler. I've yet to find even a single game where it makes one iota of difference. There are good reasons for opposing Denuvo for future compatibility but performance isn't one of them.

I'm personally fine with Denuvo as an initial prevention against piracy. But I really wish that companies would simply state when/if it's getting removed at some point in the future. I'm fine with a 12-24 month grace period but I don't like paying for games that may be unplayable 20 years from now.

 

[Kenpachii]

Its software that runs and checks, it will always eat performance.

Gotta be a real moron to think otherwise.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Im not a racist, I have Black friends!

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Well, Lars Ulrich is a drummer so...

 

[xVodevil]

Yeah well fuck off.. It's not just the performance but the check that can make you unable to launch your paid for offline game say when you have internet issues for a time.

 

[Ozzie666]

Has to support the company and the profits, it's like the big Tabacco companies not admitting smoking or vapes are bad for you.
But less serious.

 

[GymWolf]

I'm not racist, i buy stuff during black friday.

 

[Life Diff]

 

[RaySoft]

Meanwhile, in reality:

The worst Denuvo perf. problems stems from shoddy implementations of their code into the games.
I don't know how much support and "best practice" advice they offer their customers, but it's evident it at least could have been better.
And just for the record, I'm not trying to defend Denuvo here. I hate everything DRM with a passion, but that doesn't mean we should just disregard the truth.

 

[Varteras]

"I drive a car. Therefor, I could never cause an accident".

 

[MMaRsu]

I honestly don’t give a shit about DRM because I don’t pirate games. Buying them is way easier.

But the performance hits are completely unacceptable, and Denuvo is retarded for trying to paint themselves as anything but the enemy of PC games.

Pirating games dont have to deal with DRM at all.

Only paying customers who spent legitimate money are hampered and harasser by drm..

So? Your opinion seems weird

 

[Dazraell]

Random bloke online: Says shit about Denuvo
Triggered Denuvo rep: "B-b-but acTUally..."

 

[Gaiff]

Is this reliable? Hard to believe that the non-Denuvo version runs 26% better. That’s almost the difference between a 4080 and a 4090.

 

[Peroroncino]

"I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about" - most gamer quote in the gaming history

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[Rivdoric]

Secondly, I think it's super hard for a gamer. I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about. I think it's super hard to see, as a gamer, because i'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about. I think it's super hard to see, as a gamer because I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about. I think it's super hard to see, as a gamer because I'm a gamer myself, and therefore I know what I'm talking about. I think it's super hard to see, as a gamer

 

[Laptop1991]

So he is not the slightest bit biased in his reasoning then, as he works for Denovu, OK I believe him for 0 seconds, they must think we are all stupid

 

[winjer]

These morons just keep on digging.....

 

[Cakeboxer]

"I'm a gamer myself"

5 minutes candy crush per week?

 

[rkofan87]

just shut up and fix your shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hemo memo]

He's basically telling us to ignore the facts and believe him.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Let's not beat around the bush, anything added to a game that shouldn't be there is shit, and they're saying this..

Stop blowing smoke up our asses. What's more insulting is this chump thinks everyone is fucking stupid.