A new feature set being added to the Steam digital distribution platform aims to "make DRM obsolete" -- a feat that would no doubt please a wide swath of PC gamers.
Key to the effort is technology that Valve has dubbed "Custom Executable Generation (CEG)," a neat little acronym that "makes unique copies of games for each user allowing them to access the application on multiple machines without install limits and without having to install root kits on their PC."
Additionally, the update also includes support for in-game downloadable content:
The in-game DLC support allows developers to deliver new content as they choose (paid or free) from inside the game itself, allowing users to make immediate purchases and experience the new content in the same game session
I applaud Valve's effort to remove install limits and keep consumers from having to deal with invasive DRM, but I think the developer is missing the key point: Consumer hatred of DRM is not a result of the DRM itself so much as it's a result of publishers forcing consumers to choose between an ethically sound, annoying gaming experience and an unethical, more pleasant gaming experience.
Let's say you offer a group of people two games. One costs $20, and asks players to enter a secret code every time they want to play the game. The other is free, and has no such secret code.
Obviously the second game is the better, more convenient deal, and realistic PC gaming piracy rates argue that the ethical dilemma inherent in labeling the latter title as "pirated" does little to discourage people from choosing convenience over playing the game by a publisher's rules.
But this hypothetical situation doesn't just work with "secret codes." It extends to any sort of extraneous action that delays the gratification gamers desire from playing a game they've purchased. The more hurdles publishers put in their way, the more gamers will turn to DRM-free pirated versions of games.
The only way to avoid pushing the general gaming public toward piracy is by removing all hurdles, no matter how "relatively convenient" they may be.