We can all admit that DRM is outright horrible and does more to punish legitimate buyers than those who would pirate. It’s draconian, outdated and unwelcome. Serious Sam 3: BFE developer Croteam, however, has once again proven that there is a way to meet the demands of players in today’s market. As revealed by Dark Side Of Gaming, pirates will find a new enemy waiting for them when they fire up their copies.
In what I can only describe as a brilliantly devious step, a giant invincible armored scorpion capable of a Usain Bolt level of speed will relentlessly hunt the player, doing a fair chunk of damage with every attack. The player’s only recourse is to sprint away for the entire game and hope they can outrun it (spoiler: they can’t) or purchase a legitimate copy.
While this will undoubtedly be cracked sooner rather than later, it should still be applauded as a company doing the right thing. It in no way harms the legitimate customer and leads to comedy for those of us fortunate enough to watch. Frankly, the only downside I see is that I’m now tempted to pirate it myself just to see the shenanigans first-hand.