Hacker News Reader

Comment by shmerl | Hacker News Reader

Aren't Doom games available on GOG? Just buy them DRM-free.

I own so many copies of DOOM from the original release in the early 90s to practically every digital storefront out there - but the Switch was the first platform I had where I can play it portably.

I ragequit and requested a refund upon seeing the forced login screen though.

Nintendo actually came through and I received my $5 back yesterday. Couldn't believe it actually worked. And now begins my eternal boycott of Bethesda. Can't support this kind of shit.

See my comment above: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20556802

I.e. why would you expect already heavily DRMed platform not to add more DRM? If that is a concern, use DRM-free one to begin with.

The platform you speak of did not add more DRM - the third-party (Bethesda) that developed the software did. I accept Nintendo's DRM because every single console ever within recent times has some form of DRM, be it hardware or software-based.

I play games while on the go and lugging around a gaming PC and only playing GOG games is a little unfeasible, don't you think? Also, the bus driver gets pretty upset when I ask for a plug for my monitor and desktop.

Find consoles that allow DRM-free gaming, I posted one example in this thread. Otherwise I don't see it as consistent, when you are excusing one (Nintendo) and blaming another (Bethesda).

Well, to put it bluntly: I don't need to be consistent. I only want to play my physical Switch games on my Switch. I don't expect to be able to back them up. The fact that it's copy-protected and locked down and all that doesn't change my mind. I should, within reasonable limits (the cartridge being stolen by silverback apes, the Switch cartridge port going bad, etc), be able to play my Switch physical games indefinitely, and for that, I am fine with the DRM implemented on the Switch and my entire collection of handheld devices which have similar policies.

DRM that requires verification to a central server is guaranteed to not function in a few years, and that kind of DRM I am not OK with. Those game will die soon, and tons of games die every year. See these videos for info on them: https://www.accursedfarms.com/videos/dead-game-news

I find it interesting that when someone points out something they do not care for, they have to 100% reject everything under that umbrella in a weird "zero-tolerance policy". I have no clue why, according to every discussion on the Internet, I cannot, for example, dislike sports cars, but think that the Bugatti Veyron is pretty cool. Not everything has to be 0 or 1.

Then again this is hacker news so maybe it's the inner engineer in us all.

Here it's is about DRM, so if you tolerate one (from Nintendo), another (Bethesda) has an excuse to push on you more. Only demanding DRM-free is consistent in this regard. I.e. my personal view - vote with your wallet and don't use Switch, if the issue of DRM bothers you. Not sure what else users can practically do about it. Otherwise, I don't see this improving really.

As mentioned not on the switch.

The PC has better than a DRM free version though, the source code of the original engine was released and there are several updates that keep the game feeling modern. Only the game art must be purchased legally. If interested look up "zdoom", which is the updated engine I used and remember.

Switch is DRMed over the top already, so complaining about more DRM there is kind of futile. Those who prefer DRM-free games should use something else to begin with.

Something like Smach-Z can be interesting for handheld use case. It can run games from GOG, either natively (Linux versions) or in Wine or DosBox.

Re: SMACHZ, it's almost definitely a scam. Here's one of many videos showing how it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d00I_3THLBQ

Some old video, I don't see from it how it's a scam, while it's an active project.

See actually recent one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QclbkG1WnQ

I implore anyone considering the SMACHZ to do your research. This is one of many, many videos from independent journalists showing the company is beyond shady, misrepresents their products, lies about timelines, and throws red flags all over the place.

That's why you shouldn't pre-order anything. Wait for it to come out first, then evaluate it. I'd buy that over Switch and Nintendo any time, if it really comes out.

And once you get bored of plain old DooM maps, there's Oblige:

http://oblige.sourceforge.net/

Not on the Nintendo Switch.

Well if you unlock the switch there is of course a port.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com