I was thinking about if it made sense for games to keep their DRM if a cracked version has been released due to the issues DRM can occasionally cause for the consumer.
GOG installers are already DRM free but I feel like you don’t see those shared online anymore than you do pirated games.
The only reason I could see keeping the DRM making sense is if the version of Denovo or other DRM was updated alongside the game. If it is how long do they typically receive updates for? I know some games like Doom Eternal had Denovo removed but I don’t know if that’s due to cracks existing or the time the game has been out.
Edit:
I suppose account based DRM like Steam’s might make sense so people aren’t sharing one account. Even then you run the same risks as sharing any other account and in Steam’s case you can still play offline.
Does that mean DRM services aren’t a one time purchase for studios even if the DRM isn’t updated?
I know that Denuvo is at least. It’s because the software needs to phone home to work.
In 2016, Crytec, the makers of Crysis had their Denuvo costs leaked. https://imgur.io/a/t2UKOha. 120,000€ for the first year. 2000€ a month after that. Plus fees for each storefront and fees for each sale and fees if the game sells over a half million in a month.
This old Reddit thread has pricing information straight from the horse’s mouth. https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackStatus/comments/4mtb46/conversation_with_a_denuvo_employee/