Valve calms The Witcher 2 DRM concern

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 17 May, 2011

Dummy SecuROM files in Steam version.

Valve has confirmed that the Steam version of fantasy role-playing PC exclusive The Witcher 2 does not include digital rights management after players found reference to the dreaded SecuROM in the game.

Gamers detected SecuROM in the Steam version, due to be activated in approximately eight hours, and took to the Steam forum to express their concern.

However, according to Valve's Chris D, there's nothing to worry about.

"I just got a heads up from CD Projekt that the game doesn't have SecuROM, they just didn't bother to pull out the dummy files...so that's good," he wrote.

In the build up to the game's launch Polish developer CD Projekt promised fans the game would not include any DRM at all – if bought from its digital shop GOG.com, which only sells DRM-free games.

Last year CD Projekt told Eurogamer digital rights management treats gamers like "criminals".

It "doesn't work", CEO and co-founder Marcin Iwiński said.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (31) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Yodith #1 1 year ago

    As of the time I was leaving for work this morning, SecuROM was refusing to activate my Premium Edition of The Witcher 2, reporting an invalid serial. I fully sympathise with developers trying to protect their games from piracy but when legitimate customers can't activate their genuine copies of the game, something is wrong with your DRM.

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #2 1 year ago

    @Yodith - which totally contradicts the entire point of the article just written? they say its not got any SecuROM in it, yet you are saying that SecuROM is refusing to activate. Surely if its not in the code there would be nothing to refuse you access.

    I do chuckle a little at the DRM free statement when bought thru steam, since steam itself IS a form of DRM as you cannot simply copy it to a mate and then play, its locked to your account, and that IS a form of `Rights Management` :)
    Edited by jaywalker3010 at 17/05/11 @ 09:38

  • Yodith #3 1 year ago

    @jaywalker3010 - mine is a retail edition so unfortunately I have to activate through SecuROM.

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #4 1 year ago

    @Yodith - ahh, right so the game isnt a `Steam` game as such (Steamworks etc) but just available on Steam as another distribution partner.. kinda makes sense then.. *shuts up* :)

  • DeaditeGirl #5 1 year ago

    @2 Because that's called Piracy.

  • Spekingur #6 1 year ago

    @DeaditeGirl: Is it?
    Do know for sure how it will be used? Or the reasons for it? No, you don't. So you are jumping to conclusions.

  • SClaw #7 1 year ago

    Why are you buying it from Steam at all?

    It's more expensive, seems to have DRM (no matter what they just said) and is locked to Steam (minor issue). You could have gotten it from GoG for less, with more free junk and no DRM or launcher at all.

    Anyone who bought this on Steam is a monkey brain.

  • DeaditeGirl #8 1 year ago

    @Spekingur

    " you cannot simply copy it to a mate and then play"

    How is that not piracy? Is exactly what the majority of Amiga owners used to do when I was growing up, and probably helped be a direct cause for all the DRM that's now on the market. Sure some people will just wanna show their mates games to convince them to buy them, and you can do that via Steam by logging into your own account at ye mate's house.

  • HistoryTeller #9 1 year ago

    Oh, dear - I'm a monkey brain.
    Edited by HistoryTeller at 17/05/11 @ 10:05

  • RockTwist #10 1 year ago

    Ooo Ooo ooo me monkey brain, me heap um Steam um buyer.

  • number3son #11 1 year ago

    It's a little ridiculous that people who care about DRM seem to focus a lot on companies like CD Projekt, (who have been championing consumer rights for years now) while seemingly ignoring serial offenders like EA, who release single-player games that nonetheless require a permanent, always-on internet connection to function (Darkspore, C&C 4). Bad double-standard, that.

  • StooMonster #12 1 year ago

    Oh noes, another game I've pre-ordered ... when's this out? Got loads to play before I launch this one. :$

  • RockTwist #13 1 year ago

    @12 Today.

  • Seoh #14 1 year ago

    @Yodith, i hope your problems are just due to it being too early for the activation to occur i know steam activation isn't until tonight so maybe securom is the same.


    Also the only reason secuROM is in the retail version is because of Atari not CD projeckt

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #15 1 year ago

    @DeaditeGirl - yes i know copying it to a mate is `piracy` was just stating that with steam you cannot DO that as its locked to the steam account name.. I was merely chuckling at people saying Steam is DRM free.

  • DeaditeGirl #16 1 year ago

    @Jaywalker3010

    " I was merely chuckling at people saying Steam is DRM free."

    Ahhhh, aye, that makes sense then. ^_^

  • Spekingur #17 1 year ago

    @DeaditeGirl: I, myself, might want to play it on my mate's computer? There can be a number of reasons why but immediatly calling it piracy is just... wrong. Innocent until proven otherwise, I guess. I just don't like to assume it would be piracy just because of that part in the sentence.

    Edit: Alright, jay has clarified.
    Edited by Spekingur at 17/05/11 @ 10:30

  • UGhost #18 1 year ago

    Would have liked to read the article but the Dirt 3 ad obscures it and every time you close the ad, it just surges across the text all over again. Way to make people hate your game Codemasters!

  • uknortherner2000 #19 1 year ago

    Is the GOG.com version playable now then? I'm not at my main PC at the moment to finish the download.

  • arcam #20 1 year ago

    Is the GOG.com version playable now then?

    Yes! But I'm stuck at work :(

  • smoison #21 1 year ago

    Ya that codemasters AD made me installe Ad block and hate Dirt 3.

    Who knew advertising could do the opposite of what was intended...

  • DwarfyP #22 1 year ago

    Waaa waaa waaa.
    SecuROM itself isn't a problem. BF2142 used SecuROM and no one noticed until it was announced. In fact STEAM's own DRM is more intrusive than BF2142 implementation of SecuROM.

    It is bad implementation of SecuROM like EA did with the Sims games that gave it a bad name.

  • Goodfella #23 1 year ago

    Aaaaaanyway.

    Anyone know when the EG review is up?

  • cen4pgb #24 1 year ago

    Steam allows as many PCs as you want to inttall it on, hell if its a SP game you can even using offline mode usually manage to get it actually running on more than one at once, and while it is DRM, copying installs between PCs and logging on steam to get them to work is often more reliable than copying some none DRM games about.

  • glottis0 #25 1 year ago

    @DeaditeGirl - Steam is of course a form of DRM, but it's the best of them. Sure, Steam stops you distributing the game, lending it to people, selling it on, etc.
    However, so long as you intend to keep the game and play it yourself, it doesn't hurt you at all. It doesn't install shitty rootkits, it doesn't require disc-swapping, it doesn't care if you upgrade your computer, it doesn't care if your internet connection is flaky, and it doesn't care which machine you play on (so long as it's one at a time). In other words - if you agree to the terms of sale, steam respects you - which is more than can be said for most of the DRM schemes out there.

    Of course in this case I bought from GOG because that's even better :)

  • dingo75 #26 1 year ago

    In the build up to the game's launch Polish developer CD Projekt promised fans the game would not include any DRM at all – if bought from its digital shop GOG.com, which only sells DRM-free games.

    You have to register though to get patches so I don't think it can be counted as DRM-free sorry.
    I'm a fan of GoG and own a lot of their games but I'm a bit disappointed this time with them.
    Moreso as the pirated version is out already (taken from the Polish CE which was released earlier).

  • bf #27 1 year ago

    I'm with dingo75 on this. Mandatory registration for patches can not be called "DRM-free".

  • hana_fubuki #28 1 year ago

    Just buy it on GOG already - it's cheaper and DRM-free. Unless you have some kind of deep emotional attachment to Valve, there's really no reason to choose Steam over GOG.

    OK, back to Temeria now!

  • uknortherner2000 #29 1 year ago

    @dingo75

    I'd imagine a few months down the line that the fully-patched version will be put up on GOG.com like the other games so you'll end up being able to redownload the patched version instead if needed. At the moment, it's more to do with generating those first-month sales.

    @arcam

    Cheers. Not long came out from a job interview, so I can't wait to get home and install this!
    Edited by uknortherner2000 at 17/05/11 @ 10:55

  • Dangher #30 1 year ago

    I believe that all this hullabaloo about DRM and protection against piracy is moot. The crack for the Witcher 2 went live last night, BEFORE the release of the damn game. So, my question is - is there a point to DRM?

  • Vixremento #31 1 year ago

    Well...if GOG gives it to me DRM free then I'll buy it...but probably only closer to pay day. As for Steam - well screw them (I've never liked the service since it was first launched...making me wait over three hours for a game that I'd bought on disk - HL2 and then having to authenticate the thing...over dial-up). Also, I think Gabe is a fat prick (sure, they make good games but he is still a prick). Sure, I no longer use dial-up but that doesn't matter...the other day I wanted to play some HL2 again just for kicks...too me more than 30 minutes to get my "Steam Platform" updated (W..T..F?).

    Anyway, I'm actually quite excited about this so here's a cheers to GOG!