GDC: New Trymedia product secures CDs as well as downloads

Digital distribution solution provider Trymedia has announced the launch of a new version of its ActiveMARK security software which offers protection to traditional boxed PC games as well as downloaded titles.

Unlike traditional protection systems which aim to prevent the user from making copies of the original game CD, ActiveMARK 5.2 is designed to allow users to make legitimate back up copies, play without a CD and even share games with their friends easily.

The system, a version of which has been employed successfully on Trymedia's digital download service in the past, requires consumers to activate their game with an online or phone registration rather than relying on copy protection technologies on the disc itself.

Once this has been done, the disc can be copied freely - but if it's loaded on an "un-activated" PC, the game reverts into a trial mode, thus allowing people to give demos of their favourite games to their friends by copying the game CD directly.

This also defeats the problem faced by the common copy-protection products used by PC software publishers, many of which are incompatible with popular brands of CD and DVD drives - a difficulty which may account for a high rate of returns on some PC titles.

Two companies have already signed up to use ActiveMARK 5.2 for their boxed game distribution this year, with both Eidos and PopCap on board to use the product. "To offer Eidos gamers the ability to make back-up copies and legally share games with friends is a real breakthrough," enthused Eidos' director of new media and online technologies Simon Protheroe. "This unified content protection process for titles distributed via both CD and online creates significant benefits for both Eidos and the consumer."

Attendees at GDC can check out Trymedia's offerings at booth #844, and the company is also sponsoring a programming track on game security at the conference today. Trymedia boss Gabe Zichermann will be discussing the issue of protecting games while maintaining consumer rights in a session this afternoon called Feed Good Game Security, which runs at 4pm.