Resident Evil Revelations - DRM-controverse leidt tot review-bombardement op Steam

Resident Evil Revelations, de third-person shooter spin-off van Capcom uit 2012, krijgt momenteel een golf van negatieve beoordelingen op Steam. Dit volgt op beweringen dat Capcom recentelijk de game heeft geüpdatet met DRM-software (Digital Rights Management). Sinds de kritiek begon op woensdag 10 januari, is de beoordeling van de game op Steam gedaald naar "overwegend negatief", een duidelijke verandering in de stemming binnen de community.

Onrust door DRM-software

De controverse ontstond nadat spelers op de Steam-forums melding maakten van technische problemen en prestatieverlies. Dit omvat instabiele framerates, crashes en meer, die samenvallen met recente updates van Resident Evil Revelations. Een speler wees op Enigma Protector, een DRM-oplossing van een derde partij, als mogelijke oorzaak van de problemen.

Capcom's stand on mods and cheats

In a presentation in October 2023, Capcom addressed its anti-cheat and anti-piracy measures in its PC games. DRM software is used by many studios like EA, Sega, and Ubisoft to prevent or restrict cheating and piracy in games. In its video, Capcom equated community mods with cheats and referred to all mods as cheats, "unless officially supported."

Enigma's response to allegations

In response to comments from Resident Evil Revelations players on the Steam forums, Enigma, the creator of the alleged added DRM software, replied on its own forum. However, Enigma's response to a query regarding performance issues and the impact on mods was defensive, stating that the use of their software does not automatically lead to problems.

Capcom's response and the withdrawal of the update

Capcom published a brief statement on the Steam page of Resident Evil Revelations, explaining that the recent update has been "withdrawn" but will ultimately be re-released. "Due to an issue with the latest update, we have withdrawn the corresponding update," said the developer. "We apologize for the inconvenience and will re-release the update once the issue is resolved."

Impact on the community and reviews

Since January 10th, 196 negative reviews have been posted on the Steam page of the game, resulting in an "overwhelmingly negative" rating based on recent feedback. However, the overall rating of the game, based on player responses throughout its lifespan, remains "very positive."

These developments highlight the importance of community feedback in the gaming world. Players use review platforms like Steam to express their dissatisfaction with developers' decisions, especially when they result in technical issues or limitations to gameplay.

A sensitive topic in the gaming community

The introduction of DRM in Resident Evil Revelations and the subsequent community reaction demonstrate how sensitive the topic of DRM and modding is in the gaming world. While developers have the right to protect their intellectual property, it is equally important for them to consider the needs and gaming experience of their community. Capcom's decision to withdraw and reassess the update could be a step in the right direction to regain players' trust.