The early PC games on DOS (and even some preceding ones) are typically shareware programs released with a demo. If a person likes the game, he will order or buy the game with the full content. Some of such games are released with a manual and an "interactive mini-game" that requires you to locate the symbol or word on line X of page Y before the game can be played.
For pirates, effort is spent on reproducing the manual which is typically more carefully protected by means of special ink or features that reduce the ability to duplicate the manual, and thus the game.
Towards CD-ROMs
As the dawn of CD-ROMs with higher capacity also comes with a new way of approaching content protection. Typically, the disc will need to be inserted and verified before the game can be played. While it might be more convenient, it also causes problems of hardware and disc problems that is caused by the early hardware issues. Due to the costs of early burners (CD writers), the ability to reproduce the game is limited. It is also in these times that shareware compilations of games are the bigger sellers.
Software based protections
The next evolving steps of CD protection are the ones that try to prevent copying actively (due to the falling price of CD burners). These employ the use of software like Safedisc, SecuROM, Starforce, Tages which through the use of various uncopyable or difficult-to-copy features to prevent the average CD readers and burners to copy these. In addition, these copy protections typically do not go well till the advert of RAW-mode CD copying.
This type of protection is also the ones that starts to go wrong by using closed and proprietary channels to verify the CD. Problems start appearing when new Operating Systems are used that does not allow such operations and thus lock out the entire game.
- Vista's UAC will cause compatiblity issues with certain CD protections
- Invalid system calls might cause BSOD (blue screen of death)
- Effectively locks out your game if developer does not release updates, or if there is no crack
CD-keys are the most effective way of copy-protection ever used, and is especially effective when paired with online components which verifies the validity of the key. Even till today, this remains the most effective way of protecting a game from playing online and is still actively used in PC games.
Activation systems
Games that attempt to have to activate to play the game are the ones that everyone faces problems with. With mandatory activations per X days, games have taken activations to whole new levels that will lock out a PC without access to the internet. In addition, such DRM systems can limit activations to Y number of installs and thus render your new system incapable of operating the game that you own.
External link
There is a article about PC game's history at 1Up, where you can also see the stages of PC gaming and also a little bit about gaming protection systems.
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