Denuvo: Our cracked RE7 protection is still better than nothing [Updated]

Denuvo: Our cracked RE7 protection is still better than nothing [Updated]

DRM maker says main goal is "keeping the game safe... during the initial sales window"

Kyle Orland – Feb 6, 2017 10:37 am | 160

This sweaty, fearful Resident Evil 7 character probably provides a good representation of Denuvo's worries about being cracked more efficiently.

After the Denuvo DRM protection for Capcom's Resident Evil 7 was recently cracked less than a week after the game's release, what used to be considered practically "uncrackable" copy protection is looking quite a bit less valuable. Now, Denuvo is defending its "Anti-Tamper" technology, saying it's still the best copy protection currently available.

"It's correct that the title in question was cracked some days after release," Denuvo Marketing Director Thomas Goebl told Eurogamer. That said, "Given the fact that every unprotected title is cracked on the day of release—as well as every update of games—our solution made a difference for this title."

It's definitely true that even a few days of effective post-release copy protection is worth something to publishers, who see cracked versions of games as a direct threat to their sales (especially during the crucial first few days after release). The question is whether that short period of protection is worth the reportedly high price Denuvo charges publishing partners for its technology.

Goebl did deny earlier reports that publishers were being issued refunds after their Denuvo-protected games had been cracked. "We do not have any deals in place that offer refunds if a game is cracked within a specific time frame," the company told Eurogamer. Goebl didn't directly address why games like Inside and Doom removed their Denuvo protection in December after being cracked earlier in the year (Denuvo has yet to respond to a request for comment from Ars Technica).

"Please note that we always position our Anti-Tamper solution as hard to crack, not as uncrackable," Goebl added to Eurogamer. "So far only one piracy group has been able to bypass it." (One could argue that this is one too many for protection to be considered worthwhile, but we digress...)

"As always, we continue working to improve our solution to create security updates for upcoming Anti-Tamper versions," Goebl promised. "We will do the same with the learning from this bypass."

Update (2/6, 10:30a ET): In a statement provided to Ars Technica, Denuvo VP of Sales Robert Hernandez addressed many of the issues discussed in the story above:

The simple reason why Denuvo Anti Tamper was removed from Doom was because it had accomplished its purpose by keeping the game safe from piracy during the initial sales window. The protection on Doom held up for nearly four months, which is an impressive accomplishment for such a high-profile game.

We don't position Denuvo Anti Tamper as being uncrackable -- no anti piracy solution is. However, our goal is to keep each title safe from piracy during the crucial initial sales window when most of the sales are made.

We can't comment on our deals with specific customers, but we do not have any deals in place that offer refunds if a game is cracked within a specific time frame. However, each publisher is of course free to remove our anti tamper tech from their title once they feel the protection has achieved its purpose in protecting the initial sales window, or if they have other reasons for doing so, such as selling the title on DRM-free platforms.