DRM Gets Creative As Serious Sam Attacks Pirates With Pink Scorpion

Game DRM can be annoyingly complex, so mild as to be ineffectual, or, as in Serious Sam 3 BFE, it can be a giant, invincible pink scorpion that refuses to leave pirate gamers alone. Those attempting to play with cracked copies of the first-person shooter will discover that, while they're able to attempt the first level, their challenge will be a whole lot trickier than those with legitimate copies thanks to an immortal pink arachnid determined to kill them, The Dark Side of Gaming reports.

The innovative system is the handiwork of Serious Sam 3 BFE's developers, Croatian company Croteam, and is already being praised for delivering DRM security without the usual headaches. Legitimate gamers – who have paid for the game – will never see the scorpion, only those who are playing pirated versions of it.

Our only disappointment is that the pink scorpion itself isn't as ridiculous as it could've been. Nothing flags up to your friends the fact that you're too cheap to buy a game like being attacked by a fluffy pink stuffed scorpion with a beaming face and killer claws that just won't die.

[via EDGE]