Speaking in a German language interview with video game site Rocket Beans at Gamescom 2015 this year, Microsoft’s Boris Schneider-Johne, Enthusiast Marketing Manager for Windows said that older games that depend on SecuROM or SafeDisc DRM will not work on Windows 10. While the video interview at Rocket Beans’ YouTube channel is in German, PC gaming site Rock Paper Shotgun translated the relevant quote. Meanwhile, SafeDisc creator, Rovi Corporation was reached out by PCGamesHardware.de. While there’s no direct quote from the company, and the story is in German, running the update segment of the piece through a translator propels the following: “That’s why there are a couple of games from 2003-2008 with Securom, etc. that simply don’t run without a no-CD patch or some such. We can just not support that if it’s a possible danger for our users. There are a couple of patches from developers already, and there is stuff like GOG where you’ll find versions of those games that work.” The early ‘00s anti-piracy measures has resulted in a history of security nightmares. In November 2007, a SafeDisc security hole helped the Windows hackers to execute kernel-level code on user’s PCs, which was later patched by Microsoft. Looking at this, Windows 10 users might be better off without SafeDisc. However, Microsoft’s decision to disable support may expose its users to higher risk of viruses: so-called no-CD patches, which remove DRM checks and allow games to run without their original media, are often used to propagate adware and distribute malware. Meanwhile, Microsoft has suggested to use services such as good old games (GOG), that is likely to cause less problems for its many gaming customers; however, paying for the titles that have been already owned is not something that the gamers would be interested in.
