The integration of Digital Rights Management (DRM) software often sparks debate and Capcom’s recent push to integrate it in Resident Evil Revelations was no exception. Capcom’s stance faced near-immediate backlash from the gaming community, particularly on Steam, where it caused Resident Evil Revelations’ rating to plummet to “Overwhelmingly Negative”
DRM, while intended to curb piracy, has long been heavily criticized for causing performance issues and hindering modding.
Capcom’s decision to include DRM in the 2012 title was seen as a move against the modding culture. It drew criticism on forums and social media, and with its implementation players experiencing technical issues such as unstable frame rates and crashes. The controversy intensified when it was believed that Capcom was using Enigma, a third-party DRM solution, potentially leading to these problems.
I managed to download the Revelations patch with Enigma implemented. File mods work, reading and poking memory works. I could even attach a debugger, set breakpoints, and modify code, which was something I expected to be blocked
So, yeah, very much a nothingburger
— FluffyQuack (@Fluffyquack) January 15, 2024
However, in a twist to the narrative, a prominent modder in the Resident Evil community, FluffyQuack, has come forward to defend Capcom. FluffyQuack, a developer of tools and mods for various Resident Evil games, argued that all of the claims regarding DRM causing performance issues and blocking mods were unfounded.
According to FluffyQuack, the said DRM software has been a part of many Capcom games for a while now, including Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter 6, without causing significant performance issues or glitches. The modder emphasized that the majority of mods still worked fine with the games that incorporated Enigma Protection.
This defense highlights the complexity of the issue, where on one hand, gamers and modders express their concerns over corporate control and software limitations, while on the other hand, developers and some community members argue for the necessity of such measures. Capcom’s stance, as revealed in a previous presentation, equates mods with cheats unless officially supported, reflecting a broader cultural difference in how products are consumed and altered in different regions. This perspective aligns with a more traditional Japanese approach to consumption, where altering a product from its original design is often frowned upon.
This still-ongoing controversy led Capcom to quickly revert the update for Resident Evil Revelations, apologize for the inconvenience and stating their intent to re-release the update once the issues are resolved. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen how the company will balance its anti-piracy measures with the interests of its player base going forward.
As for FluffyQuack, they’ve since come out with a statement explaining that they’re not defending Capcom in any way. Instead, they’re merely trying to “clarify all of the bogus misinformation” and that gamers are free to call out Capcom as long as they’re complaining about “the right thing.”
As gaming continues to evolve, similar discussions are likely to remain at the forefront, challenging both the developers and players to find a balance that respects both the integrity of the game and the community’s desire for customization and enhancement.
