I just downloaded "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter." I got it from GOG because someone on another Forum page noted that GOG did not have "DRM." After I got the game loaded, I realized that I have no idea what "DRM" is. Explanation please?

Digital Rights Management. It's a form of copy protection.

When you buy a game from GOG, the game is really yours, all yours. You can even copy the download (before installing the game) to a disk.

Thanks for the info, but I have a question for Draclvr. Can I copy it to a disk AFTER I install the game?

Draclvr,how would I copy a game from GOG to a disk. do I have to install it first. thanks
Richard

Once you've downloaded the installation files from GOG (The Setup.exe and associated .bin files), you simply copy them to a disc.

And no, the game does not have to be installed before you make a backup copy. It's a (welcome) return to the old days. You buy it, you own it. You can install it on any PC you like.

I'm at a point these days, that if a game isn't released without DRM, I simply don't purchase it. DRM is more trouble than its worth.

InlandAZ: since most games aren't even issued on disk any more,we're all going to be forced to download games. (Even I can't play URU all the time.) How do we know whether or not it has DRM. Is it always clearly labeled?

Those from GOG are - Other sources, and I'm not going to name them, are chocked full of DRM and activation limits. I refuse to purchase them - most of my gaming these days has shifted from the PC to the console platforms. Consoles have their issues as well, but at least for the time being, I don't find them nearly as intrusive.

The idea of purchasing the right to play a game, so long as you're online or haven't exceeded the activation limit, is foreign to me - I still play the old classics, because I own them - no DRM, no activation limits, just install and play.

Thanks to all of you. I learned some "Good stuff" here.