It’s not enough that PC ports of games already suffer from their technology (those who say they’re not affected because they don’t experience performance degradation: the world doesn’t revolve around them), now Irdeto wants to make PC users even more angry…

Irdeto’s new technology is called TraceMark for Games. In theory, it’s a way for developers and publishers to identify who’s leaking footage before a game is released, and even make the technology invisible (for example, you can hide it by changing a wall texture, even by changing a single pixel), so it’s not enough that Denuvo Anti-Tamper keeps calling home (telemetry is often accompanied by exe files bloated by hundreds of megabytes, resulting in higher memory and processor usage), it’s also here to make our days uncomfortable.

According to Irdeto, the new tool uses invisible watermarking technology used by Hollywood studios and uniquely identifies content leaks, especially in the pre-release phase, in the hopes that leakers will change their minds about whether or not to post their material on the Internet. Tracemark for Games will also sniff out press copies as a specific security concern behind press events and the distribution of review copies.

Irdeto SVP Niels Haverkorn said, “With the launch of TraceMark for Gaming, we are setting a new standard in anti-piracy for the gaming industry. This innovative solution is not only a significant milestone for Irdeto, but also a leap forward in protecting the creative and financial investment of game developers worldwide. At Irdeto, we understand the unique challenges faced by the gaming community, and TraceMark is our commitment to ensuring that these valuable assets are protected throughout their lifecycle.”

They go a bit overboard with this constant defense, because if a game is lousy and leaks, it is our wallets that are being protected, not the pockets of the publishers’ executives.

Source: PCGamer, Globenewswire