[quote]Honestly, the fact that they've been "driven" to it doesn't really justify it for me. Piracy is affecting PC gaming, yes, but if you understand that pirates are going to find a way around DRM anyways then all the companies are doing is punishing their paying customers. Companies have to do something to fight back against piracy, yes. What that is - I have absolutely no idea. So far that answer has been DRM, and it's been proven to be a failed experiment.
Assassin's Creed 2's DRM is still working quite a while after release, let's not forget. Mass Effect and some other games had DRM that worked for a while. You don't need to have the game protected forever, just long enough to get sales from spoiled brat pirates who can't wait. When I said I supported AC2's DRM as long as it worked people acted like that would NEVER happen, yet here we are, it has, and no one seems to be changing their tune.
As for the rest of what you two are talking about, my stance is simple: less PC game sales means less PC games, not less DRM, period. These companies will never just give in and release great PC games DRM free in the future, it's not going to happen. Boycotting DRM on principle just means less PC sales, not DRM-free gaming, it's a protest with no possible good outcome. On an open platform there will always be a way to play these games someday anyway, acting like there won't be, acting like your personal morals are at stake, is a bit exaggerated if you ask me, and the only thing it gets you is less PC games, less PC sales for publishers and a lot of stress.