eli5: If game console CDs just tell the game console “yeah they own this game” what was stopping people from just copying the data to other CDs and giving it to people?

Question

(besides legally)

In: 6

Answer 1

Disk Formats. On the disk is just ones and zeros, and we depend on standards to determine how to read that data in a standard disk drive. The game company doesn’t tell you how the disks are formatted, so it might not be readable unless you use the required software

Software/encryption. The data get disguised in such a way that unless you know the associated key code, the game will refuse to play. You might remember older games had activation codes with them for this purpose. Nowadays, the game might have an embedded code that gets read behind the scenes (like when you’re required to connect it to your online account). Same general idea though.

Most of this technology falls under the umbrella of Digital Rights Management (DRM), which is constantly growing more and more sophisticated