I was having the most excellent weekend anyone could have…until I got back and ManagerJosh from UOEM shared with me the following article.  Mac users, get ready to cry:  SecuROM is being developed for Macs.

Toronto, Canada – August 20, 2008 – TransGaming Inc. (TSX-V: TNG), a leading developer of portability technologies for the electronic entertainment industry and Sony DADC are pleased to announce that TransGaming will utilize Sony DADC’s SecuROM™ digital rights management (DRM) solution for all video game titles enabled through TransGaming’s Cider portability engine for Mac games. The SecuROM™ system will provide game publishers and developers with the best in class portability and DRM solutions as they work with TransGaming to deploy their titles on the Mac platform through TransGaming’s digital distribution portal, www.gametreeonline.com.

TransGaming is a leader in video game portability technology, providing the industry with both Mac and Linux portability solutions through its Cider™ and Cedega™ products. TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine enabled more game titles for Mac in 2007 than all other Mac game developers and publishers combined. By utilizing Sony DADC’s SecuROM™ digital rights management solution, TransGaming will have a high level of security against piracy and unauthorized copying for Cider enabled game titles.

“With the launch of our consumer-facing Mac games portal, GameTree Online (www.gametreeonline.com), we are pleased to ensure the protection of Ciderized games through with Sony DADC’s SecuROM™”, commented Vikas Gupta, President and CEO of TransGaming. “Our ability to offer Sony DADC’s security solution is imparting substantial comfort to our publishers and developers interested in the Mac gaming market and demonstrates a clear advantage as to why Cider is the leading solution for Mac games enablement.”

TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine acts as a “wrapper” around the games Windows-PC software, enabling it to run seamlessly on Intel-based Macs. Protecting the intellectual rights of the game for publishers and developers has quickly become an even greater priority as more and more games are being distributed digitally to consumers. Publishers and developers are looking for leading edge rights management solutions as part of their entry into new consumer platforms such as Mac.

TransGaming will bring a broad portfolio of games to the Mac community, which will also benefit from the SecuROM™ digital rights management solution through the portability process, thus providing a refined and very effective complete solution. By utilizing Sony DADC’s SecuROM™, TransGaming is able to offer Mac enablement and distribution technologies in one convenient location for all game publishers and developers.

“Sony DADC is the first digital rights management provider to apply product activation security in cooperation with TransGaming’s portability technology for the Mac”, explained Stefan Tschapeck, SecuROM™ Product Manager at Sony DADC. “TransGaming’s Cider portability technology provides the use of our SecuROM Product Activation for all Ciderized Mac games, whether sold online via digital download or through traditional retail channels.”

With SecuROM™ Product Activation, Sony DADC offers games and software publishers, plus online distributors, the possibility to apply just one single DRM solution to their content, regardless whether it is distributed via the physical or digital sales channel (e.g. Internet). SecuROM™ Product Activation enables content owners to apply different business models, such as “Try & Buy” or “Subscription” for publishers and online distributors of games and/or software. As a result publishers and online distributors can benefit from increasing customer loyalty and additional revenues. Sony DADC’s SecuROM™ digital rights management solution is already used by 80% of the top Windows-PC game publishers worldwide and is now positioned to also become the leader of product activation solutions for the Mac.