| Spore comes with phone home DRM >:( - Click HERE for Original Thread |
| JeepGirl |
"Mass Effect uses SecuROM and requires an online activation for the first time that you play it. Each copy of Mass Effect comes with a CD Key which is used for this activation and for registration here at the BioWare Community. Mass Effect does not require the DVD to be in the drive in order to play, it is only for installation.
After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez'd and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn't become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can't contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run." - Derek French
Technical Producer at Bioware.
I'm a gamer, I really really like gaming, I have bookcases full of games. I choose carefully the ones I do want to spend time playing. Spore was definitely one of them, and Mass Effect had a good chance.
Unlike the old days, I do actually purchase the games I play a lot. Of all the security methods, I've always found a crack for my legitimately purchased software so I don't have to have the CD/DVD in the drive. Steam is about my limit for DRM techniques. If I absolutely *MUST* have an internet connection to play Spore, then I absolutely WILL have a crack to play it. The fact that this is required really leads me to think it might just be less hassle to download a pirated copy and forgo buying it at all.
Are they losing a sale because I am pirating the copy? No. I won't buy it because of it's DRM. I will play the game and I will enjoy it - however, there's no sale lost because, if there were no other alternative than buying the DRM laden game, I wouldn't buy it.
Like many other people, I am happy to fork over my money for a game I can copy freely or use how I wish. I am not happy, and will not fork over money for a game that is hostile towards me in terms of my freedoms. A perfect example of how DRM generates a pirate and costs a sale, whereas no DRM gains a sale. How many sales are gained due to DRM? I'd imagine very few compared to how many are lost due to DRM.
I have other things I can spend money on, so this'll take a back seat. It disappoints me that I won't be able to play with Spore, but not so much that I'm willing to let them know how much I play it, when, what time of day, what my shopping habits are, and how best to advertise to me.
And what happens in 5 years when I want to pull it out and play it again? I'm sure it will play right? Just like all those people who bought music from Microsoft thought "Plays for Sure" meant it played for sure....
/END ANGSTY RANT/ |
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| Malaria |
| bioshock had that same issue, drm snafu caused players to get frustrated download the pirate copies just so they could play the game with out hassles. great principle but often with secuROM it makes the game a PITA to play. |
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| JeepGirl |
At least EA agreed that it's DRM scheme was borked and they fixed it a bit:
"In response to criticism of the security measures that it had planned for its major upcoming PC game releases, Electronic Arts has backed off of the harsher parts of its plan.
Specifically, EA's plan to dial in to game owner's computers every ten days to check whether they were running a legitimate version of their software has been scrapped, ShackNews reports. EA had planned to use the validation method for upcoming titles Mass Effect and Spore (pictured). EA now says that validation will now only occur when a user attempts to download new content for either game.
Chief among the voices in opposition to this measure were members of the armed forces, who pointed out that they could not rely on having an internet connection every ten days."
The game is run on downloaded content, you move around the world and stuff uploads in the background from the net... So.. I'm thinking EA really didn't do anything helpful here.. |
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| midnite |
I'm completely with you on this one girl. To me it's not so much the pain in the ass technical problems it may cause at playtime, as it is about one's rights.
It's like buying a cd, but being told you can only listen to it while driving in your car by yourself. You must pay double if you have a passenger. And you must keep your windows up so pedestrians don't get a free listen.. |
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| AudiInProgress |
| Fuck Bioshock for that shit. |
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