EA Pixelates Pirated Copies of The Sims 4

[Mike Hoffman]

EA Pixelates Pirated Copies of The Sims 4

[a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/eas-anti-piracy-efforts-douse-sims-4-in-thick-pixel-coating/"]EA has stated[/a] that it does not intend to assist players with pirated copies to make their game playable. The players are encouraged to purchase the game to play it without the pixellation.

Our own Jim Sterling was [a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/12201-The-Sims-4-Review"]less than happy[/a] with The Sims 4, particularly with how stripped down it was. Still, if you're a fan of the franchise, check out our quiz, [a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/quizzes/view/331-How-Would-You-Die-in-The-Sims"]"How Would You Die in The Sims?"[/a] to see if a cloud of pixellation is in the cards for you.

Source: [a href="http://www.playerattack.com/news/2014/09/04/the-sims-4-pixellates-pirate-copies/#ixzz3CM6v5a3U"]Player Attack[/a], via [a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/eas-anti-piracy-efforts-douse-sims-4-in-thick-pixel-coating/"]Joystiq[/a]

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[Waaghpowa]

This actually reminds me of the pink scorpion of death that Croteam used on Serious Sam 3. Better to use methods like that rather than intrusive DRM.

Someone will figure it out, eventually, but it took about 6 months for someone to figure it out with Serious Sam.

 

[Amaror]

I actually looked this up and the pirates allready found a workaround for this "DRM".
It's of course highly complicated and involves a significant amount of high-tech knowledge.
Apparently the pirates have to do a so-called "re-name" of the ".exe".

In all seriousness the above is actually true. I mean kudos to the devs for getting such an entertaining form of "DRM" into their game, but if it is really circumvented THAT easily it's a bit embarrassing as well.

 

[kael013]

Hilarious, not intrusive for legitimate customers; I like it. Needs to be more pixelated though - that looks like an old 90s game, so still playable.

 

[Roxas1359]

This actually reminds me of the pink scorpion of death that Croteam used on Serious Sam 3. Better to use methods like that rather than intrusive DRM.

See, DRM like this always makes me laugh. I remember also there was the one for Game Dev Tycoon in which if you pirated the game, you'd get a game over because you're company's content was pirated so much. It would happen later on when you would move out of the basement section of the game.
Then there's the Batman: Arkham Asylum one in which the game is unbeatable if you pirate it because some of the gadgets won't show up in the pirated games.

Heck, even some consoles have done things like this. For example, Insomniac had a message show up from Zoe if you had a pirated version of Spyro: Year of the Dragon.

Spoiler

 

[gamegod25]

Funny but pointless, pirates will find a work around soon enough anyway. Not that it's worth the time and effort anyway.

 

[The Great JT]

So they turned Pirated The Sims 4 into The Sims 1?

 

[J Tyran]

Fair play to them, it doesn't affect legitimate customers and only the pirates. I wonder if they have grounds for banning Origin accounts though? If someone contacts them with their Origin ID, say over the live chat customer support and whines about their pirated game if EA could consider banning the Origin account.

Not sure how I would feel about that if they did though, not unless they could be 100% sure and even then I don't know.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

So they turned Pirated The Sims 4 into The Sims 1?

It would make the game better arguably...

So they are promoting Piracy now?

 

[direkiller]

Not sure how I would feel about that if they did though, not unless they could be 100% sure and even then I don't know.

Transaction history/key activation.
If the account dose not have a copy of the sims, while complaining about how buggy there copy is.
At that point I would just consider it a stupid tax if they had any games on there account.

It's also the lesser evil seeing they probably have enough information to sue the person aswell

 

[jrobson68]

A novel way of using DRM, and surprisingly unintrusive given EA's past. Shame it was cracked within the hour of it being released.

 

[Noble_Lance]

So it looks like Minecraft Sims

 

[J Tyran]

Not sure how I would feel about that if they did though, not unless they could be 100% sure and even then I don't know.

Transaction history/key activation.
If the account dose not have a copy of the sims, while complaining about how buggy there copy is.
At that point I would just consider it a stupid tax if they had any games on there account.

It's also the lesser evil seeing they probably have enough information to sue the person aswell

True, forgot that. When I had trouble with a game I bought from Origin the rep could see the transaction history, what makes me not sure about the ban though is the fact that they would effectively be seizing legitimately owned property. I think EA might have some rights to decide not to offer services to people that pirate their games but seizing property might be going a little far, maybe their could be a middle ground?

Ban them from multi player servers and from receiving updates/patches etc but still allow them to run the games they bought? That way they are just refusing service but they are not seizing legitimately and legally owned property.

 

[Ylla]

A pixelated layer! so retro

 

[Alfredo Jones]

This reminds me of Game Dev Story where pirated copies would have their in in-game business ruined because of pirates. That is how you combat piracy: something game-breaking yet funny that doesn't affect legit customers.

CAPTCHA: beg the question
Here is a question that needs to be begged: Why didn't EA do something like this sooner?

 

[Pogilrup]

I still won't buy this.

Too many expansion packs.

 

[Gennadios]

I'm fully in favor of DRM that turns pirate copies into Sierra adventure games.

 

[Elfgore]

*claps* Good job, EA. I really mean it. This is how you combat piracy. Yes, pirates will eventually get past it, probably already have. But I'd rather have this then have them hurt paying customers. Ya did good, kid. Ya did good.

 

[weirdee]

I look forward to challenge runs of "blurry mode".