Spore and its DRM

[Arehexes]

I don't see why the DRM is such an issue here, I mean how many PC's do you want to install it on? If it was something like MS Office then I'd understand, I had to install that on 4 pc's when one of them died and I updated, and even then it was just a 5 minute phone call to the customer support to get it fixed.

Lets go through my game install with The Sims 2, I will list the PC and number of [un]installs
My HP had:4 installs/ 4 uninstalls and was updated a few times.
My dads laptop 3 installs/ 3 uninstalls no updates
my laptop 2 installs/1 uninstall and I plan on redoing my laptop soon.

See that's 3 hits to the limit (more if my HP updates counted), and when I re do my laptop it's going to take that hit as a 4th install according to spores DRM. And note I'm not a comp geek for updating, but computers need to be updated to stay in shape with new and newer games. And it really is to stop PC games from being re-funded or re-sold. I mean I haven't seen a used PC game before the Eb buyout.

 

[Simski]

I am terribly fucking worried about this issue seeing as I have bought the actual game, and I have reinstalled it twice already.
The game crashed the first time I ran it, and the second time it refused to log me into the spore server...
So now I am fucking worried, and I'm not happy about EA's bullshit anti-piracy thing.
If I can't install it next time, I'll just have to fucking pirate it like everyone else.

 

[Jingle_Bombs]

*Smiles and laughs nervously* As a matter of fact I've already managed to break my friend's copy of Spore in this way... I visited him a couple of days ago, and that very morning he had bought Spore. He's something of a PC nerd, and he shares with his brother four computers, the extra two as backups and for his mates to use when they pop round. I decided, as I usually do with the games at his house, to install it on the PC I was playing on. He, however had already installed it, as had his brother. I installed it too, but when they tried to put it on the last PC, the previously unknown DRM reared its ugly head and blew the proverbial raspberry at us.

I immediately apologised, and the kind chap forgave me, and said that It was hardly my fault. Aside from feeling guilty, I've also bought my own copy, but I'm rather worried, as I end up installing/reinstalling my games quite often as I have a small hard drive.

I suppose the only compesensation is that I really like the game, and that it costs £15 less than a new game normally would at my local shop.

 

[CanadianWolverine]

DRM doesn't stop pirates. It creates them.

I have given this some thought and on this point especially, I have to call BS.

Pirates were around before our software had DRM. Human nature creates pirates.

But what hostile Digital Rights Management does is basicly turn games that were previously part of our personal game collection with it into rentals. I equate it to like if we were never allowed to buy books and make a personal library at home, we would only be allowed to take the book from someone else's privately owned library on a limited admission basis - and their library could close or burn to the ground at any time.

I have a library of games that stretch back into the 80s and even further if you count the board, card, and book games. Like a good book, I can pick up, install and see how dog eared those are after all these years.

I simply refuse to buy Spore or any other game that has Pain In The Ass DRM. DRM may not have made pirates, but I do know what it won't make me - a customer.

 

[Katana314]

Man, oh man. It sucks to think that I thought this was gonna be the messiah of games so long ago. Pre-release hype has gotten so bad, I'm even wondering if I should pre-order the next Valve game.

To explain DRM, while it's an enormous inconvenience to start off with, it's also a matter of principal. People are gonna be happy that they have the game at all, so the company's can be pleased about it. That's why we, the people who read newspapers and have jobs, should speak up about this stuff so that EVERYONE isn't pissed off later on when they discovered this little clause in the user agreement that screws them over two months after their warranty's out.

I have a new rule: Don't EVER pre-order a game unless you know everything there is to know about it. And that includes MORE than "It's the sequel to X"!!!

 

[JaguarWong]

EA fanboys i thought you guys were extinct.

The Protection isn't effective as the Pirates had it weeks before consumers, and as pointed out to you, but your EA zealotry refusing to accept, it is designed to stop the second hand market not Pirates.

Ah the sweet smell of the internet genius!
I don't scream 'foul' so of course I MUST be a Fanboy!
Amazing logic there sparky, have a gold star and you can go out for play-time early, afterwards we'll be writing a story on the theme "Judging people by ones own ludicrous standards".

 

[runtheplacered]

My panties are waded up because because mass idiocy galls me - nothing more, nothing less.

What mass idiocy?

Moreover, your attitude doesn't exactly go far to separating you from this.

What attitude?

I've read all the supposed problems that people have and not a single one has any grounding in fact.

The 3 activations (for instance) isn't a fact?

Shame on a business for trying to make money huh?

Well, if it gets in the way of consumers using their products, then yes. Shame on them, indeed.

I don't know, I was hoping you'd reply with some substance. This really wasn't much of anything.

 

[runtheplacered]

i loved the old school protection games like monkey island with the little disc, they made a game out of it and it was fun.

Man, that would be great. I remember the old D&D games had them, also. Like Pool of Radiance (the original.) But now everyone would just put the wheel up on the internet rendering that useless.

Too bad, though.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

DRM doesn't stop pirates. It creates them.

I have given this some thought and on this point especially, I have to call BS.

Pirates were around before our software had DRM. Human nature creates pirates.

But what hostile Digital Rights Management does is basicly turn games that were previously part of our personal game collection with it into rentals. I equate it to like if we were never allowed to buy books and make a personal library at home, we would only be allowed to take the book from someone else's privately owned library on a limited admission basis - and their library could close or burn to the ground at any time.

I have a library of games that stretch back into the 80s and even further if you count the board, card, and book games. Like a good book, I can pick up, install and see how dog eared those are after all these years.

I simply refuse to buy Spore or any other game that has Pain In The Ass DRM. DRM may not have made pirates, but I do know what it won't make me - a customer.

Well, it is obvious to say that Pirates were around longer than DRM existed. It dates all the way back to NES and Atari days. Hell, piracy exists to this very day in different forms, such as modding communities for current generation consoles.

DRM won't stop piracy because DRM essentially makes a game as you mentioned in your post, a rental. So what will people do if they have to do if they want to play it? They need to buy it. And buying copies means people will have to spend money, which goes into EA's pockets. People don't like spending a lot of money, especially for a PC game that costs 50 bucks. And since not a lot of homes (well, its increasing anyway) have DSL, connecting to the internet for the DRM screws you over. So what is it? Pirate the game? Or purchase it, plus multiple copies of it for your other computers? And that's why people think the DRM in spore is a stupid idea. But it's been 7 days since the game released, so we will see maybe the removal of the DRM or improvements on it, such as added versatility being able to install on multiple computers. But this is EA we're talking about, so i don't think removing the DRM will ever happen.