We’re Sick of DRM, so Keep Your Spore Game!
Like many gamers, I’ve been waiting for the release of SPORE for a long time now. After being constantly teased with the Creature Creator and videos of Robin Williams playing it, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to get the full version of the game so I could actually play around with all of the creatures I had created, instead of just looking at them stare back at me.
Today, SPORE was finally released to the masses. And like thousands of other gamers, I will NOT BE BUYING THIS PIECE OF CRAP GAME!
Why? Simple, EA has decided that every gamer is a scumbag pirate, so a special Digital Rights Management program needed to be put in place. In order to play SPORE, you have to connect to the internet in order for the game to become activated. That doesn’t sound that bad at first, but take into account that you are only allowed to install the game a WHOLE THREE times. In addition, every time you fire up the game, it phones home to EA to make sure it’s legit, because naturally none of us can be trusted.
So far over 1,000 users have left SPORE a 1 star review on Amazon.com, and more keep rolling in. We’re simply fed up this crap!
I understand that EA needs to at least try to fight piracy, but in no way is this the best way to do it! Not within 24 hours of its release, a patched version of SPORE hit pirate and torrent sites everywhere, allowing users to play the game without paying a dime, nor having to ever worry about activation.
So what’s the point of the DRM!? The only people it’s going to affect now are the people that bought the game legally and unpatched. Many people are arguing that no matter what, you are only renting the game. Eventually you will have to reinstall the game, whether it be on a new computer, or on the same you currently use because of some kind of crash. Many users are appalled by the fact that the game cost $50 to rent, not own. And I 100% agree with them.
While some people will argue that you can call EA to request a new activation when you run out, many of them don’t realize how hard that might actually be. After waiting for the game to install, you have to call EA, wait on hold for god knows how long, and then literally explain why you’re not a pirate, and why you are out of activation codes. You literally have to beg if you want to install the game a fourth time. EA, in all their glory, is not required to give you a new one if they don’t believe your story. And believe me; this exact thing has happened before with the release of Mass Effect, which used the same method.
Users have had enough of DRM, and are finally protesting against it with SPORE. We want the right to play our game when we want, and don’t want to have to call EA for permission to do so. If anything, all DRM has managed to do is piss gamers off and make them want to pirate it instead of buying it – even though they were originally planning on paying for it anyway!
EA, take a hint. Treat your gamers with some damn respect. Don’t treat us like criminals. We’ve had it and we won’t buy your game because of this. Your loss, not ours.
8 Comments
Robert Glen Fogarty
September 8th, 2008
at 8:45pm
Psst! When your title says “Keep You’re Spore Game,” you’re basically saying “Keep You Are Spore Game,” which doesn’t make any sense!
I’ve fixed it to properly say “Keep Your Spore Game.”
Cheers!
Bob
Editor, Lockergnome
Terence Kurka
September 8th, 2008
at 9:02pm
Well put griff, I agree with you 100% on this. DRM annoys me to no ends in a number of formats, especially this and WMV-DRMS not working on the zune.
-Zanaan
John
September 9th, 2008
at 12:23am
Relax already. When you go to the airport, you’re considered a terrorist until proven innocent. Do anything shady and they can cavity search you! That makes DRM look pretty silly.
People complained this loudly when Bioshock DRM was discovered too. Three months on, no one gives a damn.
mattb4rd
September 9th, 2008
at 2:33am
I’m not sure what the fuss is all about.
If you’re connected to the internet when you uninstall, EA will remove that install from you serial number, so technically you can install it on as many machines as you want, just not more than 2 (I think) simultaneously.
Dallas
September 9th, 2008
at 10:09am
mattbr4rd– you wont always be online when you uninstall because when I reload my computer I just wipe it clean and put a fresh load of windows or linux on… so who would waste time in uninstalling programs before you reload?
my .02$
Its stupid i want to get a game that i can play and load on all of my computers and OS’s and not worry about being able to play b/c i ran out of keys for my 50$ game that then turns into trash…
Lee of Iowa
November 7th, 2008
at 7:34pm
Back in the day, when dinos roamed the earth, a copy protection scheme was developed for the C64 (commodore64).
It was a dongle that plugged into a port. They 1st generation of them was easy to defeat. The second generation was not. It pretty much put an end to copying any new c64 software. And a short time later the c64 was a dead computer. As much as some would hate to hear this, I must say it…Computers would be no where as popular as they are today if not for piracy. Home piracy also created a whole generation of computer programmers. Those who were kids are now top programmers in the industry. Although piracy caused a monetary loss to individual companies,it also boosted the industry over all. Massive growth and development was the result. Its nice that Digital Rights protects the copyright holders, But it will also slow the industry. If nothing were copyable, the industry would shrink drastically, and only businesses would be using computers since Joe Average can not afford the outrageous prices they ask for software. Linux and GPL would become they new standard and no one would ever have to pay for software. A $189 copy of Vista? A $199 game? Not me thank you. PCLinuxOS is free. WINE runs windows freeware. Ubuntu isn’t too bad either. No ones going to $29.99 me to death. What I save on software I can spend on hardware! And I have!
bosslady
March 18th, 2009
at 9:41pm
yep, i say that EA is gonna lose alot of customers this way..its just plain ridiculous..everybody dont have freakin internet service and those gamers that were looking so forward to playing the game just to find out that they need internet are gonna be pissed! thanks for nothing EA. i’ll think twice next time i consider buying anything from your company.
propecia
June 5th, 2009
at 11:45am
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