EA relaxes SecuROM restrictions after major outcry

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12 May 08 17:18 by Seán Byrne in category Uncategorized To news archive

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Last week, gamers got rather angry when they found out that EA is implementing the controversial SecuROM DRM system in their upcoming PC games such as Mass Effect and Spore. EA’s plan was to use this DRM system to carry out online verification of the CD key every 5 to 10 days to ensure the key has not been published online or used in some form of piracy. If the key cannot be verified, the software will try again over the next 10 days, after which the user will be prevented from using the software until it can successfully authenticate the key again. The key is registered to the PC during installation to limit the number of installations to three.

After an overwhelmingly negative response from the gaming community, EA and BioWare have decided to relax the anti-piracy system to just requiring authentication during the first play and again when ever the user downloads new content for their game. The CD key will still be registered with the user’s PC and the online authentication server will only permit up to three installations. Should a user need to activate their title a 4th time, they will need to get in touch with EA’s support.

We have yet to see what will happen during the first few days of these games’ launches, such as whether we will see more examples of what happened with “BioShock” where users were unable to activate their title due to the overloaded activation servers. On the other hand, it is quite likely that EA’s support team are going to get overwhelmed with calls about the online activation, particularly where customers try playing their new game at their various friends’ places without realising the restriction on the number of installations they are allowed.

13 Comments

DukeNukem: Posts: 998; Posted on: 12 May 08 17:52

When I'm not sleeping with super-sexy lingerie models, I like to play video games. My opinion is that these DRM restrictions just annoy the people who actually bought the game. Since I get all my games via peer-to-peer, DRM doesn't affect me. Sure, I can't play on-line on an authorized server, but I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find an unauthorized server. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I really like lingerie models.

This message was edited at: 12-05-2008 17:54

dvdfaetter: Posts: 5; Posted on: 12 May 08 19:18

Well... I actually buy the games I play, but I will NEVER buy a game that does not allow me to re-install more than 3 times. When I buy a game then it is _MINE_ - and I don't want ANYONE to control how I play it.

guest: Posts: 15288; Posted on: 12 May 08 20:08

Damn right. If you buy it it is yours! Don't believe their lies saying "you only own the physical media, we own whats on it, we can change terms at any time, you have no rights, we have absolute power". E.A SUX! It's in the game. F!@# them.

Chuckwagon: Posts: 163; Posted on: 12 May 08 22:22

I won't ever again pay for an EA game. EA SUX!! And they've annoyed me for the last time. I've wasted too much money on their inferior products, and then been treated like a criminal, to ever pay them again. When are game makers going to realize all this DRM carp is useless and they'd be better off spending time and money making the games WORTH buying? How about some new features and content that actually make my experience more enjoyable? "Nope, you're all criminals and we'd never make any money if we didn't spend millions in a futile effort to stop piracy." Idiots.
This message was edited at: 12-05-2008 22:23

Lord KiRon: Posts: 257; Posted on: 12 May 08 22:25

I think guys you never read you EULA - you NEVER BUY software (well almost never) you buy disk and LICENSE to use it. So legally you not own the game you buy. But I agree with other comments

Tru: Posts: 1494; Posted on: 12 May 08 22:53

Very simple: I do not buy products requiring online activation. So I will not buy these games. I vote with my wallet.

guest: Posts: 15288; Posted on: 13 May 08 03:26

"I think guys you never read you EULA - you NEVER BUY software (well almost never) you buy disk and LICENSE to use it. So legally you not own the game you buy." So why in the heck do I have to pay sales tax then?

guest: Posts: 15288; Posted on: 13 May 08 07:17

I agree with all of the above posters, but the main reason they are implementing this system, is to stop the secondhand trade business. (as they are greedy)

guest: Posts: 15288; Posted on: 13 May 08 08:21

Chuckwagon wrote "I won't ever again pay for an EA game. EA SUX!! And they've annoyed me for the last time." Calm down!!!Calm down!!!...Why should EA allow people like you to download their games via bittorrent? If you want it Buy it...Cheapskate. :d

r_saotome: Posts: 460; Posted on: 13 May 08 13:49

I usually only recommend people download no cd/dvd patches so you don't need to lug your optical disc around if you travel as much as I do, but now people that buy these titles used (I've seen plenty of PC games @ Pawn Shops) are pretty much going to REQUIRE it. Hopefully the previous owner will write down the necessary info for the next buyer. ^_^

DukeNukem: Posts: 998; Posted on: 13 May 08 15:09

I refuse to pay $60 for a game I don't actually own. Where else in business does that happen? You buy a car, it's your car. You buy a house, it's your house. You buy magazines where the women are tied up and beaten, you're a perv. :+

Chuckwagon: Posts: 163; Posted on: 13 May 08 17:07

micro$oft wrote: "Calm down!!!Calm down!!!...Why should EA allow people like you to download their games via bittorrent? If you want it Buy it...Cheapskate. " Cheapskate? Blome! I've PAID for too many of EA's carp products only to have the usless DRM and other issues interfere with my ability to use what I PAID for. The saddest part is that the pirate community gets the products functioning in spite of the DRM, so only the paid legal customers are harmed. I'm sick of companies and idiots like you assuming I downloaded the product. If I had, instead of wasting my money, I wouldn't have had all the problems. So it isn't about being cheap. It's about being tired of getting screwed and treated like a criminal. So I choose to vote with my wallet, and I won't be wasting any more money on EA products ever again.

guest: Posts: 15288; Posted on: 16 May 08 23:28

The point is that EA is only punishing their legitimate customers. Pirates will have a cracked version and not be bothered with DRM. It is EA policy to give their legitimate customers a less desirable product than the one pirates get. So, knowing that, which do you want to be?

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