"...77% of customers have only installed the game once, leaving 23% that have needed to install it multiple times. "

And the game has been out for how long? That is one of the most useless statistics I've seen. Try asking that question after 6 months or a year... Oh wait, that's not going to happen because the results wouldn't swing in EA's favour.

It's also amusing to see them say it prevents distributing thousands of copies when the fact that Spore downloads are running into the hundreds of thousands has been fairly widely reported.

But then, this is more about minimising the used market for the game and forcing people to purchase multiple copies anyway. It seems EA has resided itself to the fact that pirates will never buy the game, so they are trying to bleed customers dry instead.

You can't fight freedom EA, people will play your game when and where they want.

"What you cant do is make and distribute a thousand copies online"
BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH (breathes in) HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAAH (looks at statement again) BWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA

Anyway... Timmeh has hit the nail on the head. The game has been out for such a short time, those statistics are utterly meaningless. Hes also probably right that this'll leech as much as possible from the few people still willing to support them...

Well done EA - youve massively increased piracy rates for your games, while punishing the people who do buy them, all while acting like an arrogant, moronic asshole who cant understand any viewpoint except your own. I predict much success for you in the future!

I couldn't care less about Spore, just regarding this particular line:

"You can install the game on three computers - at your office, at home or for your family. What you can't do is make and distribute a thousand copies online."

That sounds very much like them assuming everyone would do that with the copy they bought, and it's exactly what this uproar is all about: Customers being treated like pirates.

That statistic is probably the most devestating thing EA could have pulled out of it's own ass. I mean the game is out for about 2 weeks and already 23% of the people who bought the game had to install it multiple times? If that's the case that clearly shows that 3 installs aren't nearly enough for the standard consumer.

Just shows that EA has totally lost it. I personally played every installement of the C&C series since Tiberian Sun passionately but seeing that the disc will come with this shitload of malware that companies like Sony got sued for when they put it on their discs, I think I'm going to make this the first Command and Conquer that I'll pass. And this really is a shame because the Red Alert universe has always been my absolute favourite and I have been waiting for the third installement since the second I had punched through the campaigns of RA2. So thanks EA for fucking up a game that I have been waiting for for years and which I would even have bought if Jim had given it a 1.0 in a review.

Speaking of which, I would like to suggest that we resurrect the old review guide or at least reinstall the definition of a 1 score in this guide .
1 – Unbearable. Practically unplayable. An exercise in absolute madness.
By this definition every game published with SecuRom will earn a devestating 1.0 score.
a) the game is practically unplayable because the DRM nukes your RAM and it will become literally unplayable after the third install without begging for EA's mercy
b) Using such a restrictive method of DRM and expecting the consumers to cope with that is a prime example of pure madness.

@flay

I'll be first to admit that I'd snag any movie I wanted to see, but not video games. I wouldn't take a game like Braid on a torrent...Even though MS will see some of what I spent on it, the guy that made it will see that money too.

At least for me, I can honestly say that had Spore been published by an indie studio, or even a dev/publisher that I don't feel abuses consumers with flagrant disgreguard in the way only EA can. Pandemic, a GREAT developer, who created great games prior to EAs take over, now release sub par software...I already said my peace about Madden (whos users have been fucked on a monumental level since "next-gen" that it goes beyond small mistakes and hovers on gross incompetence).

EA just makes my gaming blood boil...And I was pissed I spent money on an EA game recently (TW 09 for 360), a game I could have gotten for "free" on my PC...But I refuse to lend my support, or money to EA at this point. I'm soured on EA, their questionable ethics, and the fact that depend more on patches to fix brand new games more so than almost any other dev/pub...There is no reason to be talking about "Patch 2" on August 19, only days after Maddens release.

Maybe to you it sounds like me trying to give myself some sort of excuse to you, Jim, or any other person who will read this article. I didn't have to say anything, especially about my aquiring the game...But the reasons I gave are real reasons, and not just some excuse to get free games. I don't need to do it, but my reasoning is my own, and it's honest. I have no reason to lie or make up some excuse...

DRM is such a failure of an idea. It's the reason I didn't buy Bioshock for PC, and instead pirated the shit out of it. It's also partly the reason I won't be buying Spore, it sounds like a mediocre game anyways. Why would I pay money to be treated like a criminal. It just doesn't add up.

I think it was Wardrox that had a rant about DRM on the latest Podcastle episode that I enjoyed immensely. I can't recall what was said though I do remember giving it a "fuck yeah" as I listened. Damn it, now I'll have to re-download it to remember :-X

Stoopid EA.

If anything, the DRM 3 'activations' should be enough to cause a backlash, and EA will have earned every bit of the vitriol aimed at them. They continually fuck the consumer over.

I downloaded a Spore torrent just to up the number of downloaders. I'm not even going to install it. If I do want the game in the future I will go out and buy it.

@Flay: And you're not fighting piracy by yelling at the internets. Douchebag.

Might I add that that's JUST on Mininova, which doesn't reflect activity on all the possible trackers and distribution methods.

And in just two weeks so far. Since Spore is meant to be played forever, we'll probably never see how much EA could have gained by being less idiotic about things.

@swizzler121 - Nobody is killing someones first born. And for as much as the game getting Pirated sucks for Will Wright, I'm sure he's doing just fine financially...I mean, the guy made some of the greatest selling titles of all time.

EA has overthought and underperformed on a lot of games, and they really underestimated how many people would say fuck you, I'll get it for free instead of 50 bucks for what is basically a rental.

It's too bad, because the game is awesome (so far, I'm very early on in the second "stage"). There is a lot of cool user created stuff too...Too bad EA decided to screw the consumer.

Max Power's Fun Factoids: Up until recently, it was possible and quite popular, too, to rent PC games in video rental shops in Germany. Some shops still do this. In fact, this used to be the prime way to pirate games in pre-broadband times. Shop clerks didn't even care people returned games after only about one hour. Fun times.

@Max - I can't think of 1 video store that used to rent PC games...Although EBs return policy was awesome on that front...

@MAX -
So then that would mean that people will still need to get a hack/keygen if they aren't the first 3 renters....Which goes back to EA trying to screw the consumer, and them exacerbating the need for some this.

I couldn't care less. I have no sympathy for EA, and I don't recall Will Wright speaking out against the DRM. The game doesn't really seem worth pirating, though.

In my opinion, pirating the game is not the answer. If anything, that will offer EA more ammunition to implement even harsher DRM "protection" software.

I would much rather see a concerted effort by troubled consumers to flood them with letters, emails, well-written posts on their forums, etc.

Of course, all of this could be moot if next month's NPDs come out and show it selling millions of copies.

@Sharpless - I disagree, the game is worth getting, any way you see fit. It is really fun, and "evolving"you creations through generations (as well as the evolving from stage to stage) is...well..fun. I wouldn't say the gameplay (thus far, I'm holding off evolving into the tribe stage) is overly complex, as the 'Creature' stage is basically running around, finding new parts to add into you creature creator, and interacting with the stuff other people have come up with. I loved reading the little bio a user made up for his "Crystal-Backed Gorilla"...(They are sought for their precious crystals that form on thier fur/bone)

I love building up 'DNA' and finding new parts, and then creating a more complex species, and then run rampaging...And then a meteor hit my planet, or a space ship abducts indginous animals, or throws some new ones. The fear that hits you when you're just this green dude, and there is a 700 ft wasp-squito terrorizing the nests around you. It really is FUCKING BRILLIANT.

It really comes down to a collect parts/do missions to get DNA by completion of either a 'social or aggro' response. Some groups can't be negotiated with (I'll leave my political joke out but laugh here anyway, because its fuckin funny). I'm in stage 2 and there are 5 total. I would like it if they allowed me to have a save spot for each end of stage moments, because I love being Ghandi or Alexander. In any one few moments it really shows who is playing that they will dig it.

The game is tits, but more than anything...ALSO COCKS.