Electronic Arts has landed itself in hot water with PC gamers after failing to disclose the digital rights management snuck onto Dragon Age II. The disc-based version of the game contains notorious SecuROM DRM -- a controversial bit of software that invites itself onto your PC and is regarded by gamers as glorified malware.
The worst part is that Electronic Arts does not inform gamers about the DRM anywhere -- there's no warning on the game's packaging or website, and it's suspiciously absent from the EULA. Consumer rights advocate "Reclaim Your Game" has been emailing subscribers to warn them of EA's shenanigans, which violates a court order demanding it disclose all instances of SecuROM in its games.
Add in the general hatred PC gamers have had for the sequel, and the possibility of one gamer being banned from BioWare's forums and subsequently unable to boot up his copy of the game, and you've got a bad PR recipe.
Our review of Dragon Age II is still coming. In the meantime ... what the Hell, EA?
EA Fails To Disclose SecuROM In Dragon Age II [Vivid Gamer]
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Contest:
8:00 AM on 03.11.2011 | 
I'm just glad the console version is serviceable. With Origins, it was the other way around.
I got the demo on my PC, my PC which ran the Crysis 2 demo without a hitch, and it just kept crashing on startup. Weird.
I was always gonna get it on a console anyway because I've yet to suss out how to hook my PC up to my TV.
Wait...
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/6194280
Dragon Age 2 Physical & Digital PC/Mac DRM are as follows:
* No disc check, you do not need the disc in drive to play.
* No limit on the total number of PCs you can install the game on.
* There is a limit to the number of unique/different PCs that can play the game within a time window (if online) [5 PCs in 24hrs].
* After each new install there is a 1-time online check needed the next time you play, requiring a log in to your EA account to verify game ownership. If you are a member of these forums, you already have an EA account – just use the same email/password.
* You can play offline thereafter - the game will NOT require any subsequent login checks. If online, a game ownership check happens each time you play.
Steam versions use Steam DRM, no other DRM is added, which means:
* No disc check, it is used for digital game versions purchased from Steam only.
* No limit to the total number of PCs you can install the game on.
* There is a limit to the number of unique/different PCs that can play the game at any one time (if online) [1 PC].
* Each install requires logging into your Steam account to verify game ownership.
* You can play offline thereafter. If online, a game ownership check happens each time you play.
* Steam pre-loads use Steam release control – you will not be able to play until the release day/time has passed for that region.
Dragon Age 2 Release Control (non-Steam versions)
* Does not use securom.
* It does not install anything to the PC.
* Sole purpose is to check with a server to validate whether the game release date has passed or not.
* It completely removes itself after the game release date has passed.
* You will not be able to play until that date has passed.
* Dates & times are set to the retail street date per country.
Common questions:
Does this apply to consoles?
* No. This is applies to PC/Mac only.
What about Mac/Cider, does it use Securom?
* Dragon Age: Origins for Mac/Cider used Securom. Dragon Age 2 for Mac/Cider will NOT use Securom and instead it will use the same non-Steam system listed above.
A PC review mentions Securom, what gives?
* All EA preview & review game builds sent to press use Securom which is where the assumption came from. The Dragon Age 2 actual retail & download version of the game that you will play will not use Securom, it uses one of the systems above.
If you have other questions please feel free to post here – as always, a reminder that this thread is NOT for the general discussion of DRM, the pros and cons of other DRM systems or any talk about circumventing DRM (which is against the rules of conduct and will be disciplined as such). Thanks. "
"Are you telling me that someone who has poor social skills should not be allowed to have DLC?", and did he really just accuse Bioware of selling their souls to the EA devil, that's just petty.
Anyone who buys a game, no matter what they do with it or what they say, should be allowed to play it for however long they want, whenever they want.
Fuck Bioware and fuck EA.
I'm sick of this stupid shit from developers and publishers, their idiotic DRM, their stripping of consumers' rights and dumbing down of games. Looks like I won't be getting DA2 at all now, especially not with any DRM on it.
Preach it from the rooftops brother.
Honestly, I wouldn't be so mad if Dragon Age 2 wasn't such balls. It's like they made one of the most original and PC friendly titles of the last generation into a hand-holding, transparent casual game. The addition of SecuROM just makes it into an unbelievable shit sandwich.
Yeah that's the glaring point, we in Europe could pirate it earlier than we could buy the game.
-We've got this DRM crap.
-There's the problems DX11 not working properly for a lot of Nvidia users.
-Game crashes being brought up a lot.
-Much smaller game compared to Origins.
-Broken DLC for a lot of gamers.
-Game save transfer buggy as hell.
-That whole banning a gamer.
-The games composer coming straight out and saying EA made them rush the game out the door.
-Mixed reviews.
-Pissed off fans.
-And the Lead Writer telling people he though Twilights romance story was very well done. I shit you not.
Even with the "optional" HD patch - which barely ups the texture resolution and utterly destroys performance.
It's like they didn't even bother to optimise it at all.
Oh and there's the fact there's TEN pieces of day-one DLC, the fact the combat is MASH A REPEATEDLY unless you're on Nightmare, which then just uses cheap tactics to artificially harden the game.
No, no more. There's simply too many complaints to write them all in this box. And this is just going off the damn demo.
EA's treatment of banning someone completely from their games because of one comment is utterly ludicrously petty. Fuck EA.
Of course that's the glaring point. That's why I made it.
I'm just agreeing with you mate.
Yeah...... those were good days.
But LYING to customers about DRM = illegal in many countries
Preventing a paying customer from playing a game he/she bought legally = breaking the constitution in many countries (freedom of expression).
Both the DRM lies and the deactivation of legal game should go to court. Logging onto the BioWare forums now to see which country the poster is in...
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/11/ea-forum-bans-can-lock-you-out-of-games/#more-53640
But, but, but.... Jim mentioned this and gave a link in the article. I'm so confused.
Bought it for my console anyway, but man is that sad. The DRM doesn't stop anything, just hurts gamers who buy the game for their PCs.
I don't understand why especially with the legality reasons they would try sneaking this in
No mod support. No tactical camera. Loads of glitches, including the fact that your import file from Origins reads wrong information. Lots of reports of having DRM issues. Major DX11 issues. The graphics patch wasn't built in, and has .dll issues.
Yea. I don't think it's too crazy to call this a shoddy port, considering EA said it was factually a console port this time around.
Two, I like how everyone freaks out when securom is mentioned, but I bet a majority of the people don't even know what securom is or does, or why they think it's evil incarnate.
But hey, it's the internet, right?
Moderately concerned about the whole forum banned issue. If what that guy is saying is true then we may have a major issue. If EA is banning people from the games that they paid money for based on off kilter chat comments that's a huge problem.
or do things happen flawlessly while being played on the developers computers. but as soon as it leaves the office it no longer works.
Well then, I'm just agreeing with the agreement
Then you still have the issue of EA banning your account via their forums, which means you're unable to access your EA Account DLC in your Steam copy, which creates save issues.
Of course, you could always keep your mouth shut. However, if you decide to speak out against issues like this, and you're banned simply for stating that you're unhappy with the finished product, it's an issue. Check out Gene Starwind's link for more info.
Aside from that I am enjoying the game. I thought Origins was good but a little bland. DA2 mixes it up with the small-scale, personal/political story - more nuanced than Origin's save-the-world romp.
I just wish it wasn't mired in this SecuROM and banning incident.
Wait, are you saying it doesn't have DRM? I'm so confused.
@Mag: the PC metacritic has a higher score than the console games. Also, I have yet to hear about many terrible issues except from the same people who have been screaming bloody murder about this game for 6 months already.
Even if the combat has been simplified, that doesn't indicate a shoddy port...
Also, keep in mind how complaints work. Typically, people with decent or good experiences don't post anything. Hanging around a tech support forum, you'd think -every- game that comes out is completely nonfunctional in every way.
@bugmenot
I wouldn't say I'm their cheerleader. Here's a fact: I think ME2 is overrated. I also think DAO is better than either ME game. I still haven't had the time to play much of it, but I'll have my comments on it soon enough. Right now, I'm expecting to enjoy it but perhaps not as much ad
DAO.
Enh. I've seen static jak's complaints posted in a lot of places - not just Bioware forums, and from people who were hopeful about the game.
I also share the viewpoint that Origins was better than ME1 and 2, but DA2 isn't even close to either of them.
It's more like a worse Jade Empire, to me - which was Bioware's worst received game.
They've really rushed the development of this game. To me, personally, is not surprising at all.
Do you really know what you're doing, Bioware/EA? Really?
I hope you do.
Yesssss.
I was afraid it'd be good and I'd have to bite the bullet. Oh, Dragon Age. You always disappoint.
In a way, I hate how gaming has become mainstream like this, THIS is one of the reasons why.
There goes my RPG Purist heart.