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Spore
 
Spore and Mass Effect PC forces players to stay online
Spore and Mass Effect PC forces players to stay online screenshot
Jim Sterling
\\ 05.06.2008
128 comments

BioWare's technical producer Derek French has announced a surprising new copy protection scheme that requires the user to be online at regular intervals while playing both Mass Effect and Spore on the PC. If you are not online to validate your copy of either game every ten days, your product will stop working. Wait ... what?

After the first activation, SecuROM requires that [Mass Effect PC] re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez'd and gets banned)

... After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run.

I'm not really a PC gamer, but my gut instinct on this is that it's a stupid idea and I can see something going wrong. People are already reacting pretty badly to the news online, and I can see the backlash escalating, along with any number of problems that can arise from expecting paying customers to continually prove that they're not pirates. 

This just doesn't sound like a great idea to me.

[Cheers to John Berger]



128 COMMENTS, LATEST BY desaturated
Let me jump all over this band wagon and call "FOUL" That's EA's business mentality for you: utterly retarded. This has nothing to do with protectionism and everything to do with loss of privac... -    view discussion




There are 128 comments about this post:
Y0j1mb0's Avatar
You hear that? It's the deathcry of PC Gaming.
Eschatos's Avatar
I really don't see a problem with this. It only checks twice, when you install it and ten days later. PC gaming is far from dead.
TheRemedy's Avatar
I wouldn't mind the whole needing to be online to play, but having to re-enter my cd key if I haven't played for ten days is rather ridiculous.
bluexy's Avatar
Well jokes on them, the only reason to play Mass Effect past 10 days is to do their shitty planet hopping/resource mining sidequests.

SO FUCK YOU SecuRom!
John B's Avatar
You're welcome, Jim. The real pain in the ass about this is that "Mass Effect" isn't even an on-line game!! I can understand doing this for something that requires Internet access, like "Battlefield 2142", but Internet access being required for a single player game? WTF!?

Quite frankly, I've had it just out of principle. I'm not buying either of these, even though I can afford them. Bethesda and Stardock got it right by adding value to entice purchases without copy protection. Hell, I'll even give Microsoft some kudos in that they only require one authentication of "Flight Simulator X" and it's done.

I am sick and tired of these gaming companies treating me like a potential PIRATE instead of a potential CUSTOMER.
Professor Pew's Avatar
Worst idea since StarForce. 10 days of Spore should be enough to see all that's there to see though :P
John B's Avatar
@Eschatos:

Stop it with the false information. BioWare stated IN THEIR OWN FORUMS this this is NOT a "twice-and-done" activation. This game requires activation once every 10 days for as long as you want to play the game.

In particular, Chris Priestly of Bioware stated this in his one thread.

Q: Why does MEPC need to reactivate every 10 days?

A: MEPC needs to authenticate every 10 days to ensure that the CD key used for the game is valid. This is designed to reduce piracy and protect valid CD keys.
ghnvt's Avatar
This is what is killing PC gaming, just put the game on steam and get it over with. Bioware made plenty of money selling this game on the 360.
Eschatos's Avatar
@John B:

My bad, I read the original article someone linked to in the clogs and it made the CD key check sound like what I described. I've changed my mind, that really sucks.
John B's Avatar
@Eschatos:

No problem. They should have clarified that themselves in the article. It was only by going to their forums (which was linked from their site) and searching around that I saw the "official" post that stated that this is a mandatory, repeating issue.

Hopefully, enough of a firestorm can be brewed by this (it hit Digg as well) that BioWare will realize what a bunch of dicks they're being about this.
niacin's Avatar
meh who will have a computer that can run these games and not have a broadband connection. As long as it doesn't take an age to check or slows down my computer I don't really see the problem.

And how the hell is trying to stop piracy killing pc gaming, surely it's piracy that's killing pc gaming. I remember when half life 2 came out everyone bitched that you had to validate your copy through steam but did it really affect the sales? I don't think it did.
BlackDove's Avatar
WELCOME BACK TO EA!

YOUR ROOM IS JUST LIKE IT WAS, WE HAVEN'T CHANGED IT!

*SMOOOOOOOOCH*
Spartacus's Avatar
So if your computer can't get online for 10 days, you're screwed? That's ridiculous.

PC GAMING IS NOT DYING, BTW
Mikescool's Avatar
y don't they just release this through steam or steam only download, then you can't really pirate it.
animateria's Avatar
Blame it on rampant piracy.

The Crysis developers are pissed and said they will never make a PC exclusive. COD4 developers also showed dissatisfaction with the number of pirated copies of their game.

Piracy is making developers make drastic measures.

I do hope they find a better way than this though.
killatia's Avatar
and to think i was thinking about getting the pc version. oh well theres always the good old 360 version.
AgentMOO's Avatar
How does this stop piracy? The pirate versions on bit torrent will all be cracked to remove this check.
liquidninja's Avatar
The best way to reduce piracy is too make sure the game is worth paying for.

Anyone remember when some guy tried to leak HalfLife2 code?
Misanthrope's Avatar
Did Baldur's Gate even needed a cd key, let alone all this nonsense? Talk about a bait and switch. I know people don't want PC gaming to die but commercial games on the PC shouldn't be supported if you have to tolerate 10 more layers of BS and the same lines when it comes to delays, bugs and tons of other excuses since we now they can't get it right on consoles anyway.

Im gonna be burning my Bioware pc games in a ritualistic matter.
adultswim810's Avatar
yeah pc gaming is not dying. i dont see the point in this anyways, anything is crackable and this will just piss off people who buy it legally. i give it a week max until it is cracked.
wardrox's Avatar
DRM: Allowing corporations to sell you something they still own.
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar
I agree, this could be blamed on pirates, but the reality is that once these games are released, there will be hacks that authenticate your game without connecting to the central server, probably within a few days.

DRM seems to do a better job at pissing off those of us that don't pirate games than it does at preserving a companies profit margins.
fromagex's Avatar
aren't there still parts of the US that only have access to dial up? or no internet? what about them?
Metamorphic's Avatar
Does Jim ever have anything good to say? Or at least without ego.
John B's Avatar
Does Jim ever have anything good to say? Or at least without ego.

Coming from he who intentionally just did a thread-crap just to take a childish pot-shot at one of Dtoid's writers? Exactly who's the one with the ego, again?
handdyman's Avatar
Nice, I'm sure this will help sell more copies.
braulio09's Avatar
metamorphic, check out his splatterhouse remake news.

mikescool, yes you can. audiosurf is getting pirated a lot and it's on steam.
Professor Pew's Avatar
"Blame it on rampant piracy."

Wow, thanks for that RIAA/MPAA spokesperson. Just ignore the fact that piracy creates more future consumers than any free sample that any company gives out. Ignore the free brand awareness and future sale. Ignore that teens and students who pirate it for a lack of money can turn into big spending consumers when they get a job.

Also just ignore that games can make a profit easily without any protection and that the movies can get huge awareness through piracy.
thunderleg's Avatar
So when does some guy from Bioware speak for the people from Maxis?
Brian Keljore's Avatar
Now I can understand why you would want to have some kind of piracy protection on a PC game, but this is just a load of crap. Every 10 days? What if you are on vacation? What if you moved and have to wait for ISP activation? What if you are routed through Cogent and their network sucks balls like it has been? Seriously, I find it all very stupid. This is as bad as being accused of a DMCA violation, only now, you are paying $50-$60 for the chance to be labeled a pirate. Being guilty until proven innocent rocks!
Jim Sterling's Avatar
"Does Jim ever have anything good to say? Or at least without ego."

I love comments like these. It shows me how ignorant a poster is, and as such, whether or not I need to take their opinions into consideration in the future.
B-Radicate's Avatar
Wait. Does that mean if I didn't play it every ten days while being online that I wouldn't be able to play it anymore? 'Cause that's super ultra mega gay.
Aertyr's Avatar
The idea is good, the execution is terrible. I can understand what they are going for, but it can't effect the players experience either.
Volomon's Avatar
Well just to let you know being online won't work, there been tons of games that have already done that. Hell you can pirate Half-life 2 off of steam. I mean come on. There nothing that can stop a person determined and all you do is get the ENTIRE world on you back if you say you can not do something. Other than that I'll pay for Spore, mass effect will suffer for being on the xbox and not the PS3 however. SUFFER!
Mozgus's Avatar
I'd just like to publicly state that I was going to fork over the $50 for this game until I read this news. Now they can fuck themselves because I'm just going to go with the much easier piracy method. They just lost a sale. Lot of good that did, huh?
sexycommando's Avatar
Ah the fruits of EA's Bioware buyout. And here I was about to start believing the rumors that EA changed from its old wicked ways.

Thanks EA, you made Spore a definite "buy" into a definite "pirate" for me.
Droll's Avatar
Pokemon is better than Mass Effect anyway, so you can't go wrong!
John B's Avatar
BioWare, these are your new roommates. Allow me to introduce you to Origin, Westwood Studios, and Bullfrog.
Boolean's Avatar
screw that, I'll just pirate it instead.
Rockvillian's Avatar
I don't ever pirate games, and I'm tempted to pirate Spore now, or just not play it altogether.

HEAR THAT EA???
animateria's Avatar
@Professor Pew

I see what you are saying but most people who pirated aren't going to buy a copy afterwards. They will probably buy a top-end rig when they get a job, but there aren't any proof that they buy the software for their PCs.

As I mentioned, this isn't a good solution to their problems. I'm probably going to pass on both games unless they change this policy.

BTW! This isn't a free pass to Pirate the games! WTF is wrong with some of you people!
vampireblood's Avatar
I HATE consoletards commenting about how PC gaming is dead.

STARCRAFT 2!

Suck eggs!
Neonie's Avatar
Wow....
OutrageousToob's Avatar
I'm not buying either now. I refuse to spend my hard earned money on something I can't use at my own discretion. There's no reason I should have to validate ANY game with EA, Jesus, George Bush, my mom, or ANYONE more than once. Also, I should be able to install the game(s) on as many god damned PCs as I'd like to. What if I own all the PCs? What if they're all in my house? What if EA gets obliterated by an earthquake and I've gone over the install limit? Does that mean I'm shit-outta-luck?

Seriously, fuck Mass Effect, fuck Spore, and most of all fuck you EA.

I somehow doubt that this'll prevent piracy anyway, even in the long run. It's just going to fuel the fire. Limited installs, online validations, and oddball methods of copy protection in which the consumer is given no sense of tengibility are what drove me away from PC gaming. If the same happens to consoles I'll be done with gaming in general.

Sad but true.

Oh, don't any of you find it a bit shitty that the people that make these boneheaded decisions make $100,000-$200,000 per year? At least!
Clockwork's Avatar
Definitely weird but nothing to whine about.
Tubatic's Avatar
I don't see the big deal of this being a huge negative.

I can see it being a hassle if you have internet connection issues and are subsequently jonesing for some Mass Effect.

But otherwise, alot of PC users have some means of connecting to the internet, and moreso those that game, I think.

Its a new way of trying to do something, but I can definitely see this being something that, in even less than optimal implementation, won't have a negative effect on the end consumer.

Unless its a hack piece-of-shit software like StarForce was. In which case, screw this. Only reason I didn't play City Life.
ajaxender's Avatar
Unfortunately, this is probably necessary since its a single player only game. Pirates have no reason to buy single player games, since theyre unlikely to ever need validation (until now).

However, its a cd key checking system. There is no way in hell that someone wont find a way through this. It may take them a little longer (ala Bioshock) but they'll get it done.
Aertyr's Avatar
Anyone who complains and says "I'm going to pirate now instead" is obviously short tempered. They have a right to protect their product, and chances are you would've just pirated it anyways. I'm no different, I pirate too but Bioware deserves my money on this one and if I have to do a short validation every 10 days I can deal with that. I can also understand your frustration and they should definitely look into how they are going to pull this off before they do it.
OutrageousToob's Avatar
*tangibility
welkstar's Avatar
Looks like I'll have to head out to Californiway and find me some internet.
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
I just love to see publishers go out of their way to cater to the pirate audience by making their gaming experience so much easier and hassle-free than the legit customer!


Wait, no I don't.
Dr Milkdad's Avatar
What's that in the sky? Oh it's just PC Gaming falling to it's death.

Note to EA: This won't increase sales, pirates don't buy games anyways, you're just pissing people off who want to buy your game.

Note to Pirates: Suck it for giving developers and publishers an excuse to not develop for the PC, and making PC gaming a bigger pain in the ass than it already is.
OutrageousToob's Avatar
And yeah, they do have the right to protect their product but I, as the consumer having paid the price of admission, have the right to use said product at my discretion. Or at least I should.
tehdopefish's Avatar
I don't see this as a problem at all. Piracy of PC games is out of control to the point that you can easily get just about any PC game BEFORE it's release date. There are ways to get around any kind of copy protection, and people feel no guilt in stealing every single title that comes down the pipe.

PC gaming -will- die if things keep going the way that they currently are.
brainderailment's Avatar
PC gaming alliance ASSEMMMMMMMMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!
Ianki's Avatar
Time to take pirtes to work around this: 9 days
Time until honest buyers without internet to get screwed: 10


How will i play when the people i steal wireless from start protecting their connection?
neveranything's Avatar
I'm not buying it for PC (wanted to give my PC some long deserved gaming love), and now I don't plan to buy it for the 360 either, not because it would be a hassle, but out of principal.

I'm tired of being treated as a pirate, even when I own a legit copy of a game. Yes, Bioware deserves to get paid for what they created, but why should any of us be punished for something we're (well, at least some of us) not doing, and/or not even supporting? Does anyone remember the mess Ubisoft, and a bunch of other companies, got in trouble with by using Starforce? Do any of you honestly think something like Starforce won't happen again? I'm not accusing Bioware of using any form of malware for their copy protection, but if we don't get the point across that DRM is a draconian means of copy protection, and that using any form of DRM is in effect moving backwards instead of forwards, sooner or later a big name company is going to use a company as ass backwards as Starforce was for copy protection, and then what?

I'm sick of it. "Please connect to the internet to validate your copy of the game for the one billionth time", "please install this heavy handed piece of garbage onto your PC and pray it doesn't break something", "please sit and rotate while we make sure if you haven't done anything naughty", "oh, and have a nice day". 100% garaunteed to drive customers, and money, away.
Aksumka's Avatar
The only way I will buy these games now is if they are released over Steam. I won't pirate them if they are not, I just won't play at all. I've stopped pirating games actually, I've stepped it up to $2k + software!
Sharpless's Avatar
Okay, fine, PC gaming isn't dying. I'll tell you this, though: This is what WILL kill PC gaming, if anything does. At the very least, it will hurt it a lot. DRM didn't work for music, and it sure-as-hell isn't going to work for gaming.

Why must big companies be so damned stupid?
FiXXXerX's Avatar
Something that game companies just haven't been able to wrap their minds around yet is that this doesn't stop piracy.

These games will be cracked DAYS before they come out, and then the cracks will be made freely available online for whomever wants them.

This is gonna screw customers that pay for the game, and ONLY those customers.
Sirapak's Avatar
Sigh time to go pokemon again.
Misanthrope's Avatar
Every piracy conversation turns into "those damn buccaneers don't buy anything!" Fact of the matter is I wouldn't be into gaming if it wasn't for piracy, I had bought this many pc games before piracy: ZERO!

I bought a total of 6 games from Bioware but never again, not even on consoles. Not even the ones I was looking for like that Sony RPG on the DS.

So how is that for protecting your profits you idiots? I guarantee every single Raider is just like me.
SunTzu's Avatar
I love it when companies make piracy "a convenient alternative."
Its just like the BioShock fiasco. Why BUY a game thats basically just a chore every 10 days (god forbid you're on the road and don't have access to the internet on such a regular basis), when you can just pirate a cracked copy of the same game, bullshit free.

Neither of these were games I intended to play online, but I did intend to actually BUY them (When it comes down to it, I'm really not fond of Game Piracy), but if they want me to steal their product so badly, how can I refuse?
ran24's Avatar
People need to just not buy the game. If you don't like this "protection", don't buy the game and support these dicks. Unfortunately, nobody does that though, they buy the game anyway, so companies can still do whatever they want because people still buy it. Don't support them!
animateria's Avatar
Many people that pirate around me do it cause they can.

Not because they can't afford to buy it.

Sure they buy games. But that doesn't make them less of a pirate when they steal from another developer.

Defending piracy is plain dumb.
John B's Avatar
Defending piracy is plain dumb.

And defending copy protection by treating every potential customer as a pirate-wannabe is just as dumb.
Misanthrope's Avatar
Pass it on to those sarcastic gamer guys, maybe they'll go militant again like with the DLC guns.
Shin Oni's Avatar
so that means i'm screwed if I have to wait for silly internet services to fix my net connection? phail.

let alone this is just a stupid idea anyway.
Jehutus's Avatar
I blogged it first :D
animateria's Avatar
@John B

Well duh.

I never defended it. Only gave the developer/publishers rationale behind this stupid decision. I'm not buying those games.

Well unless they go Steam like somebody mentioned.
mabman's Avatar
wtf bioware, you're a douche
michiyoyoshiku's Avatar
PC Gaming is dead anyway.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Stupid idea, but by the time it hits most people will be over it already.
Luigi takes over's Avatar
I don't understand this. The people who pirate software weren't going to buy it in the first place. It's not like they'll sit back and say "CURSES. DEFEATED BY SECUROM. I SUPPOSE I'LL GIVE UP MY HARD EARNED CASH NOW.

I'll not-pirate something thats available just to play it. If I can't find a pirated version then I generally don't buy it. I'll continue to buy the titles I really want and really anticipate though.

I reiterate, the people who pirate weren't potential sales in the first place. They either lack the income or desire to purchase the product in question.
Satsumomo's Avatar
I'll buy the game, then download the crack/hack to make it not check every 10 days.

However, with Spore this might mean some trouble since that game is sorta online, isn't it?
KaL_YoshiKa's Avatar
-1 Sale

The great thing is I know people who don't have net connections and just get their fix in internet cafes..WHAT ARE THEY MEANT TO DO?!
Wedge's Avatar
And it will be hacked and then only people with legit copies will be annoyed. Genius.
Iceciro's Avatar
Chances are this is fixable via a simple host.txt hack to make the game call in to a fake "server" running on the machine of the game owner.

Shit, it's not even out and I just cracked their DRM.

Now, as for spore, I was going to buy it before because it looked fucking incredible. But I don't even think I'll PIRATE it now. Much less buy it. Way to be douchebags, EA.
unangbangkay's Avatar
This is fucking bullshit. EA, Bioware, and SecuROM are exploiting the popularity of Spore and ME to push a flawed and frankly ridiculous policy forward. This is a big "fuck you" to gamers everywhere. Console gamers included. Buy cheats and balance-breaking guns for moneyz anyone?

"Hey, Mass Effect sold like gangbusters! It must be SecuROM works and not because PC gamers wanted to play an awesome, uber-hyped game!"
"Yeah, 10 days is like SNAP for gamers. Maybe they'll sell even better if we force the authentication every THREE days! Those dastardly pirates will be stopped FER SHURRR!"
"Oh yeah, let's SecuROM ALL our games! They'll sell like gangbusters too!"
"For realz!"
"And then let's shut down the authentication servers in a year, and release the GOLD edition which doesn't need all that!"
Atheist Jew's Avatar
*sigh*

PC Gaming is not dead, and those people that honestly think it is are just...well, stupid, I guess.

All this kind of idiocy does is encourage piracy. Pirates go out of their way to circumvent challenges like this. It may take a couple of days longer, but Mass Effect will get cracked just like everything else. Is it annoying? Obviously. Is it NECESSARY? Again, yes. Because PC game piracy is out of fucking control. EA/Microsoft/Vivendi/etc really need to invest a substantial amount of money (lets say several tens of millions combined) in developing a method of protecting their games from piracy, one which will take too much work to circumvent. Say, for example, encrypting all the data of a game with a randomized 4096 bit key, with pre-determined solutions that can only be obtained through registering the game. OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Until they're willing to put enough money into it, all of these anti-piracy gimmicks they choose to force people to put up with is just completely pointless.
flashbak's Avatar
Point 1> Console Games are pirated consistently and constantly, usually available a week or two before the retail release.

Point 2> Stated many times before, most pirates do not buy the software to begin with.

Point 3> If Piracy has suh a negative influence on the market how did Microsoft become the behemoth that it is today?

Point 4> Any number of groups will have this cracked within 24 hours of release

Point 5> Securom, Safedisc, Tages, etc have all caused numerous conflicts with people's systems because of improper blacklist coding etc.

Point 6> If you make a quality game people will buy it, especially if you put no copy protection on your software just ask Stardock.
angusm's Avatar
Fucking brilliant idea if they can get it to work without bugs.
I really love PC gaming and I want to make games one day. If the industry can get some control on the piracy, well maybe more developers might actually be willing to release their games onto the ol' personal computer.
mistic's Avatar
sux if a keygen creates your key then... you'll be blocked next time the check rolls around if you bought it...
brainpower4's Avatar
congrats, this just convinced me to not get spore, one of my most anticipated games of the year. Thank you Bioware, for letting me keep my $50
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
The situation with this just got worse.
http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=628375&forum=125&sp=3
Mass Effect and Spore will have a limited number of activations, similar to Bioshock before it. The number of these activations will be three. Every time Securom makes your game "cease to function" because it couldn't verify the legitimacy of the game, getting the game reactivated will blow an activation. Thus, after three such events, your game is bricked. Go buy a new copy, get a new CD-key.


Yeah, fuck EA and Securom doubly hard for this one. GTFO the PC you shitfuckers. We don't want you.
RJG's Avatar
I was actually going to buy those games, but now I'm not. I'm not buying a game when I can get a version that works BETTER for FREE.

Does EA not understand how this works? Give us a product worth paying for, and we will pay for it. Fuck us over, and you don't get shit, but we still get to play the game.

It's not rocket surgery.
dyslixec's Avatar
@Wedge "And it will be hacked and then only people with legit copies will be annoyed. Genius."

and this is why I love you.

This seriously is the most retarded move a company could ever do.

#1) You just kicked out the market of people who dont have internet, or only have it for a short ammount of time. -- YES PEOPLE IM SORRY THERE IS A HUGE % OF THE MARKET THAT DONT HAVE CONSTANT INTERNET ACCESS.

#2) It wont protect anything, crackers/hackers will find a way around it. The harder you make it to crack, the more tempted they will be to crack it.

#3) ?

#4) PROFIT!!!!
Conan-san's Avatar
Copyright protection that does more cockblocking than it actauly does protecting copyright is the cancer that is killing PC gaming.
-PL-'s Avatar
PC - check.
Internet connection - check.

Wow, I guess I'm prepared! Melodrama schmelodrama.
JustLikeBuck's Avatar
Annoying Copy Protected games don't get bought... they get even. No, wait. They get copied, cracked, rinse-wash-repeat.

Happened with most Starforce protected games (some real gems on that list), and now with securerom.

Bio need to check out a little company called Stardock that made much more profit in proportion to its development, without invasive copy protection!
Kaaspeer's Avatar
I think this is a good idea unless you really need to activate it yourself. If it just connects to the internet when it boots and checks if the game is legal then I don't see a problem.

Then again i guess if you don't have to fill out information it would be pretty easy to crack...
Syn's Avatar
My comp isn't anywhere near being able to support either of these games, but I think I may pirate them out of spite and then pass around copies.

Fuck You
Maudrid's Avatar
These people never learn: The game will be cracked and it will still be pirated. On the other hand Spore has online content and will be harder to play illegally.
anomalous_underdog's Avatar
why is the dude on the right sporting feminine boobs?
Emrah's Avatar
You know when my PC started going downhill with its performance and reliability? When the stupid bioshock *DEMO* installed Securom. I was going to buy bioshock, but didn't buy it protest. They just like punishing the paying customer, like in this case. The people who pirate these game will be much more comfortable playing.

So yes, I hardly ever play my PC.
Kurtz's Avatar
It's the wrong solution for a real problem... Developers have tried to come up with a method to prevent piracy on PC since the "security codes" printed in the manuals already 20 years ago.

The activation every 10 days it's reasonable on paper (came on guys... we are in 2008, if you are in a place without internet you probably have no electricity as well :))

They always ended up pissing the honest buyer more than anything. When I buy a game the first thing I do is check for the (almost always readily available) crack, since it's the only way to avoid 30 seconds security checkings, cd scratching and the like.

But I CAN'T really blame the developers for doing that. PC gaming is not dead, but it's changing since the only really profitable games are becoming casual games (low price and low budget, and appeal to people with absolutely no knowledge of P2P and torrent) and MMORPG (that you cannot pirate by definition)... it's ironic really, since PC has always been the platform aimed at the most "hardcore" of gamers, with complex and cutting edge games.

I think the solution has to be radical, like hardware checking (like consoles), or content streamed directly from internet even for single player games. You would lose some customers, of course, but many more people that would have pirated the game would buying it... If a strong, PC only franchise like Stracraft 2 would start the trend than it would become normal for PC gamers to deal with it.

Seems to radical ? Maybe, but I love PC games, and I can't stand to see PC gaming as I knew it die a slow death. But I really think it's too late, strong "PC only" titles are scarce and given the choice they would buy the console equivalent.
CALkulon's Avatar
"I think the solution has to be radical, like hardware checking"

Because people never change their PC hardware setup, right?
CALkulon's Avatar
Oh, and this idea is total bollocks, but you already knew that. Plenty of people are going to pirate this just out of spite of those twats at EA.
Kurtz's Avatar
I didn't mean hardware checking like window activation (that checks your current configuration) I meant hardware checking by some dedicated chip (embedded for example in graphic cards or CPUs) that checks DRM, like it happens in consoles.

There would be modchips, like in console of course, the point is that it wouldn't be THAT easy to pirate a copy.
Ocified-Xboxer's Avatar
I'm not a PC gamer so much...and what I do enjoy playing on the PC I don't exactly need to buy. I can say I've never pirated console software...And I was thinking about spore...Both in buying it, or finding it...This kind of sounds like a ridiculous measure that will punish honest folks as opposed to those with my moral ambiguity when it comes to PC games...And that sucks...And I'd say that within 10 days there is a crack that will be done and both Spore and ME will become free. I'm not saying that is the right thing to do here...But at least you wouldn't have to worry about the potential for fucking up and getting screwed by EA b/c they lost your Key Validation.
CALkulon's Avatar
"embedded for example in graphic cards or CPUs"

I say again, people change their setup. Was only a few months ago I changed both gfx card and CPU. It would work on consoles, but not PCs.
Kurtz's Avatar
It would work if you embed consistently the same chip on different graphic cards or CPU.

Of course it would require a big agreement between hardware manufacturers and developers, it's unrealistic I know... but the situation is dire.
Narishma's Avatar
This will only encourage more piracy. If the cracked version is less hassle than the original which do you think people will get?
Tuxy's Avatar
Phuck PC Gaming.

You guys want to stick to your thousand dollar, liquid cooled, fan whurring, neon toating, "frag" boxes, deal with the DRM BS. This is coming from a PC gamer. If you want continued PC support for the few last remaining games available, here's some advice.

STFU, because you have NO pull. If EA pulls Madden, you better beleive no game is safe.
Tuxy's Avatar
And if this encourages more piracy...then PC gamers shoot themselves in the foot. It will only mean you give developers more reason to ignore PCs.
JayTapp's Avatar
I will love to see how people will try tp play 3 years in the future when EA decide to shut down auth servers...
JamnOnTheOne's Avatar
@JayTapp

I'd like to see what happens when people need to redownload VC/XBLA/PSN titles when the consoles are no longer supported. I expect the same problem then.

@Kaaspeer

You're assuming that every computer playing the game is connected to the internet 24/7. There are still PLENTY of people out there that don't have broadband (and are stuck on 38.8 or 56k) or even have an internet connection.