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WHY MASS EFFECT DRM WHY?!!
12:38 PM on 06.18.2008, Justin Villasenor 75 comments

WHY MASS EFFECT DRM WHY?!! photo
     PC

So EA, I had heard that you and BioWare were originally going to include some pain-in-the-ass copy protection in the PC versions of Spore and Mass Effect, which would have forced users to remain online in order to play, but then decided against it once the Internet at large cried foul. You wised up, consumers got what they wanted, everyone was happy.

Wait, what’s that, EA? Instead of having to stay online for constant verifications, we can only have Mass Effect installed on three computers at any given time? Well, okay, that’s reasonable enough. I can live with that. Oh, you say that I misheard you? You mean we can only install a copy of Mass Effect three times PERIOD!?

But EA, don’t you realize that PC owners uninstall programs all the time -- such as for a system reformat, or even just to try and get something to run -- and then have this crazy notion that the software they’ve bought can be reinstalled on their hard drives? How can you even try to call this fair when Xbox 360 owners can take their copies and play them on any number of consoles?

What’s that? You say we forfeited any right to complain after agreeing to the tiny print in the game’s EULA? ... Yeeeeeeeah, I’m going to need you to get out my house now. And you better plan on replacing some slashed car tires if this crap shows up in Spore.

[Via Gaming Today]


Next page: More Electronic Arts stories




Rucksack's Avatar
Rucksack at 06/18/2008 12:45
If it's in Spore, I'm simply not going to buy that game.

I refuse to support a business model that treats customers like criminals. If I pay for the damn game, I should be able to install and reinstall it as many times as I please!
NihonTiger90's Avatar
NihonTiger90 at 06/18/2008 12:46
If Spore has this, I will not buy it. Period. No matter how much I want that game.
galagabug 's Avatar
galagabug at 06/18/2008 12:46
the shaft. let me give it to you.
Vegas's Avatar
Vegas at 06/18/2008 12:53
If they put this in Spore I will be not torrenting it.
Shinu's Avatar
Shinu at 06/18/2008 13:06
you know what. Just fucking download it.

Its what they want you to do anyway.

It's pretty clear, right?

I don't game on PC, but I'd never buy such a game, even if I wanted it so much.
falinter's Avatar
falinter at 06/18/2008 13:11
Fuckkkkkkkkk them.
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 06/18/2008 13:11
That's horrible.

*grabs his megaphone*

Let's go guys. Time to bitch until this thing is done just like the last one.
Aurvantoid's Avatar
Aurvantoid at 06/18/2008 13:16
@galagabug - Priceless
Kyosji's Avatar
Kyosji at 06/18/2008 13:16
I can see the same thing happening with this as Bioshock. They'll wise up after a mass amount of death threats and decapitated animal heads on the front door step and take that shit off.
CBunn's Avatar
CBunn at 06/18/2008 13:18
Thanks for making the pirate guilt go away EA! Good job!
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 06/18/2008 13:18
Quick, unleash the internets!
killias2's Avatar
killias2 at 06/18/2008 13:24
"Hate piracy, not EA."

I'm sorry, but if I got stripsearched anytime I went into a game store to buy a game, I'm going to hate the game stores.

We need to stop treating PC gamers like criminals. Pirates can STILL get around this! But PAYING CUSTOMERS CAN'T!!!!
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 06/18/2008 13:25
This is fucking stupid
SgtBilbo's Avatar
SgtBilbo at 06/18/2008 13:27
Amazing...EA has officially crossed over into Douchebaggery instead of simple gimping. Next they're going to send a one-legged midget with a harelip to your house to teabag you if you don't pay homage to their greatness.
killias2's Avatar
killias2 at 06/18/2008 13:34
Why can't these companies learn proper anti-piracy maneuvers?

Stardock has it right. Have everything out there. Heck, don't even force people to have their DVD's in the DVD-Rom.

Instead, force people to register to use patches and play online. That way, if people do pirate, they basically get a glorified demo. If you want the new patches or to play online.. you gotta pay. There are HARD ways to get around the patch thing, but no way around the multiplayer thing.
PappaDukes's Avatar
PappaDukes at 06/18/2008 13:35
Well, I guess I'll be stocking up on midget-teabag protection. I hope Farmer's carries that...
Cletus the Fetus's Avatar
Cletus the Fetus at 06/18/2008 13:36
Bullshit like this is why PC gaming is dying. And bullshit like this is caused by piracy, so if you're a pirate, then you should be publicly executed, just like the good old days Don't they know that this causes MORE piracy than it stops? Assfucks, I'm pissed and I have a Mac.
Brahms's Avatar
Brahms at 06/18/2008 13:37
I agree with Killias. Steam has the right idea when it comes to these things- while I lament not being able to play many games without being connected to the internet, I haven't heard of any better ideas for anti-piracy measures.
loki d20's Avatar
loki d20 at 06/18/2008 13:41
Hate piracy, not EA.

Technically piracy has not been shown to hurt game sales. People who pirate rarely have the tendency to buy the game in the first place. PC gaming is hurting because of consoles and the ever-increasing need to keep up with technology. Not because of piracy.

Honestly, though, this is kind of old news (with the 3 installs and that's it). I've stopped playing anything but MMOs and NWN2 on my computer and am sticking to console gaming until PCs evolve into something that doesn't require constant upkeep to play the latest games.

Also, on the flip side of this I despise forced installs on the PS3 that takes up a lot of storage space and would rather have them as an option. Sure, I could get a 500GB HDD, but it just itches me the wrong way with having to keep 4GB of data on there just in case I decide to pick up a game and play it for a few hours.
Kyosji's Avatar
Kyosji at 06/18/2008 13:49
Don't you all realize that this will be as permanent as Bioshock's version of the anti-piracy? It will be big news for the first month or so, then they will turn it off so you can install and uninstall as many times as you like. If they didn't, they would have to refund people their money since it doesn't state this information ON THE BOX. Doesn't matter what the EULA says, once you open a PC game you can't return it. I have yet to find a place that will. That means that they knowingly sold you a product that the consumer can only install 3 times without letting the consumer know. After a couple of lawsuit filed against them, or threats of said lawsuits, they will just lift the limit for sake of face.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 06/18/2008 13:52
Fuck. That. Shit.

EA just does not get it. This makes people want to pirate it more, not less. Trust your customers and give them some credit, and most of them will usually treat you better. I'm sick of these idiot companies sacrificing customer satisfaction just because they're afraid of losing a few dollars.
Nictel's Avatar
Nictel at 06/18/2008 14:02
You're right, they should all take a page out of Stardock's book. I mean, we all know that it's going to get hacked on day one. Why botter?!

What's next? Cars that we can only start 4 times a day to prevent car theft?
Tuxy's Avatar
Tuxy at 06/18/2008 14:05
MS is fucking stupid for not buying Bioware.

Now look at this bullshit.
vuffi_raa's Avatar
vuffi_raa at 06/18/2008 14:06
I will not buy a legal copy now- I was actually going to go buy spore and sims 3, but EA can say goodbye to my $ now
Kyosji's Avatar
Kyosji at 06/18/2008 14:06
And for all those people talking about pirating it. I'm sure, just like Bioshock, a few weeks after this announcement there will be a crack for it. Seriously, for the millions they spend for the anti-piracy, they could have created a internet login where you could only play certain areas off of a server. small areas, but at crucial parts of the game. That way if anyone did pirate the game, thre couldn't just play all the way through.

I wonder how piracy works if you already own the game WITH the original receipt showing you purchased the game on the first day. Could they still fine/arrest you? Strongly feeling like it might be a good option to download the cracked version if it comes out before the limit is removed.
maxio098ui's Avatar
maxio098ui at 06/18/2008 14:09
mass effect sucks so this does not effect me massivly
l0cke's Avatar
l0cke at 06/18/2008 14:13
Erm, cracks have already been out for a week or two now. Sadly it barely runs on my system!
unangbangkay's Avatar
unangbangkay at 06/18/2008 14:24
@Kyosji

Sorry, but that's just as bad as the server-side periodic authentication they wanted in the first place.
Gemsi's Avatar
Gemsi at 06/18/2008 14:31
What a bunch of idiots, the people that were going to download illegally still will, once again people that want to pay for a game get screwed
unangbangkay's Avatar
unangbangkay at 06/18/2008 14:35
I guess being able to pull shit like this while remaining oblivious is why publishers stopped using phone-based tech support. It's much easier to ignore a consumer when you can just block his address.
Timmeh's Avatar
Timmeh at 06/18/2008 14:35
If you buy a game from EA's store then need to reinstall it six months later this won't matter. You won't be able toredownload it without buying it again anyway :P

I hate this bullshit, how can they be stupid enough to realise the only thing these dumbfuck measures do is upset their customers. No game EVER has not been cracked so why bother?

I can't wait until the servers start getting turned off for games requiring online verification because that's the point when people are genuinely going to stop buying a companies games instead of threatening to. Then maybe the fucktards will learn.

@Brahms

You can play pretty much anything you get through Steam offline, just make sure it's set to save credentials on the computer.
Charl3z523's Avatar
Charl3z523 at 06/18/2008 14:37
Another reason for me to continue not buying EA's games...
Avolii's Avatar
Avolii at 06/18/2008 14:37
Hell, I picked this up, paid in full and all. Havent been able to play it though because its legal......the tech forum is a mess with problems.
unangbangkay's Avatar
unangbangkay at 06/18/2008 14:47
I haven't gotten past 1 install yet, but I looked through EA Support's Mass Effect PC FAQ (brackets mine):

"Q: What happens when I’ve reached the maximum number of computers [max installs?] for my game and I need more? (Due to computer upgrades, theft, crashes, etc.)

A: EA Customer Support is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting Customer Support."

Tried calling CS to ask a question about that, directs back to the website. Website directs to phone support.

Grrreaat.
Slick Icarus's Avatar
Slick Icarus at 06/18/2008 14:48
That's crazy; almost enough to not get a PC (I say almost 'cause there's Starcraft 2 comin')
Misanthrope's Avatar
Misanthrope at 06/18/2008 14:59
Listen to Armake21's take on DRM, he sums it up nicely in one of his over the top rants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-uulRB1OmY
Spectreman's Avatar
Spectreman at 06/18/2008 15:01
* Mass Effect is already cracked. Only legitime buyer are screwed. If spore have the same drm, I´ll not buying. We play pc games for long period, years, in various hardware. I don´t wanna play Spore from 5 years and be forced to contact EA for get another SN.
unangbangkay's Avatar
unangbangkay at 06/18/2008 15:05
So more legit buyers are screwed, which causes more would-be buyers to pirate or not buy out of spite/concern, which reduces sales, which allows publishers to justify worse DRM, which screws MORE legitimate buyers, and so on...

PC gaming may be far from dead, but this is certainly one of the ways to start killing it.
Dagerr's Avatar
Dagerr at 06/18/2008 15:26
Wow, won't be buying spore now. Too bad, I really wanted to give EA my money on that one.
Arttemis's Avatar
Arttemis at 06/18/2008 15:28
Anyone creating these piece-of-shit limiting software "protection" devices is to blame for this, especially since they do nothing to prevent piracy to begin with!

Blaming pirates exclusively for this kind of DRM policy makes about as much sense as blaming some (hypothetical) convict for the genocide committed by a (hypothetical) law enforcement against everyone in the nation as his form of punishment.
The convict is guilty... yet he isn't punished, but everyone that's innocent is instead.

In the case of Mass Effect and the like, I'm routing for the pirates because they will be the ones to come up with cracks removing this immoral and completely useless DRM scheme.
Kyosji's Avatar
Kyosji at 06/18/2008 15:29
Does anyone know how the law works with downloading a game you already own with its original receipt?
handdyman's Avatar
handdyman at 06/18/2008 15:32
Didn't this just sell many copies? I guess most people just don't mind this sort of things like us.
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 06/18/2008 15:47
well guess I'll only get EA games for consoles from now on...
braulio09's Avatar
braulio09 at 06/18/2008 16:27
If Spore has it, I'll pirate it just to hurt the assholes.

Not that I even care about Spore, but it's a statement against idiocy.
Justice's Avatar
Justice at 06/18/2008 16:35
EPIC FAILURE on Bioware's behalf.
Elandarex's Avatar
Elandarex at 06/18/2008 16:49
Those fucking shitheads.

I picked Mass Effect PC simply because I had thought the copy protection issues were over and done with after net reaction. If this gets applied to Spore there's no way in hell I'm paying for it. Sorry Mr. Wright.

What a bunch of cunts.
BeniBluemchen's Avatar
BeniBluemchen at 06/18/2008 16:56
The funny thing is, in Germany I think you could sue them for this kind of behaviour. EULAs are pretty much void over here since they are presented to you AFTER you have bought the product in question. But actually contracts of any kind have to be seen and SIGNED before the actual product is bought. If that is not the case other, more common contract laws apply and I think this kind of harsh copy protection would actually be illegal. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think that's the deal anyway. Don't know about other countries though...
CaptainApocalypse's Avatar
CaptainApocalypse at 06/18/2008 17:01
Mass Effect is shit, so that just leaves Spore to worry about.
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