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WHY MASS EFFECT DRM WHY?!! photo

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]


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73 comments | showing # 51 to 73

Nyteshade's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 17:12
Nyteshade
5 words say it all, "Sins of a Solar Empire."

Good game + no copy protection = lots of sales.

Way too many game developers are copping out of shit games by blaming pirates, and the sad part is that a simple mind like The Wraith's actually buy into it.
Nyteshade's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 17:13
Nyteshade
*cough Crysis *cough

Sorry, got some crap FPS stuck in my throat.
Blackhat's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 17:29
Blackhat
I don't understand how piracy is suddenly a huge problem.

Anyone remember back, say, 16 years? How your friend would come by with a game, install it, and show it to you? And then if you liked it, you'd buy it?

Honestly, word of mouth is the second best way to sell a game - the best is to let someone play it. I refuse to buy games that I haven't played anymore - I go to someones house, whatever. And shit like this DRM, you can only install it 'x' times, etc crap just turns me away. Will it still sell well? Absolutely. Will it sell as well as if they <i>hadn't</i> tried this crap? No way.
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 17:40
Eschatos
The DRM in Mass Effect doesn't bother me. The constant bugs and problems do.
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 17:51
John B
I *was* going to buy it, but not now. I clean off and/or upgrade my main PCs probably once a year. So, with this in Effect (pun intended), I've effectively limited the game to three years of use, assuming that I install it each time.

Sorry, but no sale here if only for the principle of the matter.
Phoenix0783's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:05
Phoenix0783
That's what cracks are for (no I do not pirate games.)
Elrando's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:19
Elrando
Wow, you can only install it 3 times?
Regardless of which computers it goes on?

Fantastic way to encourage piracy there EA.
RJG's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:20
RJG
I almost bought this the other day. Glad I didn't, because I would have installed it, and I formatted the other day. That's one of my installs down. I'm building a new computer in a month, and would have installed it on that as well, so...that's all my $100 gone.

Fuck you, EA. There are easier ways to play this game that don't involve putting up with your bullshit.

And just FYI: I bought Sins of a Solar Empire. I don't even like strategy games, but Stardock had me intrigued with their whole attitude, and people said it was good. So I pirated it. And then I bought it.

Stardock = 1, EA = 0
Elrando's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:29
Elrando
The worrying thing is with installs for console games being introduced this generation, how long before DRM rears it's ugly head on the next PS5-Box-1080?
Clockwork's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:34
Clockwork
I see what they're trying to prevent, but they're doing it the wrong way.
Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:39
Wedge
The game is already out and pirated, so I can't figure what exactly they hope to accomplish with this, other than pissing people off that will actually buy the game. Nice move there.
DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 18:44
DaedHead8
I swear EA, just try to pull this bullshit with Spore. I'll download an illegal DRM free copy faster than you can say thepiratesbay.org.
Schmo0zle's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 19:58
Schmo0zle
Yea, if this is on Spore I'll get a DRM free copy as well just to say fuck you to EA.

I never pirate, but I am tired of being treated as if I did something wrong by companies.
DGX Goggles's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 21:15
DGX Goggles
Anyone else loading up NOTisohunt.com on another tab right now?
ajaxender's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 21:41
ajaxender
Two ways to prevent piracy:
1) Make a good game that people want. DONT port a year (or more) old xbox game. Most people that wanted it will already have it or will have played through it. If you still want to, or demand is high enough, do a good job on the port! Dont give it shit mouse controls (Halo 2) or totally unbalance the gameplay (Gears of War). Mass Effect isnt too bad, i have to say, but its a 'consolised' rpg, meaning most pc rpg gamers are gonna think its gameplay and items and such are too shallow.

2) Make people BENEFIT from buying it. The most obvious and effective way is GOOD MULTIPLAYER; yeah there are hacked servers and the like but the best games are still normally had on legal servers. They have more players anyway.
If its not a multiplayer game, then make extra content!
Heres an example - i will right now admit to downloading Guitar Hero 3 for pc. However then i wanted to get more songs, since i love playing the game (even with keyboard). I even went looking for a decent deal on a gh3 + guitar pack. But then i find there is no DLC for pc! So theyve lost a sale; one they will immediately get back if they just release all the cool DLC!
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 22:04
Fronz
"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!"

agreed.
RAPEGAME's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/18/2008 23:40
RAPEGAME
I wonder if this has anything to do with mass effect being the number 1 torrent on pirate bay...
JustLikeBuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/19/2008 02:47
JustLikeBuck
I must have installed some of my favourite games over 40 times since purchase. I'll format windows every 6 month anyway and start again, but £30 is an awful lot to ask for a game that can only be played 3 times.

I say 3 times, because that's how I treat Bioshock games, they're too long, so I end up backing up my saves for the new formatted disk ;)
Satsumomo's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/19/2008 07:33
Satsumomo
I don't get it, how is this supposed to give copy protection and prevent piracy? All it seems like is just a way to piss off legal buyers.

Torrent'd
CJSchmidt's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/19/2008 09:31
CJSchmidt
Great idea EA! Now these folks who went out and legally paid for a PC game will get frustrated and end up discovering how easy it is to crack a game. Maybe next time they won't buy the game at all and just pirate the hassle-free version! These bastards should be prosecuted for encouraging piracy.
CJSchmidt's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/19/2008 10:31
CJSchmidt
Send your complaints to Piratebay.org...

Hate piracy, not EA.

Imagine a nightclub. People keep coming in the back door and listening to the DJ without paying the cover. The owner wants to encourage people to come in the front door, so he hires two huge bouncers to pat down and threaten the paying customers as they come in - then follow them around and kick them out after a few hours. The people coming in the back door don't even notice.

Who in their right mind would go to that club, much less use the front door? In the real world, the owner would welcome the paying customers, give the regulars a discount, and make sure their drinks were full all night.

I'm going to go play Mass Effect on my Xbox, my next Xbox, then drive over to my friends house and play it on his system before going to EB and selling MY PROPERTY for a few extra bucks.

Yeah, companies like EA have NOTHING to do with the decline in PC gaming.
Brandon Undead's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/19/2008 11:00
Brandon Undead
The Spore Creature Creator says on the box that you must be connected to the internet and provide occasional verification to play.
gokhan's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2008 03:43
gokhan
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